
Karn's Sylex
Karn's Sylex enters tapped. Players can't pay life to cast spells or to activate abilities that aren't mana abilities. {X}, {T}, Exile Karn's Sylex: Destroy each nonland permanent with mana value X or less. Activate only as a sorcery.
Rulings (5)
Sep 9, 2022 · If a spell or an activated ability that isn’t a mana ability has a cost that requires a player to pay life, that spell or ability can’t be cast or activated.
Sep 9, 2022 · Other things may still cause players to pay life, such as a resolving spell or ability.
Sep 9, 2022 · Players may always pay 0 life, even if an effect says they can’t pay life.
Sep 9, 2022 · Activated abilities contain a colon. They’re generally written “[Cost]: [Effect].” Some keyword abilities are activated abilities (such as cycling) and will have colons in their reminder text.
Sep 9, 2022 · An activated mana ability is one that produces mana as it resolves, not one that costs mana to activate.
Where it’s played now
Inclusion by archetype
| Archetype | Format | Inclusion | Copies | Decks (n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eldrazi | Legacy | 18.8% | 1× | 16 |
| Tron | Modern | 11.7% | 1× | 171 |
| Tron | Legacy | 2.1% | 1–2× | 145 |