I have an Ankh of Mishra in play. My opponent plays Sylvan Primordial and targets my Ankh with his triggered ability. If he finds a Forest with this ability, the Ankh will not deal damage to my opponent since it's already in the graveyard despite all being one ability. Right?
If so, would this change if it was all one sentence ("When ~ enters the battlefield, for each opponent, destroy target noncreature permanent that player controls and search your library for a Forest card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped"), or does it just matter the order of the words?
When a resolving spell or ability has multiple separated actions (rule of thumb: each verb indicates one action), the actions are performed on the order written. So yes, first all targeted permanents are destroyed. Only then the player searches for the lands and put them on the battlefield. So yes, Ankh is not on the battlefield when the lands enter.
The main reason Sylvan Primordial is written that way is simply for clarity with respect to the way the ability was designed. When resolving an effect, you follow the instructions in order as written. This means the Ankh is already in the graveyard at the time you put your Forests onto the battlefield.
The only major way your hypothetical text is different is that you still get Forests for things that were indestructible, got regenerated, or were made illegal targets for the ability.
If so, would this change if it was all one sentence ("When ~ enters the battlefield, for each opponent, destroy target noncreature permanent that player controls and search your library for a Forest card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped"), or does it just matter the order of the words?
The only major way your hypothetical text is different is that you still get Forests for things that were indestructible, got regenerated, or were made illegal targets for the ability.
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Perfect, that's the piece I was missing.
Thanks, guys.