Baral's Expertise

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. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Cathartic Reunion, you must pay those to cast the card.

2017-02-09

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.

2017-02-09

If the Expertise spell you cast has any targets, and those targets become illegal before the spell resolves, the spell doesn't resolve and none of its effects happen. You won't get to cast a free spell.

2017-02-09

A card's mana value is determined solely by the mana symbols printed in its upper right corner. The mana value is the total amount of mana in that cost, regardless of color. For example, a card with mana cost has mana value 3. Ignore any alternative costs, additional costs, cost increases, or cost reductions that could apply to it. A card with no mana cost has a mana value of 0.

2017-02-09