Flash of Insight +Spell Snare

[Silverdragon]

Ok easy question: If I flashback Flash of Insight for X>0 can it be countered with Spell Snare or does the X in its converted manacost equal the number of cards I removed?

[Pinder]

As far as I can tell, the X blue card is part of the Flashback cost and not hte mana cost, so it shouldn't have any effect on what the X is in the CMC. So a Spell Snare should kill a flashbacked Flash of Insight no matter how many blue cards were removed.

Can I get a confirmation on this?

[Tacosnape]

G24.1a - If a spell or ability has a cost with an "{X}" in it, the value of X must be announced as part of playing the spell or ability. (See Rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.") While the spell or ability is on the stack, the {X} in its mana cost equals the amount announced as part of playing the spell or ability. If a card in any other zone has {X} in its mana cost, the amount is treated as 0. If you're playing a spell that has {X} in its mana cost and an effect lets you play it without paying any cost that includes X, the only legal choice for X is 0. This does not apply to effects that only reduce a cost, even if they reduce it to zero. See Rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities." [CompRules 2007/05/01]
G24.1b - If a cost associated with a special action, such as a suspend cost or a morph cost, has an "{X}" in it, the value of X is chosen by the player taking the special action as he or she pays that cost. [CompRules 2007/05/01]
G24.1c - In triggered abilities, X is defined when the ability resolves. It may be defined by the text of the ability, by a keyword ability of the card, or by the trigger event. See Rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities." [CompRules 2003/07/01]
G24.1d - In other cases, X is defined by the text of a spell or ability. If X isn't defined, the controller of the spell or ability chooses the value of X. All Xs on an object have the same value. [CompRules 2003/07/01]

And on Flashback:

502.22.Ruling.4 - Paying the flashback cost does not change the mana cost of the spell. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30]

Therefore if you Flash of Insight removing 2 blue cards, Flash of Insight's "X" value is 2. So, bizarre as it seems, Flashing back a Flash of Insight for an X value of 2 puts a spell on the stack with converted mana cost 4, even though you only paid two mana for it.

In other words, Spell Snare isn't going to counter it.