So, I was curious as to how Worms of the Earth and Life and Limb interacted with one another, so I dug through the archives and found this thread from 2013. After reading through the whole thing, I felt as though there was initially a consensus on how the cards worked together. Everyone seemed to agree that Saproling tokens such as those created by Sprout wouldn't be created while Worms of the Earth and Life and Limb were in play, and Saproling spells (Taurean Mauler) would be put into their owner's graveyard once they resolved. Furthermore, if a Saproling card (Taurean Mauler again) were to attempt to enter the battlefield from a zone other than the stack, it wouldn't instead; the card would just remain in the same zone.
From there, the final two posters in the thread interject and state that Worms of the Earth does not behave with Life and Limb in the way the previous posters described, and that Taurean Mauler would be able to enter the battlefield from anywhere, including the stack, without Worms of the Earth intervening. None of the previous posters ever decided to refute those claims, so now I'm just confused as all hell and don't know who to believe. Was the initial consensus correct, or were the final two posters? I figured the best way to clear this up would be by asking new questions of my own.
Question 2:
Fred casts Taurean Mauler from his hand. When Taurean Mauler resolves, what happens? Will Taurean Mauler enter the battlefield, be put into Fred's graveyard, or something else?
The answer hinges on the proper scope of C.R. 603.6b, which says "continuous effects don't apply before the permanent is on the battlefield".
1. If the cited text of C.R. 603.6b applies to this scenario, the token would enter the battlefield as a Saproling creature and Forest land. Otherwise the token would not be created (C.R. 101.3) because it would be a Forest land on the battlefield.
2. Based on C.R. 608.3b, Taurean Mauler would be a Saproling creature once it enters the battlefield (C.R. 702.72a, 604.3, 112.6a), so it would also be a Forest land there, so will be put into its owner's graveyard.
3. Same answer as question 1 (replacing "token" with "card").
C.R. 603.6b says "continuous effects don't apply before the permanent is on the battlefield". However, the sentence where that text appears refers to C.R. 603.6d, which in turn covers only the text of certain replacement effects (see also C.R. 614.1c-d), which none of the three scenarios involves. (Note that Worms of the Earth's effect that "[l]ands can't enter the battlefield" isn't a replacement effect [C.R. 614.17; see also C.R. 614.1, 614.1a-d, which describe the scope of replacement effects].)
EDIT (Apr. 27): Correction.
EDIT (Apr. 27): See comment 10.
EDIT (Jul. 5): Added rule citation.
EDIT (Sep. 28): One rule was renumbered with Ixalan.
8/1/2008: If a permanent spell tries to enter the battlefield as a land during its resolution (for instance, a Clone entering the battlefield as a copy of a Dryad Arbor or an animated Mutavault), it is put into its owner’s graveyard instead of entering the battlefield. It never enters the battlefield, so abilities that would have triggered on it entering the battlefield won’t trigger.
Edit:
So, the answers are:
1. The token can't enter the battlefield, because it would be a land.
2. Taurean Mauler would go to the graveyard instead of the battlefield.
3. Unburial Rites would resolve and do nothing, as the target can't enter the battlefield. It is similar to an opponent having Grafdigger's Cage in play.
8/1/2008: If a permanent spell tries to enter the battlefield as a land during its resolution (for instance, a Clone entering the battlefield as a copy of a Dryad Arbor or an animated Mutavault), it is put into its owner’s graveyard instead of entering the battlefield. It never enters the battlefield, so abilities that would have triggered on it entering the battlefield won’t trigger.
Edit:
So, the answers are:
1. The token can't enter the battlefield, because it would be a land.
2. Taurean Mauler would go to the graveyard instead of the battlefield.
3. Unburial Rites would resolve and do nothing, as the target can't enter the battlefield. It is similar to an opponent having Grafdigger's Cage in play.
The clone situation in the ruling is different from Life and Limb. The difference is that Clone's replacement effect (copying a Dryad Arbor) will cause it to have the type Land before it enters the battlefield, at which time the effect from Worms of the Earth will step and and prevent it from entering at all. However, in the situation with Life and Limb, a saproling token or Taurean Mauler won't be a land until it is on the battlefield (since Life and Limb only affects permanents). So a Taurean Mauler spell resolving won't be "trying to enter the battlefield as a land", it will enter the battlefield as a creature and then immediately be a land once it is on the battlefield.
<Ignore>
Here's the relevant rule. Emphasis is mine.
614.12. Some replacement effects modify how a permanent enters the battlefield. (See rules 614.1c–d.)
Such effects may come from the permanent itself if they affect only that permanent (as opposed to a
general subset of permanents that includes it). They may also come from other sources. To
determine which replacement effects apply and how they apply, check the characteristics of the
permanent as it would exist on the battlefield, taking into account replacement effects that have
already modified how it enters the battlefield (see rule 616.1), continuous effects generated by the
resolution of spells or abilities that changed the permanent’s characteristics on the stack (see rule
400.7a), and continuous effects from the permanent’s own static abilities, but ignoring continuous
effects from any other source that would affect it.
