#magichanmac

Lazav, the Multifarious has a new template for these sorts of effects. Previously, the copy effect would ignore the characteristics that are excepted this way, but now they just overwrite those values with the listed value.

What this means for Necrotic Ooze et al. is that instead of keeping their original name as they would before, they now become named Lazav, the Multifarious (or whatever other name is tied to the ability). This is, of course, a problem if you already control a Lazav.

You’ll search your library for Squadron Hawks.

While normally a card that gains an ability from another card will substitute its name for the name of that card in the gained abilities, this only applies when the ability is referring to that card itself. It doesn’t overwrite its own name onto abilities that specify a card name, so when Sakashima, as a copy of Squadron Hawk, has its trigger tell you to search for “cards named Squadron Hawk”, that instruction isn’t changed.

As long as you control the source of the damage, then you’re the one placing the counters and so Nest of Scarabs will trigger.

It won’t untap.

It’s your next untap step after you exerted the permanent, you control it, and it would normally untap, so exert’s effect applies and keeps it from untapping here. It doesn’t matter that it has untapped normally under another player’s control since it was exerted.

The loyalty option on heart of Kiran is a static ability and not part of the crew ability. It won’t be copied by Skill Borrower or similar cards. (Not that having crew is that useful for it either...)

Convoke and Improvise are both payment mechanics, along with Delve.

When you go to pay the costs of a spell (which happens after you generate mana to pay for it) Convoke, Delve, and Improvise allow you to tap permanents or exile cards from your graveyard rather than pay part of the mana cost of the spell.