Does playing a spell count as entering the battlefield for permanent spells?
Asked by mtdewaddict 5 years ago
Specifically, what is the interaction (if any) between Rhystic Study and Yarok, the Desecrated ? If an opponent plays an artifact, creature, or enchantment, will Yarok trigger Rhystic Study's ability a second time, or does Rhystic Study only trigger when a spell is put on the stack?
Gatherer says: "The player gets the option to pay when this triggered ability resolves. This will be after the spell is announced, but before it resolves.
I take that to mean Yarok will not trigger Rhystic Study; I just wanted someone smarter than me to tell me. Thanks!
mtdewaddict says... #2
Thanks, that's what I thought; just wanted to make sure!
Caerwyn says... Accepted answer #1
Rhystic only triggers when a card is cast; Yarok occurs on permanents entering the battlefield. These are two very different events.
Casting a card is the process of putting a spell on the stack. When a card is cast, it is moved from the zone it is in (usually the hand, but not always) to the stack. It then sits in the stack until the spell resolves.
Entering the battlefield is the process of a permanent moving from the zone it is in to the battlefield.
So, let's look at casting a permanent spell from your hand. You start by casting the spell - it moves from the hand to the stack. This is when Rhystic triggers. The spell then resolves, and moves from the stack to the battlefield. This is when Yarok's ability would be implicated. Notice how Rhystic occurs at a very different point-in-time than when Yarok's ability would occur.
July 22, 2019 1:44 p.m. Edited.