By my interpretation... Since the replacement effect in question comes from a static ability of a different permanent, it does not affect how taurean mauler or saproling tokens from Sprout will (or won't) enter the battlefield. A Clone on the stack targeting dryad arbor behaves differently because its replacement effect has "already modified how it enters the battlefield", and thus does cause it to attempt to enter the battlefield with the copy effect already applying.
(sorry for all the edits. I derped, then derped again when trying to underp.)
</Ignore>
Oops. Life and Limb's ability is not a replacement effect. I conflated "instead of" with "in addition to".
EDIT 2: peteroupc was also right on the money above. 603.6b also applies here (but not 603.6d) resulting in the same conclusion. IfLife and Limb had another ability that read, "All Forests and all Saprolings enter the battlefield as forest lands and 1/1 green saproling creatures," then that would be a different story.
The clone situation in the ruling is different from Life and Limb. The difference is that Clone's replacement effect (copying a Dryad Arbor) will cause it to have the type Land before it enters the battlefield, at which time the effect from Worms of the Earth will step and and prevent it from entering at all. However, in the situation with Life and Limb, a saproling token or Taurean Mauler won't be a land until it is on the battlefield (since Life and Limb only affects permanents). So a Taurean Mauler spell resolving won't be "trying to enter the battlefield as a land", it will enter the battlefield as a creature and then immediately be a land once it is on the battlefield.
Clone's effect exactly is not that. As a replacement effect, it applies before the event occurs. But as a zone-change replacement, there is no result any sooner than the actual event. Clone moves from a condition of being a creature spell into being a permanent copying something.
What you are about to do is move a creature spell from the Stack to the battlefield. Also, what you are about to do is put a Forest Saproling land creature onto the battlefield from the Stack. This second condition is ignored within the scope of CR 614.12, but the effect of Worms of the Earth is not a replacement effect.
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So, I decided to take my question to the #mtgrules IRC to see what kind of response I would get, and I thought it would be apt of me to repost the conversation here for future readers. I've formatted the response for clarity.
arrogantA: Hey, folks! I've got what I believe is a relatively complicated rules question. How does Worms of the Earth interact with Life and Limb? If I cast a Taurean Mauler while both enchantments are in play, will it enter the battlefield or be put into my graveyard?
Fyth: I don't see a reason why you wouldn't be able to play Taurean Mauler, unless I'm missing something here.
Volo: it's a Saproling, so it's a land due to Life and Limb.
Cyphern, to arrogantA: I'm pretty sure it will be put into the graveyard due to 608.3b. I'm just not sure whether Worms of the Earth checks the characteristics before the zone change or after.
608.3b If a permanent spell resolves but its controller can’t put it onto the battlefield, that player puts it into its owner’s graveyard.
Example:Worms of the Earth has the ability “Lands can’t enter the battlefield.” Clone says “You may have Clone enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield.” If a player casts Clone and chooses to copy Dryad Arbor (a land creature) while Worms of the Earth is on the battlefield, Clone can’t enter the battlefield from the stack. It’s put into its owner’s graveyard.
arrogantA: I've asked this question already, and seen someone else ask it a few years ago, and the answers have varied, so I'm not sure what to believe yet regarding this interaction.
Fyth, to Volo: Ah thank you.
Cyphern: Actually, now i'm leaning the other way and thinking that Worms of the Earth only looks at its characteristics before it enters. At that time it's not a land. I'm leaning this way because of the wording of the following ruling:
8/1/2008 If a permanent spell tries to enter the battlefield as a land during its resolution (for instance, a Clone entering the battlefield as a copy of a Dryad Arbor or an animated Mutavault), it is put into its owner’s graveyard instead of entering the battlefield. It never enters the battlefield, so abilities that would have triggered on it entering the battlefield won’t trigger.
Cyphern: Note that the ruling mentioned it being "a land during its resolution". That's not the cause for the Mauler. It's only once its on the battlefield that it's a land.
SFT: You ignore Life and Limb when determining how it enters.
614.12 Some replacement effects modify how a permanent enters the battlefield. (See rules 614.1c–d.) Such effects may come from the permanent itself if they affect only that permanent (as opposed to a general subset of permanents that includes it). They may also come from other sources. To determine which replacement effects apply and how they apply, check the characteristics of the permanent as it would exist on the battlefield, taking into account replacement effects that have already modified how it enters the battlefield (see rule 616.1), continuous effects generated by the resolution of spells or abilities that changed the permanent’s characteristics on the stack (see rule 400.7a), and continuous effects from the permanent’s own static abilities, but ignoring continuous effects from any other source that would affect it.
