If a Wildfire Eternal is not blocked and I play [Torment of Hailfire what is the X cost of it?
Asked by Everyday 6 years ago
Torment of Hailfire has an X in its mana cost and if Wildfire Eternal is not blocked you can cast an instant or sorcery without paying its mana cost, so is the X cost infinite or how many lands you control?
Dang it, but I see why, that would be a game winning play, thank you.
August 22, 2017 10:44 a.m.
Raging_Squiggle says... #3
Also note if you did do this, Torment of Hailfire would resolve and have no effect at all, since the X would automatically be 0.
BlueScope says... Accepted answer #1
Neither - casting a spell without paying its mana cost is an alternative cost - an alternative to paying the original , that is. In that case, X is treated as 0, and the spell will adjust accordingly.
In general, unless something explicitly says "the number of lands you control" or something, mana and lands are completely different game elements and don't influence each other in any way. Some lands like Dark Depths don't even have mana abilities, other lands do - and it's the ability that produces mana, not the land that somehow makes mana available to you in another arbitrary way.
Also, numbers are never infinite in Magic!
August 22, 2017 6:59 a.m.