Rules Tip of the Day: When instructed to search through a hidden zone,like a library, for a card with a specific quality, you can fail to find a card.

Q: What happens with cards such as Pulse of the Fields and Kaho's ability? Do they return to your hand after you play them off of Kaho, or go to your graveyard?

A: If the appropriate condition is met, they will go to your hand. It does not matter that they were played from the removed from game zone.

Q: If there is Pithing Needle in play naming Akuta, Born from Ash, can the return to play upkeep ability of the card be played from the graveyard if I have more cards and a swamp to sacrifice? I am unclear if the restriction applies to a creature card that is not in play such Shard Phoneix, Eternal Dragon, or Akuta.

A: While Pithing Needle's ability does affect cards regardless of what zone they are in, Akuta's ability is a triggered ability, not an activated ability. You can tell it is a triggered ability as it uses "At..." It does not matter that a cost is paid when this triggered ability resolves, Pithing Needle's effect will not prevent a player from taking advantage of this ability.

The abilities of Eternal Dragon and Shard Phoenix are different. These are examples of activated abilities. You can tell because they are written in the format [cost]: [effect]. It does not mater that these abilities have a restriction and can only be played during your upkeep, they are still activated abilities.

Q: If I use Skyfire Kirin’s ability to gain control of a creature that does not have summoning sickness, would I be able to tap or attack with it?

A: Skyfire Kirin's ability does not give the 'stolen' creature haste, so no, you will not be able to attack with it. Creatures are affected by what used to be called summoning sickness whenever you have not controlled them since the beginning of your most recent turn; it does not matter if this creature has been in play under someone else's control.

Q: I have seven cards in my hand and attack with Deathmask Nezumi. My opponent then uses the ability of his Nezumi Shortfang to cause me to discard a card. Can he then block the Deathmask with his Gnarled Mass? If so, how much damage will my Deathmask Nezumi deal?

A: Yes your opponent can do that. The Fear ability only prevents non-black non-artifact creatures from blocking this creature. But if this attacking creature does not have Fear at that point, then it can be blocked. Also, because when combat damage is dealt you do not have seven cards in hand, your Deathmask Nezumi will ony deal 2 points of damage to the blocking Gnarled Mass.

Q: I control Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant, enchanted with Indomitable Will and Honden of Cleansing Fire. After the Honden of Cleansing Fire’s ability resolves, my life total goes over 30. My opponent wasn’t paying attention and forgot to use his Yamagubi’s Flame on me before the Honden’s ability resolves, so played it targeting me after Rune-Tail’s triggered ability goes on the stack. He said that because I’m not at 30 life when Rune-Tail’s ability resolves that Rune-Tail won’t flip. Is he right?

A: No. Rune Tail’s triggered ability will trigger whenever its controller has 30 life. This triggered ability does not recheck the life total of its controller when it resolves. The only way to prevent Rune-Tail from flipping after its ability has triggered is to remove it from play or counter the triggered ability with Stifle.

Q: Why do Quicksilver Fountain's Flood counters continue to have an effect after it leaves play, yet That Which Ws Taken's Divinity counters only work while it's in play. Is there something in the wording which would tip this off? Does the "as long as" in Quicksilver Fountain's wording set up a permanent static effect, or something of that nature?

A: Quicksilver's Fountain's first triggered ability puts a Flood counter on the targeted land and makes it an Island. This same ability creates a duration for this effect, as long as this land have a flood counter on it. This is one ability, and once it resolves the duration of the effect is not dependent on the Quicksilver Fountain being in play. You can tell it is one ability as there are not any line breaks in the text of this ability.

That Which was Taken is different. It has two different and separate abilities. The first is an activated ability which puts a divinity counter on the targeted permanent. The second is a static ability which makes permanents with these counters indestructible. As static abilities are only applied when the permanent with that ability are in play this effect is contingent on That Which Was Taken remaining in play.

Q: I have Bringer of the Red Dawn in play. My opponent does not attack on his turn, so all of his creatures are not tapped. On my turn I say I get to control one of his creatures until end of turn and attack with it. My opponent says that it is not possible because his creatures are not tapped, so I am not able to gain control of it until end of my turn. What happens? Am I able to gain control of his creature even if it is not tapped or not?

A: Bringer of the Red Dawn's ability does not require that you target a tapped creature. The word 'untap' is an instruction to you to untap this creature when the triggered ability resolves. If this creature is already untapped, then you can ignore this instruction, but you still carry out the rest of the effect and you will gain control of this creature.

Q: I have in play March of the Machines, Mycosynth Lattice and Soul Sculpter. If I were to use Soul Sculpter’s ability and target a creature with a high mana cost, like Scornful Egotist, would it become an 8/8 creature or would it just be a 1/1 creature?

A: None of the above. As the Lattice is in play before Soul Sculpter's ability resolves the Egotist won't be a creature at all, it will be just an enchantment. This is because the Sculpter's ability is applied after the effect from the Lattice is applied. Therefore it will not be an artifact and not be affected by March of the Machines animation effect. The only way for the Egotist to become an 8/8 creature in this example would be if Soul Sculpter's ability resolved first and then the Lattice and March of the Machines came into play after.