Sleaker: It only happens with Clone because Clone is copying a land.
Cyphern, to SFT: Unfortunately, Worms of the Earth isn't using a replacement effect.
SFT: It is not a land entering. No land is being put on the battlefield.
Sleaker, to Cyphern: Read the last line "ignoring continuous effects from any other sources that would affect it." It's not a land as it enters.
SFT: It's just miraculously a land now that it's on the battlefield.
arrogantA: Does the answer change at all if the Taurean Mauler is attempting to enter the battlefield from a zone other than the stack, such as by being reanimated by an Unburial Rites?
Cyphern: But I think 614.12 is unrelated. 614.12 is about determining which replacement effects to apply. There are no replacement effects in this scenario.
Sleaker, to arrogantA: No, it doesn't.
SFT: Ah, fair. Logic is the same though - a land is not being put onto the battlefield.
arrogantA: Well, thanks for clearing that up. I had a suspicion this was the case.
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Upon further reflection, the part of C.R. 603.6b that says "continuous effects don't apply before the permanent is on the battlefield" refers only to the moment immediately before a permanent would enter the battlefield (and to moments before that) -- continuous effects that affect only permanents can't apply to an object that isn't a permanent until it enters the battlefield. If Worms of the Earth weren't involved, in the scenarios given in comment 1:
Here, a token can exist only from the moment it enters the battlefield, and not at any prior moment (see also C.R. 111.1) -- tokens on the battlefield are like any other permanents and by definition, permanents exist only on the battlefield (C.R. 111.1, 111.6, 110.1) -- so the cited part of C.R. 603.6b can't apply. The token would enter the battlefield as a Saproling creature and Forest land "in addition to [its] other types" (C.R. 603.6b, 611.3c, 205.1b).
In one moment, Taurean Mauler is a creature spell with all creature types, including Saproling (C.R. 702.73a, 604.3, 113.6a, 205.3m), and in the very next, it's a Saproling creature and Forest land on the battlefield "in addition to [its] other types" (C.R. 603.6b, 611.3c, 205.1b).
Same as 2, but with "creature spell" replaced with "creature card in the graveyard".
In scenarios 2 and 3, continuous effects that affect only permanents, including Life and Limb's effect, didn't initially apply to the object in question because it wasn't on the battlefield yet (C.R. 603.6b). (Life and Limb's effect affects only "Forests" and "Saprolings", which refer only to permanents on the battlefield [C.R. 109.2].) In all three scenarios, they do apply from the first moment the object in question is on the battlefield (C.R. 603.6b, 611.3c). [EDIT (Sep. 28): Reinstated and edited formerly stricken out text]
In each case, the permanent would be a land from that moment (because the continuous effect of Life and Limb "already exist(s) and would apply to the permanent" [C.R. 614.17d]), so it can't enter the battlefield under Worms of the Earth's effect. Therefore, if Worms of the Earth were involved:
The token would not be created (C.R. 111.5; see also C.R. 101.3).
Taurean Mauler would be put into its owner's graveyard (C.R. 608.3b).
Taurean Mauler would remain in its previous zone (C.R. 101.3).
No land card/spell is entering with regard to Worms. Even though for ETBs a land has entered.
The scenarios given in comment 1 are different from that suggested by those two cards in that the relevant effect of Grafdigger's Cage checks whether the card is a "(c)reature car(d) in (a) graveyar(d or) librar(y)" (C.R. 109.2a), not whether the card will enter the battlefield as a creature. See also this thread.
EDIT: Clarification after comment 11 was posted.
EDIT (Apr. 30): Further clarification.
EDIT (Jul. 10): Added rule citations.
EDIT (Sep. 28): Edited to conform to rule change in Ixalan, which takes effect tomorrow.
EDIT (Oct. 4): Correctness edit.
EDIT (Jan. 29, 2018): Edited to conform to change in Grafdigger's Cage's text with Rivals of Ixalan.
EDIT (Jul. 26, 2018): Added rule citation.
EDIT (Nov. 11, 2021): Some rules were renumbered in the meantime.
EDIT (Apr. 13, 2022): Edited.
The reason 603.6b makes the distinction that a permanent affected by a continuous effect is "never on the battlefield with its unmodified characteristics," then subsequently references 603.6d, is so that static abilities that take effect "as this permanent enters the battlefield" DO affect the modified permanent. It does enter the battlefield pre-modified, but 603.6b still can't know what characteristics it will have as it enters in order to prevent it.
