Ardenn Intrepid Archaeologist and Animate Dead

[Rasmusern]

What happens to a creature enchanted with Animate Dead, if I move Animate Dead from that creature to another creature using Ardenn?

The official wording on Animate Dead is: When Animate Dead leaves the battlefield, that creature’s controller sacrifices it.

Do I keep the creature? Since Animate Dead, technically, has not left the battlefield.

Thank you,

Rasmus

[The Golgari Guy]

From the rulings on Animate Dead:

Animate Dead is an Aura, albeit with an unusual enchant ability. You target a creature card in a graveyard when you cast it. It enters the battlefield attached to that card. Then it returns that card to the battlefield, and attaches itself to the card again (since the card is a new object on the battlefield). Animate Dead itself never moves into a graveyard during this process.

Once the creature is returned to the battlefield, Animate Dead can’t be attached to anything other than it (unless Animate Dead somehow manages to put a different creature onto the battlefield). Attempting to move Animate Dead to another creature won’t work.

[Rasmusern]

Got it. Thanks

[Aetherium Slinky]

The question was answered fully but I just want to clarify the specific rules interaction;

"enchant creature put onto the battlefield with Animate Dead"

Animate Dead has a very special enchant requirement that only applies to the specific permanent put onto the battlefield by it. This is why any other permanent is not a legal target and hence cannot be enchanted by Animated Dead.

The Golgari Guy's passage

Once the creature is returned to the battlefield, Animate Dead can’t be attached to anything other than it (unless Animate Dead somehow manages to put a different creature onto the battlefield). Attempting to move Animate Dead to another creature won’t work.

is an official ruling for Animate Dead.

[Spinsane]

Since this hadn't been brought up, I'll just add that this is covered in the comprehensive rules as follows:

303.4j If an effect attempts to attach an Aura on the battlefield to an object or player it can’t legally enchant, the Aura doesn’t move.

And since Animate Dead can only enchant the creature it brought back to the field, that creature is the only permanent it can legally target, hence the gatherer ruling quoted previously.