Edgewalker and other such reduction effects
Asked by deadmanwalking 13 years ago
So most cost reduction effects like Training Grounds have the stipulation that they cannot reduce activation costs below 1. war chiefs and other cost reducing cards like Edgewalker don't seem to have this restriction. I've never encountered a card that reduces the colored mana of a card before, so I'm not sure how Edgewalker interacts exactly. Basically, what I'm asking is:
If I control an Edgewalker , can I play a one drop like Mother of Runes or Dark Supplicant for free? and by extension, if I controlled 3 Daru Warchief s, could I play Etched Champion for free?
xxxxxxCronoxxxxxx says... #3
edgewalker affects cleric spells only and training grounds only affects activated abilitys
i dont think i have ever seen a card that lets you activate abilitys that need mana for 0 mana, but there are plenty of cards that do that for creatures
August 5, 2011 3:21 a.m.
BrightGreenLine says... #4
To expand on what Crono said: Cards that are free to cast are inherently less wonky than abilities that are free to activate for one simple reason: A spell still 'costs' a card from your hand to play.
The game could get very silly very fast if you could make activated abilities free. Caravan Escort would be a 5/5 First Strike for W, Coralhelm Commander would be a 4/4 flying merfolk lord for UU, and then there's Transcendent Master . Those are just levelers, and Kusari-Gama would ruin some games too. Unlike spells, activated abilities don't always have some additional cost attached so Wizards is very careful to never allow you to make them free.
August 5, 2011 4 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #5
Imagine the shenanigans if Sliver Queen 's ability was free.
August 5, 2011 4:17 a.m.
deadmanwalking says... #6
The point of mentioning Training Grounds was just that I've never seen a card that could reduce any cost to 0 before. I'm well aware of why Wizards doesn't want that to be a thing. Thanks for the input, though :)
August 5, 2011 4:40 a.m.
emblasochist says... #7
@ Epochalyptik I have. It requires Sliver Queen , Basal Sliver , a Heartstone /Training Grounds and a sliver token.
August 5, 2011 5:17 a.m.
xxxxxxCronoxxxxxx says... #8
my brother does the samething with an (somthing or other alter that lets you sack creatures for 2 colorless, cant remember the name) and heartstone
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #1
Yes. You take the casting cost of the card into account, and then apply the reduction from Edgewalker .
For example, Mother of Runes has the casting cost W. Edgewalker will then apply its reduction as completely as possible, reducing the cost to 0.
Three Daru Warchief s will indeed give you a free (and very powerful) Etched Champion .
The only time there is a special catch involved is when the card states there is (as in the case of Training Grounds ).
August 5, 2011 1:25 a.m.