My original answer references 614.12, which I still think is as close as the rules come to addressing this scenario. Yes, it only technically applies to replacement effects (not continuous static effects), but the spirit is the same. I don't see why it shouldn't also apply here. If Worms of the Earth used a replacement effect (ie. "If a land would enter the battlefield, it doesn't instead"), then this rule would definitely allow the Taurean Mauler to enter.
614.12. Some replacement effects modify how a permanent enters the battlefield. (See rules 614.1c–d.) Such effects may come from the permanent itself if they affect only that permanent (as opposed to a general subset of permanents that includes it). They may also come from other sources. To determine which replacement effects apply and how they apply, check the characteristics of the permanent as it would exist on the battlefield, taking into account replacement effects that have already modified how it enters the battlefield (see rule 616.1), continuous effects generated by the resolution of spells or abilities that changed the permanent’s characteristics on the stack (see rule 400.7a), and continuous effects from the permanent’s own static abilities, but ignoring continuous effects from any other source that would affect it.
613.10. Some continuous effects affect game rules rather than objects. For example, effects may modify a player’s maximum hand size, or say that a creature must attack this turn if able. These effects are applied after all other continuous effects have been applied. Continuous effects that affect the costs of spells or abilities are applied according to the order specified in rule 601.2e. All other such effects are applied in timestamp order. See also the rules for timestamp order and dependency (rules 613.6 and 613.7).
So, I got in touch with Toby Elliot, the current L5 judge, to sort this mess out since we still have diverging answers regarding this situation. His response:
Quote from papa_funk »
Life and Limb doesn't apply to the permanent until it's on the battlefield. So Worms won't stop them entering in any of the scenarios.
He referred me to this Cranial Insertion article that also answers my same question:
A: Your Saproling will enter the battlefield just fine. When something is about to enter the battlefield, the list of effects we take into account to determine how that event might get modified (or whether it will happen at all) is actually pretty short. In particular, we don't consider Life and Limb's effect for that, so the game doesn't see a land trying to enter the battlefield. Instead it sees a creature about to enter, and then once that creature is on the battlefield, it's immediately also a land and a Forest.
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Isn't that Cranial Insertion answer simply wrong though? They seem to just be applying 614.12 (the only "list of effects" they could be thinking of) when no replacement effects are involved.
The only interpretation so far that makes sense is that the event that is about to happen will satisfy the condition "a land enters the battlefield", so Worms of the Earth stops it from happening.
And Roccovsky, 613.10 pertains to the order in which continuous effects are applied to determine the state of an object (i.e. layers). It's completely unrelated.
Ah, yeah. I see that now. All of Taurean Mauler's characteristics will be decided either before or as it enters the battlefield. I confused myself searching for something in the rules that addresses this situation. There doesn't seem to be anything, unless you make a rules-as-intended interpretation of 614.12 like Toby did.
I'd accept that there's no way to rule either way, but there doesn't seem to be a clear way to rule that Worms of the Earth will definitely take effect here.
Now... didn't Worms' Oracle text used to read "If a land would enter the battlefield, instead it doesn't."? I've seen that mentioned in other forums in threads about strange rules text. It would have worked within the rules just fine worded like that, and if they changed it in order to alter its behavior, why wouldn't they issue a new ruling on the matter? Seems weird.
Now... didn't Worms' Oracle text used to read "If a land would enter the battlefield, instead it doesn't."? I've seen that mentioned in other forums in threads about strange rules text. It would have worked within the rules just fine worded like that, and if they changed it in order to alter its behavior, why wouldn't they issue a new ruling on the matter? Seems weird.
The ability in question was changed to its current wording in Magic 2011. The July 2010 update bulletin on wizards.com explains the matter in greater detail.
Thanks for the reference; I hadn't come across that yet. Unfortunately, the bulletin doesn't provide a specific reason for the wording change, except to get Worms of the Earth's Oracle text "closer to its printed functionality." The examples it provides are a Clone copying a land and a token being created that's a copy of a land. Neither example addresses the interaction with Life and Limb, since in both cases the effect setting the type to "land" is embedded within the spell/ability on the stack that is putting both permanents onto the battlefield. We're still missing a clear way to rule on whether a permanent entering the battlefield will check the continuous effects of existing permanents in order to "know" what its characteristics will be as it enters.
Isn't that Cranial Insertion answer simply wrong though? They seem to just be applying 614.12 (the only "list of effects" they could be thinking of) when no replacement effects are involved.
*shrugs*
You got me. I'm not making a case one way or the other. If you want specifics on why Toby ruled this scenario the way he did, you'll have to ask him that yourself.
We're still missing a clear way to rule on whether a permanent entering the battlefield will check the continuous effects of existing permanents in order to "know" what its characteristics will be as it enters.
