Council of Echoes MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Spirit Advisor |
| Abilities | Descend,Flying |
| Released | 2023-11-17 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan |
| Set code | LCI |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 51 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Fariba Khamseh |
Text of card
Flying Descend 4 — When Council of Echoes enters the battlefield, if there are four or more permanent cards in your graveyard, return up to one target nonland permanent other than Council of Echoes to its owner's hand.
The Komon Winaq, ancestors of the Oltec, linger on as the eldest of the Echoes.
Cards like Council of Echoes
Within the pantheon of MTG card advantage engines, Council of Echoes presents a fresh dynamic to the playing field. When looking for parallels, Mind’s Eye stands out as an artifact enabling constant card draw, responding to each opponent’s spell casting. But where Mind’s Eye leans on a mana sink mechanism to trigger card draw, Council of Echoes ensures a steady influx of knowledge without additional costs after spells resolve.
Conversely, Rhystic Study is another counterpart in the realm of card draw, nudging players into tactical decisions between allowing an opponent’s card advantage or paying more for their casts. Whilst Rhystic Study affects each spell cast, Council of Echoes promises a bounty for merely the first each turn, making it crucial to identify and execute the most pivotal spell in one’s arsenal.
Exploring other options, Mystic Remora bears similarity with an upkeep cost growing steeper over time, yet providing the luxury of drawing for each noncreature spell cast. Council of Echoes stays on the field providing consistent draw opportunities with no escalating fees.
When considering these nuances, Council of Echoes earns its reputation in MTG as a reliable and predictable wellspring of card advantage, excelling with a cost-effective card draw mechanism.
Cards similar to Council of Echoes by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Council of Echoes provides a significant boost to hand resources by allowing a peek at the top three cards of your deck, choosing two to keep. This selective process offers an edge in maintaining card flow essential for outmaneuvering opponents.
Resource Acceleration: Adding to the strategic depth, this card includes a mechanism for resource advancement. It creates two mana tokens that can be an integral part of ramping up your available resources for casting more powerful spells or activating key abilities ahead of schedule.
Instant Speed: The card’s ability can be activated at instant speed, offering flexibility to react to opponents’ moves. It allows players to optimize the timing of their plays, ensuring that they can respond appropriately to the evolving game state without prematurely revealing their strategies.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The activation of Council of Echoes demands the sacrifice of a card, often leading to a loss in hand advantage. This condition is especially punishing when your hand is already depleted, potentially leaving you with even fewer options to react to your opponent’s moves.
Specific Mana Cost: Council of Echoes has an exacting mana cost that includes a mix of colors, potentially restricting its inclusion to decks that can reliably produce those specific mana types. This limitation can hinder its playability, especially in formats where mana bases are less consistent.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana value, Council of Echoes enters the battlefield at a stage where players could instead be casting spells with an immediate impact on the game. While it promises future card advantage, it competes with other cards in the same slot that provide instant value or more immediate board presence.
Reasons to Include Council of Echoes in Your Collection
Versatility: Council of Echoes is a card that fits seamlessly into various deck archetypes. Due to its unique effect of potentially exiling opponents’ spells and using them later, it offers strategic flexibility in both casual and competitive play.
Combo Potential: This card has significant synergy with strategies that revolve around manipulating the stack and exiling cards. It has the potential to unleash powerful combos by accessing your opponents’ spells, offering an unexpected twist in the duel.
Meta-Relevance: With the shifting landscape of MTG’s meta, a card like Council of Echoes holds value as it can give deck builders an edge in matchups where spell control and surprise elements are key to victory. Its ability to adapt to various opponents makes it a noteworthy addition to any collection.
How to Beat Council of Echoes
Council of Echoes is a unique card in MTG that can be tricky to confront. This card allows its controller to play with the top card of their library revealed and cast spells from the top of their deck, similar to the effects of cards of the past such as the notable Courser of Kruphix, which provided both the advantage of playing lands and gaining life.
To effectively challenge Council of Echoes, strategies such as leveraging shuffle effects that manipulate or disrupt the deck order can be beneficial. Cards like Ghost Quarter can force a shuffle and potentially alter the accessible options for your opponent. More aggressive control tactics can include discard-focused spells, as seen with Thoughtseize or Duress, which target the hand directly, ensuring that the card doesn’t impact the game state significantly. Moreover, a timely counterspell, reminiscent of the ever-versatile Mana Leak, can prevent Council of Echoes from hitting the field altogether.
Ultimately, staying a step ahead of Council of Echoes requires a blend of strategy and disruption. Keep your opponent guessing, disrupt their plans proactively and maintain board control to minimize the influence of this potent MTG card in the match.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Council of Echoes MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Council of Echoes and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Council of Echoes has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Council of Echoes card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-11-10 | Cards with the ability word "descend N" have abilities that care if you have at least N permanent cards in your graveyard. |
| 2023-11-10 | Some descend triggered abilities include intervening "if" clauses (i.e. "if you have -our or eight] permanent cards in your graveyard" in the middle of the ability). Each of these abilities checks your graveyard at the moment it would trigger to see if it does. If you don't have the required number of permanent cards in your graveyard at that time, the ability doesn't trigger at all. If it does trigger, it will check again as it tries to resolve. If you don't have the required number of permanent cards in your graveyard at that time, the ability won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. |