Snapcaster Mage and Fire/Ice (or other split cards)

[LotusHead]

Flash
When Snapcaster Mage enters the battlefield, target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost. (You may cast that card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

Would the flashbacked cost be 2RU, or 1R or 1U depending on what side is flashed back.

I assume that the card fire/ice gains flashback equal to it's casting cost (that is, 1U for Ice, 1R for Fire), but I know Dark Confidant reveals Fire/Ice for 4dmg due to it's wording of converted mana cost of the card..

I would like some clarification/confirmation.

Thanks in advance.

[Clariax]

Fire would cost 1 to flashback, Ice would cost 1 .  The mana cost of Fire/Ice is never 2 , it's 1 and 1 .  And the converted mana cost is 2 and 2.  As such, a Dark Confidant revealing Fire/Ice cause you to lose 2 and 2 life, which ends up adding up to 4.  Dark Confidant doesn't actually see it having a CMC of 4 (because it doesn't).

[H]

You couldn't Spell Snare either Fire nor Ice though, correct?

[bluemage55]

You couldn't Spell Snare either Fire nor Ice though, correct?

You can.  When a split card is cast you choose one of the spells, and on the stack it has the CMC of the chosen spell.

[Clariax]

On the stack, all that exists is either Fire or Ice, whichever is cast, and either one will have a CMC of 2.  What's more, anything in any other zone which asks if Fire/Ice has a CMC of 2 will get a "yes."  Void with 2 being the chosen number will result in Fire/Ice being discarded.  If 4 is the chosen number, Fire/Ice will not be discarded.  The CMC of Fire/Ice is "2 and 2," not 4.

You couldn't Spell Snare either Fire nor Ice though, correct?

[AmbivalentDuck]

When you choose Snapcaster's target, you don't have to specify a side of the split card that you're targeting?  Ie. You can target the split card, wait a phase or two, then decide which side to play?

[RichardD]

When you choose Snapcaster's target, you don't have to specify a side of the split card that you're targeting?  Ie. You can target the split card, wait a phase or two, then decide which side to play?

Correct.

[Stormanimagus]

What about revealing Fire//Ice to Counterbalance? It is then 4 because Converted Mana Cost is 4 right?

-Storm

[Delha]

7/15/2006 If an opponent casts half of a split card (for example, Hit), and you reveal a split card where half of it has the same converted mana cost (for example, Hit/Run or Stand/Deliver), Counterbalance will counter the spell.

[Stormanimagus]

7/15/2006 If an opponent casts half of a split card (for example, Hit), and you reveal a split card where half of it has the same converted mana cost (for example, Hit/Run or Stand/Deliver), Counterbalance will counter the spell.

What about if an opponent casts a non-split card that is CMC 4 like Jace? Will Fire//Ice revealed by counterbalance counter Jace?

-Storm

[Delha]

No, split cards are always recognized as having two costs. We use the exact same logic for determining CMC in all cases, meaning they always count as both X and Y. On cards like Confidant, since both CMCs apply, you end up adding the two together, but for other cards that just do a comparison, you effectively end up doing two comparisons.

Fire/Ice isn't so good of an example because the two halves are both cost 2, so let's use Assault/Battery instead.

AssaultSorcery, R (1)
Assault deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

Battery
Sorcery, 3G (4)
Put a 3/3 green Elephant creature token onto the battlefield.

If you flip Assault/Battery to Counterbalance, it will see a CMC 1 and a CMC 4. The Battery half matches in CMC, so the ability will counter your opponent's Jace. Let's also say your opponent doesn't understand how it works, and tries to Stifle the first Counterbalance trigger. CMC 1 and 4 both come up again, and this time the Assault half matches, and Stifle will be countered. You effectively get twice the Counterbalance coverage for no extra effort.

This is similar to how you can use Violent Outburst (CMC 3) to Cascade into Boom/Bust (CMC 2/CMC 6), then cast Bust for free, or activate Panoptic Mirror for 2 to imprint Boom/Bust, then on each subsequent upkeep choose a side to cast for free.

[Stormanimagus]

No, split cards are always recognized as having two costs. We use the exact same logic for determining CMC in all cases, meaning they always count as both X and Y. On cards like Confidant, since both CMCs apply, you end up adding the two together, but for other cards that just do a comparison, you effectively end up doing two comparisons.

Fire/Ice isn't so good of an example because the two halves are both cost 2, so let's use Assault/Battery instead.

AssaultSorcery, R (1)
Assault deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

Battery
Sorcery, 3G (4)
Put a 3/3 green Elephant creature token onto the battlefield.

If you flip Assault/Battery to Counterbalance, it will see a CMC 1 and a CMC 4. The Battery half matches in CMC, so the ability will counter your opponent's Jace. Let's also say your opponent doesn't understand how it works, and tries to Stifle the first Counterbalance trigger. CMC 1 and 4 both come up again, and this time the Assault half matches, and Stifle will be countered. You effectively get twice the Counterbalance coverage for no extra effort.

This is similar to how you can use Violent Outburst (CMC 3) to Cascade into Boom/Bust (CMC 2/CMC 6), then cast Bust for free, or activate Panoptic Mirror for 2 to imprint Boom/Bust, then on each subsequent upkeep choose a side to cast for free.

Thanks for the clarification. That is very good to know.

-Storm

[Delha]

Glad to help.