Just to be clear, because I haven't been able to follow every nuance of the conversation thus far, is the only reason Worms of the Earth is causing a fuss is because its "Lands can't enter the battlefield" ability is a continuous effect and not a replacement effect? Like, for some reason the rules don't cover that sort of thing explicitly, but if it were worded as a replacement effect such as the way Containment Priest, Mycosynth Lattice, and March of the Machines interact, it wouldn't be a problem? The rules would address that?
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Just to be clear, because I haven't been able to follow every nuance of the conversation thus far, is the only reason Worms of the Earth is causing a fuss is because its "Lands can't enter the battlefield" ability is a continuous effect and not a replacement effect? Like, for some reason the rules don't cover that sort of thing explicitly, but if it were worded as a replacement effect such as the way Containment Priest, Mycosynth Lattice, and March of the Machines interact, it wouldn't be a problem? The rules would address that?
Yes, 614.12 would be a clear-cut answer if it were a replacement effect, and there is no equivalent super-clear rule that does apply.
The rules have just been updated with the release of Amonkhet, and we have this rule now:
Quote from CompRules »
614.16d Some “can’t” effects modify how a permanent enters the battlefield or whether it can enter the battlefield. Such effects may come from the permanent itself if they affect only that permanent (as opposed to a general subset of permanents that includes it). They may also come from other sources. To determine which “can’t” effects apply, check the characteristics of the permanent as it would exist on the battlefield, taking into account replacement effects that have already modified how it enters the battlefield (see rule 616.1), continuous effects generated by the resolution of spells or abilities that changed the permanent’s characteristics on the stack (see rule 400.7a), and continuous effects from the permanent’s own static abilities, but ignoring continuous effects from any other source that would affect it.
Which mimics the rule about how replacement effects modify how a permanent enters the battlefield. So my answer in the old thread is still right and now we have an actual rule to support it. Taurean Mauler and the Sprout saproling enter the battlefield.
Which mimics the rule about how replacement effects modify how a permanent enters the battlefield. So my answer in the old thread is still right and now we have an actual rule to support it. Taurean Mauler and the Sprout saproling enter the battlefield.
I would disagree with "still right" given that the rule did not exist before, but clearly that is how it works now.
How does the new 614.16d apply to Grafdigger?
Grafdigger refers to cards not permanents.
Is Grafdigger getting an Oracle change to its rule text?
Grafdigger's Cage's Oracle text changed in Amonkhet, but only in its second ability, so not in a manner relevant to the situation cited in comment 19.
C.R. 614.17d applies to effects that provide that some permanents "can't" enter the battlefield depending on the characteristics they would have on the battlefield. The effect of Grafdigger's Cage's first ability, however, refers to characteristics of the card in the graveyard or library (since it says "[c]reature cards in graveyards and libraries") (C.R. 109.2a), so it keeps some cards from entering the battlefield regardless of what characteristics they would have on the battlefield.
EDIT (Sep. 28): One rule was renumbered with Ixalan.
EDIT (Jan. 29, 2018): Edited to conform to change in Grafdigger's Cage's text with Rivals of Ixalan.
EDIT (Mar. 13, 2018): Further correctness edit.
How does the new 614.16d apply to Grafdigger?
Grafdigger refers to cards not permanents.
Rule 614.16d is about can't effects that modify how a permanent enters the battlefield or whether it can enter the battlefield. Grafdigger's Cage creates a can't effect that modifies whether a permanent can enter the battlefield. So yes, rule 614.16d affects Grafdigger's Cage.
Permanents are still cards and always have been. There used to be a rule saying that the term "card" in spells and abilities didn't usually refer to permanents or spells, but this rule has been deleted from the CompRules. It was just a templating thing that created unnecesary confussion and they had already made an exception for Hedron Alignment (which refers to a card on the battlefield).
The Gatherer rulings for Grafdigger's Cage have also been changed accordingly. And I mean Gatherer. Don't look at the outdated rulings from magiccards.info.
Rule 614.16d is about can't effects that modify how a permanent enters the battlefield or whether it can enter the battlefield. Grafdigger's Cage creates a can't effect that modifies whether a permanent can enter the battlefield. So yes, rule 614.16d affects Grafdigger's Cage.
Permanents are still cards and always have been. There used to be a rule saying that the term "card" in spells and abilities didn't usually refer to permanents or spells, but this rule has been deleted from the CompRules. It was just a templating thing that created unnecesary confussion and they had already made an exception for Hedron Alignment (which refers to a card on the battlefield).
Grafdigger's Cage still says "Creature cards can't enter the battlefield..."says "Creature cards in graveyards and libraries can't enter the battlefield", not "Creatures can't enter the battlefield from graveyards or libraries"; under the former wording Grafdigger's Cage would check the characteristics of the card in the graveyard or library (C.R. 109.2a), rather than--as Worms of the Earth now does and as Grafdigger's Cage now clearly would do under the latter wording--the characteristics of the permanent it would become (under C.R. 614.17d).
