Chalice of the Void

[MarineRaider]

I have 2 questions-( I am a new player to competitive play)

The first question is the XX cost-I don't quite understand the general way the CMC works on cards like Chalice and Astral Cornucopia, can someone please explain?

The second question-is I here alot of people talk about how awesome this card is, but it appears to limit all players so I question what the actual use for it is.

Kind Regards

[Ace/Homebrew]

The second question-is I here alot of people talk about how awesome this card is, but it appears to limit all players so I question what the actual use for it is.
Decks that use Chalice of the Void in the main deck tend to start their mana curve at 2. CotV is a symmetrical effect, but if you build your deck with that in mind, you can break the symmetry. Decks that run it in the sideboard use it because (ideally) the effect on the opponent hurts their strategy so much that resolving it lets you run away with the game.

[cdr]

Welcome MarineRaider.

The rules define (http://www.yawgatog.com/resources/magic-rules/#R2023) the converted mana cost of X as: "X is treated as 0 while the object is not on the stack, and X is treated as the number chosen for it while the object is on the stack."

Since X is a cost, it's unknowable by the game anywhere but on the stack, so it's 0 on the battlefield or anywhere else that's not the stack. While on the stack, it's the same value twice - if you choose 1 for X while announcing it, the CMC is 2, if X is 2 the CMC is 4, etc.

As far as your second question, this sub-forum is just for rules, so I hope Ace/Homebrew's answer helped as this isn't the board for in-depth strategy questions/discussion.

[MarineRaider]

Welcome MarineRaider.

The rules define (http://www.yawgatog.com/resources/magic-rules/#R2023) the converted mana cost of X as: "X is treated as 0 while the object is not on the stack, and X is treated as the number chosen for it while the object is on the stack."

Since X is a cost, it's unknowable by the game anywhere but on the stack, so it's 0 on the battlefield or anywhere else that's not the stack. While on the stack, it's the same value twice - if you choose 1 for X while announcing it, the CMC is 2, if X is 2 the CMC is 4, etc.

As far as your second question, this sub-forum is just for rules, so I hope Ace/Homebrew's answer helped as this isn't the board for in-depth strategy questions/discussion.

So if I understand with this card if I tap 2 then the CMC is 2 or do I need to tap 3 since it is XX. That is my biggest question. Also thank you for the input.

Ace/Homebrew thank you for the valuable info.

[Richard Cheese]

So if I understand with this card if I tap 2 then the CMC is 2 or do I need to tap 3 since it is XX. That is my biggest question. Also thank you for the input.

Ace/Homebrew thank you for the valuable info.

If you pay 2 to cast Chalice, the cmc is 2, but only while it's on the stack (so it could be countered by a spell snare). Once it's on the battlefield, the cmc is 0. The cmc is also 0 while it's in your hand, library, or graveyard (important for things like Auriok Salvagers or Trinket Mage).

In this case, X=1, you pay X twice, and Chalice enters with 1 Charge counter. If you wanted it to counter Lotus Petal and Lion's Eye Diamond, you could pay 0 (X=0, 0 x 2 = 0), or if you wanted to counter Burning Wish, you pay 4 (X=2). To counter Show and Tell, you'd need to pay 6 (X=3), and so on.

[MarineRaider]

If you pay 2 to cast Chalice, the cmc is 2, but only while it's on the stack (so it could be countered by a spell snare). Once it's on the battlefield, the cmc is 0. The cmc is also 0 while it's in your hand, library, or graveyard (important for things like Auriok Salvagers or Trinket Mage).

In this case, X=1, you pay X twice, and Chalice enters with 1 Charge counter. If you wanted it to counter Lotus Petal and Lion's Eye Diamond, you could pay 0 (X=0, 0 x 2 = 0), or if you wanted to counter Burning Wish, you pay 4 (X=2). To counter Show and Tell, you'd need to pay 6 (X=3), and so on.


Perfect Thank you