"Each target permanent is destroyed in the order specified. Abilities that trigger when one is destroyed won't be put onto the stack until Casualties of War has finished resolving."
That first sentence reminded me of a question I've had that's popped up IRL multiple times that I never had properly answered: how do cards that destroy permanents in a (supposedly) sequential order interact with permanents that care about cards being destroyed? Specifically, if a permanent of one type is granting another permanent of another type indestructible, and both permanents are being destroyed by a single spell or effect that destroys multiple different permanent types, does the order of permanent types listed on the card matter in terms of successfully destroying both permanents?
For example, if I cast Casualties of War targeting an Eldrazi Monument and a Runeclaw Bear, would the Bear end up getting destroyed because the ruling for Casualties of War states that they are destroyed in the order specified? Thus (since artifacts are listed first) Eldrazi Monument will get destroyed first and stop granting indestructibility to Runeclaw Bear in time for Casualties to destroy it?
Does the same hold true for Decimate? One of the things I've heard (though I am uncertain as to it's veracity) and which seems to contradict this new ruling is that the order of card types on a card that destroys multiple permanent types only matters if there is a "then" separating the two destruction clauses. So assuming that claim is true, using the previous example, a card like Akroma's Vengeance would kill the Eldrazi Monument but not the Runeclaw Bear (and by extension, I think that would mean that Decimate wouldn't kill the bear either).
If that's all true, and to follow what seems to be the logical conclusion leading from the ruling on Casualties of War, am I then correct in assuming that Casualties of War, and by extension all modal spells that can have more than one mode chosen at once (i.e Cryptic Command, Fiery Confluence etc.) effectively have the text "Do x; then do y; then do z etc." when the modes are chosen and the card is cast? Or am I completely misinterpreting what "Each target permanent is destroyed in the order specified" means?
Sorry if I'm making too many assumptions and examples, I'm just trying to work my understanding of the game's mechanics into these examples so that I can be corrected if they are wrong and thus have a better understanding of how this all works.
For example, if I cast Casualties of War targeting an Eldrazi Monument and a Runeclaw Bear, would the Bear end up getting destroyed because the ruling for Casualties of War states that they are destroyed in the order specified? Thus (since artifacts are listed first) Eldrazi Monument will get destroyed first and stop granting indestructibility to Runeclaw Bear in time for Casualties to destroy it?
You follow the instructions in the order they're printed on the card. The artifact is destroyed first, then the creature, so the Monument is destroyed, then the Bear (which is no long indestructible).
Does the same hold true for Decimate?
No, Decimate is not the same. Everything is destroyed at the same time with Decimate (because it only uses the word "destroy" once), so targeting the Monument and the Bear with Decimate would mean that the Bear survives. Casualties of War uses "destroy" multiple times, so they're destroyed one at a time, not all at once.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DCI Level 2 Judge
Scientists have calculated that the chance of anything so patently absurd actually existing are millions to one. But magicians have calculated that million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.
In general, each action verb on a spell or ability indicates a separate action that happens at once (C.R. 608.2c). For example, Casualties of War uses the action verb "destroy" five times, so that that spell destroys at up to five different times (depending on the number of modes chosen) and "in the order written" (C.R. 608.2c). (Similarly, Austere Command destroys at different moments because it uses the action verb "destroy" in different places.) On the other hand, Decimate uses the action verb "destroy" only once, so that that spell destroys the targeted permanents at the same time. (In this sense, Decimate is similar to Nevinyrral's Disk's activated ability.) See also this thread.
In the scenario you give, Casualties of War, when it resolves, will destroy Eldrazi Monument, making its effect giving certain creatures indestructible (among other things) end immediately (C.R. 113.6, 611.3b) before that spell goes on to destroy the other targeted permanents, if any (assuming that spell targets Eldrazi Monument as the "target artifact" and Eldrazi Monument can be destroyed). On the other hand, Decimate, when it resolves, destroys all its targets at the same time, so that if some of those targets can't be destroyed (e.g., because they have indestructible [C.R. 702.12b]), the spell will instead destroy as many as possible (C.R. 609.3, 101.2, 101.3).
EDIT (Feb. 14): Correction and correctness edit. Also, one rule was renumbered with Core Set 2020.
"Each target permanent is destroyed in the order specified. Abilities that trigger when one is destroyed won't be put onto the stack until Casualties of War has finished resolving."
That first sentence reminded me of a question I've had that's popped up IRL multiple times that I never had properly answered: how do cards that destroy permanents in a (supposedly) sequential order interact with permanents that care about cards being destroyed? Specifically, if a permanent of one type is granting another permanent of another type indestructible, and both permanents are being destroyed by a single spell or effect that destroys multiple different permanent types, does the order of permanent types listed on the card matter in terms of successfully destroying both permanents?
For example, if I cast Casualties of War targeting an Eldrazi Monument and a Runeclaw Bear, would the Bear end up getting destroyed because the ruling for Casualties of War states that they are destroyed in the order specified? Thus (since artifacts are listed first) Eldrazi Monument will get destroyed first and stop granting indestructibility to Runeclaw Bear in time for Casualties to destroy it?
Does the same hold true for Decimate? One of the things I've heard (though I am uncertain as to it's veracity) and which seems to contradict this new ruling is that the order of card types on a card that destroys multiple permanent types only matters if there is a "then" separating the two destruction clauses. So assuming that claim is true, using the previous example, a card like Akroma's Vengeance would kill the Eldrazi Monument but not the Runeclaw Bear (and by extension, I think that would mean that Decimate wouldn't kill the bear either).
If that's all true, and to follow what seems to be the logical conclusion leading from the ruling on Casualties of War, am I then correct in assuming that Casualties of War, and by extension all modal spells that can have more than one mode chosen at once (i.e Cryptic Command, Fiery Confluence etc.) effectively have the text "Do x; then do y; then do z etc." when the modes are chosen and the card is cast? Or am I completely misinterpreting what "Each target permanent is destroyed in the order specified" means?
Sorry if I'm making too many assumptions and examples, I'm just trying to work my understanding of the game's mechanics into these examples so that I can be corrected if they are wrong and thus have a better understanding of how this all works.
You follow the instructions in the order they're printed on the card. The artifact is destroyed first, then the creature, so the Monument is destroyed, then the Bear (which is no long indestructible).
No, Decimate is not the same. Everything is destroyed at the same time with Decimate (because it only uses the word "destroy" once), so targeting the Monument and the Bear with Decimate would mean that the Bear survives. Casualties of War uses "destroy" multiple times, so they're destroyed one at a time, not all at once.
Scientists have calculated that the chance of anything so patently absurd actually existing are millions to one. But magicians have calculated that million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.
In the scenario you give, Casualties of War, when it resolves, will destroy Eldrazi Monument, making its effect giving certain creatures indestructible (among other things) end immediately (C.R. 113.6, 611.3b) before that spell goes on to destroy the other targeted permanents, if any (assuming that spell targets Eldrazi Monument as the "target artifact" and Eldrazi Monument can be destroyed). On the other hand, Decimate, when it resolves, destroys all its targets at the same time, so that if some of those targets can't be destroyed (e.g., because they have indestructible [C.R. 702.12b]), the spell will instead destroy as many as possible (C.R. 609.3, 101.2, 101.3).
EDIT (Feb. 14): Correction and correctness edit. Also, one rule was renumbered with Core Set 2020.