Mana Cost

Mana Cost マナコスト (Mana Kosuto)

Japanese Wiki: 2636

Mana Cost is the number seen in the upper left-hand corner of the Card Frame.

Details

It is a gameplay characteristic that indicates the amount of cards required for playing that card.

The cost of Psychic Creatures or Draghearts that don't require mana are something also referred to as "Mana Cost", but have their own general Psychic Cost to describe them.

To pay for a summon of a creature or casting a spell, you are only required to pay the mana cost of the card you are wanting to use.

For example, for a creature such as GENJI Double Cross, Blastdragon you must tap a total of 6 cards (including at least 1 fire card) in your mana zone in order to summon it.

This is true for each of the other card types that you use from your hand. They each have their mana cost paid for, and are put into the battle zone until removed.

However, spells have their mana cost paid, are cast, have their effects resolve and are then put into a graveyard.

Rules

When you pay for the mana cost, you must tap at least one card with the same civilization as the card you want to use.
- For example, if you want to summon the Water Darkness creature; Melnia, the Aqua Shadow, then you must tap 2 cards in your mana zone, a Water card and a Darkness card.
- In the same way, if you wish to summon the Light Fire Nature creature; Romanesk, the Dragon Wizard, you must tap 6 cards in your mana zone, including at least 3 of them being Light, Fire, and Nature cards.
When you pay for the mana cost with a multicolored card, they only count as credit for one civilization for mana. For example, if you use Miraculous Snare, it can only be tapped for either Light or Water mana, not both.
You can't pay for the mana cost of cards with Light Water Darkness Fire Nature cards that have a Mana Number of 0. However they can be tapped to provide a civilizations needed for that card.
Cards such as Heracles, Birther of Gods or Nibai Nibai, Mysterious Fire Yokozuna can be used to change the mana number.
In the case of linked Gods, the mana cost is the total cost of the linked creatures. When resolving a Come Into Play ability, use the total cost.
While Cost Reduction and Cost Increase abilities alter the cost you pay, they don't actually increase or decrease the cost on the written card.
- If the total cost becomes infinite due to Cost Increase abilities, they become impossible play without a For No Cost ability.
If the total cost of a card is Infinite, it will remain infinite even after applying Cost Reduction or Cost Increase.
If the total cost of a card falls under the number of required civilizations, you can tap additional cards to pay the mana cost of the required number of civilizations. The extra mana isn't used and disappears at the end of the payment, unable to be used for other cards.

Other

Sometimes it is referred to as nominal cost because it doesn't reflect the cost that is actually used to play it due to cost reduction, cost reduction, or cost trampling.
The cost that's actually paid is known as the "Real" cost, but the cost for playing is the "total cost". There is no term for paying the cost of putting a psychic creature into play.
Psychic Creatures and Draghearts also have numbers written on the upper left of the card frame, but this is known as the Psychic Cost. This cost is referenced when putting them into the battle zone by Hyperspatial spells and a Draguners ability.
- When a card such as Grudge Gathering or the Soulshift ability refers to the cost of a card, apply the psychic cost value.
- If the "Mana Cost" is used in related to the hyperspatial zone, it refers to the cost in a broad sense.