Is the Greenbelt Rampager payment necessary?

Asked by snowmaster55555atgmaildotcom 6 years ago

The text on Greenbelt Rampager says that when it enters the battlefield, pay 2E. If you don't, then it gets bounced and you get 1E.

Is this payment mandatory if possible? It seems as though, since it's not an additional cost to play the spell, the payment is ambiguous. I'd like to play the spell and have it returned to hand, even though I already have 2E. Can I cast it repeatedly to get as much energy as I want?

Tyrant-Thanatos says... #1

Directly from the Gatherer Rulings: 2/9/2017 If you have , you have to pay it, even if you dont want to.

October 26, 2017 5:41 p.m.

TheVectornaut says... Accepted answer #2

If an effect is optional, the oracle text will use the word "may".

"603.5. Some triggered abilities effects are optional (they contain may, as in At the beginning of your upkeep, you may draw a card)[...]"

The fact that Greenbelt Rampager says "If you can't" rather than "If you don't" reinforces that the payment is mandatory if you have enough energy.

October 26, 2017 6:07 p.m.