Sprout Swarm is a underestimated card in my opinion. it has convoke And buyback this works out quite well in a saporling or any green weenie deck. at the end of your opponents turn if you have a bunch of mana or creatures lying around not tapped out then why not make some saporlings, it doesn't even cost card flow =D?
in a casual game this is in between fun/awesome in a competitive setting it shouldn't be one of your first choices.
Arachibutyrophobia
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Pretty good. It helped me get my personal record of 1267 saprolings in play at once. (I also had a Rhys the Redeemed)
Rudyardo
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
It pays for itself. Can slow the game down a bit, but plenty of fun.
holgir
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
As soon as you have Intruder Alarm, three lands and three creatures (one of them green) untapped in play and Sprout Swarm in hand, you can produce as many saprolings as you like - if no disruption gets in your way.
Nice card, putting in my fungus deck when it arrives, just keep on putting sapprolings ouut for free until you run out of creatures to tap, which considering the fact that there are four mycoloths, will never happen.
My deck can get over 5000 tokens out at once.
KarmasPayment
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Yes, you can Tap creatures for convoke costs that don't have haste just like you can tap wizards that don't have haste for Azami, Lady of Scrolls ability (and herself the same turn you cast her). Nice trick with Arboria and instant speed cards.
achilleselbow
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
If the opponent isn't running something like a Shrivel or Pyroclasm, this with a Memory Crystal out is basically game over after a couple of turns.
Guest475239231
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
If you have Doubling Season and Ashnod's Altar in play, you can generate infinite saprolings.
Cast Sprout Swarm, then tap your two saprolings to pay for 1 G and 1 colorless of the convoke cost. Then, sacrifice both tokens to Ashnod's Altar for 4 colorless. Use 3 of those colorless to pay for the buyback cost and cast it again. You now have 2 saprolings in play and 1 colorless mana in your mana pool. After a few more repetitions of this, you will have 4 colorless mana in your mana pool.
Now, cast Sprout Swarm again for 2 saproling tokens. This time, tap 1 saproling token to convoke for 1 G and use your 4 colorless mana to pay for the rest of the casting cost and the buyback cost. Now, you have 4 saprolings in play.
Rinse and repeat into infinity.
Beekhead
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is my favorite card in Magic: The Gathering. It is awesome! I have a saproling deck built entirely around 4 of these. After I get 5-10 saprolings in play (which is anywhere between 2 and 5 turns), it's pretty much the end of the world as you know it. And guess what, you can't attack me.
Edit: If I'm reading the rules properly, you can use convoke even if the creatures have summoning sickness, correct? If so, DEFINITELY favorite card in the game.
Edit: To the guest who posted on 9/4/2010, you can't do that. If you put two saprolings into play from Sprout Swarm, then that means you have payed for the casting cost of the card and let the card resolve, and you can't do things in response to it being cast that would allow you to pay the buyback cost because the spell has already resolved and is already in your graveyard.
ROBRAM89
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(7 votes)
As a design geek, I love the synergy here. This is what recycling mechanics freely can get you.
jacktheinvisible
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
You only need one card to make this infinite. Intruder alarm. And adding Life and limb and and a fungal bloom for another infinite combo with alarm. Its just so ridiculous how many infinite combos are in saprollings, and landfall becomes insane.
Wyldblayde
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
All you need is one Emerald Medallionand two Memory Crystals to cast this spell infinitely. Pay one green to cast it the first time and just tap the token it puts onto the battlefield to cast it again. Combo potential abounds.
Ideatog
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Looks like it would be fun with Life and Limb. Convoke in saproling-forests, tap them to convoke in more saproling-forests...
Exclaimer999
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(3 votes)
I use this in a common deck and can beat most other decks XD
Imagine this:
Turn 1: Sprout Turn 2: Thallid Shell Dweller
Turn 3: Thallid Germinator Turn 4: TWO Thallid Shell Dweller
Turn 5: (before any saps come out) Sporoloth Ancient and saps come out
Turn 6: This, repeated over...and over... and over...
Turn 7 and on: Repeat Turn 6.
My attack is when i have enough of these to kill someone with 100 life with an Overrun.
raptorjesus69
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Surprised this combo hasn't been mentioned before:
With Mana Echoes and four saprolings in play, you can get infinite saprolings and infinite colorless mana. Play sprout swarm with its buyback cost paid, get 4 mana from Mana Echoes, play sprout swarm again by using the 4 mana and convoking the saproling you just put into play for {G} (convoking does ignore summoning sickness). Repeat the process indefinitely, gaining additional colorless mana each time.
Drewsel
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
This reminds me of the Swarmers from Metal Arms: Glitch in the System.
