Pointed Discussion

A nice ability, but I don't think the hand difference is so huge usually, except if your opponent has a lot of big cards, is mana screwed or has used some huge draw spell. If you get the benefit from the skill, then it's a great card. You get a 3/3 creature + draw power.

@Snaxme: It's not one more mana, it's just slightly harder to get 2UU than 3U...But you're right, evoking is only useful if you want the sacrifice effect or a creature hitting graveyard etc.

evoke is not useless. Hardcasting him will not make him go immediately to the grave so his effect won't trigger.

Evoke is utterly useless. For one more mana you get a 3/3 body attached to the effect.

EDIT: Oooops, misread the darn thing. Yeah, you're right, evoke has it's use.

If you're playing blue, usually you have more cards than your opponent.

@jwolps: Blue has more decks than Draw/counter control, you know.
Ever tried an Aggro Merfolk deck?
Or perhaps a Mind's Desire storm deck.
I also think he works well in an Ula's Temple deck after you spend resources putting counters on the enchantment.

It's Balance of Power, but cheaper! Balance of Power has always been one of my favorite draw spells, so this thing is pretty good, in my opinion.

This seems great for green blue madness...

Feel like they should switch the Evoke and the normal costs, but I can see why they didn't.

A very fun card at the least, and one of my favorite evokes. lots of games to play with this kind of draw spell! Also, of course, useful with true lockdown decks like stasis or land destruction that keep your opponent from playing anything at all.

This card could find new use after all the blinkyblink effects from Avacin Restored.

The first time i saw someone use a blink to get around the evoke sacrifice, I thought it seemed a little fishy, but i let it pass. If you review the rules, specifically 702.72a, it's very clear that the sacrifice is PART of the casting cost, not a triggered effect. Failure to sacrifice the creature makes the evoke fizzle and the creature goes to the graveyard. It doesn't matter if the creature leaves the battlefield, it still must be sacrificed to fulfill the evoke cost. Any judge that misses this obviously hasn't read the rules closely enough.

Isn't this pretty similar to windfall (banned in legacy) for 1 more mana?? This should be pretty bonkers in the right deck!!

Consider Turn to Mist and Ghostly Flicker

Works really well in a deck focused on bouncing. If you bounce lands then you're going to really stall them and they'll have tons more cards than you. If you instead bounce tons of creatures and things they'll still have more cards by a good margin. This guy allows you two options; start moving in for the kill (or block) and net you card advantage a little later, or (potentially) draw you a bunch of cards now so you can finish the game.


@Oblivax
I assume you derived your name from "Oblivious", which you clearly are. Even the rulings *right on the card* tell you it's a triggered effect. To quote:

"4/1/2008 Whether evoke's sacrifice ability triggers when the creature enters the battlefield depends on whether the spell's controller chose to pay the evoke cost, not whether he or she actually paid it (if it was reduced or otherwise altered by another ability, for example)."

Anything that triggers not only uses the stack, but can be responded to. That ruling is from over 5 years ago; so I know you didn't just miss it because it came later, you missed it out of willful ignorance.

Works great with Grimgrin, Corpse-Born!