Unveiling the Mysteries of Devotion: Do Nonbasic Lands Count?
The short and simple answer is: No, nonbasic lands do not contribute to your devotion in Magic: The Gathering. Devotion specifically counts the number of colored mana symbols present in the mana costs (the upper right-hand corner) of permanents you control. Lands, both basic and nonbasic, generally lack mana costs and therefore do not affect your devotion count.
Let’s dive deeper into the intricacies of devotion and explore why this is the case, along with a comprehensive collection of frequently asked questions. Understanding devotion is crucial for effectively playing decks that rely on Gods like Thassa, God of the Sea, or other devotion-based strategies.
Understanding Devotion in Magic: The Gathering
Devotion is a game mechanic that measures your dedication to a specific color or combination of colors in Magic: The Gathering. It’s primarily associated with God cards from the Theros block and subsequent sets. These Gods become creatures only if your devotion to their color(s) is high enough. But how exactly does devotion work?
Devotion, as defined in the comprehensive rules, states: 700.5.: A player’s devotion to [color] is equal to the number of mana symbols of that color among the mana costs of permanents that player controls.
This means that to calculate your devotion to a color, you need to examine the mana costs of all the permanents you control on the battlefield. Let’s break down these key terms:
- Mana Cost: The mana cost is found in the upper right-hand corner of a card. It indicates how much and what type of mana is required to cast the card.
- Permanent: A permanent is a card or token on the battlefield, which can be a creature, artifact, enchantment, planeswalker, or land.
- Control: You control a permanent if it entered the battlefield under your control, unless an effect states otherwise.
The crucial point is that the symbols need to be in the mana costs, so anything in the text box does NOT count.
Why Lands Don’t Contribute to Devotion
The reason lands, including nonbasic lands, don’t usually count towards devotion is because they lack a mana cost. Lands are played rather than cast, and their primary function is to generate mana, not contribute to a colored mana symbol count. Think of it this way: a basic Plains taps for white mana, but it doesn’t have a white mana symbol in its mana cost. The same logic applies to most nonbasic lands.
However, there are exceptions to every rule!
The Exception: Lands with Mana Costs
While it’s rare, some lands do have mana costs. These are typically modal double-faced cards (MDFCs) where one side is a land and the other is a spell with a mana cost. If you play the spell side of an MDFC land, its mana cost will contribute to your devotion. However, if you play it as a land, it will not contribute to your devotion.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Devotion
Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the rules surrounding devotion:
1. Do Basic Lands Count Towards Devotion?
No. Basic lands, like Plains, Islands, Swamps, Mountains, and Forests, do not have mana costs. Therefore, they do not contribute to your devotion to any color.
2. Do Modal Double-Faced Card (MDFC) Lands Count Towards Devotion?
If you cast the non-land side of an MDFC, the mana cost will count toward devotion as long as it stays on the battlefield. If you play it as a land, it will not.
3. Do Hybrid Mana Symbols Count Towards Devotion?
Yes, hybrid mana symbols do count toward devotion. A hybrid mana symbol counts once toward your devotion to both of its colors. For example, a card with a {B/G} hybrid mana symbol increases your devotion to both black and green by one.
4. Do Phyrexian Mana Symbols Count Towards Devotion?
Yes, Phyrexian mana symbols count towards devotion. A Phyrexian mana symbol counts as one towards the color of that mana.
5. Do Mana Symbols in Text Boxes Count Towards Devotion?
No. Devotion only counts mana symbols in the mana cost (the upper right corner of the card). Mana symbols in text boxes, such as activation costs or abilities, do not contribute to your devotion.
6. Do Tokens Count Towards Devotion?
Normal tokens typically have no mana cost, so they do not count toward devotion. However, if a token is a copy of a permanent with a mana cost, then it will contribute to devotion just like the original permanent.
7. Do Flipped Cards Count Towards Devotion?
Yes. A flip card (from the Kamigawa block) has the same mana cost whether it’s flipped or not, so it contributes to devotion regardless of its current state.
8. Do Copy Tokens Contribute to Devotion?
A token has no mana cost and contributes nothing to your devotion to a color unless it’s a copy of something that has a mana cost. If it is, then it contributes the same amount of devotion to a color as the permanent it’s copying.
9. Do Auras Count Towards Devotion?
Yes, Auras are permanents and count towards devotion. Calculate the mana cost and add the colored symbols.
10. Do Aura Curses Count Towards Devotion?
Yes, Curses, which are Auras attached to players, are permanents you control with mana costs.
11. Do Mutated Cards Count Towards Devotion?
Mutating a Creature into another is merely melding the two into one Permanent. Only the top card counts for Devotion, the other card(s) only add their abilities to to top card.
12. How is Devotion Calculated with Multiple Colors?
Devotion is calculated separately for each color. A single permanent can contribute to your devotion to multiple colors simultaneously. For example, a card with a mana cost of {1}{W}{B} increases your devotion to white and black by one each.
13. What Happens if a Permanent Leaves the Battlefield?
If a permanent you control leaves the battlefield, it no longer contributes to your devotion. Your devotion is constantly recalculated based on the permanents you currently control.
14. Can My Opponent’s Permanents Contribute to My Devotion?
No. Devotion only counts the mana symbols in the mana costs of permanents you control. Your opponent’s permanents have no impact on your devotion.
15. What Strategies Work Well with Devotion Decks?
Devotion decks thrive on board presence and mana efficiency. Strategies like mana ramp, creature generation, and efficient removal can help you build your devotion quickly and maintain control of the game. Cards that provide multiple colored mana symbols in their mana cost are particularly valuable.
Conclusion
While lands themselves don’t typically contribute to devotion, understanding the intricacies of this mechanic is vital for building and playing effective devotion-based decks. Knowing what counts (and what doesn’t) allows you to maximize your devotion and unleash the power of the Gods!
For more insights into strategy, game design and the application of games to learning, be sure to check out the Games Learning Society website. There, you’ll find a wealth of information on games and education at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.