Aftermath Analyst + Shifting Woodland + Spelunking + Zuran Orb

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Overview

Aftermath Analyst mills cards when it enters and can sacrifice itself to return all land cards from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped. Shifting Woodland can be one of those lands returned; if it later becomes a copy of a card in your graveyard, any effects (including its entering-tapped state) and counters that applied to it before it became a copy continue to apply [613.5] and per the Oracle ruling [2024-06-07]. Spelunking’s static ability that makes “lands you control enter untapped” does not cause lands returned by Aftermath Analyst’s ability to enter untapped; the lands return tapped as instructed (see the Spelunking ruling) [2023-11-10]. After the lands have returned, you may sacrifice them to Zuran Orb to gain life; Zuran Orb’s activated ability is not a mana ability (it doesn’t put mana into a player’s mana pool) so it follows normal activation timing and can be activated once you have priority after the return resolves and state-based actions are checked [605.1a] [704.3].

The StackRules & CitationsDetails & Edge Cases

Step 1

You cast Aftermath Analyst or otherwise cause it to enter the battlefield; its triggered ability resolves and you mill three cards (put the top three cards of your library into your graveyard).

Step 2

If lands were milled (including Shifting Woodland), they are now land cards in your graveyard. These additions to the graveyard can also affect Delirium counts and other graveyard-based conditions.

Step 3

At an appropriate time you may activate Aftermath Analyst’s activated ability (, Sacrifice this creature: Return all land cards from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped). When that ability resolves, all land cards in your graveyard are moved onto the battlefield tapped as the ability’s instruction.

Step 4

State-based actions are checked and then players receive priority [704.3]. At that point the returned lands are on the battlefield (tapped).

Step 5

If Spelunking is on the battlefield, its static ability ‘Lands you control enter untapped’ does not cause these returned lands to enter untapped; they entered tapped as the Analyst ability specified [2023-11-10].

Step 6

If Shifting Woodland is among those lands, it entered tapped. If you later activate Shifting Woodland’s Delirium ability (assuming Delirium condition is met), it will become a copy of the targeted permanent card in your graveyard until end of turn, and any effects/counters that were on Shifting Woodland before it became a copy continue to apply [613.5] [2024-06-07].

Step 7

After lands are on the battlefield and you have priority, you may activate Zuran Orb’s activated ability (sacrifice a land: You gain 2 life) and sacrifice any of the returned lands (being tapped does not prevent sacrificing). Zuran Orb’s ability is not a mana ability [605.1a], so it follows normal activation timing and can be activated when you have priority after resolution [704.3].

Resolution

When Aftermath Analyst enters and mills cards, lands milled may end up in your graveyard and can later be returned by Analyst’s activated ability into the battlefield tapped (“Return all land cards from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped”). Spelunking’s continuous effect that makes lands enter untapped does not override that instruction — the lands return tapped (see the Spelunking ruling) [2023-11-10]. If Shifting Woodland is one of the lands returned, it will enter tapped and remain affected by any effects and counters that applied to it before it becomes a copy; if you then activate Shifting Woodland’s Delirium ability and it becomes a copy of a permanent in your graveyard, those preexisting effects and counters continue to apply [613.5] and per the Shifting Woodland ruling [2024-06-07]. After the return resolves and state-based actions are checked, you may activate Zuran Orb’s ability and sacrifice any of those returned lands (tapped or untapped) to gain 2 life per sacrifice; Zuran Orb’s ability is not a mana ability [605.1a] and you may activate it when you have priority after resolution [704.3].