Muldrotha Oracle Ruling vs. Rule 305.
Deck Help forum
Posted on Dec. 14, 2020, 7:26 p.m. by kpres
Muldrotha, the Gravetide is a popular card in Commander because it lets you play stuff from the graveyard. However, there appears to be some confusion about playing lands from the graveyard. I want to address this because it's all over the place on Muldrotha deck lists. It stems from this Oracle ruling:
"If you play a card from your graveyard and then have a new Muldrotha come under your control in the same turn, you may play another land or spell of that type from your graveyard that turn."
This seems to contradict Rule 305.2b. I've copied the relevant rules for lands below. There seems to be a nonbo suggested by the community of getting additional land plays by flickering or re-playing Muldrotha.
The nonbo is supposed to work like this: Cast Muldrotha, and then cast Kaya's Ghostform on it. Sacrifice Muldrotha to a sacrifice outlet, e.g. Phyrexian Altar. Kaya's Ghostform brings Muldrotha back from the graveyard, and the new copy allows you to cast an enchantment from your graveyard. Cast Kaya's Ghostform on Muldrotha and repeat. Every cycle, you can also cast another permanent spell of each type and play another land. I believe the ruling is misinterpreted to give you extra land plays. According to the ruling, and without reading Rule 305.2b, you're supposed to be able to play every land in your graveyard in one turn. I believe that this not possible because you only have one land play available each turn, unless you have another land play available by some other means such as Azusa, Lost but Seeking.
In other words, Muldrotha doesn't give you land plays - it only lets you play a land from your graveyard if you have a land play available. Flickering Muldrotha will only let you play more lands from the graveyard if you have additional land plays available.
This is in "Deck Help" because I'm building a Muldrotha deck and I need to make sure my rules are correct before I try some combos or nonbos. I'd like to hear from judges or officials or anybody who really knows the rules well. Am I correct?
305.1. A player who has priority may play a land card from their hand during a main phase of their turn when the stack is empty. Playing a land is a special action; it doesn’t use the stack (see rule 116). Rather, the player simply puts the land onto the battlefield. Since the land doesn’t go on the stack, it is never a spell, and players can’t respond to it with instants or activated abilities.
305.2. A player can normally play one land during their turn; however, continuous effects may increase this number.
305.2a To determine whether a player can play a land, compare the number of lands the player can play this turn with the number of lands they have already played this turn (including lands played as special actions and lands played during the resolution of spells and abilities). If the number of lands the player can play is greater, the play is legal.
305.2b A player can’t play a land, for any reason, if the number of lands the player can play this turn is equal to or less than the number of lands they have already played this turn. Ignore any part of an effect that instructs a player to do so.
gavriel1136 is correct; There are cards which would allow you to play as many as you like, but Muldrotha, the Gravetide is not one of them.
Even Muldrotha, the Gravetide's oracle notes remind players about timing permissions. This is a few lines above the one the OP listed:
11/10/2020 You must follow the normal timing permissions and restrictions of the cards you play from your graveyard. For example, you can’t use Muldrotha to play a land if you don’t have an available land play or to cast a planeswalker spell during your end step.
On the other hand, if you have a Fastbond in play and start blinking Muldrotha you can whip up a lot of land depending on your life total.
December 15, 2020 1:23 a.m.
December 15, 2020 4:24 a.m.
Think of it like you can’t play all your lands from grave with crucible of worlds. But if you have a ghostform combo the game is over anyways, why bothering with lands?
December 15, 2020 8:56 a.m.
Thanks, everyone! I'm glad we agree that it's a nonbo (non-combo). Looping Muldrotha doesn't give you additional land plays.
December 15, 2020 1:01 p.m.
As a general rule with Magic the Gathering, the trick with interpreting rules is that a card never does more than exactly what it says, in the order that it says. So since there is nothing on Muldrotha, the Gravetide that states that you can play additional lands, then there should be no reason to think that you can (and I know it's not you holding this opinion).
In addtion to that (and I can't remember where I saw this but it may have been one of the Judge's blogs or something) but in almost every circumstance, "can't" will overule "can". Have a Felidar Sovereign and 50 life but your opponent has a Platinum Angel in play? Too bad, because you can't win the game.
Over my time playing MtG I have seen quite a few interesting interpreations of hte rules where people have made some truely bizarre connections because they assumed a card did more than it did. And a decent number of these could simply be resolved by simply reading the card.
December 15, 2020 7:42 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #8
Oracle rulings are basically an advanced form of reminder text. They aren't official game rules. In this case, the ruling you bring up is unfortunately written in a confusing way. Note that the Gatherer entry for Muldrotha also has this ruling:
"You must follow the normal timing permissions and restrictions of the cards you play from your graveyard. For example, you can't use Muldrotha to play a land if you don't have an available land play or to cast a planeswalker spell during your end step."
If you did have another available land play (from Exploration etc.) then a second instance of Muldrotha would allow you to play another land from the graveyard, but without something like that you won't be able to do it.
gavriel1136 says... #2
From what I can tell, you're asking if you can create a "new" Muldrotha each turn to play every land in your graveyard, one land for each iteration of Muldrotha. That doesn't work, and here's why:
Muldrotha gives you ability to play cards from your graveyard. All costs and timing rules still apply. It's as though you added them to your hand. This means that the "you can only play one land per turn and only during your main phase" rule is still in effect.
The loop you discussed is sound, but even if it is a new Muldrotha who can give you access to your graveyard lands, you may still only play one per turn, unless stated otherwise, via an Azusa etc.
December 14, 2020 9:38 p.m.