I have {Thalia, Guardian of Thraben} in play and I cast an {Isochron Scepter} with 3 colorless mana; can I still choose my imprinted card as {Disenchant}? Will it be affected by Thalia's ability, thus it's casting cost is 3 instead of 2?
Thalia affects the cost of the spell. The scepter says dont pay it's cost to cast it. So no effect here.
If she said "Noncreature spells cant be cast unless their controller pays {1}." Then it wouldnt be tied to the cost and would have to be paid.
Quote from: Maxpayne03 on September 30, 2013, 08:10:09 PM
I have {Thalia, Guardian of Thraben} in play and I cast an {Isochron Scepter} with 3 colorless mana; can I still choose my imprinted card as {Disenchant}? Will it be affected by Thalia's ability, thus it's casting cost is 3 instead of 2?
You can still cast the copy of {Disenchant} for 2 with the {Isochron Scepter} because it is an activated ability.
Quick answer! Thanks All!
The CMC of a card is always what's printed in the upper right corner, even if an effect like Thalia's or Lodestone Golem's is affecting things. As long as the CMC is 2 or lower, you can imprint it on the Scepter.
However -
If a player controls a Thalia and you activate Isochron Scepter's second ability to cast a copy of the exiled card, you'll still have to pay and extra 1 colorless. This is because the Scepter instructs you to CAST the copy, which means it'll be affected by anything that affects casting spells.
I think kaleo has mentioned that the cost need not be paid as the negative wording often has precedence over the positive.
So "without paying its casting cost" precedes the "cost 1 more to cast".
That's what I interpret.
When determining the cost of a spell, you use the following steps:
1) Take the base cost. This is usually the mana cost of the card, unless you're applying an alternative cost, such as Isochron's "without paying its mana cost", Overload or Flashback.
2) Any additions to the cost (Tax effects), such as Thalia, Lodestone Golem or Thorn of Amethyst
3) Cost reductions, such as Goblin Warchief or the Medallion cycle
4) Trinisphere.
Scepter creates an alternative cost of 0, which then becomes 1 as Thalia's tax effect is applied.
Are there rules around to confirm all these?
You still have to pay 1. Scepter just says you don't have to pay the MANA cost, which is what is in the top right corner of a spell. If your total castig cost at the end was 0, scepter would read: cast the copy without paying any costs. However, it only lets you get past mana cost. Not additional costs like thaalia's. Here is a rules quote to help. It explains that the total casting cost is made up of, and how you decipher what it is:
601.2e The player determines the total cost of the spell. Usually this is just the mana cost. Some spells have additional or alternative costs. Some effects may increase or reduce the cost to pay, or may provide other alternative costs. Costs may include paying mana, tapping permanents, sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on. The total cost is the mana cost or alternative cost (as determined in rule 601.2b), plus all additional costs and cost increases, and minus all cost reductions. If the mana component of the total cost is reduced to nothing by cost reduction effects, it is considered to be {0}. It can't be reduced to less than {0}. Once the total cost is determined, any effects that directly affect the total cost are applied. Then the resulting total cost becomes "locked in." If effects would change the total cost after this time, they have no effect.
RESOLVED
Rules to confirm:
Pretty much the whole section of 601 and following. I don't really wanna copy paste them all.
How about miracle cost?
Quote from: Maxpayne03 on October 03, 2013, 04:06:28 AM
How about miracle cost?
Miracle cost is an alternative cost, and as such is affected by any additional cost type effects (see the ruling CV posted above).
If Thalia and Gaddock is in play, will the non creature spells with casting cost 3 be affected by {Gaddock Teeg}?
Quote from: Maxpayne03 on October 04, 2013, 04:56:36 AM
If Thalia and Gaddock is in play, will the non creature spells with casting cost 3 be affected by {Gaddock Teeg}?
As stated earlier - The Converted Mana Cost of a card is always what's printed in the corner. Aside from cards with X in their costs, nothing will change the CMC. Just because it costs 4 total mana to cast, Gaddock Teeg wont stop it from being cast unless the total cost in the corner is four or greater. As another example of this, your can Overload Cyclonic Rift with a Teeg on the board, because Rift's CMC is 2, even though you're paying 6 to cast it.
This has been a good one to learn
Thanks, All!
My last doubt on the casting cost; is {Bloodbraid Elf}'a cascade ability considered as an alternate cost? If Thalia in play, my opponent play Bloodbraid Elf, he needs to pay 1 for casting the cascade card?
Quote from: Maxpayne03 on October 04, 2013, 08:51:30 PM
Thanks, All!
My last doubt on the casting cost; is {Bloodbraid Elf}'a cascade ability considered as an alternate cost? If Thalia in play, my opponent play Bloodbraid Elf, he needs to pay 1 for casting the cascade card?
Cascade creates the alternative cost of "cast it without paying its mana cost", same as Isochron Scepter. If the spell being cast off of cascade isn't a creature spell, Thalia will still affect it like it would anything else.