scepter-meddling mage/chant

[colsmack86]

does meddling mage/orim's chant stop a scepter activation becuase on the scepter it says "you may PLAY the copy"?

[Komatteru]

Yes.  The copy is played, not put directly onto the stack, like Storm or Mirari.  You have to play 3 to play it with a Trinisphere out and it will be affected by things such as Sphere of Resistance.  It can still be countered by a Nether Void if you elect not to pay the 3 mana.  It contributes to storm.

[combo_dude]

Does that make it a total of 2, 3, or 5 mana under Trinisphere then? Do you have to pay 2 for the activation and 3 for the spell?

[Jacob Orlove]

Do you have to pay 2 for the activation and 3 for the spell?

Yes. 5 mana total.

[Komatteru]

The long answer:
You have to pay 2 for the activation of the Scepter.  Then what happens is this: you are given the OPTION of playing the spell, since it does say "may."  If there are no legal targets, or you cannot pay the additional costs of the spell, you can't play the spell.  For example, if the imprinted card says "As an additional cost to play ~, sacrifice a creature."  If you don't have a creature, then you can't play the spell, and the copy fades into oblivion.  If you have Counterspell imprinted, you can pay 2 and activate the Scepter at any time, but if there's no target for it, you can't play it, so it disappears.  So, if you active the Scepter, you need to pay 3 to play the spell.  If you don't have it, then you don't get to play it.

The short answer:
It costs you 5, 2 for the activation of the Scepter (which is not a spell), and then 3 to play the copy.

[Jebus]

I need to clarify something very important here, since only a partially correct answer was given to the first question.

First thing's first, in both cases you can still activate the ability to create the copy.

Second thing, only the Orim's Chant will stop you from playing the copy.

Meddling Mage will NOT prevent you from playing the spell copied with the scepter, since it only stops you from playing the named "card".  The copy is not a card and is not affected by this restriction.

[colsmack86]

thanks, I wasn't completely sure but because of the "named CARD cant be played" on meddling mage i wasn't sure.  I have been playign it the way it works out.  With the activation sliding under the mage but being stopped by the scepter.

But what happens to the spell that is supposed to go on the stack from the scepter activation but can't because it can't be played. It just fizzles right?

[Jebus]

"Fizzle" is an obsolete term normally referring to a spell that is countered on resolution.

In the case of Chant vs. Scepter, you simply cannot play the spell, so you just don't do anything.  Then the copy that was created ceases to exist when state-based effects are checked.