Secret Summoning MTG Card


Secret Summoning - Conspiracy
RarityUncommon
TypeConspiracy
Abilities Hidden agenda
Released2014-06-06
Set symbol
Set nameConspiracy
Set codeCNS
Number9
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byLucas Graciano

Key Takeaways

  1. Secret Summoning provides substantial card advantage by fetching multiple creatures of the same name directly to your hand.
  2. Executing this spell accelerates board presence, economizing mana typically used for individual card draws or tutors.
  3. Instant speed deployment of Secret Summoning allows for unexpected plays and can turn the tide of a game.

Text of card

Hidden agenda (Start the game with this conspiracy face down in the command zone and secretly name a card. You may turn this conspiracy face up any time and reveal the chosen name.) Whenever a creature with the chosen name enters the battlefield under your control, you may search your library for any number of cards with that name, reveal them, put them into your hand, then shuffle your library.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Secret Summoning, you can secure multiple creature cards of the same name directly into your hand, bypassing the limitations of a single draw. This card steers you towards a more favorable position by increasing the options available to you during your turns.

Resource Acceleration: Secret Summoning plays a crucial role in accelerating your board presence. By fetching specific creatures, you effectively save on mana resources that would have been spent on drawing or tutoring those cards individually, thus pacing you ahead of your opponent.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Secret Summoning at instant speed gives way to strategic gameplay during the most opportune windows. Whether it’s at the end of your opponent’s turn or in response to an action that would benefit from being multiplied, the flexibility of instant speed is a powerful tool for any MTG player.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside to Secret Summoning is the need to discard another card from your hand when you play it. This can set you back, especially if you’re already struggling to maintain card advantage over your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Secret Summoning, a precise combination of mana is required which can be tricky to generate, especially in multicolored decks that may not consistently produce the necessary mana types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When you consider the amount of mana needed to activate Secret Summoning, it becomes clear that it commands a significant investment. Other cards in the same mana range could potentially offer a more immediate impact on the game state or provide a more substantial advantage.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Secret Summoning offers a way to call upon a specific creature type repeatedly, fitting well in tribal decks or strategies emphasizing on creature synergy.

Combo Potential: With the ability to search for any creature of the chosen type, this card can seamlessly integrate into combos that rely on particular creatures to execute devastating plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where certain tribes or creature types are prevalent, having Secret Summoning can ensure that your deck remains competitive by consistently accessing your most powerful creatures.


How to beat

Secret Summoning is a unique silver-bordered card in Magic the Gathering, part of the Unsanctioned set that bends the usual gameplay rules for a whimsical twist. Its ability to secretly dictate what creature type will be summoned next can catch an opponent off-guard if they’re not prepared. One effective method to counteract Secret Summoning is to employ cards that restrict creature abilities or control the board with board wipes or removal spells. Consider using removal spells that can target any creature or planeswalker before the summoned creature’s abilities become a problem. Additionally, graveyard control can be invaluable; by employing cards that exile cards from graveyards, you can prevent any potential from Secret Summoning from becoming a recurring dilemma.

Utilizing cards like Grafdigger’s Cage, which prevents creatures in graveyards or libraries from being played, or Leyline of the Void, which exiles cards as they hit the graveyard, can prove detrimental to Secret Summoning’s strategy. By adapting your deck to deal with the unexpected and honing in on board management, cards like Secret Summoning lose their element of surprise and become much less of a threat to your game plan.


Cards like Secret Summoning

Secret Summoning has a unique niche in MTG’s extensive library of mysterious and potent spells. In comparison to Shadowborn Apostle, another card with a strong creature-search mechanic, Secret Summoning offers a broader selection by allowing the search for any creature of the same name. Whereas Shadowborn Apostle focuses on a singular, powerful Demon creature summoning ability. Conversely, Squadron Hawk illustrates a self-replicating mechanic, adding copies of itself to the player’s hand, thus fueling the battlefield with multiple threats.

Similarly, Relentless Rats demonstrates the power of numbers, enhancing its strength for every copy on the field. Secret Summoning aligns with this concept but excels by giving a wider versatility in creature choices. Lastly, Persistent Petitioners lets a player tap for a mill effect, and though not a direct summoning approach, it shares the idea of using many copies to achieve a significant game-altering outcome.

Comparatively, while each has its benefits depending on deck building strategies and gameplay style, Secret Summoning stands out for its element of surprise and adaptability, beneficial in various game situations involving creature-based tactics in MTG.

