Play Vs Cast
Asked by klklklklk 13 years ago
cards that say things like you may play cards from your grave, is that the same as casting, or is casting only from one's hand? I want to use Demon's Horn in a deck, but its rather useless if playing cards from my graveyard isn't a cast.
Epochalyptik says... #2
601.1. Previously, the action of casting a spell, or casting a card as a spell, was referred to on cards as "playing" that spell or that card. Cards that were printed with that text have received errata in the Oracle card reference so they now refer to casting that spell or that card.
"Playing" and "casting" are synonymous terms. One is just archaic.
August 4, 2011 6:22 p.m.
dasickbert is incorrect.
From Wizards Magic 2010 Rules Change article:
"Cast" is being reinstated as the verb used when referring to the act of playing spells or types of spells. "Play" is being kept as the verb associated with lands (and with cards of unspecified types). Activated abilities are also no longer "played" but rather "activated."
Playing a spell from any location is now casting.
August 4, 2011 6:24 p.m.
mozerdozer says... #4
Wait I thought it's only been "cast" if you pay the mana cost or any alternative cost. For example, playing a card from your graveyard using Postmortem Lunge is NOT casting it.
Casting a card is done by either paying the stated costs on the card, whatever they may be, or using alternative cost, such as through Isochron Scepter which still counts as casting only because it specifically uses that word.
August 4, 2011 7:01 p.m.
Postmortem Lunge doesn't say play or cast in it.
But take for instance Ancient Grudge . Paying the flashback cost allows you to play/cast the card from the graveyard.
The question was simply if playing a card from your graveyard means it is cast. The answer is that if the card says it is played (or cast) from the graveyard (such as cards with flashback), then it counts as being cast (which matters for cards like card:Demon's Horn).
August 4, 2011 7:06 p.m.
mozerdozer says... #6
You said playing a spell form any location counts as casting. Using spells like Reanimate plays it from your graveyard, aka moving it to the battlefield from the graveyard, without casting it. I was disagreeing witht he final sentence of your answer, not the whole thing.
August 4, 2011 7:37 p.m.
I still believe the sentence in question is still correct. With emphasis:
Playing a spell from any location is now casting.
Using Reanimate is not playing a spell from the graveyard, it's placing a creature from the graveyard onto the battlefield. Same thing with Postmortem Lunge .
August 4, 2011 7:44 p.m.
it's sadly a semantics question, so when discussing it, we shouldn't say things like 'play it from the graveyard' when discussing reanimate or postmortem lunge. Instead, we should say that those cards are put into the battlefield from graveyard; since bother mozer and mafteechr are saying the same thing.
as a nitpick on this whole thread, 'play' is still the correct word for lands, because they aren't spells. all spells are cast from your hand, some effects and spells allow you to cast spells from the graveyard of from other zones, but lands are always 'played,' whether from your hand, or from the graveyard via Crucible of Worlds or a similar effect.
August 4, 2011 7:45 p.m.
mozerdozer says... #9
Ah I thought you meant playing a card in general, not playing a card with another card that is using the word "play". My mistake.
I have seen other people say that Play was erratad to cast in MOST scenarios, but not all.
August 4, 2011 7:46 p.m.
To be fair, the sentence should be better worded. Something to the tune of:
Playing a spell from any location is now known as casting the spell.
with the addition of
and any triggered abilities with the requirement of a spell being cast (without restrictions, such as casting a spell from your hand like Knowledge Pool 's second ability) will trigger.
August 4, 2011 7:47 p.m.
xxxxxxCronoxxxxxx says... #13
i remember the good old days when we say that we played ower spells rather than just cast them
dasickbert says... #1
your original thought is correct to cast a card it is played from the hand
August 4, 2011 6:18 p.m.