Overwhelm MTG Card


Overwhelm turns large creature counts into game-winning advantages with a significant power boost. Requiring a card discard and green mana, it challenges deck flexibility and in-game resources. Strategically valuable in board stalls, Overwhelm complements creature-heavy and token decks.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Convoke

Text of card

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.) Creatures you control get +3/+3 until end of turn.


Cards like Overwhelm

Overwhelm is a powerful spell capable of turning the tide in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with other mass creature buffing cards like Overrun, which also provides a significant boost to creatures’ power and toughness while also granting trample. Where Overwhelm stands out is in its scaling with the number of creatures in play, favoring wide deck strategies.

Cards like Craterhoof Behemoth can be comparable, since they also exponentially increase the lethality of a wide board state upon entering the battlefield. Though Craterhoof Behemoth impacts the board immediately and offers a more dramatic increase, it also comes with a higher mana cost. Triumph of the Hordes is another peer, infusing creatures with not only a power/toughness increase but infect as well – capable of ending games out of nowhere.

Deciding the best fit for your deck ultimately depends on the synergy and mana curve you are designing. Overwhelm, with its sorcery speed and significant buff, provides a reliable finisher for decks that multiply creature presence, offering a way to capitalize on a populated board and press the advantage to victory.

Overrun - MTG Card versions
Craterhoof Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Triumph of the Hordes - MTG Card versions
Overrun - MTG Card versions
Craterhoof Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Triumph of the Hordes - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Overwhelm by color, type and mana cost

Roar of the Wurm - MTG Card versions
Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps - MTG Card versions
Herd Migration - MTG Card versions
Turntimber Symbiosis // Turntimber, Serpentine Wood - MTG Card versions
Tooth and Nail - MTG Card versions
Howl of the Night Pack - MTG Card versions
Boundless Realms - MTG Card versions
Wave of Vitriol - MTG Card versions
Nissa's Revelation - MTG Card versions
Seeds of Renewal - MTG Card versions
Mouth // Feed - MTG Card versions
Vivien's Invocation - MTG Card versions
Planewide Celebration - MTG Card versions
Tlincalli Hunter // Retrieve Prey - MTG Card versions
Virtue of Strength // Garenbrig Growth - MTG Card versions
Roar of the Wurm - MTG Card versions
Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps - MTG Card versions
Herd Migration - MTG Card versions
Turntimber Symbiosis // Turntimber, Serpentine Wood - MTG Card versions
Tooth and Nail - MTG Card versions
Howl of the Night Pack - MTG Card versions
Boundless Realms - MTG Card versions
Wave of Vitriol - MTG Card versions
Nissa's Revelation - MTG Card versions
Seeds of Renewal - MTG Card versions
Mouth // Feed - MTG Card versions
Vivien's Invocation - MTG Card versions
Planewide Celebration - MTG Card versions
Tlincalli Hunter // Retrieve Prey - MTG Card versions
Virtue of Strength // Garenbrig Growth - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Overwhelm, you get to leverage a substantial number of creatures to tip the balance of the battlefield in your favor, which often translates into an impressive card advantage as you bulldoze through your opponent’s defenses.

Resource Acceleration: Overwhelm is built for the late game when you have amassed an army of creatures, allowing you to accelerate your resources towards one definitive, game-ending strike. The very essence of the card embodies resource acceleration by enabling your smaller creatures to contribute to a massive attack.

Instant Speed: Though Overwhelm is a sorcery, its potential impact is akin to the surprise and flexibility instant speed spells offer. Casting it during your main phase can be as decisive as any instant, as it catches opponents off-guard by turning a seemingly benign creature swarm into an unstoppable force.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Overwhelm compels players to discard a card, which can be particularly taxing when your hand is already depleted, or when every card is crucial to your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Overwhelm includes heavy green mana symbols. This requirement can be restrictive, limiting deck-building options and impacting the card’s versatility in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its significant mana requirement, Overwhelm can be a challenging card to play, especially in the early game or in fast-paced matches where efficiency is key.


Reasons to Include Overwhelm in Your Collection

Versatility: Overwhelm is flexible enough to slide into various deck archetypes, particularly those that revolve around creature-heavy strategies and seek to close games by magnifying their board presence.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that burgeon with token creatures, enabling a massive swing in power during combat phases and synergizing with effects that benefit from large-scale attacks.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where board stalls are common, Overwhelm can break those deadlocks to your advantage, making it a tactical choice against decks that rely on limiting combat damage through numerous blockers.


How to beat

Overwhelm is a powerful sorcery that can turn the tide of any game by amplifying the strength of a creature-heavy deck in Magic: The Gathering. It’s an impressive way to snowball a board advantage into a win, but like all cards, it has its vulnerabilities. Firstly, keeping the board clear of creatures will minimize the impact that Overwhelm can have. Regular removal spells, board wipes, and countermeasures against token generation can significantly dilute the effect of Overwhelm. Cards like Wrath of God or Doomskar are effective tools for keeping the battlefield under control.

Counterspells also present a straightforward solution – by never letting Overwhelm hit the battlefield at all, you can avoid its effects altogether. Consider slots for Negate or Dovin’s Veto in your deck as they are perfect for stopping Overwhelm and other noncreature threats. Additionally, proactive hand disruption with cards like Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek can extract Overwhelm from the opponent’s hand before they even get a chance to cast it. In short, maintaining control of the battlefield and being prepared with counters and hand disruption are key strategies for overpowering the effects of Overwhelm.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Overwhelm MTG card by a specific set like Salvat 2005 and Ravnica: City of Guilds, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Overwhelm and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Overwhelm Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2005-08-22 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by Wayne Reynolds.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12005-08-22Salvat 2005PSAL J392003NormalWhiteWayne Reynolds
22005-10-07Ravnica: City of GuildsRAV 1752003NormalBlackWayne Reynolds
32014-07-18Magic 2015M15 1892015NormalBlackWayne Reynolds
42015-05-22Modern Masters 2015MM2 1522015NormalBlackWayne Reynolds
52024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 1522015NormalBlackWayne Reynolds

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Overwhelm has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Overwhelm card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2014-07-18 Because convoke isn’t an alternative cost, it can be used in conjunction with alternative costs.
2014-07-18 Convoke doesn’t change a spell’s mana cost or converted mana cost.
2014-07-18 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.
2014-07-18 Tapping a multicolored creature using convoke will pay for or one mana of your choice of any of that creature’s colors.
2014-07-18 The rules for convoke have changed slightly since it last appeared in an expansion. Previously, convoke reduced the cost to cast a spell. Under current rules, you tap creatures at the same time you pay the spell’s costs. Tapping a creature this way is simply another way to pay.
2014-07-18 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.
2014-07-18 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 .