Equinox523
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The fact that this is instant and common makes it amazing. Casting it at the end of an opponent's turn, or before blocking, can change the situation significantly, giving you some extra bodies at opportune times. Also remember that this came out in the same block as Gauntlet of Power, Pendelhaven (reprint), Pendelhaven Elder, Gaea's Anthem and Sword of the Meek, making little 1/1's quite potent in the right deck.
Yet another infinite with Intruder alarm and an initial mana or creature base...
RunedServitor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This, Fervor, and two Doubling Seasons or Parallel Lives makes up an infinite Saproling Combo. You tap 5 saps to make 8 that can then tap again to make more.
Fanaticmogg
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
>Makes creature token >You can tap the tokens to cast it again >Exponential growth If the game takes long enough, you pretty much win.
NoobOfLore
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
After doing some comprehensive rules checks, I have determined that you can tap Eldrazi Spawn tokens for convoke while sacrificing them for mana to the same spell. It works because non-mana costs and cost-reducing effects occur before your last chance to activate mana abilities.
djflo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
All the elements of this card make it what it is. Taking away any one aspect would ruin it.
If it wasn't instant, you couldn't tap out (including tapping out your creatures) on your opponents' end step to cast it, which is the only feasible time to tap a bunch of your guys. If it didn't make a token it wouldn't lead to the steady snowballing of guys. If it didn't convoke it would also ruin both of the above moves. Lastly, if it didn't have buyback you couldn't do it again and again and again for incremental advantage.
Brilliant design.
will_dice
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@NoobOfLore: No, you can't.
First, you just announce if you're going to use an additional cost, like Convoke and Buyback (rule 601.2b)
Then you calculate the total cost (601.2e)
Then you can activate mana abilities (601.2f) <- spawns are to be sacrificed here And just then you pay the total cost (601.2g) <- you can't tap the spawns anymore!
If you try to do this anyway, by 601.2g you don't have either enough mana or creatures to tap, and the casting fail; undo everything, go back to the start, and you may try again (rule 601.2).
MithosFall
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
All costs are paid for this card at the exact same time. Convoke is no different. So no, you can't use Eldrazi Spawn tokens to reduce the cost of this card by {2}.
HeartbreakerStudios
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I fail to see the standalone value of this card. Outside of combos, all you'll end up doing is paying {4}{G} for 1 Saproling and the ability to play it again. With Convoke, you can turn that into "Tap five creatures: Put a 1/1 green saproling creature token into play." and the ability to play it again.
That's just ...bad.
Hunter06
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Looks interesting, but I think I'll pass
2/5 Stars
Saraneth888
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Limited bomb. Sprout Swarm is an absolute house in my Peasant cube, and is difficult to beat. It helps stall out the board, which gives you ample time to amass an army of 1/1's... Easily 1st-pickable...
I also rather enjoy the art for Sprout Swarm, and the design brilliance of using convoke and buyback on an instant makes this card unique and interesting... 5/5 for strength in limited, art, and general awesomeness...
Totema
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
RuinedServitor, you don't even need Fervor for that combo. This doesn't use the tap symbol, so it's not dependent on summoning sickness. Just tap them and go!
Kryptnyt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Infinite not necessary. The fact that you're playing The Flood is enough.
Cydrius
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Nettle Sentinel is pretty fun with this. You can use it as one of the convokers, and it'll untap itself as soon as this resolves.
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Cydrius: Interestingly, four Nettle Sentinels and this is an infinite combo.
HuntingDrake
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It just takes one hybrid green creature to get this started in an otherwise completely non-green deck.
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
When you're on the defensive with a boatload of saps (or fungus, or w/e) this is a great way to regain the board position you need replenish blockers before they all die, or similar. Say you need to kill a wurm and block with 5, tap them for a free sap. Then tap your non blockers for a free sap, Then tap the new 2 saps and 3 mana for another almost-free sap. You just played a card-free scatter the seeds and can probably do it again next turn.
Next to Deathspore Thallid, these are instant speed pingers as well. Spawn a few to block, block, then sack them to pick of the smaller things you didn't block.
I want to also point out the *really freaking cool* saprolings on this card. By far my favorite art type for the saps! Not sure if I'd use this outside of combo. I'm sure it's decent, but I haven't tried it in my fungus deck; maybe it's time!
LordRandomness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Heehee, lookit the saprolings! :D (seriously, those have got to be the cutest saprolings I've ever seen on a card)
@HeartbreakerStudios: So you've got something better to do with your five untapped creatures at the end of your opponent's turn, then?
Aremath
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A downside is that you have to spend a lot of effort to make it work. One of the more complicated and intricate commons in magic. I don't think anyone can deny that it is interesting, and if you do it right, it can be powerful. Furthermore, it combos with a fair amount of other cards as well.