EDIT: Edited after comment 25 was posted; accidentally referred to the old rules.
EDIT (Jul. 10): Clarification.
EDIT (Sep. 28): One rule was renumbered with Ixalan.
EDIT (Jan. 29, 2018): Edited to conform to change in Grafdigger's Cage's text with Rivals of Ixalan.
EDIT (Sep. 28, 2018): Edited.
Except that, as I already told you, the rule 108.2a that you are referring to no longer exists (including the exception for Hedron Alignment, which is no longer needed); rule 614.16d has just been created specifically to clarify Grafdigger's Cage; and the new Gatherer rulings for Grafdigger's Cage confirm what I am saying.
From there, the final two posters in the thread interject and state that Worms of the Earth does not behave with Life and Limb in the way the previous posters described, and that Taurean Mauler would be able to enter the battlefield from anywhere, including the stack, without Worms of the Earth intervening. None of the previous posters ever decided to refute those claims, so now I'm just confused as all hell and don't know who to believe. Was the initial consensus correct, or were the final two posters? I figured the best way to clear this up would be by asking new questions of my own.
Suppose Fred controls both Worms of the Earth and Life and Limb.
Question 1:
Fred casts Sprout. What happens?
Question 2:
Fred casts Taurean Mauler from his hand. When Taurean Mauler resolves, what happens? Will Taurean Mauler enter the battlefield, be put into Fred's graveyard, or something else?
Question 3:
Fred casts Unburial Rites targeting a Taurean Mauler card in his graveyard. When Unburial Rites resolves, what happens? Will Taurean Mauler enter the battlefield, remain in Fred's graveyard, or something else?
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The answer hinges on the proper scope of C.R. 603.6b, which says "continuous effects don't apply before the permanent is on the battlefield".
1. If the cited text of C.R. 603.6b applies to this scenario, the token would enter the battlefield as a Saproling creature and Forest land. Otherwise the token would not be created (C.R. 101.3) because it would be a Forest land on the battlefield.
2. Based on C.R. 608.3b, Taurean Mauler would be a Saproling creature once it enters the battlefield (C.R. 702.72a, 604.3, 112.6a), so it would also be a Forest land there, so will be put into its owner's graveyard.
3. Same answer as question 1 (replacing "token" with "card").
C.R. 603.6b says "continuous effects don't apply before the permanent is on the battlefield". However, the sentence where that text appears refers to C.R. 603.6d, which in turn covers only the text of certain replacement effects (see also C.R. 614.1c-d), which none of the three scenarios involves. (Note that Worms of the Earth's effect that "[l]ands can't enter the battlefield" isn't a replacement effect [C.R. 614.17; see also C.R. 614.1, 614.1a-d, which describe the scope of replacement effects].)
EDIT (Apr. 27): Correction.
EDIT (Apr. 27): See comment 10.
EDIT (Jul. 5): Added rule citation.
EDIT (Sep. 28): One rule was renumbered with Ixalan.
Edit:
So, the answers are:
1. The token can't enter the battlefield, because it would be a land.
2. Taurean Mauler would go to the graveyard instead of the battlefield.
3. Unburial Rites would resolve and do nothing, as the target can't enter the battlefield. It is similar to an opponent having Grafdigger's Cage in play.
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The clone situation in the ruling is different from Life and Limb. The difference is that Clone's replacement effect (copying a Dryad Arbor) will cause it to have the type Land before it enters the battlefield, at which time the effect from Worms of the Earth will step and and prevent it from entering at all. However, in the situation with Life and Limb, a saproling token or Taurean Mauler won't be a land until it is on the battlefield (since Life and Limb only affects permanents). So a Taurean Mauler spell resolving won't be "trying to enter the battlefield as a land", it will enter the battlefield as a creature and then immediately be a land once it is on the battlefield.
Here's the relevant rule. Emphasis is mine.
614.12. Some replacement effects modify how a permanent enters the battlefield. (See rules 614.1c–d.)
Such effects may come from the permanent itself if they affect only that permanent (as opposed to a
general subset of permanents that includes it). They may also come from other sources. To
determine which replacement effects apply and how they apply, check the characteristics of the
permanent as it would exist on the battlefield, taking into account replacement effects that have
already modified how it enters the battlefield (see rule 616.1), continuous effects generated by the
resolution of spells or abilities that changed the permanent’s characteristics on the stack (see rule
400.7a), and continuous effects from the permanent’s own static abilities, but ignoring continuous
effects from any other source that would affect it.
By my interpretation... Since the replacement effect in question comes from a static ability of a different permanent, it does not affect how taurean mauler or saproling tokens from Sprout will (or won't) enter the battlefield. A Clone on the stack targeting dryad arbor behaves differently because its replacement effect has "already modified how it enters the battlefield", and thus does cause it to attempt to enter the battlefield with the copy effect already applying.
