Counterbalance and Commanders
Asked by Temporal_Inept 6 years ago
Just to verify, the Commander tax is an alternate casting cost like overload? So for example, an opponent has a 3 CMC commander who has already been cast once meaning in order to cast it again they need 5 mana altogether. If I'm playing Counterbalance I would only need to reveal a card with 3 CMC to counter the second casting correct?
WillowtheCouncil says... Accepted answer #2
Neotrup is (mostly) correct:
When a spell is cast, you cast it for a mana cost. If you have a 3 CMC commander, say, Derevi, Empyrial Tactician, then when you cast Derevi the first time, they cost 3 mana, and they are a 3 mana spell on the stack.
If you were to recast Derevi (yes I know I picked a bad example) for 5 mana, they would still be a 3 mana spell on the stack.
Additional costs, or alternate costs do not affect the converted mana cost of the spell on the stack.
This is why I said Neotrup is mostly correct. An overloaded Cyclonic Rift is still a 2 mana spell on the stack.
"117.9c An alternative cost doesnt change a spells mana cost, only what its controller has to pay to cast it. Spells and abilities that ask for that spells mana cost still see the original value."
March 25, 2018 2:08 a.m.
WillowtheCouncil says... #3
I missed part of what Neotrup said. He did clarify that neither has any effect.
Both of us are correct
Neotrup says... #1
It's not an alternate cost like overload, rather it's an additional cost like kicker. Ultimately this doesn't change the answer to your question, as both are ignored for the purposes of determining CMC. Counterbalance would need to reveal a card with CMC of 3 in order to counter the commander, revealing a card with CMC of 5 would not counter it.
March 24, 2018 3:46 p.m.