Convoke
Convoke is a keyword ability first associated with the Selesnya guild from Ravnica: City of Guilds.[2] The mechanic was originally devised by Richard Garfield.
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.
From the Comprehensive Rules (November 8, 2024—Edge of Eternities)
- 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.
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.
Convoke in Practice
Convoke is oriented to set creatures as sources for spells, there are some great spells for Convoke, Chord of Calling is a great option to cheat in creatures into play and then fortify board state as Ancient Imperiosaur enters the battlefield puts two +1/+1 counters on the creatures that convoked it.
- 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.
