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'''Mana burn''' is an obsolete game concept in which a player would experience loss of life points for having excess [[mana]] in his or her [[mana pool]] when a phase ends. For instance, if a player tapped a Swamp to cast <c>Dark Ritual</c>, which would give that player {{b}}{{b}}{{b}} in his or her mana pool, then cast <c>Erg Raiders</c> (which costs {{1}}{{b}}), and then let the phase end in which Erg Raiders was cast but did not spend the remaining {{b}}, that player would lose 1 life from ''mana burn''.
 
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'''Mana burn''' is an obsolete game concept in which a player would experience loss of life for having excess unspent [[mana]] when a [[phase]] ended.
   
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==Description==
The rules update to ''[[Magic 2010]]'' has removed this part from the game. Players do not suffer loss of life for unused mana anymore.
 
 
For instance, if a player tapped a Swamp to cast <c>Dark Ritual</c>, adding {{B}}{{B}}{{B}} to their mana pool, then cast <c>Erg Raiders</c> (which costs {{1}}{{B}}), and then let the phase in which Erg Raiders was cast end but didn't spend the remaining {{B}}, that player would lose 1 life from ''mana burn''.
   
   
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==Rules==
{{rules|text=
 
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{{rules|''[[Comprehensive Rules]]''|May 1, 2009—''[[Alara Reborn]]''|300. General (Obsolete)
'''THIS RULES TEXT IS OBSOLETE'''
 
 
300.3. When a phase ends (but not a step), any unused mana left in a player's mana pool is lost. That player loses 1 life for each one mana lost this way. This is called '''mana burn'''. Mana burn is loss of life, not damage, so it can't be prevented or altered by effects that affect damage. This game action doesn't use the stack. (See rule 406, "Mana Abilities.")}}
'''From the [[Comprehensive Rules]]''':
 
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===History===
*'''300.''' General
 
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The rules update to ''[[Magic 2010]]'' has removed this part from the game.<ref name="Magic Lessons">{{DailyRef|making-magic/magic-lessons-2009-06-22|Magic Lessons|[[Mark Rosewater]]|June 22, 2009}}</ref> Players do not suffer loss of life for unused mana anymore. [[R&D]] considered the rule too complex and unnecessary.<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/you-know-who-2019-03-04|You Know Who.|[[Mark Rosewater]]|March 4, 2019}}</ref>
**'''300.3.''' When a [[:Category:Turn structure|phase]] ends (but not a step), any unused mana left in a player’s mana pool is lost. That player loses 1 life for each one mana lost this way. This is called '''mana burn'''. ''Mana burn'' is loss of life, not damage, so it can’t be prevented or altered by effects that affect damage. This game action doesn’t use the stack. (See rule 406, “Mana Abilities.)
 
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{{CR|glossary|Mana Burn}}
}}
 
   
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==Design and behind-the-scenes==
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Mana burn was almost removed in the ''[[Sixth Edition]]'' rules update, but [[Mark Rosewater]] fought to keep it in. Ten years later, he fought to have it removed. His reasons to remove it were that it would free up design space, do away with a rule that's confusing for new players and that it's a rule that wasn't pulling its weight.<ref name="Magic Lessons" />
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He tried it out in design by having all designers play without mana burn for a month. It hadn't come up in playtests at all during the whole month.<ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/94614411533/sorry-if-youve-answered-this-before-i-was-wondering|title=why was mana burn removed from the game?|August 13, 2014}}</ref> The rule requires an unusual set of circumstances: either one has donated mana to an opponent at an inopportune time, or the player has significant amounts of mana producers that generate mana in unusual chunks or phases.
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While mana burn has been a popular effect to attempt to recreate through a static ability, it took until [[Commander Legends]] where <c>Yurlok of Scorch Thrash</c> returned mana burn to the world of 2020.
 
==In-world meaning==
 
==In-world meaning==
In storylines mana burn happens when a wizard holds mana and doesn't use it to cast the spell. Such a wizard can seriously suffer from it, be killed, or even be burned to ash if the amount of mana was too big. Some victims of mana burn can be also turned to [[the Fallen]].
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In storylines, mana burn happens when a wizard holds mana and doesn't use it to cast the spell. Such a wizard can seriously suffer from it, be killed, or even be burned to ash if the amount of mana was too big. Some victims of mana burn can also be turned into [[the Fallen]].
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==References==
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{{Reflist}}
   
[[Category: Magic rules]][[Category:Spells and Magics]]
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[[Category:Spells and Magics]]

Revision as of 20:31, 11 April 2021

Mana burn is an obsolete game concept in which a player would experience loss of life for having excess unspent mana when a phase ended.

Description

For instance, if a player tapped a Swamp to cast Dark Ritual, adding {B}{B}{B} to their mana pool, then cast Erg Raiders (which costs {1}{B}), and then let the phase in which Erg Raiders was cast end but didn't spend the remaining {B}, that player would lose 1 life from mana burn.


Rules

From the Comprehensive Rules (May 1, 2009—Alara Reborn)

  • 300. General (Obsolete)
    • 300.3. When a phase ends (but not a step), any unused mana left in a player's mana pool is lost. That player loses 1 life for each one mana lost this way. This is called mana burn. Mana burn is loss of life, not damage, so it can't be prevented or altered by effects that affect damage. This game action doesn't use the stack. (See rule 406, "Mana Abilities.")

History

The rules update to Magic 2010 has removed this part from the game.[1] Players do not suffer loss of life for unused mana anymore. R&D considered the rule too complex and unnecessary.[2]

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)

Mana Burn (Obsolete)
Older versions of the rules stated that unspent mana caused a player to lose life; this was called “mana burn.” That rule no longer exists.

Design and behind-the-scenes

Mana burn was almost removed in the Sixth Edition rules update, but Mark Rosewater fought to keep it in. Ten years later, he fought to have it removed. His reasons to remove it were that it would free up design space, do away with a rule that's confusing for new players and that it's a rule that wasn't pulling its weight.[1]

He tried it out in design by having all designers play without mana burn for a month. It hadn't come up in playtests at all during the whole month.[3] The rule requires an unusual set of circumstances: either one has donated mana to an opponent at an inopportune time, or the player has significant amounts of mana producers that generate mana in unusual chunks or phases.

While mana burn has been a popular effect to attempt to recreate through a static ability, it took until Commander Legends where Yurlok of Scorch Thrash returned mana burn to the world of 2020.

In-world meaning

In storylines, mana burn happens when a wizard holds mana and doesn't use it to cast the spell. Such a wizard can seriously suffer from it, be killed, or even be burned to ash if the amount of mana was too big. Some victims of mana burn can also be turned into the Fallen.

References

  1. a b Mark Rosewater (June 22, 2009). "Magic Lessons". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Mark Rosewater (March 4, 2019). "You Know Who.". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. Mark Rosewater (August 13, 2014). "why was mana burn removed from the game?". Blogatog. Tumblr.