Convoke

Convoke
[[File:{{#setmainimage:MTGA Convoke.png}}|70x70px]]
Keyword Ability
Type	Static
Introduced	Ravnica: City of Guilds
Last used	Duskmourn: House of Horror
Reminder Text	Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for or one mana of that creature's color.)
Storm Scale	4
Statistics	82 cards 28% 13.4% 13.4% 8.5% 22% 1.2% 6.1% 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% 3.7%
Scryfall Search
keyword:"Convoke"

Convoke is a keyword ability first associated with the Selesnya guild from Ravnica: City of Guilds. The mechanic was originally devised by Richard Garfield.

Description

Convoke works by allowing a player to tap creatures rather than pay some of the mana cost of a spell. Each creature that is tapped pays for either or one mana of one of the creature's colors. By nature, this is a green ability, turning green's affinity for creatures into a way to accelerate big spells; though as the Selesnya guild mechanic it is also found in white, a color also known for having many creatures. Nonetheless, in Magic 2015 there are convoke spells of all colors and on artifacts.

History

Originally, convoke was an additional cost that reduced the cost in mana. With the return of convoke in Magic 2015, the rules for convoke changed to their current form as an alternative way of paying a mana cost. This affects how it interacts with, for example, Eldrazi Spawn tokens' sacrifice-based mana ability (mana abilities must be activated before paying costs), and effects such as Trinisphere that care about total costs. Its return in Guilds of Ravnica made it the only Guild mechanic in thirty that was repeated from a previous set. It also introduced Venerated Loxodon, the first card that referenced the creatures that convoked it.

In March of the Machine it was focused in blue and red for the first time, putting it in the two creature-lightest colors. This gave it a different spin as it could be costed in a different fashion.

After its original appearance, Convoke was a returning mechanic in Future Sight, Magic 2015, Guilds of Ravnica, and Modern Horizons. and . It also appeared in New Capenna Commander, Thunder Junction Commander and Modern Horizons 3. As of 2024, it has become deciduous.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Convoke

A keyword ability that lets you tap creatures rather than pay mana to cast a spell. See rule 702.51, “Convoke.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 702.51. Convoke
  • 702.51a Convoke is a static ability that functions while the spell with convoke is on the stack. “Convoke” means “For each colored mana in this spell’s total cost, you may tap an untapped creature of that color you control rather than pay that mana. For each generic mana in this spell’s total cost, you may tap an untapped creature you control rather than pay that mana.”
  • 702.51b The convoke ability isn’t an additional or alternative cost and applies only after the total cost of the spell with convoke is determined.

    Example: Heartless Summoning says, in part, “Creature spells you cast cost {2} less to cast.” You control Heartless Summoning and cast Siege Wurm, a spell with convoke that costs {5}{G}{G}. The total cost to cast Siege Wurm is {3}{G}{G}. After activating mana abilities, you pay that total cost. You may tap up to two green creatures and up to three other creatures to pay that cost, and the remainder is paid with mana.

  • 702.51c A creature tapped to pay for mana in a spell’s total cost this way is said to have “convoked” that spell.
  • 702.51d Multiple instances of convoke on the same spell are redundant.

Rulings

• You can tap only untapped creatures you control to pay for a spell with convoke that you cast.
• Creatures tapped by convoke cannot be used to attack
• You can use creatures with summoning sickness to pay for Convoke costs.
• Convoke doesn’t change a spell’s mana cost or converted mana cost. For example, the converted mana cost of Endless Obedience is 6 even if you tapped six creatures to cast it.
• When calculating a spell’s total cost, include any alternative costs, additional costs, or anything else that increases or reduces the cost to cast the spell. Convoke applies after the total cost is calculated.
• Because convoke isn’t an alternative cost, it can be used in conjunction with alternative costs.
• Tapping a multicolored creature using convoke will pay for or one mana of your choice of any of that creature’s colors.
• When using convoke to cast a spell with in its mana cost, first choose the value for X. That choice, plus any cost increases or decreases, will determine the spell’s total cost. Then you can tap creatures you control to help pay that cost. For example, if you cast Chord of Calling (a spell with convoke and mana cost ) and choose X to be 3, the total cost is . If you tap two green creatures and two red creatures, you’ll have to pay .
• If a creature you control has a mana ability with in the cost, activating that ability while casting a spell with convoke will result in the creature being tapped when you pay the spell’s costs. You won’t be able to tap it again for convoke. Similarly, if you sacrifice a creature to activate a mana ability while casting a spell with convoke, that creature won’t be on the battlefield when you pay the spell’s costs, so you won’t be able to tap it for convoke.

Examples

Example 1

Conclave Equenaut
Creature — Human Soldier
3/3
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for or one mana of that creature's color.)
Flying

Example 2

Siege Wurm
Creature — Wurm
5/5
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for or one mana of that creature's color.)
Trample

Cards that grant Convoke

• Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia (Noncreature spells)
• Chief Engineer (Artifact spells)
• Fallaji Wayfarer (Multicolored spells)
• Flockchaser Phantom (Attack trigger)
• Hoarding Broodlord (Spells from exile)
• Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia (Noncreature spells from exile)
• Wand of the Worldsoul ( ability)

Cards that care about the number of creatures that convoked it

• Ancient Imperiosaur
• Lethal Scheme
• Knight-Errant of Eos
• Venerated Loxodon
• Zephyr Singer

Cards that care about spells with Convoke

• Kasla, the Broken Halo
• Joyful Stormsculptor
• Saint Traft and Rem Karolus

Trivia

• The original symbol for Convoke on Magic: The Gathering Arena, prior to March of the Machine, was the Selesnya Conclave guild mark.

See also

• Improvise, a similar ability using artifacts