<p><strong>Yes, you may cast a spell from the battlefield.</strong></p>
<p>The rules for casting spells are fully general as far as the origin zone is concerned:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>601.2. To cast a spell is to take it from where it is (usually the hand), put it on the stack, and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. [..]</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-17T11:38:58.920Z
Excellent, thanks! A further question if you or anyone else happens to know, let's say I mutated the enchanted creature, when I copy the merged creature and choose to cast it for free, what happens? Will I cast one spell with the characteristics of the merged creature, cast two spells being the two creatures separated, or something else?
programmer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-18T06:07:29.067Z
@Allure: The combo as described uses the "may" in "You *may* cast the copy without paying its mana cost" on Spellweaver Volute (emphasis mine).  You copy the enchanted creature, *choose not to copy it*, and boom, you have your copy sitting pretty on the battlefield.
Antal Spector-Zabusky
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-17T11:14:24.937Z
2024-06-17T11:14:24.937Z
Hackworth
<p>Yes, you can cast the card. This is because an effect says you can do so, which applies regardless of the zone the card is in. A trivial example is <a href="https://scryfall.com/card/ncc/275/squee-the-immortal" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Squee, the Immortal</a>, which simply states that you can cast it from specific zones other than your hand (namely, from your graveyard or from exile).</p>
<p>Note that if the effect says &quot;you may cast the card&quot; without further qualifications:</p>
<ul>
<li>you <strong>must</strong> pay the mana cost and any required additional costs, <em>or</em> an alternative cost if one exists;</li>
<li>you <strong>may</strong> pay any optional additional costs;</li>
<li>you <strong>must</strong> specify valid target(s) if the spell requires them (e.g. an Aura with enchant creature cannot be cast if there are no creatures on the battlefield); and</li>
<li>you <strong>cannot</strong> get a land onto the battlefield this way (as a land cannot be cast as a spell).</li>
</ul>
<p>If the effect states &quot;you may cast the card <strong>without paying its mana cost</strong>&quot;:</p>
<ul>
<li>you <strong>cannot</strong> choose to pay its mana cost or any alternate costs
<ul>
<li>which means that if {X} is in the mana cost, X can only be 0;</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>you <strong>must</strong> pay any required additional costs; and</li>
<li>you <strong>may</strong> pay any optional additional costs.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-18T01:37:28.873Z
2024-06-18T01:50:11.550Z
2024-06-18T01:50:11.550Z
bwDraco
<p>The question in your title and the one in your body are actually different</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Can you cast a copy of a card from the battlefield if the effect creating the copy specifies that it can be cast?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Yes.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My question is, could you choose to cast the copy from the battlefield</p>
</blockquote>
<p>No. Unless you have a way of getting an object on the battlefield that is both an instant and a creature, the combo doesn't work, so you can't get the copy, let alone cast it; the ability &quot;Copy Enchanted Instant&quot; allows you to copy only an Instant.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Because of Rule 303.4m, the triggered ability on Idris from Spellweaver Volute refers to the attached permanent, so when you cast a sorcery, you create a copy of the card that Idris is attached to.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Rule 303.4m is just clarifying Idris' ability would apply even if Idris were not an Enchantment. It is not saying that Idris' ability applies to objects that aren't of the specified property.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-18T02:13:53.043Z
This is incorrect. Idris will not have "Enchant instant in a graveyard" because Idris only copies the Activated and Triggered abilities of the card(s) she exiled, and "Enchant X" is a Static ability (702.5a). Since the activated ability of the Licid is the only thing that makes her an aura and it gives her just "Enchant Creature", that is the only enchant ability she will have,
Andrew
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-18T02:47:02.607Z
@Andrew Good point. I think the other point stands, though.
Acccumulation
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-18T04:28:10.223Z
Perhaps, it's an odd situation, but a plain reading of 303.4m would have me ruling that it did work as the reddit post says, it shouldn't, it's an unintended edge case for sure, but all the actual RAW support it.
Andrew
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-18T12:40:38.223Z
The combo works fine. The phrasing "the enchanted instant" is only for readability. Under the hood, it always means "the enchanted object" and so applies to any type of object.
Hackworth
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-17T23:36:12.220Z
2024-06-18T02:46:42.730Z
2024-06-18T02:46:42.730Z
Acccumulation
<p>I recently saw a post on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/BadMtgCombos/comments/1alhxvk/make_every_sorcery_you_cast_copy_any_creature_on/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">r/BadMtgCombos</a> about an interesting combo, the combo works as following (text copied from the author, credit to <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Gamesfreak13563/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">u/Gamesfreak13563</a>):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>First, get <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Transmogrifying%20Licid">Transmogrifying Licid</a> and <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Spellweaver%20Volute">Spellweaver Volute</a> on the
field, and make Volute an artifact with <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Liquimetal%20Coating">Liquimetal Coating</a>.</p>
<p><a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Panharmonicon">Panharmonicon</a> doubles <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Idris%2C%20Soul%20of%20the%20TARDIS">Idris, Soul of the TARDIS</a>' enters the
battlefield trigger, and thanks to rule 607.3 Idris can exile both the
Licid and the Volute and gets the activated and triggered abilities of
both. It doesn't, however, get any of their static abilities,
including Spellweaver Volute's enchant ability.</p>
<p>Once that's done, activate Idris' Licid ability to turn it into an
aura that enchants a creature. It doesn't have Volute's enchant
ability, just the enchant ability from the Licid, so it can legally
enchant a creature. Because of Rule 303.4m, the triggered ability on
Idris from Spellweaver Volute refers to the attached permanent, so
when you cast a sorcery, you create a copy of the card that Idris is
attached to.</p>
<p>Now, you'd think that you'd cast the copy, exiling your enchanted
creature causing your Idris to sacrifice itself when it can't attach
to anything else, but actually don't: Rule 707.12 says that the copy
of an object is created in the same zone that the object is in, which
in this case, is the battlefield. And Rule 704.5e says that a copy of
a card can exist on the battlefield. So, you create a copy of the card
on the battlefield, don't cast it, and then it just stays there. And
since you didn't cast the copy of the card, you don't have to exile
the card and you don't have to sacrifice Idris.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>My question is, could you choose to cast the copy from the battlefield, or is there any rule preventing you from casting things from the battlefield? And if you can, would you need to sacrifice Idris due to it not being able to enchant an instant in a graveyard, or could you save idris by ending the licid effect since it's a special action?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-18T06:29:50.800Z
I feel like the bit about using the special action to save Idris should be its own question, as it's basically unrelated to the main question.
Arcanist Lupus
<magic-the-gathering>
Can you cast a copy of a card from the battlefield if the effect creating the copy specifies that it can be cast?
programmer
# Can you cast a copy of a card from the battlefield if the effect creating the copy specifies that it can be cast?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-06-17)

