Skeletal Scrying

[Trofast]

I'm not sure how to play Skeletal Scrying.

Do I pay U and then an amount of colorless mana that is equal to the number of cards in my graveyard I wish to remove and then draw X cards.
Or do I pay U and then remove X cards in my graveyard and draw X cards?

I know this sounds very very stupid, but I have no idea.

[goober]

It's B, and you need to pay X colorless, and remove X cards, and lose X life (as an effect, not cost).

[Trofast]

Ah, ok so 3U will result in drawing 3 cards, loosing 3 life and remove 3 cards from grave.

[Limbo]

To specify, the card has 2 distinct effects. First, when announcing it, you have to pay all the costs involved in the spell. So that would include any mana costs (XB in this case), and removing X cards from your graveyard (remember, that since it is part of the cost, you can only cast a scrying wit a maximum of the total number of cards in your graveyard, and you cannot remove the scrying itself, since it is on the stack, not in your graveyard).

When all costs are played, the scrying is on the stack. If it isn't countered, then you get to draw X cards and loose X life. The lifeloss doesnt occur if the scrying is countered as it isnt required in addition to the casting cost.

To address one last point, suppose you have a platinum angel in play, and are at 0 (zero) life. The angel will prevent you from dying. At this point, you CAN cast a skeletal scrying, as the lifeloss is part of the resolving spell (putting you effectively at -X life). You CANNOT use fetchlands, yawgmoths bargain, necropotence or the alternate casting cost of force of will however, since those spells require you to pay life upon announcing the ability/spell.

Hope this clears it all up.

[DEA]

how do you cast scrying with blue mana?
U is blue, not black

basically you cast the scrying for BX where X = any number you want it to be (provided you have the mana available) and at the same time you pay the mana costs you remove the cards from the graveyard

when it resolves you lose X life and draw X cards

[Trofast]

how do you cast scrying with blue mana?
U is blue, not black

Hehe, sorry my mistake. I should have wrote 3B.

Thanks btw, I wasn't aware that you had to remove cards in the grave at the same time as casting the spell. Thus it makes the spell dangreous if it's countered.

Thanks ppl  

[Jebus]

Hehe, sorry my mistake. I should have wrote 3B.

Thanks btw, I wasn't aware that you had to remove cards in the grave at the same time as casting the spell. Thus it makes the spell dangreous if it's countered.

Thanks ppl  

Any spell that tells you to do something "as an additional cost" require you to do that action during announcement when you pay costs for the spell.