(sorry for all the edits. I derped, then derped again when trying to underp.)
</Ignore>
Oops. Life and Limb's ability is not a replacement effect. I conflated "instead of" with "in addition to".
EDIT 2: peteroupc was also right on the money above. 603.6b also applies here (but not 603.6d) resulting in the same conclusion. If Life and Limb had another ability that read, "All Forests and all Saprolings enter the battlefield as forest lands and 1/1 green saproling creatures," then that would be a different story.
Clone's effect exactly is not that. As a replacement effect, it applies before the event occurs. But as a zone-change replacement, there is no result any sooner than the actual event. Clone moves from a condition of being a creature spell into being a permanent copying something.
What you are about to do is move a creature spell from the Stack to the battlefield. Also, what you are about to do is put a Forest Saproling land creature onto the battlefield from the Stack. This second condition is ignored within the scope of CR 614.12, but the effect of Worms of the Earth is not a replacement effect.
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arrogantA: Hey, folks! I've got what I believe is a relatively complicated rules question. How does Worms of the Earth interact with Life and Limb? If I cast a Taurean Mauler while both enchantments are in play, will it enter the battlefield or be put into my graveyard?
Fyth: I don't see a reason why you wouldn't be able to play Taurean Mauler, unless I'm missing something here.
Volo: it's a Saproling, so it's a land due to Life and Limb.
Cyphern, to arrogantA: I'm pretty sure it will be put into the graveyard due to 608.3b. I'm just not sure whether Worms of the Earth checks the characteristics before the zone change or after.
arrogantA: I've asked this question already, and seen someone else ask it a few years ago, and the answers have varied, so I'm not sure what to believe yet regarding this interaction.
Fyth, to Volo: Ah thank you.
Cyphern: Actually, now i'm leaning the other way and thinking that Worms of the Earth only looks at its characteristics before it enters. At that time it's not a land. I'm leaning this way because of the wording of the following ruling:
Cyphern: Note that the ruling mentioned it being "a land during its resolution". That's not the cause for the Mauler. It's only once its on the battlefield that it's a land.
SFT: You ignore Life and Limb when determining how it enters.
Sleaker: It only happens with Clone because Clone is copying a land.
Cyphern, to SFT: Unfortunately, Worms of the Earth isn't using a replacement effect.
SFT: It is not a land entering. No land is being put on the battlefield.
Sleaker, to Cyphern: Read the last line "ignoring continuous effects from any other sources that would affect it." It's not a land as it enters.
SFT: It's just miraculously a land now that it's on the battlefield.
Cyphern: So first, I agree that Worms of the Earth does not apply here.
arrogantA: Does the answer change at all if the Taurean Mauler is attempting to enter the battlefield from a zone other than the stack, such as by being reanimated by an Unburial Rites?
Cyphern: But I think 614.12 is unrelated. 614.12 is about determining which replacement effects to apply. There are no replacement effects in this scenario.
Sleaker, to arrogantA: No, it doesn't.
SFT: Ah, fair. Logic is the same though - a land is not being put onto the battlefield.
arrogantA: Well, thanks for clearing that up. I had a suspicion this was the case.
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No land card/spell is entering with regard to Worms. Even though for ETBs a land has entered.
In each case, the permanent would be a land from that moment (because the continuous effect of Life and Limb "already exist(s) and would apply to the permanent" [C.R. 614.17d]), so it can't enter the battlefield under Worms of the Earth's effect. Therefore, if Worms of the Earth were involved:
EDIT (May 4): But see comment 19.The scenarios given in comment 1 are different from that suggested by those two cards in that the relevant effect of Grafdigger's Cage checks whether the card is a "(c)reature car(d) in (a) graveyar(d or) librar(y)" (C.R. 109.2a), not whether the card will enter the battlefield as a creature. See also this thread.
EDIT: Clarification after comment 11 was posted.
EDIT (Apr. 30): Further clarification.
EDIT (Jul. 10): Added rule citations.
EDIT (Sep. 28): Edited to conform to rule change in Ixalan, which takes effect tomorrow.
EDIT (Oct. 4): Correctness edit.
EDIT (Jan. 29, 2018): Edited to conform to change in Grafdigger's Cage's text with Rivals of Ixalan.
EDIT (Jul. 26, 2018): Added rule citation.
EDIT (Nov. 11, 2021): Some rules were renumbered in the meantime.
EDIT (Apr. 13, 2022): Edited.
