Empty the Pits and Jeleva - Can you exile cards to pay for Delve?
Asked by Rotor_Explorer 10 years ago
When you cast a spell without paying its mana cost, usually X will default to zero and you are not able to pay more mana, which makes sense.
In the case that you cast Empty the Pits off a Jeleva trigger (or Narset, Enlightened Master, etc.) are you able to exile cards from your graveyard to pay for X? You are able to pay static ability costs such as Entwine and Kicker, and Delve is a static ability, so do the same rules apply?
Epochalyptik says... #2
Link all cards in your question.
Empty the Pits
Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge
Narset, Enlightened Master
Absinthman says... Accepted answer #1
Short answer: No, you can't. X will default to zero when casting spells without paying their mana cost.
Long answer: You are mixing two different things together - X in mana costs and additional costs (kicker, entwine) Delve is a static ability that functions while the spell with delve is on the stack. The only thing it does is that it allows you to pay for generic (colorless) mana with exiling cards from your graveyard. This is done after the total cost of that spell is determined, which under normal circumstances is after you declare casting Empty the Pits and choose a value for X. Now because casting something without paying its mana cost is considered casting it for an alternate cost, you can't set any nonzero value for X, and the entire spell is played for free. On the other hand, Entwine and Kicker work differently. They are optional additional costs which you are allowed to pay even when casting a spell for an alternative cost.
November 20, 2014 10:29 a.m.