If a player controlls both a Trinisphere and a Grand Arbiter Augustin IV casts an "overrule" tapping three lands is x equal to one or three?

Asked by kuldotha_wellspring 12 years ago

I'm also curious where an opponents spells would cost 4 with the same board state, in which case Thalia, Guardian of Thraben can replace Grand Arbiter Augustin IV

Emrakool says... #1

Given the ruling on Trinisphere , I believe it would change the normal casting cost of Overrule from XWU to X1WU. If the player controlling both Trinisphere and Grand Arbiter Augustin IV casts Overrule the cost of X should be reduced by 1.

So Overrule in this case would cost X(-1)1WU.

November 24, 2012 6:55 p.m.

Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #2

Trinisphere 's effect is always applied last, after all cost increasers/reducers are accounted for, and it will only be applied if the end result of those increasers/reducers is a spell that would cost less than 3.

All the decisions for a spell, including the value of X, are made before costs are calculated and paid. If you choose X in Overrule to be 3 and control Augustin, the cost will be 3WU - 2 = 1WU, and Trinisphere will be fine with that. If you choose X to be 1, the cost will be 1WU - 2 = WU, and Trinisphere will increase it to 1WU.

Because Thalia's cost increase is applied before Trinisphere, the minimum cost for your opponent's spels is still 3, not 4.

November 24, 2012 6:58 p.m.

This discussion has been closed