How Does Devoid Work in Magic: The Gathering?
Devoid is a characteristic-defining ability in Magic: The Gathering that fundamentally alters how a card is treated in terms of color. In short, a card with devoid is colorless, regardless of its mana cost. This means that even if a card has colored mana symbols in its casting cost, the devoid ability overrides this, making the card itself permanently colorless. This effect is persistent and applies everywhere the card exists, from your hand to the battlefield and even while in the graveyard. Essentially, devoid means “this object is colorless.” That’s the core of it. However, the nuances of this deceptively simple ability lead to some interesting interactions, particularly in the context of Commander.
Devoid: The Core Mechanics
Static Ability
Devoid is a static ability, meaning it’s always “on” and doesn’t require any activation or triggering event. The moment a card has devoid, it’s colorless. It doesn’t matter what other effects might be present, or where the card is located. This persistent colorless nature is key to understanding how devoid functions.
Color vs. Color Identity
It’s crucial to distinguish between a card’s color and its color identity. Devoid affects a card’s color, making it colorless, but it does NOT affect its color identity. Color identity is determined by all mana symbols present on a card, including those in its casting cost, any activated ability costs, or in the card’s rules text. Devoid only changes the card’s color; it leaves its color identity untouched. This is most significant in Commander, where color identity dictates which cards are legal for inclusion in a given deck. For example, a creature like [[Catacomb Sifter]], which has a mana cost of {1}{B}{G} and has devoid, is colorless but has a black and green color identity.
Everywhere, All the Time
The colorless effect provided by devoid applies everywhere the card exists. This includes:
- In your hand
- On the stack (when it’s being cast as a spell)
- On the battlefield (as a permanent)
- In the graveyard
- In exile
- Even outside the game.
Devoid in Commander
The distinction between color and color identity is most critical in the Commander format. Here’s how devoid plays out in Commander:
- Colorless Cards: While a devoid card is colorless, its color identity remains based on the mana symbols on the card.
- Deckbuilding: A card with devoid can only be used in Commander decks where the commander’s color identity includes all the colors of the devoid card’s mana symbols. A colorless card with Devoid cannot be included in a colorless deck unless the colorless deck’s commander’s color identity also includes those colors.
- Mana Production: Devoid does not change the ability of a card to produce colored mana or influence effects that require a permanent to have a specific color.
- Legal Cards: Because Devoid is a static ability that only changes the color of the card, not its identity, a player cannot skirt color identity rules with cards with devoid.
Interactions with Other Mechanics
Understanding devoid also means understanding how it interacts with other Magic mechanics:
- Devotion: Devotion to a specific color only counts mana symbols on permanents. A card with devoid is colorless, but the mana symbols still contribute to the devotion count, regardless of the lack of card color.
- Colorless Mana: Devoid does not let you use colorless mana to pay for colored mana requirements. Colorless mana can only pay for generic mana costs or specific colorless mana costs.
- Card Color Effects: Effects that care about card color will not trigger on a colorless card, even if that card has colored mana symbols in its costs. For example, if a card says “deal damage to a green creature”, it won’t deal damage to a creature with devoid, even if it has green mana symbols in its mana cost.
- Color Granting Effects: Even though a card has Devoid, other effects may grant it a color. If so, the card will have the color granted by the effect and still maintain Devoid.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does devoid make a card “colorless” in my hand?
Yes, a card with devoid is colorless in your hand. Devoid functions everywhere, including outside the game.
2. Can I put a devoid card in any Commander deck?
No, you can only put a devoid card in a Commander deck where the commander’s color identity includes all the colors in the devoid card’s mana cost, despite the card itself being colorless.
3. Can I use a devoid card in a colorless Commander deck?
Not always. You can only use a devoid card in a truly colorless commander deck if the card does not have colored mana symbols in its mana cost. If it does, it will not be legal, despite the card itself being colorless.
4. Does devoid change the color identity of a card?
No, devoid only changes the card’s color. It does not alter its color identity, which is determined by all mana symbols appearing on the card.
5. Can I use colorless mana to pay for colored costs on a card with devoid?
No. Colorless mana can only pay for colorless costs or generic mana portions of a cost. It cannot pay for colored mana costs.
6. Does devoid affect devotion?
Yes, mana symbols on permanents with devoid still count towards devotion. Devotion counts mana symbols, not the color of the permanents themselves.
7. Does “void mirror” counter spells with devoid?
Yes. “Void mirror” counters any spell if no colored mana was spent to cast it. Since spells with devoid can often be cast with only colorless mana, they will often be countered by “Void mirror.”
8. Can a card with devoid gain a color from another effect?
Yes, a card with devoid can gain a color from another effect. In that case, it will have the new color, while still being under the influence of Devoid.
9. Can you produce mana outside of your commander’s color identity?
You can produce mana outside of your commander’s color identity, but you can’t include cards in your deck that fall outside of it.
10. What is the point of devoid?
Devoid makes the card colorless, which can interact with certain effects. Also, it has strong flavor with Eldrazi-themed creatures.
11. Does Kibo have a color identity?
Yes, Kibo, Uktabi Prince’s color identity is red/green.
12. What is the rule 0 in commander?
Rule 0 is an unofficial rule that allows players to modify the rules of a non-competitive game, but all participants must agree.
13. Can colorless cards be used in Commander?
Yes, colorless cards are allowed as long as their color identity is the same as the commander, or if they have no color identity.
14. What is the best colorless commander?
Some of the best colorless commanders include Karn, Legacy Reforged, Kozilek, The Great Distortion, and Liberator, Urza’s Battlethopter.
15. Can I keep unspent mana between turns?
Normally, unspent mana empties from your pool at the end of a step or phase. However, cards like Horizon Stone allow you to keep that unspent mana between turns but the mana will become colorless.
Conclusion
Devoid is a simple ability with profound implications. Its core function is to make a card colorless, regardless of its casting cost. However, understanding how it interacts with color identity, devotion, mana production, and various other mechanics is critical for any player, particularly those engaging in the Commander format. Knowing the difference between “color” and “color identity” is essential to building a legal and functional deck. Devoid cards offer unique deck-building challenges and provide strategic opportunities in Magic. By keeping the nuances of this characteristic-defining ability in mind, you can fully utilize the potential that Devoid cards offer.