Justification for Trinisphere's workings

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Archived from groups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.rules (More info?)

Here it is:

Trinisphere
{3}
Artifact
As long as Trinisphere is untapped, each spell that would cost less
than three mana to play costs three mana to play. (Additional mana in
the cost may be paid with any color of mana or colorless mana. For
example, a spell that would cost {1}{B} to play costs {2}{B} to play
instead.)


The Fifth Dawn FAQ says

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.


Is this just kind of a "because I told you so" rulings, or was there
previously anything in the rules that covered an item like this? It
seems to be worded as a replacement ability. Would it be covered
under that section of the rules?

Thanks,

Rick

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.rules (More info?)

Rick Kunkel <NOSPAM-kunkel@w-link.net> wrote:
>Here it is:
>
>Trinisphere 3 Artifact
> As long as ~ is untapped, each spell that would cost less than three mana to
> play costs three mana to play. (Additional mana in the cost may be paid with
> any color of mana or colorless mana. For example, a spell that would cost 1B
> to play costs 2B to play instead.)
>
>The Fifth Dawn FAQ says
>
>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.

Yes. And it works like this because They Say So, essentially.

>Is this just kind of a "because I told you so" rulings, or was there
>previously anything in the rules that covered an item like this?

Well, there -were- no previous cards that did anything like this - this has
to wait until we see if the spell -ends up- less than three mana, before we can
finally apply the effect. But yes, it's at least partly by decree.

> It seems to be worded as a replacement ability. Would it be covered
>under that section of the rules?

As worded it has no "instead", "prevent", or "skip" - but I think it's supposed
to be a replacement effect because there's nothing else it CAN be to work
right. So it should work like it said "costs three mana to play instead". (They
may have had problems with having room for the reminder text, I don't recall.)
But yes - you see what the "play cost" would be, then this replaces that
using "add enough generic cost to bring it up to three" if needed.

Dave
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