Rules Tip of the Day: When a permanent in play becomes a creature, it does not count as a creature coming into play.

Also, while the column is appearing again, I still have quite a lot to catch up on due to the email difficulties and the fact that I've been at US Nationals for the past week. So If I haven't responded to a recent email you've sent my, wait a bit longer before you resend it.

Q: Does Kaho, Minamo Historian's activated ability work for all cards that are removed from the game, or just the ones removed when Kaho comes into play? For instance, if I remove 5 instants from someone's deck using Supreme Inquisitor, can I use Kaho's ability to play them?

A: Kaho's ability only allows you to play the three instant cards that have been removed from the game by Kaho's coming into play triggered ability. You will not be able to play other cards that have been removed from the game by other effects, including the CIP effects of other Kahos.

Q: Howling Mine's Oracle text reads "At the beginning of each player's draw step, if Howling Mine is untapped, that player draws a card." This sounds like if it is tapped, the player does not draw a card in his/her draw phase at all. Earlier editions of this card, however, stated "draws an EXTRA card". Is it still an extra card, or has that been changed?

A: Howling Mine does not affect the normal card draw in a turn at all. The word "extra" in the previous printings of Howling Mine was, well, extra. As long as there is an untapped Howling Mine in play, each player will end up drawing two cards.

Q: I have Scragnoth in play and my opponent has Aether Spellbomb, which he sacs, paying blue to return Scragnoth to my hand. If Scragnoth has protection from blue, does he have protection from this as well since the cost of this action is blue mana?

A: No. It does not matter that this ability cost blue mana to play, the source of the ability is an artifact and Scragnoth can be targeted by this ability.

Q: Necromancy and Animate Dead are enchantments with a comes into play ability that targets a creature in a graveyard. Is there a time between the comes into play ability and bring the creature into play where a player can "disenchant" it, thus preventing the creature from coming into play?

A: Yes, you can. The current wording of the coming into play triggered abilities do not do anything unless the enchantments are in play when the ability resolves.

Q: How does it work if I use my Quicksilver Elemental to copy Callous Oppressor's ability? Do I permanently keep all creatures that I "steal", as long as my real Callous Oppressor is tapped, or do I just keep all creatures, or is it just the same?

A: You will maintain control of whatever creature you gain control of with this Quicksilver Elemental for as long as the Quicksilver Elemental remains tapped. It does not matter if the real Callous Oppressor remains tapped. Keep in mind that Quicksilver Elemental only copies Callous Oppressor's activated ability, it does not copy the static ability that allows you to choose to not untap it. This means that unless something else is keeping the Quicksilver Elemental from untapping, you will lose control of this stolen creature during your next untap step.

Q: I was reading through the rulings on Mana Drain, in the virtual judge, and it says that I can Stifle the triggered ability that gives my opponent mana at her next main phase. My question is, how can I all of a sudden counter mana abilities? I know I can counter a regular triggered ability with similar wording (like Otherworldly Journey, for example), but isn't Mana Drain's effect a mana effect, which the reminder text states can't be countered?

A: The triggered ability created by Mana Drain may add mana to a player's mana pool, but it is not a mana ability. The only triggered abilities that are mana abilities are those that trigger when another mana ability is played. The delayed trigger created by Mana Drain triggers at the beginning of the next appropriate main phase and not on the playing of a mana ability, so it is not a triggered mana ability. As it is a normal triggered ability, it can be countered by Stifle.

Q: I have a card called Drain Power, which drains all the mana from the opponent's mana pool, and puts it in mine. I was wondering, if I don't use the mana, do I receive mana burn?

A: Yes, the mana added to your mana pool by Drain Power will cause mana burn if you do not spend it.

Q: Player A is playing Earthcraft/Squirrel Nest. He makes 2 billion squirrels and attempts to play Mob Justice. In response, Player B shoots the squirrels down with a Goblin Sharpshooter. Player A, in response, makes more squirrels, etc. If this occurred at a tournament, who would prevail? Player A could keep making squirrels and player B could keep shooting them down. Would this cause a draw or would the judge rule that Mob Justice would have to resolve either as an arbitarily large number of damage or as zero?

A: In situations like these the non-active player will usually prevail. As Mob Justice is a sorcery, this means the player controlling the Goblin Sorcerer will "mow down" his opponent's creatures before the Mob Justice resolves. The reason it works like this is due to how loops with optional actions are treated. (See Comp Rules 421.3) In these instances the active player will choose a specific number of times he will perform the action, and then the nonactive player can then respond. The active player is not given the chance to respond again by choosing to restart the loop. So after the Squirrel Craft player makes a certain number of Squirrels, the controller of the Sharpshooter can then deal lethal damage to them all. If these squirrels are the only creatures that this player controls, then the Mob Justice will deal zero damage.