MTG Salvation

A creature certainly can have more -1/-1 counters on it than its toughness, so you'll draw 7 cards in the scenario you described.

So, if the effective retail price of these ends up being $200+ thanks to price gouging, is this still going to be declared a "success" by Wizards?

Really, really hoping that player outrage at least gets them to consider printing further copies of this set, as otherwise, it sounds like a lot of people (player and collector alike) are going to be pissed.

I don't think there was any pun in particular meant, but "telegraphing your punches" is a common term in boxing. Basically, it's when your opponent can see your moves coming because you've made it too obvious -- you've telegraphed them. (yay idiom dictionary! http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/telegraph+punches)

Anyway, to answer your question:

605.3a A player may activate an activated mana ability whenever he or she has priority, whenever he or she is casting a spell or activating an ability that requires a mana payment, or whenever a rule or effect asks for a mana payment, even if it’s in the middle of casting or resolving a spell
or activating or resolving an ability.

Since the other two scenarios don't apply here, you need to have priority to activate your mana abilities. Since no player has priority during the resolution of a spell, you won't be able to activate mana abilities when Armageddon is resolving. Even though mana abilities don't use the stack, they still have particular rules about when they can be activated, as detailed above.

No. Orientation, marked damage, any equipment/enchantment it has attached, and counters of any type all remain on a transformed creature, since again, it's still the same object and just takes on new characteristics.

Yes. Arrest only prevents activated abilities from being activated, and Thragtusk only has triggered abilities, which have no interaction with Arrest whatsoever.

Nope. Transforming a creature only changes its characteristics. It's still the same object, so it retains the same orientation (tapped) as it had right before transforming.

Shattering Spree has a CMC of 1, and it doesn't have X in its casting cost. It can be replicated as many times as you can pay for it, and Gaddock Teeg's abilities do nothing to stop this.

Flayer of the Hatebound will see all the creatures entering the battlefield alongside it, and will trigger for each of them as well. Just remember that it only counts the creatures coming from your own graveyard.

Yes, Fiend Hunter and Faceless Butcher work the same way.

But, did you really need to revive a post from over 2 years ago to ask this for your first post? Use discretion in the future -- a new thread would have been much better. "Necroposting," as it is sometimes called, is frowned upon on pretty much all forums I've encountered.

Man, sounds like the opposite of my problem. I started out having a better deck than my playgroup, but they very quickly leveled up -- in terms of deck construction and ability. Now, I have to wrestle away, be diplomatic, as well as get lucky to win a game at all these days. But you know what? I love it.

Basically, it sounds like your playgroup isn't attuned to your level of either deckbuilding or playing, which is a shame. As mentioned, you can either find a new group or, barring that, help them "level up." Explain to them why their threat assessment could use work (to say the least), but try to do it in a way that seems more constructive and less critical. Truly easier said than done, though.

Powerful in creature based decks
Synergy with drogskol reaver

why didnt wotc make drogskull legendary??

afk killing myself. /throat

Quote from Niart Gunn

A thousand times this. This redesign is really arbitrary and kills the flavour of slivers for me. Why would you even still call these slivers, they don't even work like the old ones.

I think this is quite sad and I don't even play magic anymore.

Heh, I think its sad and I've never played magic

Because it's a strong independent black card that don't need no other color to pay its cc.

Quote from Zeke_787

So my opponent is still very confused on this interpretation.

The reason why he is confused is because Nightveil Spector dosnt explicitly say that for spells that you actually have to pay the mana cost.

It doesn't say that because it doesn't have to.

So is there any where in the comprehensive rules that goes over this or is there any better way to help explain this interpretation.

The rules say that you have to pay the total cost to cast a spell. Nightveil Specter doesn't say anything to override those rules.

601.2. To cast a spell is to take it from where it is (usually the hand), put it on the stack, and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. Casting a spell follows the steps listed below, in order. If, at any point during the casting of a spell, a player is unable to comply with any of the steps listed below, the casting of the spell is illegal; the game returns to the moment before that spell started to be cast (see rule 717, "Handling Illegal Actions"). Announcements and payments can't be altered after they've been made.

Quote from Waiting in the Weeds

filibuster counter... really??

Are you honestly going to tell me with a straight face that it doesn't add immeasurably to the card's appeal?

Hey look, it's Gaka, a pilot of sufficiently goofy personality.