Does "alternative mana cost value" work? Surge, Madness, Flashback, Dash, etc.
CARDNAME(Rarity)
Artifact
: Discard a card with alternative mana cost value X. Target player mills X cards.
Alternatives
“Comboing in Commander is like dunking on a seven foot hoop.” – Dana Roach
“Making a deck that other people want to play against – that’s Commander.” – Gavin Duggan
"I want my brain to win games, not my cards." – Sheldon Menery
“Making a deck that other people want to play against – that’s Commander.” – Gavin Duggan
"I want my brain to win games, not my cards." – Sheldon Menery
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spacemonaut
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If it did, it'd be "alternative mana value" for the same reason mana value is not "mana cost value".
I think in the world of the real comprehensive rules, they'd never attempt it, because being comprehensive means covering every single case on every single eternal card and ongoingly for the future, and it's probably a little bit too nebulous to define and a little too difficult for newer players to understand.
But in custom cards it's probably close enough to viable. If a card has an ability that gives you a way to cast it for an exact cost, that is considered to be its alternative cost. The alternative mana value would be the mana value of that alternative cost, with X always considered to be 0 for that purpose. It's up to you whether a card that has no alternative cost has alternate mana value 0, or no alternate mana value to reference at all.
I would not take into account additional costs for the same reason is always mana value 0. Blinding Flare has no alternative cost, or else it would have every possible alternative cost. Same goes for Harbinger of the Tides. This would imply Spree cards have no alternative cost as well.
I think in the world of the real comprehensive rules, they'd never attempt it, because being comprehensive means covering every single case on every single eternal card and ongoingly for the future, and it's probably a little bit too nebulous to define and a little too difficult for newer players to understand.
But in custom cards it's probably close enough to viable. If a card has an ability that gives you a way to cast it for an exact cost, that is considered to be its alternative cost. The alternative mana value would be the mana value of that alternative cost, with X always considered to be 0 for that purpose. It's up to you whether a card that has no alternative cost has alternate mana value 0, or no alternate mana value to reference at all.
I would not take into account additional costs for the same reason is always mana value 0. Blinding Flare has no alternative cost, or else it would have every possible alternative cost. Same goes for Harbinger of the Tides. This would imply Spree cards have no alternative cost as well.
Last edited by spacemonaut 2 weeks ago, edited 1 time in total.
That was not only helpful but impressive. Thank you. I think I'll just go with "alternative mana cost" with reminder text that mana cost includes color.
“Comboing in Commander is like dunking on a seven foot hoop.” – Dana Roach
“Making a deck that other people want to play against – that’s Commander.” – Gavin Duggan
"I want my brain to win games, not my cards." – Sheldon Menery
“Making a deck that other people want to play against – that’s Commander.” – Gavin Duggan
"I want my brain to win games, not my cards." – Sheldon Menery
sup wizyard!wizyard wrote: ↑2 weeks agoi wonder what the "alternative mana value" of Blast from the Past would be
haha, 1 or 4. or maybe 1+4=5 (like split card mv)
“Comboing in Commander is like dunking on a seven foot hoop.” – Dana Roach
“Making a deck that other people want to play against – that’s Commander.” – Gavin Duggan
"I want my brain to win games, not my cards." – Sheldon Menery
“Making a deck that other people want to play against – that’s Commander.” – Gavin Duggan
"I want my brain to win games, not my cards." – Sheldon Menery
