Energy
| Energy | |
|---|---|
| Counter | |
| Use | Resource |
| Placed on | Players |
| Introduced | Kaladesh |
| Last used | Aether Revolt |
| Scryfall search | |
| oracle:"Energy" | |
An energy counter is a counter that, unlike most other counters, is placed on players rather than objects. Energy counters are used to pay the costs of activated and triggered abilities. This energy mechanic was introduced in Kaladesh[1][2] and expanded on in Aether Revolt.[3][4][5]
Most cards that grant energy counters also provide a way to spend them. However, because they are placed on the player rather than a specific object, energy counters from one card can be saved up and spent on abilities of other cards. Energy counters don't go away as phases or steps end, or as the turn ends, and no cards remove energy counters from other players. They can only be removed when the player chooses to spend them.
Flavor
Energy counters represent aether, a magical energy that is found throughout the Multiverse. While it is present throughout the Blind Eternities and touches all planes to some extent, on Kaladesh, it is an integral part of the ecosystem.
Development
Energy was originally designed for Mirrodin, but was not printed in that set.[6] R&D tried it again for the Esper mechanic in Shards of Alara, but it was cut there as well. For many years, it was known only as "Mechanic E", after being mentioned as such by Mark Rosewater.[7] Following that mention, many mechanics were speculated to be "Mechanic E", notably including the colorless mana symbol 
. This occasionally led Mark Rosewater to specifically refute those claims.[8]
Mark Rosewater finally confirmed that "Mechanic E" would be in Kaladesh a few days before the mechanic was officially revealed.[9] It was first previewed on the card Aetherworks Marvel at PAX West 2016.[10]
For Kaladesh, Development built an energy economy to help ensure that any energy expenditure has roughly equal value. In order to create sufficient variety in that economy, both costs and production of energy were doubled relative to the mechanic as produced by the design team.[6] The mechanic has been openly acknowledged as parasitic. However, R&D argues that this is less problematic than some previous mechanics, because most energy-using cards serve as both sources and outlets for energy.[11][12]
Energy symbol
The energy symbol 
was introduced in Kaladesh to represent a cost for energy counters.[13] A common player complaint concerns the typesetting of those symbols, which are printed in a single line with even spacing throughout the line. On cards that use many energy counters within a single ability, this makes reading the correct number of symbols difficult. Future printings of the mechanic might use small variations in spacing to alleviate the issue.[14][15]
From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)
- 107.14. The energy symbol is {E}. It represents one energy counter. To pay {E}, a player removes one energy counter from themselves.
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)
- Energy Symbol
- The energy symbol {E} represents one energy counter. To pay {E}, a player removes one energy counter from themselves.
References
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ a b Template:NewRef
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (December 11, 2015). "". Tumblr.
- ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (August 30 2016). "". Tumblr.
- ↑ Magic Twitch channel (September 2 2016). Magic at PAX: Kaladesh Debut.
- ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (September 04, 2016). "". Tumblr.
- ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (September 5, 2016). "". Tumblr.
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (September 5, 2016). "". Tumblr.
- ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (May 20, 2017). "". Tumblr.