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Taking up a topic already addressed, for example, with the question:
What happens when two global enchantments affect the same type of permanent (e.g.lands),
with this question I would like to add a little and simple clarification to this kind of situations.

If a Legendary Land - such as Hammerheim - or an Artifact Land - as Vault of Whispers - is enchanted by cards like Evil Presence or Phantasmal Terrain, it becomes a basic land.

But what happens to its other types?

In other words the land, now transformed by one of the two enchant land above, as well as being now a basic land:

  1. still maintains his original other type, that is, it is still legendary or still an artifact (as in the second example); or
  2. no longer maintains any other types, but it is only a non-basic land.
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  • The question has been edited,by myself,replacing the word "subtype" - which is wrong,compared to the terms used by the rules of the game - with the word "type",which is correct,especially in reference to what I meant to ask.The correction is due to Glorfinder's answer,which I thank.Before asking this question I was sure that "land types" were swamps, mountains,etc.,while I was also sure that "land subtypes" were the specific additions to the term "land" that can be found on the cards,before the term "land",that is,legendary, artifact, or any specific word indicating that the land is not basic. Commented Jan 8, 2020 at 10:03
  • I was wrong...obviously ,as usual!Land subtypes are swamps, islands, plains, and so on,while Legendary is a supertype.However,Artifact is a type,ok:but this is true talking about a normal artifact.Referring to a "subtype" when I spoke of artifact land,I did it in reference to the fact that the land in question is,in the first place, a land; secondly, it is also an artifact,and then I thought I could call it "subtype",although the latter is a term that means something else in the game.So, I think that,in the case of "artifact lands", it is not fair to call "type" the reference to the "artifact" Commented Jan 9, 2020 at 10:43

2 Answers 2

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It might be a bit confusing, but 'legendary' and 'artifact' are not land subtypes, like Swamp and Mountain are. 'Legendary' is a supertype, and 'artifact' is a type.

305.7. If an effect sets a land’s subtype to one or more of the basic land types, the land no longer has its old land type.

Evil Presence and Phantasmal Terrain do not remove 'legendary' and 'artifact', they influence the subtype. Hammerheim and Vault of Whispers don't have a subtype, but they will lose their abilities:

The enchanted land loses its existing land types and any abilities printed on it. It now has the land type Swamp and has the ability “Tap: Add Black.” Evil Presence doesn’t change the enchanted land’s name or whether it’s legendary, basic, or snow.

(from the rulings below Evil Presence)

So a Hammerheim enchanted with an Evil Presence will still be legendary but only able to tap for black mana; a Vault of Whispers enchanted with Phantasmal Terrain set to 'Mountain' will still be an artifact land but only be able to tap for red mana.

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  • Okay, it's true: the "subtype" for the rules of the game is not exactly what I meant when I asked this question, and I edited it right now. I just meant that, in addition to being lands, the two indicated cards have also other "words" after the "first type" (which in my opinion can be defined as "sub-words"... but precisely "in my opinion" only...) which specify the features. That is, in addition to being lands, one is also legendary, and one is also an artifact. Thanks for the clarification provided. – Commented Jan 7, 2020 at 16:47
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The Gatherer Link for Spreading Seas says

Spreading Seas {1}{U}

Enchantment — Aura

Enchant land

When Spreading Seas enters the battlefield, draw a card.

Enchanted land is an Island.

A ruling also adds:

The enchanted land loses its existing land types and any abilities printed on it. It now has the land type Island and has the ability to tap to add {U} to its controller’s mana pool. Spreading Seas doesn’t change the enchanted land’s name or whether it’s legendary, basic, or snow.

There are 3 components to the type line: the supertype, the type, and the subtype. The short answer is that the supertype (Legendary, Basic or not, or Snow) or type (artifact, enchantment, etc) rarely change. A card like Spreading Seas overwrites all subtypes and replaces them with 'Island', but it leaves supertypes and types alone. Spreading Seas doesn't eliminate supertypes like Legendary or types like artifact, or add any like Basic.

Spreading Seas makes a land an Island but it doesn't make it a basic land. Dark Depths enchanted by Spreading Seas is a Legendary Snow Island, but not a basic Island.

However, lands made into basic land types lose abilities. Blood Moon doesn't remove the artifact type from Darksteel Citadel (although it does lose Indestructible). So in the Dark Depths example, it will tap for U but not have any of the text about ice counters anymore. Any counters on the card remain, but they are nonfunctional as long as it is an Island.

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