EDH: about symbols on cards that aren't supported by general

Asked by toechill 11 years ago

So let's say my General is Vorel of the Hull Clade , can I have a card in my deck that has a plains symbol like Seaside Citadel or Nobel Hierarch?

Someone told me you can't, so I took out the Citadel. Now my friend is putting Nobel Hierarch in his deck led by Prime Speaker Zegana and I told him he couldn't. I'm questioning it because I'm looking at a plethora of EDH decks that are using lands and cards with mana symbols that aren't of their generals color.

Thanks in advance.

GreatSword says... Accepted answer #1

All 99 other cards in your EDH deck must share your General's "Color Identity". The color identity of a card is the color or colors of any mana symbols in that cards mana cost or rules text. Vorel of the Hull Clade 's identity is Blue and Green. Seaside Citadel and Noble Hierarch is blue, green, and white. They could not be in your Vorel EDH deck.

May 1, 2014 3:37 a.m.

PrimeEpoch says... #2

Does this mean that cards like Mana Confluence can only be played in true multi decks?

May 1, 2014 7:01 a.m.

toechill says... #3

Greatsword , thanks!

May 1, 2014 7:11 a.m.

Drilnoth says... #4

@nayaftw: Mana Confluence can be included in literally any EDH deck. There are no colored mana symbols in its cost or rules text, it does not have a basic land type, and it does not have a color indicator or characteristic-defining ability which modifies its color, so its color identity is colorless. Compare to Crystal Quarry , which can only be run in an EDH deck whose general is all five colors.

@toechill: Please mark an answer as accepted.

May 1, 2014 7:31 a.m.

Absinthman says... #5

@nayaftw: No. Color identity is only determined by actual mana symbols being printed on a card. "mana of any color" is not a mana symbol, so you the use of cards like these is not restricted (also, cards like Bloodstained Mire would be legal in the deck with Vorel of the Hull Clade as its commander because of no mana symbols being printed there). However, you can't generate mana outside of your commander's color identity. So in this example, you can only use Mana Confluence to add blue, green or colorless mana to your mana pool.

May 1, 2014 7:38 a.m.

greensaleen says... #6

also as a note clarification (reminder) text does not count for this rule. For example Basilica Guards only has white identity even though a hybrid black/white symbol is in its reminder text

May 1, 2014 9:22 a.m.