Embodiment of Agonies — ruling 1

Every Magic card has either no mana cost or exactly one mana cost. A card with no mana cost is never counted by Embodiment of Agonies. A card with a mana cost of {0} is counted.

Embodiment of Agonies — ruling 2

Embodiment of Agonies checks the mana symbols in a card's mana cost. For example, a mana cost of {X} is different than a mana cost of {0}.

Embodiment of Agonies — ruling 3

Hybrid mana symbols are treated as the actual symbols, not as either of their two components individually. For example, {B/R}, {B}, and {R} are three different mana costs.

Embodiment of Agonies — ruling 4

The mana cost of a split card is determined by its two halves combined. For example, the mana cost of Fire//Ice in your graveyard is {2}{U}{R}, the same as the mana cost of Ral's Outburst.

Embodiment of Agonies — ruling 5

Alternative costs, additional costs you could pay, cost increases, and cost reductions are all ignored by Embodiment of Agonies.

Embodiment of Agonies — ruling 6

If you return Embodiment of Agonies from your graveyard to the battlefield, its last ability counts itself.

Embodiment of Agonies : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Embodiment of Agonies is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.

Official card text

Flying, deathtouch This creature enters with a +1/+1 counter on it for each different mana cost among nonland cards in your graveyard. (For example, and are different mana costs.)

How it works : Embodiment of Agonies

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1July 12, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
Every Magic card has either no mana cost or exactly one mana cost. A card with no mana cost is never counted by Embodiment of Agonies. A card with a mana cost of is counted.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2July 12, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
Embodiment of Agonies checks the mana symbols in a card's mana cost. For example, a mana cost of is different than a mana cost of .
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3July 12, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
Hybrid mana symbols are treated as the actual symbols, not as either of their two components individually. For example, , , and are three different mana costs.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4July 12, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
The mana cost of a split card is determined by its two halves combined. For example, the mana cost of Fire//Ice in your graveyard is , the same as the mana cost of Ral's Outburst.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5July 12, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
Alternative costs, additional costs you could pay, cost increases, and cost reductions are all ignored by Embodiment of Agonies.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6July 12, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
If you return Embodiment of Agonies from your graveyard to the battlefield, its last ability counts itself.
No other card is named in this ruling.