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Some information for ya...

Comprehensive Rules (also available in Word, Rich Text, and PDF formats)
The complete rules for the game of Magic. Beginners should not go here; they are very intimidating.
Oracle Card Reference
The official text for every card in existence (use Gatherer for any quick questions about Oracle texts, Gatherer uses the Oracle text of all cards).
Official Tournament Rules
The official rules for sanctioned tournaments.
Basic Rulebook
Simplified rules for beginning players. If you are new to the game, you should read this and not the Comprehensive Rules.
Set FAQs
The official FAQs for each set. Look here if you have a specific question about a card.
Judge Certification Program
How to become a judge.
MTG-L mailing list archives
A good place to get official answers to rules questions, or to search for previous answers.
DCIJUDGE-L mailing list archives
The official Judge list. A good place to search for previous answers and discussion involving judging decisions, philosophy, etc. NOT rules questions. That's what MTG-L is for.

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put green creature into play "treat it as though you just played it from your hand"

but on the other versions it doesn't say this and I couldn't find anything on the ruling of it.

but does it still imply this?

quote:

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Originally posted by mtg_collector:
Just wanted to know on the portal Natural Order
it says:

put green creature into play "treat it as though you just played it from your hand"

but on the other versions it doesn't say this and I couldn't find anything on the ruling of it.

but does it still imply this?

thanks in advance

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Current Oracle wording:
As an additional cost to cast Natural Order, sacrifice a green creature.
Search your library for a green creature card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

It will NOT behave as if cast normally. Things that care about a card entering the battlefield will count this, but things that care about the card being cast (such as Emrakul, the Aeons Torn's ability to take an extra turn if he was somehow made green) would not trigger.

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also about Crucible of Worlds, you can use it to do wasteland and strip mine ability right?

quote:

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Originally posted by mtg_collector:
ok thanks. but I just want to be clear on this, so your not playing the creature from your hand but just putting it into play.

also about Crucible of Worlds, you can use it to do wasteland and strip mine ability right?

thanks again

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quote:

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Originally posted by mtg_collector:
ok thanks. but I just want to be clear on this, so your not playing the creature from your hand but just putting it into play.
also about Crucible of Worlds, you can use it to do wasteland and strip mine ability right?

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Correct about Natural Order. Incorrect about Crucible of Worlds.

Crucible of Worlds does not give you permission to activate the abilities of Strip Mine or Wasteland while they are in the graveyard. It will simply let you play a land that is in your graveyard as a land drop.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Christof:
What happens to Gideon Jura when you activate his last ablity with Humility in play?

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I'm not sure about his p/t (I think it depends in timestamps), but I can tell you that all damage to him will still be prevented. He will lose his planeswalker abilities after being activated, becoming a vanilla */* (stars because I'm not sure), but the effect that says "prevent all damage that would be fealt to {this}" isn't actually on the card-- in that respect it's like you played Safe Passage-- and therefore can't be taken away by Humility.

By contrast, because it is printed on the card, Cho-Manno, Revolutionary would lose its damage prevention ability.

quote:

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Originally posted by WestWycke:
Correct about Natural Order. Incorrect about Crucible of Worlds.

Crucible of Worlds does not give you permission to activate the abilities of Strip Mine or Wasteland while they are in the graveyard. It will simply let you play a land that is in your graveyard as a land drop.

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i think what he meant was can he bring wasteland/stripmine back and LD over and over again.

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quote:

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Originally posted by JoshSherman:
I'm not sure about his p/t (I think it depends in timestamps), but I can tell you that all damage to him will still be prevented. He will lose his planeswalker abilities after being activated, becoming a vanilla */* (stars because I'm not sure), but the effect that says "prevent all damage that would be fealt to {this}" isn't actually on the card-- in that respect it's like you played Safe Passage-- and therefore can't be taken away by Humility.

By contrast, because it is printed on the card, Cho-Manno, Revolutionary would lose its damage prevention ability.

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Esperzoa + Tangle Wire... can I bounce back the Wire BEFORE it's ability hits me?

quote:

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Originally posted by Heresy19:
Heh... Mono Blue Stax idea here...

Esperzoa + Tangle Wire... can I bounce back the Wire BEFORE it's ability hits me?

Thanks!

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Yes and no.

At the beginning of your upkeep, all your "at the beginning of your upkeep" triggers go on the stack, in any order you choose, so you can put the Tangle Wire's ability on the stack first, then Esperzoa's on top of that. The abilities will resolve LIFO order and you will return the Tangle Wire before you have to tap anything. However, the ability will still resolve and use last known information (number of counters on Tangle Wire) and make you tap that many permanents, so it's actually DISadvantageous to stack things this way, since you can't tap Tangle Wire to its own ability.

It is not possible to do what I believe you are trying to do - you can respond to the Tangle Wire's trigger by returning it, but it won't stop you from tapping anything, any more than destroying or returning Royal Assassin to its owner's hand will stop the ability. Abilities exist independently from their source once put on the stack.

quote:

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Originally posted by Meddling Pimp:
Everything above is correct, including timestamps determining the p/t. He's a 6/6 since in the original question, Humilty was in play when the ability was activated. If, however, Humility entered after the ability was activated, he would be a 1/1.

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So the two timestamps involved are 1)humility coming into play, and 2) when Gideon's ability is activated, right? The reason I ask is because although I had the timestamp part right, I would have explained it wrong, basing it on when Gideon came into play.

quote:

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Originally posted by JoshSherman:
So the two timestamps involved are 1)humility coming into play, and 2) when Gideon's ability is activated, right?

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That is correct. Activated abilities (and effects generated by spells) are timestamped upon resolving. Static abilities are timestamped by the object entering the current zone.

Here is the relevant portion of the Comp Rules

quote:

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613.6a A continuous effect generated by a static ability has the same timestamp as the object the static ability is on, or the timestamp of the effect that created the ability, whichever is later.

613.6b A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability receives a timestamp at the time it’s created.

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quote:

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Originally posted by fargo288:
Fastbond with Angel's Grace - If I'm at 1 life, does my life just keep going back to one after I play each land?

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You can't lose the game this turn and your opponents can't win the game this turn. Until end of turn, damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead.

So yes, you can play as many land as you wish without dying.

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If a Traumatize mills an Emrakul, The Aeons Torn, can Ravenous Trap be played for free to remove Emrakul and the rest of the graveyard from the game before anything gets shuffled back in? I think this works, but wanted to be sure.

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Traumatize mills X cards, one of them being Emrakul. Emrakul's ability is a triggered ability, but it will not be placed on the stack until after Traumatize finishes resolving. Once it is placed on the stack, both players have to pass priority. It is @ this time that you play ravenous trap, exiling that graveyard. Then Emrakul's ability resolves, and the opponent will shuffle their now empty graveyard into their library.

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Originally posted by skizzikmonger:
My opponent has Noble Hierarch and a larger creature in play. On my turn I cast Fleshbag Marauder.  Can I stack the Marauder's "enters the battlefield" ability, then cast Fling to kill the Noble and force my opponent to sac the larger creature?

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