4/5 for awesome design on a deceptively powerful card.
Pick15
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Anyone who says this card is bad has never stared one down, much less cast it more than once themselves. Convoke and Buyback on a card that makes tokens to lower the cost on future castings is incredibly powerful. This dominated limited games in its day. You don't need to make a combo with this card to see it do crazy things, though there is some nice combo potential with untap or doubling abuse. Even without combos, you can eventually start churning out one or sometimes two tokens a turn for free. Easy 5/5.
Comments (38)
in a casual game this is in between fun/awesome in a competitive setting it shouldn't be one of your first choices.
My deck can get over 5000 tokens out at once.
Cast Sprout Swarm, then tap your two saprolings to pay for 1 G and 1 colorless of the convoke cost. Then, sacrifice both tokens to Ashnod's Altar for 4 colorless. Use 3 of those colorless to pay for the buyback cost and cast it again. You now have 2 saprolings in play and 1 colorless mana in your mana pool. After a few more repetitions of this, you will have 4 colorless mana in your mana pool.
Now, cast Sprout Swarm again for 2 saproling tokens. This time, tap 1 saproling token to convoke for 1 G and use your 4 colorless mana to pay for the rest of the casting cost and the buyback cost. Now, you have 4 saprolings in play.
Rinse and repeat into infinity.
Edit: If I'm reading the rules properly, you can use convoke even if the creatures have summoning sickness, correct? If so, DEFINITELY favorite card in the game.
Edit: To the guest who posted on 9/4/2010, you can't do that. If you put two saprolings into play from Sprout Swarm, then that means you have payed for the casting cost of the card and let the card resolve, and you can't do things in response to it being cast that would allow you to pay the buyback cost because the spell has already resolved and is already in your graveyard.
Imagine this:
Turn 1: Sprout
Turn 2: Thallid Shell Dweller
Turn 3: Thallid Germinator
Turn 4: TWO Thallid Shell Dweller
Turn 5: (before any saps come out) Sporoloth Ancient and saps come out
Turn 6: This, repeated over...and over... and over...
Turn 7 and on: Repeat Turn 6.
My attack is when i have enough of these to kill someone with 100 life with an Overrun.
With Mana Echoes and four saprolings in play, you can get infinite saprolings and infinite colorless mana. Play sprout swarm with its buyback cost paid, get 4 mana from Mana Echoes, play sprout swarm again by using the 4 mana and convoking the saproling you just put into play for {G} (convoking does ignore summoning sickness). Repeat the process indefinitely, gaining additional colorless mana each time.
>You can tap the tokens to cast it again
>Exponential growth
If the game takes long enough, you pretty much win.
If it wasn't instant, you couldn't tap out (including tapping out your creatures) on your opponents' end step to cast it, which is the only feasible time to tap a bunch of your guys.
If it didn't make a token it wouldn't lead to the steady snowballing of guys.
If it didn't convoke it would also ruin both of the above moves.
Lastly, if it didn't have buyback you couldn't do it again and again and again for incremental advantage.
Brilliant design.
No, you can't.
First, you just announce if you're going to use an additional cost, like Convoke and Buyback (rule 601.2b)
Then you calculate the total cost (601.2e)
Then you can activate mana abilities (601.2f) <- spawns are to be sacrificed here
And just then you pay the total cost (601.2g) <- you can't tap the spawns anymore!
If you try to do this anyway, by 601.2g you don't have either enough mana or creatures to tap, and the casting fail; undo everything, go back to the start, and you may try again (rule 601.2).
That's just ...bad.
2/5 Stars
I also rather enjoy the art for Sprout Swarm, and the design brilliance of using convoke and buyback on an instant makes this card unique and interesting... 5/5 for strength in limited, art, and general awesomeness...
Next to Deathspore Thallid, these are instant speed pingers as well. Spawn a few to block, block, then sack them to pick of the smaller things you didn't block.
I want to also point out the *really freaking cool* saprolings on this card. By far my favorite art type for the saps! Not sure if I'd use this outside of combo. I'm sure it's decent, but I haven't tried it in my fungus deck; maybe it's time!
@HeartbreakerStudios: So you've got something better to do with your five untapped creatures at the end of your opponent's turn, then?
4/5 for awesome design on a deceptively powerful card.
Convoke and Buyback on a card that makes tokens to lower the cost on future castings is incredibly powerful. This dominated limited games in its day.
You don't need to make a combo with this card to see it do crazy things, though there is some nice combo potential with untap or doubling abuse. Even without combos, you can eventually start churning out one or sometimes two tokens a turn for free.
Easy 5/5.