Casting a prototyped spell isn't the same as casting it for an alternative cost, and an alternative cost may be applied to a spell cast this way. For example, if an effect allows you to cast an artifact card without paying its mana cost, you could either cast Blitz Automaton normally, or as a prototyped spell.
When cast as a prototyped spell, that spell has the mana cost, power, and toughness characteristics shown in its colored, secondary text box rather than the normal values of those characteristics. Its color and mana value are determined by that mana cost. The permanent that spell becomes as it resolves has the same characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack in any other way, or the permanent it becomes leaves the battlefield, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics.
When casting a prototyped spell, use only its prototype characteristics to determine whether it's legal to cast it. For example, if Blitz Automaton is exiled with the last ability of Chandra, Dressed to Kill, you would be able to cast it for {2}{R} (because it's a red spell), even though you wouldn't be able to cast it as a colorless spell for its normal cost.
Last observed on Scryfall 2 months ago at $1.79. Over the trailing 90 days the price moved between $1.51 and $1.79 across 53 observations. Cross-checked across TCGplayer, eBay sold, Cardmarket EU, and Star City.
This printing is one of 3 catalogued treatments from PBRO — 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 #203p of *The Brothers' War Promos*, the promotional run that shipped alongside the November 2022 The Brothers' War release.
Card type: Artifact Creature — Golem, color identity green, printed at mythic. Mythic rares historically land in roughly one out of every eight boosters at standard print densities. Mana cost: {5} (5 converted). Keyword abilities: Prototype.
Legal across the major constructed formats — Modern, Legacy, Vintage, and Commander — plus Standard rotation play.
EDHrec ranks this card #12,873 in Commander, putting it in the fringe-play tier of the format's playable pool.
Illustrated by Leon Tukker. Rarix catalogs 177 other cards credited to this artist.
Magic: The Gathering · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast · Illus. Leon Tukker
Card data via Scryfall. Rarix is fan-made; not endorsed by the rights holders.
The prototype ability functions in any zone that the spell could be cast from. For example, if an effect allows you to cast artifact spells from your graveyard, you could cast a prototyped Blitz Automaton from your graveyard.
If an effect copies a prototyped spell, that copy (as well as the token it becomes on the battlefield) will have the same characteristics as the prototyped spell. Similarly, if an effect creates a token that's a copy of a prototyped permanent or causes another permanent to become a copy of it, the copy would have the same characteristics as the prototyped permanent.
Use Rootwire Amalgam's power as it existed the last time it was on the battlefield (not the power of the creature card in the graveyard) to determine the value of X.
A prototype card is a colorless card in every zone except the stack or the battlefield, as well as while on the stack or the battlefield if not cast as a prototyped spell. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it's in your graveyard, Blitz Automaton is a colorless creature card with mana value 7. It can't be the target of Recommission, a spell that targets an artifact or creature card with mana value 3 or less in your graveyard.
Regardless of how it was cast, a prototype card always has the same name, abilities, types, and so on. Only the mana cost, mana value, color, power, and toughness change depending on whether the card was cast as a prototyped spell.
