Whenever I’m asked about cost reductions/increases, especially in the flurry of questions about it thanks to a newly spoiled card from the Izzet vs. Golgari decks, a joke I like to use is ʺApply increases, then reductions, then .ʺ Trinisphere is really the only card that does what it does, and it seems to be […]
Category: Costs
All about Captivating Vampire.
I see a fair number of questions about this card, so I thought it couldn’t hurt to simply answer them all in one place! If the Vampire dies, do I lose the creatures I took control of with him? No. The effect doesn’t state a duration (e.g., “as long as you control Captivating Vampire”), so […]
Abundant Growth gives the land an extra ability, but doesn’t let it produce extra mana.
Green is never short of mana fixing when new sets are released, and Innistrad block hasn’t been the exception. When Innistrad came out, we had , then we got in Dark Ascension. One of the cards that accomplishes this role in Avacyn Restored is . It only costs one mana, fixes your manabase, and it […]
You have to discard a card FIRST to activate Mad Prophet’s ability.
has an activated ability that reads, “T, discard a card: Draw a card.” When activating an ability, all costs must be paid or it cannot be activated. Discarding a card is defined as moving a card from your hand to the graveyard. In this scenario, if you want to activate the ability, you must not only tap Mad Prophet, […]
The extra mana you pay because of Thalia, Guardian of Thraben doesn’t count for anything else.
Simple enough: Does increase the converted mana cost (“CMC”) of your spells because she makes them cost more? Easy answer: No! CMC -never- changes. The sum of all the symbols in the top right corner of a card is the CMC. The only time CMC can change is with X spells. Everywhere except the stack, […]
The two other creatures you tap for Skirsdag High Priest can have summoning sickness
“Summoning Sickness” is a common phrase to describe a much wordier rule: A creature cannot attack or activate abilities with the Tap or Untap symbol unless it has been under your control continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn (unless it has haste). This is usually pretty clear-cut. For example, you can’t tap […]
The card exiled by Fiend of Shadows is not free to cast.
has an ability that triggers when the Fiend deals combat damage to a player. When this ability resolves, the player that was dealt damage chooses and exiles a card from his or her hand. The controller of Fiend of Shadows can then play the exiled card. The effect that allows the controller of the Fiend […]
All costs are paid when the spell is cast.
When casting a spell or playing an ability all costs associated with playing it are paid at that time. When you announce a spell or ability, you announce it, make all necessary choices associated with the playing the spell and then pay all costs. This means that when you play , you must exile cards […]
Phyrexian mana in a Flashback cost can be paid with life.
has the ability to give an instant and sorcery card in your graveyard Flashback. When it does, the Flashback cost will be equal to the mana cost of the targeted card. If Snapcaster Mage’s ability is used on a card with a Phyrexian mana symbol in its mana cost, then the Flashback cost will also […]