202.1.
A card‘s mana cost is indicated by mana symbols near the top of the card. (See rule 107.4.) On
most cards, these symbols are printed in the upper right corner. Some cards from the Future Sight
set have alternate frames in which the mana symbols appear to the left of the illustration.
202.1a
The mana cost of an object represents what a player must spend from his or her mana pool to
cast that card. Unless an object‘s mana cost includes Phyrexian mana symbols (see rule 107.4f),
paying that mana cost requires matching the color of any colored mana symbols as well as
paying the generic mana indicated in the cost.
202.1b
Some objects have no mana cost. This normally includes all land cards, any other cards that
have no mana symbols where their mana cost would appear, tokens (unless the effect that
creates them specifies otherwise), and nontraditional Magic cards. Having no mana cost
represents an unpayable cost (see rule 117.6). Note that lands are played without paying any
costs (see rule 305, «Lands»).
202.2.
An object is the color or colors of the mana symbols in its mana cost, regardless of the color of
its frame.
202.2a
The five colors are white, blue, black, red, and green. The white mana symbol is represented
by
, blue by
, black by
, red by
, and green by
.
Example: An object with a mana cost of
is white, an object with a mana cost of
is colorless, and one with a mana cost of
is both white and black.
202.2b
Objects with no colored mana symbols in their mana costs are colorless.
202.2c
An object with two or more different colored mana symbols in its mana cost is each of the
colors of those mana symbols. Most multicolored cards are printed with a gold frame, but this is
not a requirement for a card to be multicolored.
202.2d
An object with one or more hybrid mana symbols and/or Phyrexian mana symbols in its
mana cost is all of the colors of those mana symbols, in addition to any other colors the object
might be. (Most cards with hybrid mana symbols in their mana costs are printed in a two-tone
frame. See rule 107.4e.)
202.2e
An object may have a color indicator printed to the left of the type line. That object is each
color denoted by that color indicator. (See rule 204.)
202.2f
Effects may change an object‘s color, give a color to a colorless object, or make a colored
object become colorless; see rule 105.3.
202.3.
The converted mana cost of an object is a number equal to the total amount of mana in its mana
cost, regardless of color.
Example: A mana cost of
translates to a converted mana cost of 5.
202.3a
The converted mana cost of an object with no mana cost is 0.
202.3b
When calculating the converted mana cost of an object with an
in its mana cost, 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.
202.3c
When calculating the converted mana cost of an object with a hybrid mana symbol in its
mana cost, use the largest component of each hybrid symbol.
Example: The converted mana cost of a card with mana cost
is 3.
Example: The converted mana cost of a card with mana cost
is 6.
202.3d
Each Phyrexian mana symbol in a card‘s mana cost contributes 1 to its converted mana cost.
Example: The converted mana cost of a card with mana cost
{W/P}{W/P} is 3.
202.4.
Any additional cost listed in an object‘s rules text or imposed by an effect isn‘t part of the mana
cost. (See rule 601, «Casting Spells.») Such costs are paid at the same time as the spell‘s other costs.