Panglacial Wurm and Chromatic Sphere

[Diakonov]

Panglacial Wurm  

Creature - Wurm

Trample

While you're searching your library, you may cast Panglacial Wurm from your library.

Chromatic Sphere    

Artifact

, , Sacrifice Chromatic Sphere: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Draw a card.


I know this is a classic rules conundrum, but I was just curious about certain special cases.

First, I know that while searching and planning to cast the wurm, you must keep your library in order for reasons such as the potential abuse of Chromatic Sphere (stacking the deck).

Question 1: After announcing the spell (the wurm), I pay using a Chromatic Sphere.  Suppose that I have an Elvish Spirit Guide on top of my library.  I have read elsewhere that any card drawn with Sphere is considered unknown until resolution of the spell, but since I'm still searching my library, I actually DO know that it is an Elvish Spirit Guide.  Can I also use ESG to pay for the wurm?  (My guess is no, since it is "technically" unknown.)

Question 2: Timing of announcing the wurm being played.  Same scenario, but let's say that instead of drawing a card off Sphere I dredge 4 cards into my graveyard.  If other Panglacial Wurms were among those, did I miss an opportunity to announce them and thereby remove them from the library before they get milled?  (My guess is again no, assuming that your library behaves like your hand, and you can only announce a second spell after the first is paid for...?)

[Delha]

Interesting question. I've only got guesses myself, so I won't answer just yet. Definitely curious to see what the correct answers are.

[Clariax]

Your guesses are both correct.  For question 1 is correct.  After being drawn the Elvish Spirit Guide remains face-down until you're done casting the Panglacial Wurm.  You cannot use the spirit guide to pay for it.


For question 2, each spell is cast one at a time.  You don't cast the second spell until you're done casting the first.  If you're going to cast multiple wurms during the single search you do get to choose what order you wish to cast them, so can choose to cast the one that's in the part of the library that would get dredged first.  The card leaves the library and goes to the stack as the first part of casting, so won't be in the library to be dredged when the mana ability of the sphere gets played.

[Diakonov]

Thanks!