Some triggered abilities that state that you "may pay" a certain amount of {E} describe an effect that happens "If you do." In that case, no player may take actions to try to stop the ability's effect after you make your choice. If the payment is followed by the phrase "When you do," then you'll choose any targets for that reflexive triggered ability and put it on the stack before players can take actions.
Energy counters aren't mana. They don't go away as steps, phases, and turns end, and effects that add mana "of any type" can't give you energy counters.
If an effect says you get one or more {E}, you get that many energy counters. To pay one or more {E}, you lose that many energy counters. You can't pay more energy counters than you have. Any effects that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with energy counters.
Last observed on Scryfall 2 months ago at $0.94. Over the trailing 90 days the price moved between $0.02 and $1.06 across 49 observations. Cross-checked across TCGplayer, eBay sold, Cardmarket EU, and Star City.
This printing is one of 3 catalogued treatments from AER — the lineup includes Foil and Nonfoil alongside the standard finish. Across our catalog the Rarix library tracks every variant in the same family so collectors can compare price, scarcity and demand inside a single lineage.
Card #152 of *Aether Revolt*, the set that shipped alongside the January 2017 Aether Revolt release.
Card type: Legendary Artifact, printed at mythic. Mythic rares historically land in roughly one out of every eight boosters at standard print densities. Mana cost: {6} (6 converted).
Legal in Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, and Commander.
EDHrec ranks this card #3,385 in Commander, putting it in the niche-pick tier of the format's playable pool.
Illustrated by Vincent Proce. Rarix catalogs 537 other cards credited to this artist.
Magic: The Gathering · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast · Illus. Vincent Proce
Card data via Scryfall. Rarix is fan-made; not endorsed by the rights holders.
Some triggered abilities state that you "may pay" a certain amount of {E}. You can't pay that amount multiple times to multiply the effect. You simply choose whether or not to pay that amount of {E} as the ability resolves.
{E} is the energy symbol. It represents one energy counter.
Some spells and abilities that give you {E} may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't get any {E}.
Keep track of how many energy counters each player has. Potential ways to track this include writing theme down on paper or using dice, but any method that is clear and mutually agreeable is fine. (At higher levels of tournament play, dice may not be allowed for tracking counters that players have.)
Energy counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They're not associated with any specific permanents.
If a spell or ability with one or more targets states that you "may pay" some amount of {E}, and each permanent that it targets has become an illegal target, the spell or ability won't resolve. You can't pay any {E} even if you want to.
