"It's not my fault you gave me only an hour to make something."

"I just really wanted to give this thing a try. I was up until three in the morning last night, putting this together."

"Well, the theme is a bit on the nose," you sniff, "and the jury's still out on whether or not it can actually win a game."

"Exactly."

Much as you hate to admit it, you might just lose this one. CJ's deck quality may be somewhat iffy, but your deck hasn't been cooperating so far - maybe you put in too many high-cost cards and too few lands. The fact that CJ has recently drawn and played a Dovescape doesn't look like it's going to help matters at all.

"Okay," CJ says, tapping his lands to cast a Serra's Guardian. "Let's go crazy!"

"Argh, that's not good. Are you going all-out on your attack? I'm at nine life."

"Nope, I'm not going to run into that 4/5 lifelink of yours. I'll just send in my Voice of Truth."

"Okay, that's two damage coming - unless you're using that Unspeakable Symbol."

CJ takes a moment to consider this. Your mind wanders a little, wishing that the others were here to provide some input.

"Wonder where Mari and Cécile are," CJ says, almost as if reading your thoughts.

"Check your messages - they're probably waiting for us out there. Or they might be back already, considering how long it's taking us to finish this game."

"I said I was sorry already."

You sigh. "Well, we know we're going to be late. We've obviously been comfortable here for too long."

"It's a sign of the times," CJ says. "A sign of the times."

"I hear you."

"I guess I won't use the Symbol," CJ says. "Going down to five life might be too low. Take two from the Voice?"

"Am I missing something? I thought you'd be going down to four if you use it."

"I got an additional life from the Diamond Mare when I cast Serra's Guardian," CJ says.

"Oh yeah. Sorry, forgot about that," you admit. "I guess I'm at seven, then."

"Cool," CJ says. "Your move."

You untap your very sparse board, and draw your card for the turn. Unfortunately for you, it's a Death Rattle - and CJ's Dovescape means that you won't be able to cast it to remove the Serra's Guardian on the other side of the table. Fortunately, that also means you won't be wanting for flying blockers anytime soon.

"Anything that'll save this game for you?" CJ asks.

"I think it'll at least give me a reasonable shot," you say, cagily.

"You're channeling Mari again," CJ says.

"For good reason," you point out. "I'll tell you what, if I don't figure this out in the next two minutes, we'll go for a new game once we get back with Mari and Cécile."

It is the start of your first main phase. Defeat CJ before the beginning of his next combat phase.

You are at 7 life, with the following cards in play:

• Doomed Necromancer
• Whisper, Blood Liturgist
• Cavalier of Night (with your Lightning Greaves attached)
• 2 Islands
• 3 Swamps

You have the following card in your hand:

• Death Rattle

You have not yet played a land this turn. You still have a substantial number of cards remaining in your library, but you know neither the identities nor the order of those cards.

You have the following cards in your graveyard:

• Thryx, the Sudden Storm
• Kjeldoran Dead
• Covenant of Blood
• Scribe of the Mindful

CJ is at 8 life and has no cards in his hand. He has the following cards in play:

• Charming Prince
• Temple Thief
• Diamond Mare
• Pearled Unicorn
• Voice of Truth
• Dakmor Sorceress
• Serra's Guardian
• Unspeakable Symbol
• Dovescape
• 3 Plains (all tapped)
• 2 Swamps (both tapped)
• River of Tears

If you've got a solution in mind, don't put it in the comments! Help keep this puzzle a mystery to other readers!

Instead, if you think you've got a great solution, you can send your solution to puzzles@gatheringmagic.com with the subject line "Puzzle - When Doves Cry" by 11:59 P.M. EST on Monday, June 15, 2020. We'll include the best ones in next week's article along with the next puzzle!

Last Week's Puzzle

Correct solutions to last week's puzzle were received from Russell Jones, Hyman Rosen, Sean Patrick Keatley, Jacob Butcher, Grag Atrim, knightshade, and Jonah Comstock.

In particular, this puzzle ran into technical difficulties because an earlier draft was inadvertently posted - thank you to Paul Gersberg, knightshade, and Jonah Comstock for the heads-up!

The version that was originally posted left out a Geist of the Lonely Vigil on your opponent's side. Without the Geist, Paul Gersberg notes that a straightforward solution is available:

Geist of the Lonely Vigil, however, gives you one more flying blocker that you need to handle, and this exceeds the removal options that are available to you.

"There are actually two layers of red herrings in this puzzle," Jonah Comstock writes. "The first one - getting through with our single 1/1 flier - is pretty easily dismissed (although it works in the original version of the puzzle :P).

"After that, it looks like the puzzle might be about Shepherd of Rot's ability. If we could either gain one life and eliminate two zombies or gain two life and eliminate one zombie, we could win. The presence of an Elf on our side who can gain lifelink and a fight card in our hand makes either of those seem possible.

"Unfortunately, we have several big problems: a blocking Everdawn Champion prevents combat damage, which negates our lifelink. Martyr of Sands blocking and sacking itself also negates our lifelink. And Mari's "disposable" Disposal Mummy is anything but, thanks to that open regeneration mana.

"In fact, the solution is, as John Cleese would say, something completely different. In true puzzle style, we have to use our beneficial effect on our opponent's creature, exploit a rules loophole, and then activate a ridiculously narrow and seemingly inconsequential ability."

All this is summarized in Sean Patrick Keatley's solution, which is actually quite short and sweet:

Curiously enough, an alternative solution is available here. Rather than using a beneficial effect on an opponent's creature, though, it centers on using a detrimental effect on one of yours. And as Grag Atrim writes, this solution doesn't exactly leave Sleeper's Guile where it currently lies: