Can Chrome Mox Make Colorless Mana? A Comprehensive Guide
The short, direct answer is: No, Chrome Mox cannot produce colorless mana by itself. It requires a card to be imprinted on it, and the mana produced is determined by the color identity of that imprinted card. If no card is imprinted, or if the imprinted card is colorless, Chrome Mox will not produce any mana. This fundamental aspect of Chrome Mox’s functionality is often misunderstood, leading to confusion among both new and seasoned Magic: The Gathering players. This article aims to delve deep into the mechanics of Chrome Mox, clarifying its limitations and nuances regarding colorless mana production, and further address a multitude of related questions.
Understanding Chrome Mox and Imprint
How Does Chrome Mox Work?
Chrome Mox is an artifact that allows you to add mana to your mana pool, but it does so through a unique mechanic called imprint. When Chrome Mox enters the battlefield, you may exile a nonland, nonartifact card from your hand. This card is then “imprinted” on Chrome Mox. Crucially, the color of mana that Chrome Mox can produce is directly tied to the color identity of the imprinted card. If the imprinted card is blue, for example, Chrome Mox can tap to produce one blue mana.
The Significance of Color Identity
Color identity is crucial. It’s not just the colors on the card itself, but also any colors present in the mana symbols of the card’s activated or triggered abilities. For example, a multicolored card with both green and white mana symbols would provide both green and white mana from the Chrome Mox, when it is imprinted. However, a card with a cost of 3 colorless mana and a red activated ability is a red card and will allow Chrome Mox to make red mana. If your imprinted card contains no color, such as a colorless card or if no card is imprinted at all, Chrome Mox won’t produce mana.
Why Colorless Isn’t a Color
It’s essential to grasp that colorless is not considered a color in Magic: The Gathering. It is simply a lack of color affiliation. This distinction is vital because cards and abilities often refer specifically to “colored mana” or “mana of any color,” excluding colorless mana from their effects. This is why, even though Eldrazi creatures, for instance, are colorless, they don’t enable Chrome Mox to produce mana unless a colored card is imprinted.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What happens if I don’t imprint a card on Chrome Mox?
If no card is imprinted on Chrome Mox, it cannot produce any mana at all. It will simply sit on the battlefield as an inert artifact, unable to contribute to your mana pool.
2. Can I imprint a colorless card on Chrome Mox to get colorless mana?
No. Imprinting a colorless card will still mean that Chrome Mox cannot produce any mana. The imprinted card must have a color to determine the mana Chrome Mox can produce.
3. If I imprint a multicolored card, what mana can Chrome Mox make?
If the imprinted card has multiple colors, Chrome Mox can produce one mana of any one of those colors that is associated with the imprinted card. For example, a card that is blue/black would allow Chrome Mox to tap for one blue or one black mana.
4. Can I change the card imprinted on Chrome Mox?
No. Once a card is imprinted on Chrome Mox, it remains exiled and imprinted for the remainder of the game unless the artifact leaves the battlefield. You cannot change or remove the imprinted card.
5. Can I use Chrome Mox to pay colorless mana costs?
No, directly. Chrome Mox itself does not generate colorless mana. It generates colored mana based on the color identity of the imprinted card, which can then be used to pay for generic mana costs or colored mana costs, but will not directly pay for colorless costs.
6. Can I use colored mana to pay colorless costs?
Yes, indirectly. You can pay for generic mana costs (represented by a number in a circle) with mana of any color (including mana from Chrome Mox) or with colorless mana. However, specific colorless mana costs (denoted by a diamond symbol) require colorless mana and can not be paid directly with color mana.
7. What is the difference between generic mana and colorless mana?
Generic mana is a cost that can be paid with any type of mana, colored or colorless. Colorless mana is a specific type of mana represented by a diamond symbol, not affiliated with any of the five colors, and has to be produced specifically for colorless mana requirements.
8. Are Eldrazi creatures considered colored?
No. Eldrazi creatures typically have the keyword devoid, making them colorless. Devoid means that a card is treated as colorless and therefore does not impact Chrome Mox.
9. What other cards produce colorless mana?
Many cards produce colorless mana. Some examples include Sol Ring, Ancient Tomb, Ruins of Oran-Rief, Wastes (a basic land), and some creatures such as Kozilek’s Channeler.
10. Can you use treasures to pay for colorless costs?
No. Treasures can be used to pay for generic costs and colored costs, however, the mana they produce is not colorless and therefore can not pay for colorless costs.
11. Does devotion count colorless mana?
No. Devotion only counts mana symbols associated with colored mana and not generic or colorless mana.
12. Can non-basic lands tap for colorless?
Yes. Many nonbasic lands have the ability to tap for colorless mana. For example, Ancient Tomb taps for two colorless mana.
13. Can Imprint abilities be countered?
Yes. Imprint abilities are either triggered or activated, and can therefore be countered with spells such as Disallow or countered before the ability hits the stack, like the spell itself.
14. Can Command Tower make colorless mana?
No. Command Tower produces mana of colors in your commander’s color identity. Since colorless is not a color, Command Tower cannot produce colorless mana.
15. Why are Eldrazi colorless?
Eldrazi are colorless to represent their alien and otherworldly nature within the Magic: The Gathering lore. It emphasizes their detachment from the colored mana of the plane.
Conclusion
Chrome Mox is a powerful mana acceleration tool in Magic: The Gathering, but it’s crucial to understand that it cannot produce colorless mana directly. It relies on the color identity of an imprinted card to produce colored mana, and if no card is imprinted or a colorless card is imprinted, it will not produce any mana. Hopefully, this detailed guide and the included FAQs have cleared up any confusion you might have had regarding this complex yet commonly used artifact. Understanding the nuances of Chrome Mox’s imprint ability and the distinction between colorless and generic mana is fundamental to mastering this game.