Mana cost

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 <c>Fist of Suns</c> or <c>Herald of Kozilek</c>, 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.
A pip is any colored mana symbol in a card's mana cost (or other cost), when counting them. For example, <c>Yawgmoth's Will</c> has 1 black pip and mana value 3.
==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==
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 , , , , and . Mana that must be specifically colorless is represented by the colorless symbol . 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===
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 mana of any types (where X is defined somewhere on the card)
* = 1 mana of any type
* = 2 mana of any types
* = 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 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 <c>Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar</c>, which gains an alternative cost if you've discarded a card; <c>Evermind</c>, which can only be Spliced; <c>Entirely Normal Armchair</c>, which is hidden on the battlefield; and <c>Standard Procedure</c>, 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===
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 or S are used to denote snow mana cost.
===Hybrid mana cost===
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===
Phyrexian mana is a type of mana symbol first introduced in New Phyrexia. There are five Phyrexian mana symbols, one for each color: (, , , , ). 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. 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
*<c>Evermind</c> has a non-existing mana cost and therefore can not be played.
*<c>Ornithopter</c> has a mana cost of , which means it can be cast for free.
*<c>Martyred Rusalka</c> has a mana cost of . <c>Lightning Bolt</c> costs . They both cost M generally (one mana of a specific color).
*<c>Dragon Wings</c> has a mana cost of . <c>Disenchant</c> costs . They both cost 1M generally (one mana of a specific color, plus one mana of any color).
*<c>Keeper of the Dead</c> has a mana cost of . <c>Counterspell</c> costs . They both cost MM generally (two mana of the same color).
*<c>Borborygmos</c> has a mana cost of . <c>Kaya, Intangible Slayer</c> costs . They both cost 3MMNN generally (two mana of one color, plus two mana of a second color, plus three more of any colors).
*<c>Dromar's Charm</c> has a mana cost of . <c>Adun Oakenshield</c> costs . They both cost MNO generally (one mana from each of three different colors).
*<c>Ink-Treader Nephilim</c> has a mana cost of . <c>Saskia the Unyielding</c> costs . They both cost MNOP generally (one mana from each of four different colors).
*<c>Sliver Queen</c> has a mana cost of and has no need for a general representation.
==Rules==
==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 in a cost is similar to the symbol , but the mana must come from a snow permanent. It can't be paid with mana produced by nonsnow permanents.
*When paying for , 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.
* is not a color, you can't add , 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 and are obsolete.
==References==
==External links==
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==Obsolete terminology==