Can awaken costs be cast for "free?"
Asked by heuertag 8 years ago
I can't remember how alternate costs interact with casting spells for free... so sorry if I sound like an idiot. If you have something (such as Narset, Enlightened Master, or Omniscience) that let you cast a spell without paying its mana cost, can you choose to cast the awakened version of the spell (say, Part the Waterveil for free? Also I apologize if this has been asked recently - I scanned the first several pages of the Q&A and didn't see it right away.
Triforce-Finder says... Accepted answer #2
No. Cards such as Omniscience allow casting spells for free by establishing an alternative cost of zero. Since you can only choose one alternative cost to cast a spell, you can't use awaken when casting a spell for free.
117.9 Some spells have alternative costs. An alternative cost is a cost listed in a spell's text, or applied to it from another effect, that its controller may pay rather than paying the spell's mana cost.
Alternative costs are usually phrased, "You may [action] rather than pay this objects] mana cost," or "You may cast [this object] without paying its mana cost." Note that some alternative costs are listed in keywords; see rule 702.
117.9a Only one alternative cost can be applied to any one spell as its being cast. The controller of the spell announces his or her intentions to pay that cost as described in rule 601.2b
September 25, 2015 9:29 p.m. Edited.
That is what I expected, but wanted to be sure. Thanks guys!
TheNextRedDude says... #1
No, when it says "cast without paying it's mana cost", you cannot cast it for alternate costs.
September 25, 2015 9:24 p.m.