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Mana cost can mean the mana component of any cost, but when used technically or in card text, it means the default cost to cast a spell as defined on its card. This property of spells was formerly called and is still colloquially known as casting cost. The equivalent cost to activate an ability is an activation cost. The mana cost of an object typically determines that object's color. It also determines its mana value, although they are not the same thing.

Description[ | ]

Mana cost is a characteristic found in the upper-right corner of a card. It is exactly the set of symbols printed there, including color. Where a mana cost includes the symbol X, X is equal to the announced or defined value only while the spell or ability is on the stack. Elsewhere, X is zero.

Some effects, like those on Fist of Suns or Herald of Kozilek, may allow alternative costs or alter the amount of the final mana payments, but do not change the spell characteristic itself.

The mana value of a spell is the total amount of mana in the mana cost, independent of color or alternate payment options. It is simply a number, whereas the mana cost includes number, color, special quantities like X, and special mana types, often in combination.

Color[ | ]

Generally, the mana cost determines the color of an object. The object's color is simply the sum of all colors in its mana cost. Colorless, snow, zero, and generic mana symbols have no color, and thus no impact on the color of the object.

Sometimes, the apparent color inferred from the cost is overridden by a color indicator, or a characteristic-defining ability such as devoid.

Mana value[ | ]

Main article: Mana value

The mana value of a spell is the total amount of mana in its mana cost, as a single number that ignores color, hybrid mana and other complexities.

Various mana costs[ | ]

The colored mana costs are represented by the standard mana symbols {W}, {U}, {B}, {R}, and {G}. Mana that must be specifically colorless is represented by the colorless symbol {C}. These six are the same symbols used in abilities that generate mana.

Many other symbols can be used instead to specify the kind or amount of mana to be paid in a cost, most commonly generic mana costs which are included on the vast majority of cards. These other symbols provide flexibility in how a cost may be paid. These do not represent a single type of mana, and therefore are only used in costs, and not when describing mana generation.

Generic mana cost[ | ]

Main article: Generic mana cost

Generic mana is the most common form of mana cost. It can be paid with all six types of mana, including a mix of different types.

  • {X} = X mana of any types (where X is defined somewhere on the card)
  • {1} = 1 mana of any type
  • {2} = 2 mana of any types
  • {3} = 3 mana of any types
  • and so on.

Care should be taken not to confuse generic costs with costs that must be colorless. Many older cards used generic symbols to specify colorless mana generation, but this is no longer done.

Zero mana and non-existing cost[ | ]

Zero mana is a mana cost that can be paid without spending resources. The symbol {0} is used to denote zero mana cost.

It is not to be confused with a non-existing mana cost, which cannot be paid. Any non-land cards with a non-existing mana cost cannot be played unless they have an alternative cost that can be paid, including "casting without paying its mana cost". With the exception of Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar, which gains an alternative cost if you've discarded a card; Evermind, which can only be Spliced; Entirely Normal Armchair, which is hidden on the battlefield; and Standard Procedure, which becomes a different card, every other card with a non-existing mana cost has Suspend. These cards are the second-most common recipient of color indicators after Double-faced cards, since they have no mana cost to define their colors.

Spells without mana costs can be difficult to search for on database sites. This Scryfall search does it by filtering out zero-mana cards, as well as lands and other card types that are never cast.

Snow mana cost[ | ]

Main article: Snow

Snow mana is a type of mana symbol first introduced in Coldsnap. It can be paid by any type of mana which was produced by a snow source. The symbols {S} or S are used to denote snow mana cost.

Hybrid mana cost[ | ]

Main article: Hybrid mana

Hybrid mana (also known as half-half mana) is a type of mana symbol first introduced in Ravnica: City of Guilds and featured in subsequent Ravnica sets, as well as several others with multi-color themes. One variety of hybrid mana symbol represents a cost that can be paid with either one of the two colors shown; the other variety can be paid with either a single mana of the color shown or 2 generic mana.

Phyrexian mana cost[ | ]

Main article: Phyrexian mana

Phyrexian mana is a type of mana symbol first introduced in New Phyrexia. There are five Phyrexian mana symbols, one for each color: ({W/P}, {U/P}, {B/P}, {R/P}, {G/P}). Similar to hybrid mana, a Phyrexian mana symbol represents a cost which can be paid with either one mana of its color or by paying 2 life.

Choice cost[ | ]

Choice cost is an abandoned mechanic for Throne of Eldraine.[1] Choice costs were to be mana costs where there were two mana costs in the upper right-hand corner of the card. One cost was the primary cost and the second cost, in parenthesis, was an alternate cost. The primary cost was used when determining the converted mana cost.

General representation[ | ]

Mana costs can also be generally represented as M, MN, MNO, or MNOP, where each letter stands in for a different, non-specific color. These general representations are useful when discussing cards in different colors that share a pattern in their mana costs, especially cycles.

