Does Devoid Change Color Identity? This is a common question amongst Magic: The Gathering players, especially those new to the colorless mana mechanic. Understanding how devoid interacts with color identity is crucial for deck building and tournament legality. Let’s delve into the intricacies of this mechanic and clarify how it affects a card’s color.
Understanding Devoid
Devoid is a keyword ability introduced in the Battle for Zendikar set. It states that a card with devoid is colorless, even if its mana cost includes colored mana symbols. This means that a creature like “Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger,” while requiring colored mana to cast, is treated as colorless for all game purposes. This has significant implications for gameplay, impacting everything from card interactions to deck construction.
Devoid and Color Identity
The critical point to understand is that devoid does not change a card’s color identity. Color identity is determined solely by the mana symbols in the card’s cost and rules text, regardless of any color-changing effects like devoid. While devoid makes a card colorless on the battlefield, the colored mana symbols in its cost still count towards its color identity.
For example, a card with the devoid ability and a casting cost of {2}{B}{B} will be considered a black card for deck construction purposes, despite being colorless in play. This means it can only be included in decks with black in their commander’s color identity if playing Commander format.
Why is this distinction important?
The difference between color and color identity is crucial for several reasons, primarily concerning format legality. Formats like Commander have strict rules regarding deck construction based on the color identity of the commander. If your commander has a color identity of blue and red, you can only include cards with blue, red, or colorless mana symbols in their cost and rules text. A card with devoid and a black mana cost would be illegal in such a deck, even though it functions as a colorless card in play.
Does Devoid affect gameplay besides color?
Absolutely! Devoid interacts with various cards and effects that care about colorless permanents. Cards that boost colorless creatures, for example, will affect creatures with devoid. This opens up strategic possibilities, allowing you to include powerful colorless creatures in decks with specific color identities while still benefiting from color-specific synergies.
Practical Examples and Common Misconceptions
One common misconception is that devoid makes a card truly colorless in all aspects. This is incorrect. Devoid only affects the card’s color on the battlefield. The mana symbols in the casting cost remain and define the card’s color identity. Imagine a red and white Commander deck. You can include a card with devoid and a colorless mana cost, but not a card with devoid and a black mana cost, even though both are colorless in play.
Does Devoid work with other color-changing effects?
Devoid interacts with other color-changing effects in a layered manner. For example, if an effect changes a creature with devoid to blue, it will be considered blue, overriding the colorless aspect of devoid. However, the card’s color identity will still be determined by its mana cost, not the temporary color change.
Conclusion
Does devoid change color identity? The answer is a definitive no. While devoid makes a card colorless on the battlefield, it doesn’t alter the card’s color identity, which is determined by the mana symbols in its cost and rules text. Understanding this distinction is essential for deckbuilding and adhering to format legality in Magic: The Gathering. Utilizing devoid strategically allows players to access powerful colorless cards within specific color restrictions, maximizing deck synergy and efficiency.
FAQ
- Does Devoid change a card’s mana cost? No, devoid does not change the mana cost of a card.
- Can I use a card with devoid and a black mana symbol in a mono-white Commander deck? No, the black mana symbol in the cost contributes to the card’s black color identity, making it illegal in a mono-white Commander deck.
- Does devoid affect creatures only? No, devoid can be found on other card types like spells and artifacts, making them colorless on the battlefield.
- Does Devoid interact with cards that care about colorless permanents? Yes, creatures and other permanents with devoid are treated as colorless and will be affected by cards that interact with colorless permanents.
- Can Devoid be removed? No, Devoid is a static ability, it cannot be removed by typical removal spells.
Need assistance with your color choices? Contact us: Phone: 0373298888, Email: [email protected] or visit us at 86 Cầu Giấy, Hanoi. We offer 24/7 customer support.
