Will Urza's Incubator lower the activation cost of Belbe's Portal?
Asked by boneknitter 7 years ago
In one of my decks, I currently use Urza's Incubator and a friend suggested I also use Belbe's Portal. I originally thought it would be stupid, but after further consideration, it could be a broken combo.
But my question is this: Would the Incubator lower the activation cost of the Portal? Or is it wishful thinking because it's an activation cost NOT a mana cost?
My argument is that it should work as stated, provided you choose the same creature type when casting both artifacts. The Incubator lowers the casting cost of creatures of the chosen type by 2, and even though it's an activation cost and not a mana cost, the 3 you pay to utilize the Portal is what you pay to cast a creature of the chosen type instead of its mana cost. The Incubator doesn't specify that it has to be a mana cost, just that the creatures cost 2 less to cast.
So, which is it?
merrowMania has it right, but for the wrong reasons (or they mean the right reasons, but phrase it weirdly :) ).
Urza's Incubator has a number of conditions to apply:
- it only affects creature spells (this is two conditions in one)
- it only reduces casting costs
Activating Urza's Incubator fulfills exactly 0 of the 3 conditions. The most important part is that creatures put on the battlefield with Belbe's Portal aren't cast - they're simply put onto the battlefield. This also means that they're never on the stack, meaning they're never actually a spell (which also means that they can't be countered other than countering the ability). Furthermore, the rules clearly define when to apply cost reductions, which is during the process of casting a creature (and determining it's cost). You never enter that process, so you don't get to apply a reduction.
Overall, if you have to say "my argument is" at any point in interpreting cards, you're most likely wrong and you already know it :D Cards only do what's written on them, on the basis of the game rules.
August 15, 2016 3:19 a.m.
boneknitter says... #3
Thank you for the explanation. I had a feeling I was wrong, but a guy can dream :)
merrowMania says... #1
An activation cost is NOT the same as a casting cost, so the reduction does NOT apply to the Portal. Therefore, it is wishful thinking.
August 15, 2016 12:56 a.m. Edited.