Examples

Rules[ | ]

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (September 20, 2024—Duskmourn: House of Horror)

Mana Cost
A characteristic, and part of a card. A card’s mana cost is indicated by the mana symbols printed in its upper right corner. See rule 107.4 and rule 202, “Mana Cost and Color.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (September 20, 2024—Duskmourn: House of Horror)

  • 202. Mana Cost and Color
    • 202.1. A card’s mana cost is indicated by mana symbols near the top of the card. (See rule 107.4.) On most cards, these symbols are printed in the upper right corner. Some cards from the Future Sight set have alternate frames in which the mana symbols appear to the left of the illustration.
      • 202.1a The mana cost of an object represents what a player must spend from their mana pool to cast that card. Unless an object’s mana cost includes Phyrexian mana symbols (see rule 107.4f), paying that mana cost requires matching the type of any colored or colorless mana symbols as well as paying the generic mana indicated in the cost.
      • 202.1b Some objects have no mana cost. This normally includes all land cards, any other cards that have no mana symbols where their mana cost would appear, tokens (unless the effect that creates them specifies otherwise), and nontraditional Magic cards. Having no mana cost represents an unpayable cost (see rule 118.6). Note that lands are played without paying any costs (see rule 305, “Lands”).
    • 202.2. An object is the color or colors of the mana symbols in its mana cost, regardless of the color of its frame.
      • 202.2a The five colors are white, blue, black, red, and green. The white mana symbol is represented by {W}, blue by {U}, black by {B}, red by {R}, and green by {G}.

        Example: An object with a mana cost of {2}{W} is white, an object with a mana cost of {2} is colorless, and one with a mana cost of {2}{W}{B} is both white and black.

      • 202.2b Objects with no colored mana symbols in their mana costs are colorless.
      • 202.2c An object with two or more different colored mana symbols in its mana cost is each of the colors of those mana symbols. Most multicolored cards are printed with a gold frame, but this is not a requirement for a card to be multicolored.
      • 202.2d An object with one or more hybrid mana symbols and/or Phyrexian mana symbols in its mana cost is all of the colors of those mana symbols, in addition to any other colors the object might be. (Most cards with hybrid mana symbols in their mana costs are printed in a two-tone frame. See rule 107.4e.)
      • 202.2e An object may have a color indicator printed to the left of the type line. That object is each color denoted by that color indicator. (See rule 204.)
      • 202.2f Effects may change an object’s color, give a color to a colorless object, or make a colored object become colorless; see rule 105.3.
    • 202.3. The mana value of an object is a number equal to the total amount of mana in its mana cost, regardless of color.

      Example: A mana cost of {3}{U}{U} translates to a mana value of 5.

      • 202.3a The mana value of an object with no mana cost is 0, unless that object is the back face of a transforming double-faced permanent or is a melded permanent.
      • 202.3b The mana value of a transforming double-faced permanent or spell’s back face is calculated as though it had the mana cost of its front face. If a permanent or spell is a copy of the back face of a transforming double-faced card (even if the card representing that copy is itself a double-faced card), the mana value of the copy is 0.

        Example: Huntmaster of the Fells is a transforming double-faced card with mana cost {2}{R}{G}. Its mana value is 4. After it transforms to its other face (Ravager of the Fells), its mana value remains 4.

        Example: A Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of Ravager of the Fells. Its mana value is 0.

        Example: Insectile Aberration is the back face of a transforming double-faced card whose front face has mana cost {U}. It becomes a copy of Ravager of the Fells. Its mana value becomes 0.

      • 202.3c The mana value of a melded permanent is calculated as though it had the combined mana cost of the front faces of each card that represents it. If a permanent is a copy of a melded permanent (even if that copy is represented by two other meld cards), the mana value of the copy is 0.
      • 202.3d The mana value of a split card not on the stack or of a fused split spell on the stack is determined from the combined mana costs of its halves. Otherwise, while a split card is on the stack, the mana value of the spell is determined by the mana cost of the half that was chosen to be cast. See rule 709, “Split Cards.”
      • 202.3e When calculating the mana value of an object with an {X} in its mana cost, X is treated as 0 while the object is not on the stack, and X is treated as the number chosen for it while the object is on the stack.
      • 202.3f When calculating the mana value of an object with a hybrid mana symbol in its mana cost, use the largest component of each hybrid symbol.

        Example: The mana value of a card with mana cost {1}{W/U}{W/U} is 3.

        Example: The mana value of a card with mana cost {2/B}{2/B}{2/B} is 6.

      • 202.3g Each Phyrexian mana symbol in a card’s mana cost contributes 1 to its mana value.

        Example: The mana value of a card with mana cost {1}{W/P}{W/P} is 3.

    • 202.4. Any additional cost listed in an object’s rules text or imposed by an effect isn’t part of the mana cost. (See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”) Such costs are paid at the same time as the spell’s other costs.

Rulings and notes[ | ]

  • If a cost has an "X" in it, the mana cost equals the amount announced as part of playing the spell or ability while it is on the stack, but if the card in any other zone, X is treated as zero.
  • An {S} in a cost is similar to the symbol {1}, but the mana must come from a snow permanent. It can't be paid with mana produced by nonsnow permanents.
  • When paying for {S}, it matters only if the permanents that produced the mana had supertype snow at the time the mana was produced. Changes before or after that time do not matter.
  • {S} is not a color, you can't add {S}, and "snow mana" is not a type of mana.
  • Colorless is not a color. See Rule 203.2c.
  • The mana cost of a spell on the stack is the mana cost printed on the spell or ability being played. Only the choice value of X affects the mana cost. Other cost modifiers do not alter the mana cost.
  • The mana cost symbols {Y} and {Z} are obsolete.

References[ | ]

External links[ | ]

Obsolete terminology[ | ]

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (September 20, 2024—Duskmourn: House of Horror)

Casting Cost (Obsolete)
An obsolete term for mana cost. Cards printed with this text have received errata in the Oracle card reference.

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (September 20, 2024—Duskmourn: House of Horror)

Total Casting Cost (Obsolete)
An obsolete term for mana value. Cards printed with this term have received errata in the Oracle card reference.
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