Do Copies of Creatures Count Towards Devotion?

Yes, copies of creatures do count towards your devotion, provided that the copy retains the mana symbols in its mana cost in its upper right-hand corner. Devotion, in Magic: The Gathering, is defined as the number of mana symbols of a particular color among the mana costs of permanents you control. Since a creature copy generally duplicates the mana cost of the original, the mana symbols present will be factored into your devotion count. However, there are nuances and exceptions that we’ll explore in detail.

Understanding Devotion: The Fundamentals

Devotion is a mechanic found predominantly in the Theros blocks of Magic: The Gathering. It’s a crucial factor for many powerful effects, often linked to the God cards of those sets. These gods become creatures only when your devotion to their color or colors is high enough.

• Definition: Devotion to a color is the number of mana symbols of that color among the mana costs of permanents you control. Hybrid mana symbols count toward both colors they represent.
• Permanents: Only permanents count towards devotion. This includes creatures, artifacts, enchantments, planeswalkers, and lands that have mana costs (extremely rare). Instants and sorceries, while on the stack or in the graveyard, do not affect devotion.
• Mana Costs, Not Colors: It’s critical to focus on the mana costs of permanents, not their colors. A blue creature with a green mana symbol in its cost contributes to your devotion to green and to your devotion to blue.
• Hybrid Mana: Hybrid mana symbols, such as {G/W} (green/white), count as both colors for devotion purposes.

Copies and Devotion: Where Things Get Interesting

The interaction between copies and devotion can be tricky, primarily because of the different ways copies are created and how those methods affect the copied card’s characteristics.

• Typical Copy Effects: Most copy effects, like those created by cards like Clone, Spark Double, or Progenitor Mimic, will copy the printed mana cost of the original creature. If that creature has, for example, a mana cost of {1}{W}{W}, the copy will also have a mana cost of {1}{W}{W}, contributing two white mana symbols to your devotion to white.
• “As It Enters” Effects: Some creatures, like Phyrexian Metamorph, enter the battlefield as a copy of another permanent. This means they completely adopt the characteristics of the original, including its mana cost, if applicable. Therefore, they will contribute to devotion.
• Tokens: Creature tokens can complicate things. If a token is a copy of a creature and its creation effect grants it the original creature’s mana cost, it will contribute to devotion. However, tokens created without copying a specific creature typically have no mana cost and therefore don’t contribute to devotion. A token created by Secure the Wastes, for instance, has no mana cost and won’t affect your devotion.
• Morph and Manifest: Cards that are face down from effects like Morph or Manifest do not have a mana cost showing, and do not have their other characteristics, therefore they do not contribute to devotion.
• Variable Mana Costs and Copies: If a creature has a variable mana cost such as {X}, the value chosen for {X} does not change what the mana cost is considered to be, in all zones {X} is considered to be 0. Therefore a copied creature with {X} in its casting cost would not contribute to devotion.
• Changing a Creature’s Mana Cost: Certain effects can change a creature’s mana cost. If a card like Transmogrifying Wand turns a creature into an Ox with a cost of {3}, the original creature’s mana cost is irrelevant for devotion.

Real-World Examples

Let’s illustrate with a few examples:

• Scenario 1: You control Heliod, God of the Sun (cost {3}{W}) and cast Clone, copying Heliod. You now control two permanents with a combined mana cost of {6}{W}{W}, granting you a devotion to white of 2. This is enough to turn the original Heliod into a creature.
• Scenario 2: You control Erebos, God of the Dead (cost {3}{B}) and use Rite of Replication kicked to copy a Gray Merchant of Asphodel (cost {3}{B}{B}) five times. You now control six Gray Merchants of Asphodel, each with a mana cost of {3}{B}{B}, granting you a devotion to black of 12, plus the one black in Erebos, for a total of 13. This will cause extreme life loss when they enter the battlefield.
• Scenario 3: You control Karametra, God of Harvests ({3}{G}{W}) and cast Secure the Wastes for X=5, creating five 1/1 white creature tokens. These tokens have no mana cost. Your devotion to green is 1, and your devotion to white is 1 (from Karametra only). The tokens do not affect your devotion.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 FAQs addressing common questions and edge cases about copies, devotion, and Magic: The Gathering rules.

1. If I copy a creature that’s already a copy, does the new copy contribute to devotion? Yes, if the original copy has a mana cost, then the subsequent copy will also have that mana cost and contribute to devotion. The process can be repeated any number of times.

2. What happens if I copy a creature with a converted mana cost, but it’s no longer on the battlefield? The copy will use the mana cost of the original creature as last seen on the battlefield. This applies when you copy a creature card in a graveyard, for example.

3. Does devotion consider mana costs in my graveyard or exile? No, devotion only considers the mana costs of permanents you control. Cards in your graveyard, hand, library, or exile don’t count.

4. If I use a spell like “Reanimate” to bring back a creature, does it contribute to devotion? Yes, if the reanimated creature is a permanent you control, its mana cost will contribute to your devotion.

5. If a creature has a Phyrexian mana symbol (like {W/P}) in its cost, how does it affect devotion? Phyrexian mana symbols count as the color(s) they represent if you choose to pay life instead of mana. They still contribute to devotion.

6. If I control a creature with a split card in its mana cost (like Wear // Tear), how many colors does it contribute to? A split card contributes the sum of its combined mana costs to devotion.

7. Does a land with a mana cost, like Dryad Arbor, contribute to devotion? Yes, lands with mana costs, though rare, contribute to devotion. Dryad Arbor will always contribute to devotion to green.

8. If a permanent has no mana cost (like Memnite), does it affect devotion? No, a permanent with no mana cost contributes nothing to your devotion.

9. What happens if a creature’s mana cost is changed by an effect like “Turn to Frog”? Only its current mana cost will affect devotion. If turned into a creature with the mana cost {1}{U}, then it will contribute to devotion to blue. The initial mana cost of the creature is irrelevant.

10. If I copy a God card that isn’t a creature because my devotion isn’t high enough, does the copy still count towards devotion? Yes. Devotion only affects whether a god is a creature. Even as an enchantment, its mana cost contributes to your devotion.

11. Does a creature’s color identity affect devotion? No, color identity is a Commander (EDH) concept and doesn’t affect how devotion works in any format. Devotion is solely based on mana symbols in mana costs.

12. If I copy a double-faced card that has a mana cost only on one side, which mana cost is used for devotion? Only the mana cost showing when it is on the battlefield is used.

13. Can an emblem contribute to devotion? No. Emblems are not permanents and have no mana costs associated with them.

14. Does a creature with devoid count toward devotion? Yes, devoid only removes color from the creature, it does not change the mana cost of the card, therefore it still contributes to devotion to the mana costs it has.

15. What if a creature is both a copy and has its type changed (e.g., a Clone copying a creature and becoming an artifact via Mycosynth Lattice)? It still counts towards devotion. The key is the mana cost of the permanent you control. The new type does not change the mana cost.

Understanding the interplay between copies and devotion is crucial for maximizing the effectiveness of strategies built around these mechanics. Pay close attention to the exact wording of copy effects and how they interact with mana costs to ensure your devotion calculations are accurate. These interactions can be complex, but mastering them will significantly improve your gameplay.