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I'm trying to code a card that costs W normally so that I can cast it from exile by paying only 1 colorless mana. I'm not sure how to go about coding this, though I'm guessing it needs to be through some utility ability. If anyone could be so kind as to provide advice on how to do this or code with annotations, I would be very grateful. Thanks in advance for all of your help.

You can do it as alternate casting cost. For an example of a card with an alternate casting cost look at Force of Will.

Force of Will Alt Casting Cost | Open

Code: Select all

   <UTILITY_ABILITY qualifier="Alternate">
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="en-US"><![CDATA[You may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay Force of Will’s mana cost.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <COST type="Life" amount="1" />
      <COST type="Exile" definition="0" compartment="1" query_tag="CARD_QUERY_CHOOSE_CARD_TO_EXILE" item_count="1" amount="1" />
      <COST_DEFINITION id="0">
    local filter = ClearFilter()
    filter:SetZone( ZONE_HAND, EffectController() )
    filter:Add( FE_COLOUR, OP_IS, COLOUR_BLUE)
    filter:Add( FE_CARD_INSTANCE, OP_NOT, EffectSource())
    </COST_DEFINITION>
      <ABILITY_TEXT tag="CARD_QUERY_FORCE_OF_WILL_PAY_1_LIFE_AND_EXILE_BLUE_CARD" />
   </UTILITY_ABILITY>

Now in your case you do not need the loss of 1 life or to exile a card. You can delete all of the cost blocks in the Force of Will alternate casting cost and replace with a simple <COST mana_cost="{1}" type="Mana" />. Now you just have to make sure you can only use the ability from the exile zone. For that you'll need to set the active zone. See if this works.

Cast from Exile | Open

Code: Select all

   <UTILITY_ABILITY qualifier="Alternate" active_zone="ZONE_EXILE">
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="en-US"><![CDATA[{1}: Cast this card from exile.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <COST mana_cost="{1}" type="Mana" />
   </UTILITY_ABILITY>