I recently saw a post on [r/BadMtgCombos](https://www.reddit.com/r/BadMtgCombos/comments/1alhxvk/make_every_sorcery_you_cast_copy_any_creature_on/) about an interesting combo, the combo works as following (text copied from the author, credit to [u/Gamesfreak13563](https://www.reddit.com/user/Gamesfreak13563/)):

> First, get [Transmogrifying Licid](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Transmogrifying%20Licid) and [Spellweaver Volute](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Spellweaver%20Volute) on the
> field, and make Volute an artifact with [Liquimetal Coating](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Liquimetal%20Coating).
>
> [Panharmonicon](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Panharmonicon) doubles [Idris, Soul of the TARDIS](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Idris%2C%20Soul%20of%20the%20TARDIS)' enters the
> battlefield trigger, and thanks to rule 607.3 Idris can exile both the
> Licid and the Volute and gets the activated and triggered abilities of
> both. It doesn't, however, get any of their static abilities,
> including Spellweaver Volute's enchant ability.
>
> Once that's done, activate Idris' Licid ability to turn it into an
> aura that enchants a creature. It doesn't have Volute's enchant
> ability, just the enchant ability from the Licid, so it can legally
> enchant a creature. Because of Rule 303.4m, the triggered ability on
> Idris from Spellweaver Volute refers to the attached permanent, so
> when you cast a sorcery, you create a copy of the card that Idris is
> attached to.
>
> Now, you'd think that you'd cast the copy, exiling your enchanted
> creature causing your Idris to sacrifice itself when it can't attach
> to anything else, but actually don't: Rule 707.12 says that the copy
> of an object is created in the same zone that the object is in, which
> in this case, is the battlefield. And Rule 704.5e says that a copy of
> a card can exist on the battlefield. So, you create a copy of the card
> on the battlefield, don't cast it, and then it just stays there. And
> since you didn't cast the copy of the card, you don't have to exile
> the card and you don't have to sacrifice Idris.

