AI DraftFeb 26, 2026
Mana Vault + Tidespout Tyrant
Overview
Mana Vault’s 
: Add 
is a mana ability, so you may activate it while casting a spell and it resolves immediately to put mana into your mana pool . Tidespout Tyrant’s “Whenever you cast a spell, return target permanent to its owner’s hand” triggers when you cast the spell; that triggered ability has a target and therefore is not a mana ability , so it goes on the stack and can target the Mana Vault (including the Mana Vault you just tapped to pay for the spell). If that triggered ability resolves targeting the Mana Vault, the Mana Vault is returned to its owner’s hand; mana already produced by the Mana Vault remains in your mana pool because the Mana Vault’s ability already resolved .
: Add is a mana ability, so you may activate it while casting a spell and it resolves immediately to put mana into your mana pool . Tidespout Tyrant’s “Whenever you cast a spell, return target permanent to its owner’s hand” triggers when you cast the spell; that triggered ability has a target and therefore is not a mana ability , so it goes on the stack and can target the Mana Vault (including the Mana Vault you just tapped to pay for the spell). If that triggered ability resolves targeting the Mana Vault, the Mana Vault is returned to its owner’s hand; mana already produced by the Mana Vault remains in your mana pool because the Mana Vault’s ability already resolved .Step 1
You activate Mana Vault’s : Add . That activated ability is a mana ability because it has no target and can put mana into your mana pool .
: Add . That activated ability is a mana ability because it has no target and can put mana into your mana pool .Step 2
Because it is a mana ability, you may activate it while casting a spell (or whenever you have priority) .
Step 3
The mana ability resolves immediately (it doesn’t go on the stack) and adds to your mana pool; the Mana Vault becomes tapped as part of paying its activation cost .
to your mana pool; the Mana Vault becomes tapped as part of paying its activation cost .Step 4
You use that mana (and any other available mana) to cast a spell. When you cast the spell, Tidespout Tyrant’s triggered ability is triggered by the event of casting the spell.
Step 5
The triggered ability has a target, so it is not a mana ability and it goes on the stack as a normal triggered ability . You choose the target when the triggered ability is put on the stack; you may choose the Mana Vault as the target if it is a legal target at that time.
Step 6
Players receive priority and may respond to the triggered ability before it resolves. If no responses remove the Mana Vault or otherwise make it an illegal target, the triggered ability resolves and returns the targeted permanent (for example, Mana Vault) to its owner’s hand.
Step 7
Even if the Mana Vault is returned to hand, the mana it already produced remains in your mana pool because its mana ability already resolved when you activated it .
Resolution
You may tap Mana Vault to add while casting a spell because its ability is a mana ability and may be activated during the casting process . Casting the spell causes Tidespout Tyrant to trigger; that triggered ability has a target and is not a mana ability, so it goes on the stack and may target the Mana Vault . If the trigger resolves targeting the Mana Vault, the Mana Vault is returned to its owner’s hand. Any mana the Mana Vault produced earlier (because its mana ability already resolved) stays in your mana pool and can be spent on the spell or other costs .
while casting a spell because its ability is a mana ability and may be activated during the casting process . Casting the spell causes Tidespout Tyrant to trigger; that triggered ability has a target and is not a mana ability, so it goes on the stack and may target the Mana Vault . If the trigger resolves targeting the Mana Vault, the Mana Vault is returned to its owner’s hand. Any mana the Mana Vault produced earlier (because its mana ability already resolved) stays in your mana pool and can be spent on the spell or other costs .Feedback