Sometimes there will be several ongoing effects and the game must apply them in the proper order. Remember the Golden Rule! This system is somewhat complex, but is intended to provide intuitive results. You can probably ignore this whole section simply do what's intuitive, and you'll get the right result.
If you really want to dive into the nitty-gritty details of some complicated interactions, follow this guide. To determine the correct application of ongoing effects:
1) Group effects by layer.
2) Within each group, arrange effects by timestamp, oldest to newest.
3) Rearrange effects based on their conditions, if needed.
Then, within each layer (or between layers), arrange effects based on timestamp, oldest to newest.
For ongoing effects generated by a passive ability (e.g. , ), their timestamp is when the card entered the realm.
For ongoing effects generated by an activated or triggered ability (e.g. , ), their timestamp is when the ability was activated or triggered, not when the original source entered the realm.
In the unlikely event that two or more cards enter the realm simultaneously and they have passive abilities that may need to be ordered (e.g. my and yours, entering simultaneously via ), the active player's cards are considered to have entered first (in the order of their choosing, if they have more than one entering simultaneously).
Adding and Removing Abilities Out of Order
Finally, you may have to rearrange certain effects that have conditions, as follows:
If an effect would add an ability, or remove an ability, it does so before that ability's layer.
For example, you have a minion holding a . Since Land Deed adds a control ability to the bearer, it will be applied just before layer 4 (Control), rather than in layer 5 (Ability Adding).
As another example, you have a with an in front of it. Because the Fields would remove a type-changing ability, it will be applied just before layer 2 (Type and Sub-Type Changing), rather than in layer 3 (Ability Removing).
If two abilities would try to remove each other, use timestamp order.
If an ongoing effect has a condition, first apply effects related to that condition, and only then check the condition.
For example, you have a Foot Soldier holding a and your opponent has . Because Pied Piper's ability is conditional on the minion's power, wait to check Pied Piper's condition until just after layer 6 (Power Modification). The Foot Soldier's power will be 1+2=3, so you keep control of your Foot Soldier.
Another Pied Piper example: You have Pied Piper and . I have a Skeleton token. Pied Piper's ability is conditional on minion power, so we wait to apply it until after layer 6, after your House Arn Bannerman's ability has been applied. You gain control of my Skeleton after layer 6, but it stays at 1 power, since you didn't control it when House Arn Banner's ability was applied.
As another example, you have a adjacent to a holding an . The Spirit's ability is conditional on being adjacent to an allied Spellcaster. The Troll gains the Spellcaster ability from the Coral in layer 5 (Ability Adding). Wait to check Spirit's ability until just after layer 5. In fact, a Bound Spirit holding an Eerie Coral could un-disable itself.
