Hey, I know that they already made changes to the rules about how blitz works when using Henzie "toolbox" Torre, but I’m still kind of confused about how his ability works with kicker cards like Josu vess, lich knight. The way I’m thinking it works is that I would be able to cast josu vess from his normal cost at 2BB, add kicker at 5B, to make it 7BBB, and then use Henzie’s blitz ability to reduce that cost to something like 3BBB. Any advice on this topic would be greatly appreciated.
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As part of casting a spell, you figure its total cost. In general, a spell's total cost equals—
its mana cost or alternative cost (such as a blitz cost [C.R. 702.152a]) (C.R. 118.9),
plus additional costs (such as kicker [C.R. 702.33a]),
minus cost reductions
(C.R. 601.2f).
Henzie also has an ability that reduces "[b]litz costs you pay [by] 1 less for each time you’ve cast your commander from the command zone this game." However, this is a reduction to the blitz cost (which is an alternative cost), not a cost reduction for the spell itself (C.R. 702.1a, 118.7, 118.9). Thus, for example, if the "blitz cost" is 2BB, Henzie's last ability can reduce that "blitz cost" by at most 2, even if you've cast your commander more than twice this game (C.R. 118.7, 118.7a). The ability would have worked differently if it said "Spells you cast by paying their blitz cost, cost 1 less for each time you’ve cast your commander from the command zone this game." See also:
Note that a spell's mana value is generally derived from that spell's mana cost (C.R. 202.3). The mana value is not affected by what is spent to cast that spell (C.R. 601.2f, 118.8d, 118.9c, 202.3). Thus, the mana cost of Josu Vess, Lich Knight is 4, regardless of what is spent to cast it.
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-MadMage
(C.R. 601.2f).
Henzie also has an ability that reduces "[b]litz costs you pay [by] 1 less for each time you’ve cast your commander from the command zone this game." However, this is a reduction to the blitz cost (which is an alternative cost), not a cost reduction for the spell itself (C.R. 702.1a, 118.7, 118.9). Thus, for example, if the "blitz cost" is 2BB, Henzie's last ability can reduce that "blitz cost" by at most 2, even if you've cast your commander more than twice this game (C.R. 118.7, 118.7a). The ability would have worked differently if it said "Spells you cast by paying their blitz cost, cost 1 less for each time you’ve cast your commander from the command zone this game." See also:
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgrules/comments/ue0ytd/henzie_toolbox_torre_and_heartless_summoning_or/
Note that a spell's mana value is generally derived from that spell's mana cost (C.R. 202.3). The mana value is not affected by what is spent to cast that spell (C.R. 601.2f, 118.8d, 118.9c, 202.3). Thus, the mana cost of Josu Vess, Lich Knight is 4, regardless of what is spent to cast it.