Cost Reduction

Cost Reduction Across Colors

In OTJ you have cost reducer with Honest Rudstein. I was wondering whether all colour combinations could get a cost reducer and what they might be reducing

Each color can do some cost reduction for subsets core to that color.

Colors Cost Reduction Outlaws of Thunder Junction

Cost Reduction Complexity

Was cost reduction spree ever considered?

No. That is significantly harder to balance.

Cost Reduction Spree

Collect Evidence vs Delve

How is collect evidence different from delve

It’s a keyword action that is neither tied to a spell being cast nor cost reduction. It also treats cards differently whereas every card is of equal value to delve.

Collect Evidence Cost Reduction Delve Keyword Actions

Friends as Commanders

Re: Friends as Commanders, for Monica I'd do Butterbur, Bree Innkeeper, she creates food and plays host to the other characters (I believe Monica is 'The Apartment's' most consistent occupant on the show). For Ross, I have Gavi, Nest Warden: creates Dinosaurs, is red (Ross has a small chaos streak) and the cycling cost reduction represents his pursuit of knowledge.

FYI

Butterbur, Bree Innkeeper Cost Reduction Cycling Dinosaur Food Gavi, Nest Warden Pursuit of Knowledge Red

Blue Spirit Guide Concern

"Would a blue spirit guide that can only cast instants and sorceries be a bend or break?""It’s somewhere between a strong bend and a break. The closest blue can get is an effect that makes instants and sorceries cost 1 less for the rest of the turn."Despite the cost reduction being an arguably stronger, but comparable effect, it's a different mechanical issue right? Like Green gets mana ramp in the form of lands to battlefield or dorks, and red gets mana rituals. Those can accomplish the same thing in different ways, but don't overlap to keep the feel of those colors different. So if Red gets one shot mana production, blue can have cost reduction (probably related to a very blue subset of cards).

We do like to differentiate effects between colors. Note that not every effect, even variations, are available in every color. Aid in casting spells is core enough to the game that we allow each color some access. The less it’s a general ability, the more focused in how and on what it can be used.

Bend / Break Bend or Break Blue Colors Cost Reduction Green Instants Lands Mana Red Sorceries Spells Spirit

Doctor Who Cost Query

With a Vorthos, Steward of Myth naming The Doctor, would The Valeyard get a cost reduction?

That’s a question for someone more knowledgeable of Doctor Who.

Cost Reduction Doctor The Valeyard Vorthos Vorthos, Steward of Myth

Cost Reduction Mechanics

Do you think abilities like affinity or convoke could ever be reworked to also reduce the cost of activated abilities? It seems like abilities with cost reduction written out for them show up in most sets nowadays, and it might be nice to use existing terms and tech.

Mana costs and activation costs work differently enough under the hood of the rules that it’s tricky to use a single term to refer to both. I know it’s been looked at.

Affinity Convoke Cost Reduction Mana Mechanics Rules

Color Matters Hurdles

"Cards can generate tokens of other colors"

So a color's pie includes other colors? It feels like at least a bend. While it's not an inherent weakness unique to any one color, creating tokens of another color in place of, instead of in addition to the color of the card creating it does bypass elements of 'color matters' cards.

Example: A green card making non-green tokens makes green stronger against cards like Out of the Way (with its cost reduction targeting green permanents).

Is the goal of Design to simply cost any 'color matters' cards at lower power levels? Or is this considered a non-issue from the outset?

It’s technically a bend, but a light one. We do it infrequently enough, that’s it’s not thought of as a big deal.

Bend / Break Colors Cost Reduction Green Out of the Way Permanents Tokens

Mana Cost Reduction

Does "This spell costs one mana of any color less to cast" work within the rules? So removing one colored pip of your choice, as opposed to costing 1 less to cast which removes one generic mana, or costing WUBRG less to cast which removes one of each colored pip?

I think it works in the rules. Color pie concerns would be the bigger issue.