My question is, could you choose to cast the copy from the battlefield, or is there any rule preventing you from casting things from the battlefield? And if you can, would you need to sacrifice Idris due to it not being able to enchant an instant in a graveyard, or could you save idris by ending the licid effect since it's a special action?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I feel like the bit about using the special action to save Idris should be its own question, as it's basically unrelated to the main question.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-06-17. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

**Yes, you may cast a spell from the battlefield.**

The rules for casting spells are fully general as far as the origin zone is concerned:

> 601.2. To cast a spell is to take it from where it is (usually the hand), put it on the stack, and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. [..]

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Excellent, thanks! A further question if you or anyone else happens to know, let's say I mutated the enchanted creature, when I copy the merged creature and choose to cast it for free, what happens? Will I cast one spell with the characteristics of the merged creature, cast two spells being the two creatures separated, or something else?  
> **username_3**: @Allure: The combo as described uses the "may" in "You *may* cast the copy without paying its mana cost" on Spellweaver Volute (emphasis mine).  You copy the enchanted creature, *choose not to copy it*, and boom, you have your copy sitting pretty on the battlefield.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2024-06-18. Score: 0

Yes, you can cast the card. This is because an effect says you can do so, which applies regardless of the zone the card is in. A trivial example is [Squee, the Immortal](https://scryfall.com/card/ncc/275/squee-the-immortal), which simply states that you can cast it from specific zones other than your hand (namely, from your graveyard or from exile).

Note that if the effect says "you may cast the card" without further qualifications:

* you **must** pay the mana cost and any required additional costs, *or* an alternative cost if one exists;
* you **may** pay any optional additional costs;
* you **must** specify valid target(s) if the spell requires them (e.g. an Aura with enchant creature cannot be cast if there are no creatures on the battlefield); and
* you **cannot** get a land onto the battlefield this way (as a land cannot be cast as a spell).

If the effect states "you may cast the card **without paying its mana cost**":

* you **cannot** choose to pay its mana cost or any alternate costs
  + which means that if {X} is in the mana cost, X can only be 0;
* you **must** pay any required additional costs; and
* you **may** pay any optional additional costs.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2024-06-17. Score: -1

The question in your title and the one in your body are actually different

> Can you cast a copy of a card from the battlefield if the effect creating the copy specifies that it can be cast?

Yes.

> My question is, could you choose to cast the copy from the battlefield

No. Unless you have a way of getting an object on the battlefield that is both an instant and a creature, the combo doesn't work, so you can't get the copy, let alone cast it; the ability "Copy Enchanted Instant" allows you to copy only an Instant.

> Because of Rule 303.4m, the triggered ability on Idris from Spellweaver Volute refers to the attached permanent, so when you cast a sorcery, you create a copy of the card that Idris is attached to.

Rule 303.4m is just clarifying Idris' ability would apply even if Idris were not an Enchantment. It is not saying that Idris' ability applies to objects that aren't of the specified property.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: This is incorrect. Idris will not have "Enchant instant in a graveyard" because Idris only copies the Activated and Triggered abilities of the card(s) she exiled, and "Enchant X" is a Static ability (702.5a). Since the activated ability of the Licid is the only thing that makes her an aura and it gives her just "Enchant Creature", that is the only enchant ability she will have,  
> **username_5**: @username_6 Good point. I think the other point stands, though.  
> **username_6**: Perhaps, it's an odd situation, but a plain reading of 303.4m would have me ruling that it did work as the reddit post says, it shouldn't, it's an unintended edge case for sure, but all the actual RAW support it.  
> **username_2**: The combo works fine. The phrasing "the enchanted instant" is only for readability. Under the hood, it always means "the enchanted object" and so applies to any type of object.  

---

