Rules
Comprehensive Rules
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100General101The Magic Golden Rules102Players103Starting the Game104Ending the Game105Colors106Mana107Numbers and Symbols108Cards109Objects110Permanents111Tokens112Spells113Abilities114Emblems115Targets116Special Actions117Timing and Priority118Costs119Life120Damage121Drawing a Card122Counters123Stickers
106. Mana
106.1
Mana is the primary resource in the game
106.10
If an effect would add mana represented by a generic mana symbol to a player’s mana pool, that much colorless mana is added to that player’s mana pool.
106.11
If an effect would add mana represented by one or more snow mana symbols to a player’s mana pool, that much colorless mana is added to that player’s mana pool.
106.12
To “tap [a permanent] for mana” is to activate a mana ability of that permanent that includes the {T} symbol in its activation cost. See rule 605, “Mana Abilities.”
106.13
One card (Drain Power) causes one player to lose unspent mana and another to add “the mana lost this way.” (Note that these may be the same player.) This empties the former player’s mana pool and causes the mana emptied this way to be put into the latter player’s mana pool. Which permanents, spells, and/or abilities produced that mana are unchanged, as are any restrictions or additional effects associated with any of that mana.
106.2
Mana is represented by mana symbols (see rule 107.4). Mana symbols also represent mana costs (see rule 202).
106.3
Mana is produced by the effects of mana abilities (see rule 605). It may also be produced by the effects of spells, as well as by the effects of abilities that aren’t mana abilities. A spell or ability that produces mana instructs a player to add that mana. If mana is produced by a spell, the source of that mana is that spell. If mana is produced by an ability, the source of that mana is the source of that ability (see rule 113.7).
106.4
When an effect instructs a player to add mana, that mana goes into a player’s mana pool. From there, it can be used to pay costs immediately, or it can stay in the player’s mana pool as unspent mana. Each player’s mana pool empties at the end of each step and phase, and the player is said to lose this mana. Cards with abilities that produce mana or refer to unspent mana have received errata in the Oracle™ card reference to no longer explicitly refer to the mana pool.
106.5
If an ability would produce one or more mana of an undefined type, it produces no mana instead.
106.6
Some spells or abilities that produce mana restrict how that mana can be spent, have an additional effect that affects the spell or ability that mana is spent on, or create a delayed triggered ability (see rule 603.7a) that triggers when that mana is spent. This doesn’t affect the mana’s type.
106.7
Some abilities produce mana based on the type of mana another permanent or permanents “could produce.” The type of mana a permanent could produce at any time includes any type of mana that an ability of that permanent would produce if the ability were to resolve at that time, taking into account any applicable replacement effects in any possible order. Ignore whether any costs of the ability could or could not be paid. If that permanent wouldn’t produce any mana under these conditions, or no type of mana can be defined this way, there’s no type of mana it could produce.
106.8
If an effect would add mana represented by a hybrid mana symbol to a player’s mana pool, that player chooses one half of that symbol. If a colored half is chosen, one mana of that color is added to that player’s mana pool. If a generic half is chosen, an amount of colorless mana represented by that half’s number is added to that player’s mana pool.
106.9
If an effect would add mana represented by a Phyrexian mana symbol to a player’s mana pool, one mana of the color of that symbol is added to that player’s mana pool.