How does Tax Collector interact with free spells?
Asked by builderboy7 1 day ago
If I cast Tax Collector and elect the mode to make my opponent's spells cost an additional generic mana, if I then cast a Opt and my opponent responds with a Force of Will, would they have to pay the additional ? What's the difference between this effect and Trinisphere?
Rhadamanthus says... #2
Another detail to give context: A card's "mana cost" is specifically the symbols printed in the upper right corner of the standard Magic card frame. If an effect lets you cast a spell without paying its mana cost or lets you pay an alternative cost in place of the mana cost, that's the only part of the cost that gets replaced. Any other applicable cost increases/reductions will still be considered to calculate the total cost you have to pay.
Polaris says... Accepted answer #1
Yes.
When you pay 1 life and exile a blue card to Force of Will, you aren't bypassing the cost, you're paying an alternative cost. The new cost to cast the spell is "pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand." Tax Collector's effect will add a mana to that total cost you pay.
The difference between this effect and Trinisphere is that Trinisphere will add whatever amount of mana increase that brings the cost up to 3. It will increase the cost to cast Force of Will to 1 life, exiling a blue card, and paying because the casting cost being paid didn't have any mana. On the other hand, if Force of Will were cast for its mana cost, Trinisphere would do nothing since it already costs at least , but Tax Collector would still increase the cost from to .
Tax Collector also isn't symmetrical, while Trinisphere is, so in the second case you'd have to pay to cast that Opt.
December 2, 2024 11:30 p.m.