Does putting a creature card onto the battlefield count as casting a creature spell?
Asked by MrFlungus 9 years ago
For expample, I enchanted Drogskol Captain with Call to the Kindred. Now I probably can put a Spirit or Soldier creature onto the battlefield at the beginning of my next upkeep. If it was a Spirit, would this trigger Oyobi, Who Split the Heavens' ability and I can bring a 3/3 Spirit creature token into play?
I'm just pretty unsure about all those wordings like "cast", "bring into play" and "put on the battlefield" and the difference between creature spells and creature cards, is it all the same or is it different? Which triggers what abilities if they're different?
Alright, so casting a spell means I put the card into play (from hand or maybe graveyard), pay it's mana cost, put it on the stack and let it resolve? Does that mean, the creature brought into play with Call to the Kindred doesn't use the stack? Could it be countered with Cancel or would you need to counter the ability of Call to the Kindred itself? If it's even possible to counter this ability...
Thanks for the info, normally I visit www.magiccards.info to get the current Oracle text, but sometimes you just need to know the original rulings to understand every situation ;)
November 26, 2014 11:59 a.m.
The creature put onto the battlefield by Call to the Kindred is not cast, so can't be countered by things like Cancel, but the triggered ability of Call itself can be countered by things like Stifle though that is a rare effect on cards, and you won't run into it that often.
November 26, 2014 12:09 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #4
When you cast a spell, it goes from whatever zone it's starting from to the stack (let's not use "into play" while talking about this stuff, as it will just bring in more confusion). It stays on the stack until it resolves, at which point it goes to whatever zone it's supposed to end up in. Most of the time that's either the battlefield or the graveyard, but other effects (or the card's own abilities) might make it go somewhere else.
Call to the Kindred's triggered ability (starts with "when/whenever/at") does use the stack, but as the ability resolves you follow the instructions all in one group of actions that no one can interrupt until it's finished. You look at the cards, pick a creature (if there is one), put it directly onto the battlefield, then put the rest on the bottom of the library. The creature is never cast as a spell.
There are some effects in the game that can counter an ability, but they're very few and far between. The text will specifically say whether it can counter abilities. For some examples, compare Cancel, Squelch, and Voidslime.
November 26, 2014 12:10 p.m.
Thanks a lot for the examples, that's really helpfull!
I might have used one or two cards a bit wrong, but now I know better.
Thanks guys
November 26, 2014 4:47 p.m.
Oh, one last question, trigger abilities with the wording "when ... enters the battlefield" if I put them into play with Call to the Kindred? For example Azorius Herald, I would gain 4 life, then I'd have to sacrifice him, or Carven Caryatid, can I draw the card?
November 26, 2014 5:10 p.m.
You would draw the card from the Caryatid, and gain the 4 life from the Herald and then sacrifice it. Yes those things would all happen.
November 26, 2014 11:12 p.m.
Okay thanks, this means Call to the Kindred doesn't cast any cards (or let's me cast them), but they "enter the battlefield" and trigger those abilities. That's nice to know, thanks guys!
November 27, 2014 6:55 a.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #9
Yes. First the card wasn't on the battlefield (it was in the library), and then it was (Call to the Kindred put it there). It entered the battlefield.
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1
Sometimes when the rules are updated the terminology of the game gets cleaned up as well. The verb "play" was used for talking about both spells and land, and the battlefield zone used to be called the "in play" zone. Overloading the word "play" like this was confusing (your question is further proof of that), so part of the M10 Rules Update introduced the verb "cast" for spells, reserved "play" for land, and gave us the new name for the "battlefield". When changes like this are made, the official Oracle text for cards are updated as necessary to match.
The current Oracle text for Oyobi makes it clear that she triggers whenever you cast a Spirit or Arcane spell. Call to the Kindred doesn't cast spells (announce, move to the stack, make choices, pay costs), it just has you put cards directly onto the battlefield. It doesn't trigger Oyobi.
For older cards with confusing text, it's always a good idea to check Gatherer for the current Oracle text.
November 26, 2014 11:26 a.m.