What is a mana ability?

A mana ability is a specific type of activated ability in Magic: The Gathering that produces mana, the game's primary resource used to cast spells. Mana abilities can be activated at any time, including during an opponent's turn, and do not use the stack, meaning they cannot be responded to.

Mana abilities are typically denoted by the tap symbol (Ⓣ) and the name of the color or type of mana they produce (e.g. Ⓣ: add {G} to your mana pool for a green mana ability). Some cards also have mana abilities that can produce multiple colors of mana or colorless mana.

Mana abilities are crucial for casting spells and activating abilities in Magic: The Gathering, and players must carefully manage their mana resources to effectively play their cards and win the game.