Can I trigger the response of the Erebor Hammersmith if I put him into play via, for example, A Very Good Tale or Sneak Attack?

His ability reads: "after you play EH ....".

Now, does playing include putting into play or does it specifically mean playing from your hand, as some other cards specify (West Road Traveller, Galadriel ally, for example)?

I think after leaning for the former I am now more inclined towards the latter.

Sneak attack only triggers effects that say "After X enters play..." It doesn't work on "After you play X..." or "After you play X from your hand..." which are the same thing.

So no, it doesn't work on the hammersmith.

Now, does playing include putting into play or does it specifically mean playing from your hand, as some other cards specify (West Road Traveller, Galadriel ally, for example)?

Playing a card include putting it into play.

But putting into play doesn't always mean it was played. Hence, it will no work.

Makes sense.

So basically "after you play from your hand" is a cleared-up wording.

Thank you both for your answers.

It doesn't work on "After you play X..." or "After you play X from your hand..." which are the same thing.

Well, Vilya reads

...reveal the top card of your deck. You can immediately play or put into play the revealed card for no cost, if able.

So it is possible to play something but not from your hand. So I think with Vilya you could trigger Hammersmith but not West Road Traveller due to the different wording.

I've always thought put into play on Vilya referred to allies while play was meant for events. Might be wrong though, even if it would seem strange to me if it were worded this way so that you could choose between the two

Edit: sorry,I've just noticed Mndela opened a post with the same identical question. Don't know why I didn't notice it, my bad.

It doesn't work on "After you play X..." or "After you play X from your hand..." which are the same thing.

Well, Vilya reads

...reveal the top card of your deck. You can immediately play or put into play the revealed card for no cost, if able.

So it is possible to play something but not from your hand. So I think with Vilya you could trigger Hammersmith but not West Road Traveller due to the different wording.

I have received a ruling from Caleb regarding this situation that, to my knowledge, had never been answered by a developer until now, though I may have overlooked it.

Q: If you exhaust Elrond and Vilya to reveal an ally on the top of your deck can you : 1) put him into play at no cost, 2) play him at no cost, or 3) choose to play him at no cost or put him into play?

A: When you use Vilya’s ability and the top card of your deck is an ally or attachment, you put it into play. The added language about “play at no cost” is there for when the top card of your deck is an event, because you don’t put events into play.