Trinsiphere and Stroke of Genius along with other X-spells

[Cavius The Great]

If I have a Trinisphere in play, how much would it cost me to cast Stroke of Genius? I assume that Stroke of Genius would be unaffected by Trinisphere but I just wanted to make sure. Another question that's nagging at me is, How much does a Braingeyser cost under Trinisphere, UU1X or UU3X? I assume that you only have to play one extra but I just wanted to make sure. Thanx ahead of time. Peace.

P.S. - I know this is a stupid question, I just wanted to verify it though.

[Cait_Sith]

Trinipshere makes everything that would cost less than 3 cost 3. Stroke for anything always costs at least 3, so it is unaffected normally.

Geyser costs UUX, so if you Geyser'd for 0, it would cost UU1, but if you geyser'd for anything higher it cost the normal cost.

[diffy]

Cast your X spell and pay the X you want.
If the basis cost + X < 3, Trinisphere rounds it up to 3
Else, you don't have to pay any additional mana

As a rule of thumb:



Trinisphere's ability affects the total cost of the spell. It is applied after any other cost increasers or cost reducers are applied: First apply any cost increases. Next apply any cost reducers. Finally look at the amount of mana you have to pay. If it's less than three mana, you'll pay three mana.

[quicksilver]

Trinisphere is easy. Just play the card normally then think to yourself "Am I paying less than three mana for this" If the answer is yes then you have to pay extra mana until you have payed 3 mana.

[Cavius The Great]

Trinipshere makes everything that would cost less than 3 cost 3. Stroke for anything always costs at least 3, so it is unaffected normally.

Geyser costs UUX, so if you Geyser'd for 0, it would cost UU1, but if you geyser'd for anything higher it cost the normal cost.

I don't understand fully. Wouldn't it cost one more, if you Geyser'ed for anything higher? Maybe you're right though. I didn't know you can judge it by converted mana cost.

[Cait_Sith]

Trinisphere examines how much mana overall you paid to play the spell. U+u+1 = 3. Essentially, Trinisphere looks at the converted mana payment and decides from there if you have to pay more.

[quicksilver]

I don't understand fully. Wouldn't it cost one more, if you Geyser'ed for anything higher? Maybe you're right though. I didn't know you can judge it by converted mana cost.

It's easy just see my little formula above.

So you cast brain gyser where X is 1.

So you spend 1UU to play it. Then you ask youself "Am I paying less than three mana for this?". The answer is no ( you are paying 3 mana which is not less than 3 mana) so trinisphere has no effect.



As for converted mana costs trinisphere has absolutly nothing to do with that. All trinisphere has to do with is how much total mana you ended up paying for it. If you pitch a card to FOW it's converted mana cost is still 5 but you are paying zero mana, which means you you have to pay 3 more mana to satisfy trinisphere.

[Anusien]

It's easy just see my little formula above.

So you cast brain gyser where X is 1.

So you spend 1UU to play it. Then you ask youself "Am I paying less than three mana for this?". The answer is no ( you are paying 3 mana which is not less than 3 mana) so trinisphere has no effect.
100% correct. This applies any time you would play a spell, including Mind's Desire copies or Isochron Scepter. Because Trinisphere deals with spells as they would be on the stack, it sees X as actually X and not 0. So you take the cost, apply cost increases, apply cost decreases, then say "Is this less than 3? Add mana to it to make it cost 3 then."

[quicksilver]

Not exactly.
Trinisphere does not affect "Mind's Desire copies". You still copy them on the stack directly so You must not pay for 3sphere.
But Trinisphere affects "spells played from Mind's Desire copies". For every spell removed via Desire You must pay 3 mana to play it.

Although not worded the best I do believe he was refering to the spells that the mind's desire copies let you play, not the actual copies themselves.



Exactly.
You technically "play" the imprinted spell, although You have to copy it first. Therefore under the Trinisphere the spell from Scepter would cost 5 mana to play.

And just a reminder if the imprinted card was orim's chant and you played the kicker it would still cost 5 total (2 for the scepter activation, 1 for the kicker, and 2 more to satisfy trinisphere because you already payed one in the form of the kicker).

[Jaiminho]

Another strange interaction is between 3sphere and Shattering Spree, maybe You know it, but still..:
By paying RRR You satisfy the Sphere, obviously.. but then You still may play copies of Spree and choose additional targets.
Do not even ask what a funny moment I had with Shattering Spree and Trinisphere last time I met a Stax...

Yep. Replicate reads:


502.52a Replicate is a keyword that represents two abilities. The first is a static ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. The second is a triggered ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. “Replicate [cost]” means “As an additional cost to play this spell, you may pay [cost] any number of times” and “When you play this spell, if a replicate cost was paid for it, copy it for each time its replicate cost was paid. If the spell has any targets, you may choose new targets for any number of the copies.” Paying a spell’s replicate cost follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules 409.1b and 409.1f–h.

So, when you play, the cost you payed was R + N times R. If its less than 3, compensate by paying until it gets to 3 mana. Then, when it is played and put on the stack, the trigger shows up and replicates stuff. You can even Stifle that.