I had just recently gotten Zahid, Djinn of the Lamp, and it has an ability saying
"You may pay 3B and tap an untapped artifact you control instead of this spells mana cost"
How would that work in Commander? I have talked with a friend who said it can count for paying a Commanders Mana cost, but I want a little insight for those wanting to use him for a mono-blue Commander Flying-Control deck, which I had tried making myself. Even though his cost is 4BB and when he dies, he basically goes up 2 cost, but can his paid ability be used instead of paying the extra cost, basically avoiding the Commander rule?
The blue mana symbol is represented by U in the alphabetical codes. Black is B.
"Commander tax" is an additional cost, and must be paid no matter what other costs are paid to cast a commander from the command zone. A Zahid that has been sent to the command zone during the game once would cost 2 + 3U = 5U, plus tapping an untapped artifact, to cast from the command zone for its alternate cost.
A question very similar to this one was asked today: see this thread. In general, if a spell is cast—
by paying an alternative cost "rather than [paying]" the spell's mana cost, or
"without paying its mana cost" (which is another form of alternative cost),
that alternative cost does not affect additional costs (such as the so-called "commander tax" under C.R. 903.8), and neither does it affect cost reductions (C.R. 117.9d, 117.9). This is true regardless of the form the alternative cost takes, whether it appears on the spell itself (e.g., Zahid, Lashweed Lurker [C.R. 702.118a], Massacre) or otherwise (e.g., Fist of Suns, Rooftop Storm, Omniscience).
Note that due to the formula for figuring a spell's total cost, the only way to "avoid" required additional costs (at least in part) when casting a spell is if a cost reduction effect reduces some or all of those costs (C.R. 601.2f). One example is found in the emerge ability, which includes an alternative cost but offers a way to reduce the spell's total cost if "you chose to pay this spell's emerge cost" (C.R. 702.118a).
Rule 117.9. Some spells have alternative costs. [...] Alternative costs are usually phrased, “You may [action] rather than pay [this object’s] mana cost,” [...]
Rule 117.9d If an alternative cost is being paid to cast a spell, any additional costs, cost increases, and cost reductions that affect that spell are applied to that alternative cost.
"You may pay 3B and tap an untapped artifact you control instead of this spells mana cost"
How would that work in Commander? I have talked with a friend who said it can count for paying a Commanders Mana cost, but I want a little insight for those wanting to use him for a mono-blue Commander Flying-Control deck, which I had tried making myself. Even though his cost is 4BB and when he dies, he basically goes up 2 cost, but can his paid ability be used instead of paying the extra cost, basically avoiding the Commander rule?
Zahid, Djinn of the Lamp
The blue mana symbol is represented by U in the alphabetical codes. Black is B.
"Commander tax" is an additional cost, and must be paid no matter what other costs are paid to cast a commander from the command zone. A Zahid that has been sent to the command zone during the game once would cost 2 + 3U = 5U, plus tapping an untapped artifact, to cast from the command zone for its alternate cost.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Note that due to the formula for figuring a spell's total cost, the only way to "avoid" required additional costs (at least in part) when casting a spell is if a cost reduction effect reduces some or all of those costs (C.R. 601.2f). One example is found in the emerge ability, which includes an alternative cost but offers a way to reduce the spell's total cost if "you chose to pay this spell's emerge cost" (C.R. 702.118a).
EDIT (Sep. 8; Oct. 24): Correctness edit.
EDIT (Oct. 26): Edited.
Rule 117.9d If an alternative cost is being paid to cast a spell, any additional costs, cost increases, and cost reductions that affect that spell are applied to that alternative cost.
RULES OF MAGIC :
http://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/rules-and-formats/rules