Devotion

Devotion
Mechanic
Introduced	Theros
Last used	Theros Beyond Death
Reminder Text	Devotion to [color] (Each [color] in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to [color].)
Statistics	37 cards 13.5% 10.8% 18.9% 8.1% 16.2% 2.7% 2.7% 2.7% 2.7% 2.7% 5.4% 2.7% 2.7% 2.7% 2.7% 2.7%
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fulloracle:"Devotion to"

Devotion is a mechanic introduced in Theros, where it was connected to the god theme of the set. It appears as "devotion to [color]" or "devotion to [color 1] and [color 2]", where color is any of white, blue, black, red, or green.

Description

Devotion to a color is defined as a numerical value that a player has, equal to the number of mana symbols of the color(s) in the mana costs of permanents he or she controls. There are cards that count devotion to each of the five colors, and they have many different effects based on that devotion.

Devotion is a mechanically tweaked version of chroma with a new name and flavor.

The mechanic appeared throughout the Theros block, and made a reappearance in Theros Beyond Death.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Devotion

A numerical value a player has, equal to the number of mana symbols of a certain color among the mana costs of permanents that player controls. See rule 700.5.

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 700.5. A player’s devotion to [color] is equal to the number of mana symbols of that color among the mana costs of permanents that player controls. A player’s devotion to [color 1] and [color 2] is equal to the number of mana symbols among the mana costs of permanents that player controls that are [color 1], [color 2], or both colors.
  • 700.5a A player’s devotion to each color and combination of colors, taking into account any effects that modify devotion, is calculated after considering any copy, control, or text-changing effects but before any other effects that modify the characteristics of permanents. This is an exception to 613.10. See also rule 613, “Interaction of Continuous Effects.”

    Example: Altar of the Pantheon is an artifact with no colored mana in its cost and an ability that says “Your devotion to each color and each combination of colors is increased by one.” Purphoros, God of the Forge is a permanent mana cost {3}{R} and an ability that says “As long as your devotion to red is less than five, Purphoros isn’t a creature.” If a player controls both of these permanents and another permanent that costs {R}{R}{R}, that player’s devotion to red is calculated to be five before Purphoros’s type-changing effect is applied, and Purphoros is a creature.

Rulings

• Numeric mana symbols (, , and so on) in mana costs of permanents you control don't count toward your devotion to any color.
• Devotion counts only mana symbols in your permanents' mana costs—the cost in the upper right corner of the card.
• Mana symbols in text boxes of permanents you control, such as activation costs or the big mana symbols on basic lands, do not count toward your devotion to any color.
• Only colored mana symbols count; it doesn't matter how much a permanent costs to cast, just how much colored mana.
• If an activated ability or triggered ability has an effect that depends on your devotion to a color, you count the number of mana symbols of that color among the mana costs of permanents you control as the ability resolves. The permanent with that ability will be counted if it's still on the battlefield at that time.
• Hybrid mana symbols, monocolored hybrid mana symbols, and Phyrexian mana symbols do count toward your devotion to their colors.
• Mana symbols on permanents with devoid still count; devotion just counts mana symbols, not the colors of the permanents themselves.

Examples

Example

Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Creature — Zombie
2/4
When Gray Merchant of Asphodel enters the battlefield, each opponent loses X life, where X is your devotion to black. You gain life equal to the life lost this way. (Each in the mana costs of permanents you control counts towards your devotion to black.)

• A permanent that costs adds one to your devotion to black.
• A permanent that costs adds three to your devotion to red.
• A permanent that costs adds one to your devotion to green and one to your devotion to white and two to your devotion to green and white.
• A permanent that costs count toward both their colors but aren't counted twice; meaning your devotion to red increases by 2, your devotion to green increases by 2, and your devotion to red and green also increases by 2 (but not 4 as one might have guessed).

Trivia

• Bloodthirsty Ogre and Pious Kitsune from Champions of Kamigawa use devotion counters.
• Increasing Devotion from Dark Ascension was conceived before the Theros block and doesn't use the devotion mechanic.
• Devotion to colorless is supported by the rules, but is narrow and confusing.