The reason 603.6b makes the distinction that a permanent affected by a continuous effect is "never on the battlefield with its unmodified characteristics," then subsequently references 603.6d, is so that static abilities that take effect "as this permanent enters the battlefield" DO affect the modified permanent. It does enter the battlefield pre-modified, but 603.6b still can't know what characteristics it will have as it enters in order to prevent it.
My original answer references 614.12, which I still think is as close as the rules come to addressing this scenario. Yes, it only technically applies to replacement effects (not continuous static effects), but the spirit is the same. I don't see why it shouldn't also apply here. If Worms of the Earth used a replacement effect (ie. "If a land would enter the battlefield, it doesn't instead"), then this rule would definitely allow the Taurean Mauler to enter.
Also, 612.10 Seems to imply that Worms of the Earth's continuous effect will apply only after Life and Limb's.
He referred me to this Cranial Insertion article that also answers my same question:
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The only interpretation so far that makes sense is that the event that is about to happen will satisfy the condition "a land enters the battlefield", so Worms of the Earth stops it from happening.
And Roccovsky, 613.10 pertains to the order in which continuous effects are applied to determine the state of an object (i.e. layers). It's completely unrelated.
I'd accept that there's no way to rule either way, but there doesn't seem to be a clear way to rule that Worms of the Earth will definitely take effect here.
Now... didn't Worms' Oracle text used to read "If a land would enter the battlefield, instead it doesn't."? I've seen that mentioned in other forums in threads about strange rules text. It would have worked within the rules just fine worded like that, and if they changed it in order to alter its behavior, why wouldn't they issue a new ruling on the matter? Seems weird.
You got me. I'm not making a case one way or the other. If you want specifics on why Toby ruled this scenario the way he did, you'll have to ask him that yourself.
Just to be clear, because I haven't been able to follow every nuance of the conversation thus far, is the only reason Worms of the Earth is causing a fuss is because its "Lands can't enter the battlefield" ability is a continuous effect and not a replacement effect? Like, for some reason the rules don't cover that sort of thing explicitly, but if it were worded as a replacement effect such as the way Containment Priest, Mycosynth Lattice, and March of the Machines interact, it wouldn't be a problem? The rules would address that?
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The rules have just been updated with the release of Amonkhet, and we have this rule now:
Which mimics the rule about how replacement effects modify how a permanent enters the battlefield. So my answer in the old thread is still right and now we have an actual rule to support it. Taurean Mauler and the Sprout saproling enter the battlefield.
This also applies to Grafdigger's Cage now. So, for example, if Cage is on the battlefield and we activate Startled Awake, Persistent Nightmare won't be able to enter the battlefield.
Grafdigger refers to cards not permanents.
Is Grafdigger getting an Oracle change to its rule text?
C.R. 614.17d applies to effects that provide that some permanents "can't" enter the battlefield depending on the characteristics they would have on the battlefield. The effect of Grafdigger's Cage's first ability, however, refers to characteristics of the card in the graveyard or library (since it says "[c]reature cards in graveyards and libraries") (C.R. 109.2a), so it keeps some cards from entering the battlefield regardless of what characteristics they would have on the battlefield.
EDIT (Sep. 28): One rule was renumbered with Ixalan.
EDIT (Jan. 29, 2018): Edited to conform to change in Grafdigger's Cage's text with Rivals of Ixalan.
EDIT (Mar. 13, 2018): Further correctness edit.
Rule 614.16d is about can't effects that modify how a permanent enters the battlefield or whether it can enter the battlefield. Grafdigger's Cage creates a can't effect that modifies whether a permanent can enter the battlefield. So yes, rule 614.16d affects Grafdigger's Cage.
Permanents are still cards and always have been. There used to be a rule saying that the term "card" in spells and abilities didn't usually refer to permanents or spells, but this rule has been deleted from the CompRules. It was just a templating thing that created unnecesary confussion and they had already made an exception for Hedron Alignment (which refers to a card on the battlefield).
The Gatherer rulings for Grafdigger's Cage have also been changed accordingly. And I mean Gatherer. Don't look at the outdated rulings from magiccards.info.
still says "Creature cards can't enter the battlefield..."says "Creature cards in graveyards and libraries can't enter the battlefield", not "Creatures can't enter the battlefield from graveyards or libraries"; under the former wording Grafdigger's Cage would check the characteristics of the card in the graveyard or library (C.R. 109.2a), rather than--as Worms of the Earth now does and as Grafdigger's Cage now clearly would do under the latter wording--the characteristics of the permanent it would become (under C.R. 614.17d).EDIT: Edited after comment 25 was posted; accidentally referred to the old rules.
EDIT (Jul. 10): Clarification.
EDIT (Sep. 28): One rule was renumbered with Ixalan.
EDIT (Jan. 29, 2018): Edited to conform to change in Grafdigger's Cage's text with Rivals of Ixalan.
EDIT (Sep. 28, 2018): Edited.