When You Cast a Multicolored Spell: A Deep Dive
When you cast a multicolored spell in Magic: The Gathering, it means you are playing a spell card that has two or more different colors in its mana cost, a color indicator, or both. This act triggers specific effects depending on the cards in play, and understanding what defines a multicolored spell is crucial to mastering the game. This involves more than just the colors used to pay the cost; it’s about the card’s inherent color identity. Let’s break it down with examples and additional context.
Defining a Multicolored Spell
A multicolored card is fundamentally defined by its mana cost or color indicator. It is not simply a card that uses multiple types of mana to cast it. There are two key scenarios to consider:
- Mana Cost: The most common type of multicolored card is one that has mana symbols of two or more different colors in its mana cost. For example, a card that costs {1}{G}{W} requires you to pay one generic mana, one green mana, and one white mana. This makes it a green and white multicolored spell. Similarly, a card with a cost of {U}{R} is a blue and red multicolored spell.
- Color Indicators: Some cards, often found on Planeswalkers and double-faced cards, use a color indicator instead of explicit mana symbols in their cost. For instance, Garruk, the Veil-Cursed, is a card with a color indicator in the lower-left corner showing a black and green circle. This color indicator makes it a black and green multicolored permanent.
It is important to note that a card could also be both multicolored in mana cost and have a color indicator.
Hybrid Mana and Multicolored Spells
Hybrid mana symbols add another layer of complexity. A hybrid mana symbol looks like two different colored mana symbols overlaid on top of each other, such as {W/U}, which can be paid with either white or blue mana. If a card’s cost includes two or more different color options, the card is a multicolored spell. For instance, a card that costs {W/U}{B/G} is a white/blue and black/green multicolored spell even if you paid it all with just white and black mana.
Split Cards and Multicolored Spells
Split cards like “Wear // Tear” are a unique case. While they exist on a single card, each half is treated as an independent spell. Wear is a monocolored white spell and Tear is a monocolored red spell. If you cast just Wear, you are not casting a multicolored spell. However, some split cards have halves that are different colors, which, when fused are considered multicolored.
Casting Multicolored Spells
Casting a multicolored spell means playing the spell from your hand by paying its mana cost. When you cast a spell, it goes on the stack and will resolve (if not countered). Certain cards in Magic: The Gathering have abilities that trigger when you cast a multicolored spell. One example is the card mentioned in the beginning: Mana Cannons, which deals damage equal to the number of colors of the spell cast and returns a multicolored permanent from the graveyard to the battlefield tapped, and counters a targeted instant or sorcery spell.
Therefore, recognizing when a spell is considered multicolored is crucial for proper card interaction.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What exactly is a “multicolored” card in Magic: The Gathering?
A multicolored card is a card that is more than one color. This is determined either by having two or more colored mana symbols in its mana cost (such as {R}{W}) or by a color indicator that shows more than one color. Hybrid mana symbols can also contribute to a card being multicolored.
2. If a card has a hybrid mana cost, is it always considered multicolored?
Yes, if a card has two different colored mana symbols connected with a slash to represent hybrid mana in its mana cost (e.g., {G/W}), it is a multicolored spell. It is considered both colors even when you pay the cost with only one of the possible mana types.
3. If I use only blue mana to pay for a {U/R} card, is it still considered a multicolored spell?
Yes. A card with a hybrid mana cost like {U/R} is always considered to be both blue and red. The color is part of the card’s identity and is not dependent on which color mana was used to pay the cost.
4. Are split cards always considered multicolored?
No, not necessarily. Each half of a split card is treated as a separate spell. If only one half is cast, it’s considered only that one color and is only considered multicolored if the cast half is multicolored or you fuse both together, and each side has a different color.
5. How does protection from multicolored affect multicolored spells?
Protection from multicolored prevents a creature with that ability from being targeted, damaged, blocked by or enchanted by a multicolored spell. It does not prevent spells like board wipes from hitting the protected creature.
6. How does a card with a color indicator interact with effects that trigger on multicolored spells?
A card with a color indicator is considered to be all of the colors listed in that indicator. This means it would trigger cards with abilities that activate upon the casting of multicolored spells.
7. If a card is colorless, can it also be a multicolored spell?
No. A card that is colorless is not multicolored. A card must have at least two colors to be considered multicolored. Colorless cards do not have a color and therefore cannot have two colors at the same time.
8. Do effects that trigger on “casting a multicolored spell” work if a multicolored spell is put directly onto the battlefield (without being cast)?
No, these triggered effects only activate when a spell is cast (typically from your hand). When a card is put onto the battlefield from your hand, it is not being cast.
9. What are some examples of common multicolored spells?
Many cards in Magic: The Gathering are multicolored, representing combinations of two or more colors. Examples include “Lightning Helix” ({R}{W}), “Growth Spiral” ({G}{U}), and “Assassin’s Trophy” ({B}{G}). These cards have distinct strategies associated with the unique combinations of colors.
10. What are “shards” and “wedges” in the context of multicolored cards?
In Magic, shards are three-color combinations where the colors are adjacent on the color wheel (e.g., Naya, which is red, green, and white). Wedges are three-color combinations where the colors are opposite on the color wheel (e.g., Mardu, which is white, black, and red). These are common classifications for multicolored decks.
11. What is the significance of multicolored spells in Magic: The Gathering?
Multicolored spells add complexity and depth to the game. They often have more powerful effects than monocolored spells, and they encourage players to build decks around multiple colors. The interactions between colors are central to the strategy of the game.
12. How do I pay for a spell that requires specific colors of mana?
To pay for a multicolored spell, you must pay the exact mana cost that is detailed on the card. In a card like {1}{R}{G} you must pay 1 generic mana, 1 red mana and 1 green mana. It doesn’t matter the order.
13. Can my mana-producing lands be used to pay for any color?
No. Lands produce specific colors of mana. You can use the mana that your lands produce to pay the mana costs that the card requires. Basic lands like forests produce green mana and mountains produce red mana.
14. Can I use mana from artifacts to pay for multicolored spells?
Yes. Artifacts that produce mana can be used to pay for multicolored spells as long as they produce the mana needed for the cost. If an artifact produces any color of mana, that color of mana can be used to pay for any colored mana cost.
15. Why are some cards considered multicolored while others aren’t, even with similar mana costs?
The key is in the mana symbols in the mana cost, or the color indicator. Cards with multiple color symbols in their mana cost (or a color indicator with multiple colors) are considered multicolored. If a spell only requires one color of mana with additional generic mana, it is monocolored.
Understanding the nuances of multicolored spells is essential for any Magic: The Gathering player. It influences deck construction, card interactions, and overall strategy. By familiarizing yourself with these rules, you will significantly improve your gameplay and card interaction skills.