How Trinisphere works with Phyrexian Mana.

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 […]

Read more.

Mental Misstep won’t stop a Miracle.

So, I’ve had some interesting questions come up regarding Miracles, but one that I’ve heard more than the others is what their converted mana cost (CMC) is. Usually it’s because of someone windmill slamming a topdecked , or , or for their Miracle cost, and someone else trying to stop it with . After all, […]

Read more.

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, […]

Read more.