The Colour of Mana

Happy Friday MTG peeps,

We can accurately prognosticate exactly what every Magic: the Gathering player will be talking about tonight while we are at OMG! Games here in Barrie, Ontario, Canada-Land for Friday Night Magic - the groundbreaking game-warping spoilers allegedly from the next set, Oath of the Gatewatch.  Before we get on with today's article, we will want to again repeat to only refer to the official Wizards of the Coast Magic: the Gathering website for official card previews.

Kozilek, the Great Distortion, Mirrorpool, and what appears to be a 'colourless' basic land 'Wastes' took the entire MTG gaming community by surprise.  One rather odd thing about these three spoilers were that all three were related in that they each appear to support the validity of the others - which have caused some gamers to suspect that these were no spoilers but carefully leaked previews from Wizards of the Coast.

In every corner of the internet where MTG fans congregate is on fire with discussions on these new cards.  First and foremost in these discussions is the introduction to the game of a new basic 'colourless' land.  Fortunately, some of the discussions have been cleaned up regarding validity of these spoilers when a 'trusted source' in communication with MTG Salvation Forum Moderators had essentially confirmed the cards real.  Furthermore, today, the same source confirmed that some significant rules changes were being introduced with this new land.  For reference, here are excerpts of the Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, effective as of November 13, 2015. 

105. Colors 105.1. There are five colors in the Magic game: white, blue, black, red, and green. 105.2. An object can be one or more of the five colors, or it can be no color at all. An object is the color or colors of the mana symbols in its mana cost, regardless of the color of its frame. An object’s color or colors may also be defined by a color indicator or a characteristic-defining ability. See rule 202.2. 

106. Mana 106.1. Mana is the primary resource in the game. Players spend mana to pay costs, usually when casting spells and activating abilities. 106.1a There are five colors of mana: white, blue, black, red, and green. 106.1b There are six types of mana: white, blue, black, red, green, and colorless. 

For years (and years) we have been able to pay any colour of mana, including colourless mana to pay for a spell which had a colourless mana cost.  Contrariwise, one is not able to pay a colourless mana (from a 'mana rock' for example) to pay for a spell which had one or more defined colours within the mana cost.  Inequality some will shout.

IF the new colourless 'diamond' mana thing is true, which we now personally beleive it is, our sympathies are presented to Mr. Matt Tabak, the Magic: the Gathering Rules Manager who had to amend the Comprehensive Rules, a herculean task for this.  We did roll through his tweets and other online submissions to glean when he had a nervous breakdown as a result of this major rules modification but it appears he either kept it together very well or has been replaced by an artificial doppelgänger.

Anywhoos, as for this new Oath of the Gatewatch 'mechanic', we can only speculate at the moment just how exactly the new colourless diamond may work.  A card with the 'diamond' mana symbol in its mana cost or activated ability may only be paid with that new basic land type.  After this, things get increasingly more intricate and complex.  
Does this affect 'devoid' spells? 
Can you use diamond mana to cast a colourless spell (like an artifact)?
How will this affect Commander rules (General Karn)?

We don't have any answers nor can we present any intelligent questions until we know more.  For now, we will simply say that from a storyline / vorthos point of view, this may be the most brilliant thing we've seen.  The Eldrazi Processors have ingested everything in their path essentially stripping the land and life from every last drop of mana energy, leaving a waste devoid of any colour.
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