Color Pie Colorless Colors Cost Reduction Mana Rules

Vorthos Cost Reduction

Hi Mark! My last Vorthos question (I promise): Does Vorthos reduce the costs of cards that don't directly depict the named character, but *depict a depiction* of them? For example, if I choose Karn, do I get a discount on Stroke of Genius (you can see a drawing of him on the wall beside Urza)? Or, if I choose Jaya, will my Comic Con promo Chandra, Torch of Defiance cost {R} less (there's a stained glass window with Jaya's portrait in the art)?

I think a clear depiction in art of the character in question would count.

Art Chandra, Torch of Defiance Conflux Conventions Cost Reduction Promos Stroke of Genius Vorthos Walls

Naming and Cost Reduction

Does vorthos naming urza make Erase (Not the Urza's Legacy One) cost less?

It does.

Cost Reduction Erase (Not the Urza's Legacy One) Legacy Urza Urza's Legacy Vorthos

Power of Medallion Cycle

For those that might not realize, the medallion cycle, or any cost reduction really, is especially powerful. For every spell you cast with a reduction you're "generating" a mana. Multiple spells, multiple mana. At 2 mana they are a TON better than most mana rocks, and Wizards just doesn't DO two mana mana rocks anymore. I very much would like the medallion cycle reprinted sometime soon, but letting them into a format where they aren't already legal is VERY dangerous.

Agreed.

Cost Reduction Mana Reprints Spells

Understanding Cost Reduction

Hello Mark, rules question…if something costed CCCC and there was something like Eye of Ugin to make it 2 less to cast, would it cost CC or CCCC still?

2 less doesn’t reduce C.

Cost Reduction Eye Eye of Ugin Rules

Deepwood Denizen Bend

If Deepwood Denizen is merely a bend, does that imply that it would also be only a bend if the ability had no cost reduction and just cost a flat 5G? What if it had no mana cost, and was a green Archivist?

Green cards shouldn’t have activated abilities with “draw a card” regardless of cost.

Archivist Bend / Break Card Draw Cost Reduction Deepwood Denizen Green Mana

Mana Production for White

Hey Maro could we see auras or enchantments that produce mana for white? I think it wouldn't hurt green to lose that part of the color pie, while it would still keep land ramp, dorks, treasures, triggers, etc. But it would encourage mono white decks and enchantment synergies :)

We let white fetch plains, usually when behind, and occasionally produce mana or reduce cost for very white subsets of cards (just being white is too broad).

Auras Color Pie Cost Reduction Enchantments Green Lands Mana Mark Rosewater Treasure Triggered Abilities White

Toxrill and Heartless Summoning

Since you didn't bring it up, the original slot for Toxrill, Heartless Demon, is a throw back to a card from the original Innistrad set, Heartless Summoning which has the same cost reduction + stat reduction ability. They even share a name.

Good catch.

Cost Reduction Demon Heartless Summoning Innistrad

Eye of Ugin Discussion

While I agree that lands that don’t make mana should be exceptionally rare, I am surprised you count Eye of Ugin among those. Isn’t cost reduction very much in spirit? It’s effectively: tap to add 2, use only to spend on colourless spells

It’s closer in spirit than other things.

Colorless Cost Reduction Eye Eye of Ugin Lands Mana Rares Spells Spirit Tap / Untap

Blue's Mana Production

Does blue get mana production (and cost reduction) because of grandfathering? It seems like it doesn't really need it on top of e.g. being the king of draw.

Every color has access to cost reduction/mana production for specific narrow subsets that are in color.

Blue Colors Cost Reduction Mana

Enchantment Activation Cost Reduction

Any chance to get a card that reduces the activation costs of Enchantments?

Sure.

Cost Reduction Enchantments

Cost-Reduction in Color Mechanics

Which colors are primary in reducing costs for things?

It depends on what kind of spell you’re reducing. All colors have access to cost reduction.

Colors Cost Reduction Mechanics Primary