While resolving Nicol Bolas’s second ability, each opponent chooses which cards to exile from their hand. If the card has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Tormenting Voice, you must pay those to cast the card. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs, such as emerge costs. If you don’t cast the card exiled by Nicol Bolas’s first ability that turn, it will remain exiled.

For example, if the card is a creature card, you can cast that card only during your main phase while the stack is empty.

You may cast the nonland card exiled by Nicol Bolas’s first ability that turn even if Nicol Bolas is no longer on the battlefield or under your control.Ĭasting the card exiled with Nicol Bolas’s first ability follows the normal timing rules for casting that card. The cards exiled by Nicol Bolas’s first and second abilities are exiled face up.

Nicol bolas god pharaoh