In EDH, What color can Fellwar Stone produce if Nykthos, Shirne to Nyx is in play under an opponent's control?

Asked by Pocketmouse 5 years ago

In a four player EDH game my friend was playing Nekusar, the Mindrazer and had Fellwar Stone in play but did not have any black mana sources in play. All other players had commanders without black in their color identity.

One player had Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx in play and the Nekusar, the Mindrazer player argued that he could tap Fellwar Stone for black mana because the Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx's second ability produces colored mana of the player's choice equal to the devotion of that color to your mana pool and even though it was a Krenko, Mob Boss deck the player controling Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx could technically choose black and therefore Fellwar Stone could be activated for black mana. I double checked Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx's gatherer entry and the second ability is classified as a mana ability.

Is that the correct ruling?

Kogarashi says... Accepted answer #1

Unless the Krenko, Mob Boss player somehow ends up in control of a permanent with a black mana symbol in its cost (such as through Act of Treason), Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx can't produce black mana due to Krenko's player having zero devotion to black. Because Nykthos can't produce it at that point, Fellwar Stone can't tap for it.

The relevant rule (important part bolded for emphasis):

106.7 Some abilities produce mana based on the type of mana another permanent or permanents “could produce.” The type of mana a permanent could produce at any time includes any type of mana that an ability of that permanent would produce if the ability were to resolve at that time, taking into account any applicable replacement effects in any possible order. Ignore whether any costs of the ability could or could not be paid. If that permanent wouldn’t produce any mana under these conditions, or no type of mana can be defined this way, there’s no type of mana it could produce.

December 18, 2018 6:49 p.m.