Crystal vein with storm cauldron

Asked by shift 9 years ago

If I have Storm Cauldron and I use Crystal Vein for mana does it return the sacrificed land to my hand since the cauldron recognizes it was tapped for mana or does the changing of zones hinder the caudron's effect? Same idea as the response to Sensei's Divining Top draw effect you attempt to destroy it but the effect will still put the top on top of your library since the resolution doesn't care if the top is on the battlefield.

GlistenerAgent says... #1

All the costs of an ability are before the colon. This means that they are paid, and then the ability is put on the stack. For Crystal Vein, it's ability is put on the stack after it is sacrificed, so Storm Cauldron wouldn't return it to your hand as it isn't a land on the battlefield.

With Sensei's Divining Top, you would pay the cost of tapping it to put the ability on the stack. Destroying it would put it in the graveyard, and the ability would resolve to draw a card and do nothing else.

November 22, 2014 10:21 p.m.

GoblinsInc says... #2

Nitpick @glisteneragent

You actually announce the ability and place it on the stack before you pay costs. The costs are paid while the full activation is being performed though, and are paid both before the ability resolves and before any player can respond.

Note this isn't really relevant for this situation, and is only being mentioned in the interest of further education of players,

November 23, 2014 5:04 a.m.

Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #3

@GlistenerAgent: Neither of Crystal Vein's abilities use the stack. They're mana abilities.

Always check the Gatherer rulings before asking a question.

10/4/2004: If a land is tapped for mana and sacrificed all in one action, it goes to the graveyard before the Cauldron can return it to the player's hand.

As for Sensei's Divining Top, you're incorrect. Sensei's Divining Top's second ability only puts Sensei's Divining Top on top of its owner's library if it's on the battlefield. The ability won't return Sensei's Divining Top from another zone.

November 23, 2014 1:11 p.m.

Rhadamanthus says... #4

The basic reason for all this is that when an object changes zones, the game treats it as a new object with no relation to what it was before (minus a few exceptions that don't apply here). In your question, the "it (that land)" and "Sensei's Divining Top" referred to in the abilities are objects on the battlefield that doesn't exist anymore.

November 24, 2014 10:26 a.m.

This discussion has been closed