X

For the character, see X (character).

X is a variable; a number that needs to be determined.

Mechanic
Introduced	Alpha
Last used	Evergreen
Scryfall Statistics
2012 cards with X in text box 8.7% 8% 11.8% 15.7% 16.2% 18.1% 21.6%
542 cards with {X} in mana cost 3.7% 7.9% 16.8% 13.5% 19.7% 19.6% 18.8%
323 cards with {X} in text box 15.8% 9.6% 14.9% 9.6% 12.7% 13.9% 23.5%

Description

On a Magic card, X can appear in three different locations:

• A variable in the mana cost of an X-spell or ability, i.e. or {X}.
• A variable in the activation cost of an ability or the additional costs of a spell, such as removing X loyalty counters, sacrificing X creatures, or paying X .
• A variable in the effect of a spell or ability, such as "gain X life" or "deal X damage". This is usually determined by the X value given to one or both of the aforementioned variables.

X-spells

X-spell is Magic: The Gathering jargon used to describe a spell with a variable cost which the caster sets when announcing the spell. They are called X-spells due to the symbol in the casting cost. Phyrexian Marauder (Visions) was the first card to ever have a mana cost of just , but multiple cards in Alpha were X spells. Ravenous is the only mechanic intrinsically tied to X spells.

In most cases, X may be paid with any color of mana. Exceptions are Drain Life, Consume Spirit, Crypt Rats' ability (only black mana may be spent on X), Soul Burn (only black or red mana may be spent on X). Atalya, Samite Master's ability (only white mana may be spent on X), Crimson Hellkite's ability (only red mana may be spent on X), and Emblazoned Golem's kicker (only one mana of each color can be spent). Clay Champion and Bladecoil Serpent use a different design to require specific colored mana, but players could pay non-functional X costs if they desire. Converge cards Skyrider Elf, Prismatic Ending and Sweep the Skies as well as the Sunburst card Engineered Explosives use X in cost but not in the text, which also let players spend arbitrary amounts of mana for zero effect: in this instance, they desire differently colored mana which caps the effect at five.

An X in the mana cost or rules text is the number one thing about the game that confuses players, as determined by the questions sent to Wizards of the Coast's Customer Service. In recent years, the majority of X-spells have been printed at rare. From 2013 to 2025 only four X-spells were printed in Standard-legal sets at common rarity: Slice from the Shadows, Pedal to the Metal, Fractal Summoning and multiple reprints of Syncopate. Secrets of Strixhaven bent this rule with three common X spells, as it is a way to trigger Increment and sometimes Opus without overloading on expensive spells. As hydras are typically linked with X costs or other complex growth mechanics, it took until Modern Horizons 3, a non-Standard set, to print a common iteration of green's iconic creature on Nyxborn Hydra.

Some cards use in their mana cost, the first being Part Water. Astral Cornucopia was the first card to ever have a mana cost including , with Crackle with Power and Doppelgang being the only other cards with the cost of .

Unbound Flourishing doubles the value of any X costs. Multiple cards across Secrets of Strixhaven and Secrets of Strixhaven Commander care about casting and playing X spells.

X-abilties

• Elementalist's Palette, Troyan, Gutsy Explorer, Helga, Skittish Seer and Rosheen Meanderer have mana abilities that can specifically boost X costs. Nexos grants lands a similarly restricted ability. Inversely, Titan's Nest specifies its mana can't be spent on such costs.
• As of Secrets of Strixhaven, 286 cards have an ability with in its text. Illusionary Mask (Alpha) was the first card to ever have an ability printed with in its cost, but Clockwork Beast (Alpha)'s oracle text was later updated to include an cost.
• Twenty-three cards have an ability with in its cost, first appearing on Voodoo Doll (Legends).
• The Mana Rig (Dominaria United Commander) is the first and only card with an ability that has in its cost.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (April 17, 2026—Secrets of Strixhaven)

X

A placeholder for a number that needs to be determined. See rule 107.3.

From the Comprehensive Rules (April 17, 2026—Secrets of Strixhaven)

