***SPOILER*** NPH Promo and Mechanic Revealed

by News | posted at 2011-04-11 04:21:00
tagged: MTG, Magic, Magic the Gathering, Promo, New Phyrexia, Buy-a-Box, NPH, Surgical Extraction, Phyrexian Mana

Wizards of the Coast revealed the Buy-a-Box promo for New Phyrexia through their online Magic magazine DailyMTG.com Monday. But the card gives a grander look at the set than simply showing off a spoiler. Take a look:

The new mechanic is called "Phyrexian mana" and allows anyone to cast Surgical Extraction, either for a black mana or the payment of 2 life. The rules text revealed in the article:

    * Phyrexian mana symbols appear only in costs, such as the mana cost in the upper right corner of a card or the cost to activate an activated ability.

    * A card with Phyrexian mana symbols in its mana cost is each color that appears in that mana cost, regardless of how that cost may have been paid. For example, the Surgical Extraction above is black, even if a player paid 2 life to cast it.

    * To calculate the converted mana cost of a card with Phyrexian mana symbols in its cost, count each Phyrexian mana symbol as 1.

    * As you cast a spell or activate an activated ability with one or more Phyrexian mana symbols in its cost, you choose how to pay for each Phyrexian mana symbol at the same time you would choose modes or choose a value for X.

    * If you're at 1 life or less, you can't pay 2 life.

    * Phyrexian mana is not a new color. Players can't add Phyrexian mana to their mana pools.

The article reveals a Phyrexian mana circle that features all five colors, indicating the mechanic will be spread across the color pie. "Free" spells have historically caused degeneracy problems in the game; will New Phyrexia be returning that challenge to Constructed players?

Stay tuned to TheStarkingtonPost.com during this spoiler season for more!

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