Playing a spell: Announcing and Paying costs.

CookieCutter · Joined: 27 Aug 2006 Posts: 8 Location: ATL

Ok.

My opponent is playing Affinity and his board is as follows:

Great Furnace
Ornithopter
Chromatic Sphere
Arcbound Worker

It is the beginning of his Turn 3, Main Phase I.

He does the following:

He "Announces" Thoughtcast, taps Furnace for R, and uses it to pop the Sphere for blue.

Can he still play the thoughtcast for U? Is it now 1U?

He claims he can because you announce a spell, then pay all cost for it, then put it onto the stack.

The way I see it is, he announces thoughtcast, then pays the cost, but he only has three artifacts in play, so the thoughtcast costs 1U.

But, I am not sure if you can "Announce" a spell then do something to alter it's mana cost, or announce a spell without the mana to cast it at your disposal.

Could someone please go in depth on the actual parts of playing a spell, and all that jazz? It would be greatly appreciated.

BTW, I'm a n00b, so go easy on me.

:-/

Barzahd · Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 4

I'm, new here and I know I don't have judge status but, I also know how this works.
When he announces the Thoughtcast it checks for Affinity and is reduced by 4. Sacrificing the Sphere to make the blue doesn't add to the cost because it no longer checks for affinity, that only happens once.

ynnus · Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 70

if he pops the chromatic sphere the thoughtcast will cost 1U so hes wrong and your right.

im 100% sure the guy above me is not right.

there really is no such thing as announcing a spell.

your actually supposed to add mana to your mana pool first and then use that mana to cast a spell.

some people throw their card out first then tap for mana though. it doesn't bother me either way.

Thorns · Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 779 Location: Rath

OK, in MTG, since 6th edition, we have something called the stack. Here is how it works: The last spell or ability played resolves first and then in order from most recent, and so on.
Now, if he plays Thoughcast first, paying U due Affinity, then activates a Sphere, the Thoughcast has already been played and paid for and won't check the amount of artifacts in play anymore. Affinity checks the amount of artifacts when the spell is cast.
EDIT: I reread the question, and the way I understood it this time is, he played the Thoughcast using the blue mana produced by the Sphere. He will have to pay 1U for the 'Cast because you can't announce a spell, play another ability and then pay for the spell, this would make a lot of cards extremely broken!

Tinefol · Joined: 09 Apr 2006 Posts: 63

ynnus, you are in fact deeply wrong.

Lets go in depth.

Playing spell requires a couple of steps to be completed. Skipping irrelevant few, read carefully step f (409/comprehensive rules for reference):

Barzahd · Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 4

Ya ok. i thought i was right im glad that ynnus was so quick to bash me when he has no idea what he is talking about. Thanks Thorns

Tinefol · Joined: 09 Apr 2006 Posts: 63

ynnus · Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 70

ok il admit i was wrong but ive just never seen anyone play it that way before.

and i really dont think he can play thoughtcast like that.

can someone clear this up please.

Thorns · Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 779 Location: Rath

Barzahd · Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Posts: 4

Another thing. Why in the Hell was he playing Chromatic Sphere rather than the new and improved Chromatic star Question

ynnus · Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 70

Costs may
include paying mana, tapping permanents, sacrificing permanents,
discarding cards, and so on.

g - If the total cost includes a mana payment, the player then has a
chance to play mana abilities (see Rule 411, "Playing Mana Abilities").
Mana abilities must be played before costs are paid.

since sacrificing the chromatic sphere is in the cost, thoughtcast becomes 1U.

i need some clarification on this cuz this is a big change for me.

Tinefol · Joined: 09 Apr 2006 Posts: 63

Thorns · Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 779 Location: Rath

Tinefol · Joined: 09 Apr 2006 Posts: 63

ynnus · Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 70

OK so if he activates sphere first he cant play thoughtcast but if he "announces hes playing thoughtcast then uses th esphere, he can play it.

is tha tright?