Nightveil Specter - Do I have to play the cards in order they were exiled?

Question

Nightveil Specter has the following ability:

Whenever Nightveil Specter deals combat damage to a player, that player exiles the top card of his or her library.

You may play cards exiled with Nightveil Specter.

As I understand the rules text, I can play the card whenever it is legal to play, say a land: I can play one land in one of my main phase. But, can I play the exiled land form last turn? And what if in the meantime I exiled another card?

Example:

• First I exile a Forest
• Then I exile a Scavenging Ooze

Can I play the land first and then the ooze?

Answer 1

See the rulings for this card on Gatherer: Gatherer: Nightveil Specter

• The card is exiled face up. All players may look at it.
• Playing a card exiled with Nightveil Specter follows all the normal rules for playing that card. You must pay its costs, and you must
  follow all timing restrictions, for example.
• Nightveil Specter’s last ability applies to cards exiled with that specific Nightveil Specter, not any other creature named Nightveil Specter. You should keep cards exiled by different Nightveil Specters separate.

The cards are effectively put to one side, to be used as you see fit. It's as if they are added to your hand. You can play them when you choose, but you have to follow the usual rules for playing those cards, including costs and timings. So you're still restricted to playing one land per turn.

The order of exile isn't relevant here, only the copy of the Specter that exiled the card. So if it was exiled last turn it’s still available to you. This is because exile is effectively a place, the card has been removed from the game, and it stays that way until something changes its state… like you choosing to play it.

Answer 2

It simply means you can play them just like cards in your hand. Think of it as a larger hand size, except they're not actually in your hand. This means:

1. Effects that inspect your hand, cards in your hand or your hand size will ignore them.
2. Effects that affect your hand, cards in your hand or your hand size will ignore them.
3. They can't be discarded.
4. They're visible to everyone.

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Can I play the land first and then the ooze?

In this particular case, you can't play either until your second main phase comes around because they're not instants. Then, you can play the land (if you haven't yet played one this turn) or cast the ooze in any order or not at all. You also have the options of playing them at a later time, as long as Nightveil Specter hasn't left the battlefield (at all) since it exiled the cards.

Answer 3

Yes, you can play them in any order you want as long as you follow all timing restrictions.

1/24/2013 The card is exiled face up. All players may look at it.

1/24/2013 Playing a card exiled with Nightveil Specter follows all the normal rules for playing that card. You must pay its costs, and you must follow all timing restrictions, for example.

1/24/2013 Nightveil Specter's last ability applies to cards exiled with that specific Nightveil Specter, not any other creature named Nightveil Specter. You should keep cards exiled by different Nightveil Specters separate.