With devotion and hybrid symbols Wizards said that a 3cmc permanent would still only contribute 3 devotion. Would the devotion to a color change if checked from different sources
Asked by Lifeexpectancy 11 years ago
An example would be if Thassa is in play and 2 nightveil specters. She is a creature. Let's say at that point I play a gray merchant would it lose 8 gain 8 and then I can still attack with Thassa as a creature? Or is there some sort of declaration of Which mana symbol is represented and that can't be changed.
GreatSword says... #2
Your Thasa is still a creature and it won't be changing.
Remember that Devotion counts the number of "mana symbols" you have on permanents you control. Each Nightveil Specter has only 3 mana symbols and those count as 3 black or 3 blue, depending on how you need to count them at any given time. You don't need to "choose" what those colors are; each Devotion check will gather its own information.
January 16, 2014 11:23 a.m.
The question has to do with the new demigod devotion ability of "Your devotion to X and Y being 7"
Hybrid mana symbols are still only 1 mana symbol is the point. It can count as 1 devotion to blue or 1 devotion to black but not both.
So since the Gods want devotion of ONE colour to 5, 5 symbols, you're good. But since the demigods want combined devotion to two colours, they just wanted to make sure you know you don't get to count the Nightveil Specter as 6.
January 16, 2014 11:36 a.m.
GreatSword says... #4
Now let's assume that the new B/U god is out for you and that he works the same way the other 2-color gods work ("As long as your devotion to black and blue is less than 7, B/U God isn't a creature").
The God is going to check the number of black and blue mana symbols on all the permanents you control. Each mana symbol is only going to be counted once, so each Nightveil Specter still only counts as 3. Grey Merchant of Asphodel is 2, and Thassa, God of the Sea is 1.
3+3+2+1 = 9
Our B/U god will be a creature.
January 16, 2014 11:37 a.m.
Lifeexpectancy says... #5
Thanks guys. That's what I thought and that's the way I've been playing (casually). I am usually the go to for the rules in our group and needed some back-up.
January 16, 2014 1:11 p.m.
UnknownPhate says... #6
This is actually interesting, if, say, I have Erebos, God of the Dead and Thassa, God of the Sea on the field, and I have 2xNightveil Specter , there are 8 symbols on the field. Are both god's creatures? Or do I have to say what each symbol belongs to?
January 16, 2014 2:14 p.m.
Here's the way it works.
A permanent with devotion has a static effect that defines a characteristic of that permanent. Thus it is always aware, at all times, what the state of that characteristic is.
When something like Erebos, God of the Dead needs to know if it is a creature, it asks of every mana symbol on the battlefield "Are you black?" and that mana symbol says "yes" or no" So a hybrid B/U symbol like on the Specter says "Yes" while a U symbol on Thassa says "No"
When one of the new Demigods needs to know if it is a creature, it asks of every mana symbol on the battlefield "Are you either black OR blue" and that mana symbol says "yes" or "no" So a hybrid B/U symbol still just says "Yes" it doesn't get to say yes twice, it's only one mana symbol.
January 16, 2014 2:23 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #9
A couple things:
Link all cards in your question.
Try to keep the thread title short. Ask the actual question in the body of the post.
Remember to select an answer.
@UnknownPhate: That's the same question as was asked in the OP.
Hybrid mana symbols count as both of their colors. You don't "choose a color" for each symbol except when you pay costs (and even then, the symbols still represent both colors).
When a devotion check occurs, the ability looks at each mana symbol and asks "Is this symbol [insert color here]?" If yes, then devotion counts it. If no, then devotion does not count it. Hybrid symbols return "yes" for two different colors.
@Lifeexpectancy: Make sure you select an answer.
January 16, 2014 2:26 p.m.
Fun fact, if they printed a card with devotion that said something like "As long as your devotion to black is 5 more than your devotion to blue" a Nightveil Specter would cancel out and add nothing to your total devotion for that particular card, because it's making two comparisons instead of one. (Black and Blue is a single positive comparison, while Black more than Blue is two comparisons) It would check your devotion to black (3 from the specter) and then your devotion to blue (3 from the specter) and have a net of zero for that calculation.
swkelly89 says... #1
please link cards Nightveil Specter Thassa, God of the Sea Gray Merchant of Asphodel im not sure what your asking but Nightveil Specter would count as both 3 devotion to blue and 3 devotion to black if that helps.
January 16, 2014 11:17 a.m.