Shadowborn Apostle - MTG Card versions
Squadron Hawk - MTG Card versions
Relentless Rats - MTG Card versions
Persistent Petitioners - MTG Card versions
Shadowborn Apostle - Magic 2014 (M14)
Squadron Hawk - Magic 2011 (M11)
Relentless Rats - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Persistent Petitioners - Ravnica Allegiance (RNA)

Cards similar to Secret Summoning by color, type and mana cost

Immediate Action - MTG Card versions
Brago's Favor - MTG Card versions
Iterative Analysis - MTG Card versions
Unexpected Potential - MTG Card versions
Advantageous Proclamation - MTG Card versions
Sentinel Dispatch - MTG Card versions
Double Stroke - MTG Card versions
Power Play - MTG Card versions
Worldknit - MTG Card versions
Muzzio's Preparations - MTG Card versions
Secrets of Paradise - MTG Card versions
Backup Plan - MTG Card versions
Summoner's Bond - MTG Card versions
Hold the Perimeter - MTG Card versions
Hymn of the Wilds - MTG Card versions
Echoing Boon - MTG Card versions
Weight Advantage - MTG Card versions
Emissary's Ploy - MTG Card versions
Sovereign's Realm - MTG Card versions
Immediate Action - Conspiracy (CNS)
Brago's Favor - Conspiracy (CNS)
Iterative Analysis - The List (PLST)
Unexpected Potential - Conspiracy (CNS)
Advantageous Proclamation - Conspiracy (CNS)
Sentinel Dispatch - Conspiracy (CNS)
Double Stroke - Conspiracy (CNS)
Power Play - Conspiracy (CNS)
Worldknit - Conspiracy (CNS)
Muzzio's Preparations - Conspiracy (CNS)
Secrets of Paradise - Conspiracy (CNS)
Backup Plan - Conspiracy (CNS)
Summoner's Bond - Conspiracy: Take the Crown (CN2)
Hold the Perimeter - Conspiracy: Take the Crown (CN2)
Hymn of the Wilds - Conspiracy: Take the Crown (CN2)
Echoing Boon - Conspiracy: Take the Crown (CN2)
Weight Advantage - Conspiracy: Take the Crown (CN2)
Emissary's Ploy - Conspiracy: Take the Crown (CN2)
Sovereign's Realm - Conspiracy: Take the Crown (CN2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Secret Summoning MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy, 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 Secret Summoning and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Secret Summoning has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderBanned
LegacyBanned
OathbreakerBanned
VintageBanned
DuelBanned

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-08-23 A conspiracy doesn’t count as a card in your deck for purposes of meeting minimum deck size requirements. (In most drafts, the minimum deck size is 40 cards.)
2016-08-23 A conspiracy with hidden agenda that has a triggered ability must be face up before that ability’s trigger condition is met in order for it to trigger. Turning it face up afterward won’t have any effect.
2016-08-23 A conspiracy’s static and triggered abilities function as long as that conspiracy is face-up in the command zone.
2016-08-23 As a special action, you may turn a face-down conspiracy face up. You may do so any time you have priority. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. Once face up, the named card is revealed and the conspiracy’s abilities will affect the game.
2016-08-23 At the end of the game, you must reveal any face-down conspiracies you own in the command zone to all players.
2016-08-23 At the end of the game, you must reveal any face-down conspiracies you own in the command zone to all players. Notably, you can’t bluff conspiracies with hidden agenda by putting other cards into the command zone face down as the game starts.
2016-08-23 Conspiracies are colorless, have no mana cost, and can’t be cast as spells.
2016-08-23 Conspiracies are never put into your deck. Instead, you put any number of conspiracies from your card pool into the command zone as the game begins. These conspiracies are face up unless they have hidden agenda, in which case they begin the game face down.
2016-08-23 Conspiracies aren’t legal for any sanctioned Constructed format, but may be included in other Limited formats, such as Cube Draft.
2016-08-23 If you play multiple games after the draft, you can name a different card in each new game.
2016-08-23 There are several ways to secretly name a card, including writing the name on a piece of paper that’s kept with the face-down conspiracy. If you have multiple face-down conspiracies, you may name a different card for each one. It’s important that each named card is clearly associated with only one of the conspiracies.
2016-08-23 You can look at any player’s face-up conspiracies at any time. You’ll also know how many face-down conspiracies a player has in the command zone, although you won’t know what they are.
2016-08-23 You don’t have to play with any conspiracy you draft. However, you have only one opportunity to put conspiracies into the command zone, as the game begins. You can’t put conspiracies into the command zone after this point.
2016-08-23 You must name a Magic card. Notably, you can’t name a token (except in the unusual case that a token’s name matches the name of a card, such as Illusion).
2016-08-23 You name the card as the game begins, as you put the conspiracy into the command zone, not as you turn the face-down conspiracy face up.

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