• 107.3. Many objects use the letter X as a placeholder for a number that needs to be determined. Some objects have abilities that define the value of X; the rest let their controller choose the value of X.
  • 107.3a If a spell or activated ability has a mana cost, alternative cost, additional cost, and/or activation cost with an {X}, [-X], or X in it, and the value of X isn’t defined by the text of that spell or ability, the controller of that spell or ability chooses and announces the value of X as part of casting the spell or activating the ability. (See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”) While a spell is on the stack, any X in its mana cost or in any alternative cost or additional cost it has equals the announced value. While an activated ability is on the stack, any X in its activation cost equals the announced value.
  • 107.3b If a player is casting a spell that has an {X} in its mana cost, the value of X isn’t defined by the text of that spell, and an effect lets that player cast that spell while paying neither its mana cost nor an alternative cost that includes X, then the only legal choice for X is 0. This doesn’t apply to effects that only reduce a cost, even if they reduce it to zero. See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”
  • 107.3c If a spell or activated ability has an {X}, [-X], or X in its cost and/or its text, and the value of X is defined by the text of that spell or ability, then that’s the value of X while that spell or ability is on the stack. The controller of that spell or ability doesn’t get to choose the value. Note that the value of X may change while that spell or ability is on the stack.
  • 107.3d If a cost associated with a special action, such as a suspend cost or a morph cost, has an {X} or an X in it, the value of X is chosen by the player taking the special action immediately before they pay that cost.
  • 107.3e If a spell or ability refers to the {X} or X in the mana cost, alternative cost, additional cost, or activation cost of another object, any X in that spell or ability’s text uses the value of X used by the other object.
  • 107.3f Sometimes X appears in the text of a spell or ability but not in a mana cost, alternative cost, additional cost, or activation cost. If the value of X isn’t defined, the controller of the spell or ability chooses the value of X at the appropriate time (either as it’s put on the stack or as it resolves).
  • 107.3g If a card in any zone other than the stack has an {X} in its mana cost, the value of {X} is treated as 0, even if the value of X is defined somewhere within its text.
  • 107.3h If an effect instructs a player to pay an object’s mana cost that includes {X}, the value of X is treated as 0 unless the object is a spell on the stack. In that case, the value of X is the value chosen or determined for it as the spell was cast.
  • 107.3i Normally, all instances of X on an object have the same value at any given time.
  • 107.3j If an object gains an ability, the value of X within that ability is the value defined by that ability, or 0 if that ability doesn’t define a value of X. This is an exception to rule 107.3i. This may occur with ability-adding effects, text-changing effects, or copy effects.
  • 107.3k If an object’s activated ability has an {X}, [-X], or X in its activation cost, the value of X for that ability is independent of any other values of X chosen for that object or for other instances of abilities of that object. This is an exception to rule 107.3i.
  • 107.3m If an object’s enters-the-battlefield triggered ability or replacement effect refers to X, and the spell that became that object as it resolved had a value of X chosen for any of its costs, the value of X for that ability is the same as the value of X for that spell, although the value of X for that permanent is 0. This is an exception to rule 107.3i.
  • 107.3n If a delayed triggered ability created by a resolving spell or ability refers to X, X is not defined in the text of that triggered ability, and the spell or ability that created it had a value of X chosen for any of its costs, the value of X for the triggered ability is the same as the value of X for the spell of ability that created it.
  • 107.3p Some objects use the letter Y in addition to the letter X. Y follows the same rules as X.

Examples

Example 1

Blaze
Sorcery
Blaze deals X damage to any target.

Example 2

Ivy Elemental
Creature — Elemental
0/0
Ivy Elemental comes into play with X +1/+1 counters on it.

Rulings

• If a spell or ability has a cost with an "" in it, the value of X must be announced as part of playing the spell or ability. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.") While the spell or ability is on the stack, the in its mana cost equals the amount announced as part of playing the spell or ability. If a card in any other zone has in its mana cost, the amount is treated as 0. If you're playing a spell that has in its mana cost and an effect lets you play it without paying any cost that includes , the only legal choice for is 0. This does not apply to effects that only reduce a cost, even if they reduce it to zero. See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities."
• If a cost associated with a special action, such as a suspend cost or a morph cost, has an "" in it, the value of is chosen by the player taking the special action as he or she pays that cost.
• In triggered abilities, X is defined when the ability resolves. It may be defined by the text of the ability, by a keyword ability of the card, or by the trigger event. See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities."
• In other cases, X is defined by the text of a spell or ability. If X isn't defined, the controller of the spell or ability chooses the value of X. All Xs on an object have the same value.
• A mana cost of means that you pay twice X. If you want X to be 3, you pay 6 for the in the spell's mana cost. Likewise, a mana cost of means that you pay three times X, and so forth.

"Choose a number"

A related design that R&D hasn't used much is the "choose a number" mechanic. The idea with this subset of spells is that it gives the caster a range of numbers to choose from. Unlike X spells, though, higher numbers shouldn't always mean stronger effects, so designing these cards is a bit trickier.

Examples

• Shapeshifter
• Scrying Glass
• Void
• Squee's Revenge
• Talion, the Kindly Lord
• By Invitation Only

Trivia

• The mana cost symbols and (with the same function as ) are obsolete. has been used on the Beatdown Box printing of Fireball, was only used on the silver-bordered The Ultimate Nightmare of Wizards of the Coast® Customer Service and the playtest card Experiment Five.
• Six cards use the letter Y in addition to the letter X. Y follows the same rules as X. One is noted above.
  • Two old cards, Snowblind and Aspect of Wolf, would likely not use templating that requires Y if such a design were printed nowadays.
  • Phyrexian Ingester and Bioplasm use X/Y as they add the power and toughness of creature cards to their own power and toughness. Souvenir T-Shirt does the same as an equipment.
  • Comet Storm and Strength of the Tajuru have a Multikicker cost of , which functionally acts as a Y cost as they also have in their cost.
• The character X is the master spy of the Agents of S.N.E.A.K..
• X is the expansion symbol for Tenth Edition.
• Wizards of the Coast R&D is part of Studio X.