Cast without paying it's mana cost and converted casting mana cost

[(nameless one)]

Alright, I have a Swords to Plowshares on an Isochron Scepter. If I cast the StP from the Scepter, would it's converted casting mana cost one or zero?

Thanks.

[Tammit67]

One, the CMC does not care what you actually pay for the card. Nothing can change the card's CMC.

EDIT: X spells are a special breed, where X is considered zero anywhere beyond the stack, for completeness

[Rico Suave]

One, the CMC does not care what you actually pay for the card. Nothing can change the card's CMC.

Spells with X in their casting cost can change their converted mana cost, as can split cards. Much of this depends on what zone the card is in. For example a Chalice of the Void can have a CMC of 2 while on the stack, but that same Chalice will have a CMC of 0 while in play. Similarly, a split card like Fire/Ice will have a CMC of 4 in a zone other than the stack (like if you were to reveal it to your Bob, you would take 4). However if you cast Fire, the spells CMC is now 2 while its on the stack.

[mchainmail]

Spells with X in their casting cost can change their converted mana cost, as can split cards. Much of this depends on what zone the card is in. For example a Chalice of the Void can have a CMC of 2 while on the stack, but that same Chalice will have a CMC of 0 while in play. Similarly, a split card like Fire/Ice will have a CMC of 4 in a zone other than the stack (like if you were to reveal it to your Bob, you would take 4). However if you cast Fire, the spells CMC is now 2 while its on the stack.

Split spells don't entirely work like that.

If you have Boom//Bust on top of your deck, you can counter a 2 OR a 6. If you flip it to Bob, you take 2 AND 6.

You can Transmute Muddle the Mixture for Boom//Bust as well.



708.6a. An effect that performs a positive comparison (such as asking if a card is red) or a relative comparison (such as asking if a card's converted mana cost is less than 2) involving characteristics of one or more split cards in any zone other than the stack gets only one answer. This answer is "yes" if either side of each split card in the comparison would return a "yes" answer if compared individually.

708.6b. An effect that performs a negative comparison (such as asking if cards have different names) involving characteristics of one or more split cards in any zone other than the stack also gets only one answer. This answer is "yes" if performing the analogous positive comparison would return a "no" answer.

[Rico Suave]

Interesting. Thanks for the clarification.

[Tammit67]

Spells with X in their casting cost can change their converted mana cost, as can split cards. Much of this depends on what zone the card is in. For example a Chalice of the Void can have a CMC of 2 while on the stack, but that same Chalice will have a CMC of 0 while in play. Similarly, a split card like Fire/Ice will have a CMC of 4 in a zone other than the stack (like if you were to reveal it to your Bob, you would take 4). However if you cast Fire, the spells CMC is now 2 while its on the stack.

True, the X cost is treated as 0 everywhere except the stack, when it is treated for the value choosen.