When a spell has multiple effects, and their orders is not specified, can you choose the order of them?
Asked by ThiagoMaia 13 years ago
If I play a instant or sorcery that has multiple effects, such as Ponder and the spell does not specifie the order, can I choose which order they'll take place, or do the effects resolve from top to bottom?
For example, could I, when playing ponder, choose to draw a card, than look at the top cards of my library and put than back at any order?
608.2c. The controller of the spell or ability follows its instructions in the order written. However, replacement effects may modify these actions. In some cases, later text on the card may modify the meaning of earlier text (for example, Destroy target creature. It cant be regenerated or Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it on top of its owners library instead of into its owners graveyard.) Dont just apply effects step by step without thinking in these casesread the whole text and apply the rules of English to the text.
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1
The order of effects is always specified, either by the use of words like "then" or by the way the text is physically arranged on the card. You read a card's text left-to-right and top-to-bottom (for English, at least), and apply the effects in the order you read them. For Ponder , "Draw a card" is always done last, because that's how Ponder is written.
August 16, 2011 2:39 p.m.