Can Aether Vial be used in the casting cost of ninjutsu in a card such as Ninja of the Deep Hours?
Asked by student-of-life 5 years ago
I was just curious if this could work. I dont think so but thought i would check
What cdkime said.
Ninjutsu isn't an alternative cost, it's an ability that functions from your hand rather than when the creature is on the battlefield. Aether Vial isn't an alternative cost either, it's just an ability that puts a creature on the battlefield. Neither results in casting the creature, and can only be responded to with Stifle effects.
Similarly, an ability that reduces a creature's casting cost, such as on Animar, Soul of Elements, doesn't affect ninjutsu, because ninjutsu isn't an alternative casting cost. (Unlike things like Dash, such as on Kolaghan Skirmisher, or Morph, which are alternative casting costs.)
You either use Aether Vial to put the ninja on the battlefield using the vial's ability (the ninja will just be on the battlefield, not using its ninjutsu ability), or you use the ninja's ninjutsu ability to put it on the battlefield in place of an unblocked attacking creature of yours.
Caerwyn says... Accepted answer #1
Nope, this would not work. First, Aether Vial does not have get "used" in the casting cost--in fact, it does not cast a creature at all. It merely places the creature onto the battlefield.
Likewise, ninjutsu is not an alternative casting cost--it's a way to cheat the creature onto the battlefield. Even if Aether vial was used for casting cost (which, again, it is not), this would not make a difference, as you are not casting a creature when you use ninjutsu.
June 24, 2018 3:19 p.m.