Elder Deep-Fiend

Elder Deep-Fiend Rulings

• Jan 24, 2025

  A creature’s mana value is determined solely by the mana symbols printed in its upper right corner (unless that creature is the back face of a double-faced card, is a melded permanent, or is copying something else; see below). If the mana cost includes {X}, X is 0. If it’s a single-faced card with no mana symbols in its upper right corner (because it’s an animated land, for example), its mana value is 0. Ignore any alternative costs or additional costs (such as kicker) that were paid as the creature was cast.

• Jan 24, 2025

  An ability that triggers when a player casts a spell resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered or otherwise leaves the stack without resolving.

• Jan 24, 2025

  Colored mana components of emerge costs can’t be reduced with emerge.

• Jan 24, 2025

  Emerge represents two static abilities that function while the spell with emerge is on the stack. “Emerge [cost]” means “You may cast this spell by paying [cost] and sacrificing a creature rather than paying its mana cost” and “If you chose to pay this spell’s emerge cost, its total cost is reduced by an amount of generic mana equal to the sacrificed creature’s mana value.”

• Jan 24, 2025

  If you cast a spell for another cost “rather than paying its mana cost,” such as an emerge cost, you can’t choose to cast it for any other alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, those must be paid to cast it.