Covenant of Blood MTG Card
2014-07-18 - Number 91
2019-11-07 - Number 603
2020-09-26 - Number M15-91
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
| 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.) Covenant of Blood deals 4 damage to target creature or player and you gain 4 life.
Cards like Covenant of Blood
Covenant of Blood is an intriguing piece in the realm of sorcery spells that highlight life interaction strategies. It bears resemblance to other spells such as Drain Life, which also serves to siphon health from opponents while simultaneously granting the caster a life boost. Nevertheless, Covenant of Blood distinguishes itself with the support for the convoke mechanic, allowing players to leverage creature tapping to reduce the mana cost, unlike Drain Life and its straightforward mana requirement.
Aligning closer to Covenant of Blood, Exsanguinate delivers a similar effect, draining multiple opponents and fueling the caster’s life total. The key difference lies in Exsanguinate’s scalability with the amount of mana invested, which can result in a substantial life swing. In contrast, Covenant of Blood has a fixed effect and is limited to one target but can benefit from the strategic tapping of creatures. Lastly, Corrupt offers a unique twist, its power hinging on the number of Swamps you control, potentially causing a significant life differential if a swamp-heavy deck is in play, a dynamic that Covenant of Blood does not specifically engage with.
Ultimately, when evaluating these spells for their life-altering capabilities, Covenant of Blood stands out for its versatility in utilizing the convoke mechanic, making it a tactical choice in creature-heavy decks within MTG.
Cards similar to Covenant of Blood by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Covenant of Blood spells deals with more than just a single threat by eliminating a creature and simultaneously granting you life. This synergistic effect can effectively tilt the scales in your favor in terms of board presence and life tally, providing a noticeable advantage in longer games.
Resource Acceleration: Often overlooked, but crucial in the right deck, the ability to cast Covenant of Blood by utilizing the convoke mechanic provides a unique form of resource acceleration. By tapping your creatures, you effectively reduce the mana cost, which can lead to a more efficient use of your turn and pave the way for casting additional spells or summoning more creatures.
Instant Speed: Although Covenant of Blood operates at sorcery speed, the flexibility it affords in choosing when to eliminate a threat can be instrumental in combat. This aspect allows you to make pivotal decisions that align with your strategic planning, keeping your adversaries on their toes and ensuring you maintain the upper hand during critical phases of the match.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Covenant of Blood doesn’t have a discard requirement, it’s crucial to consider this element when evaluating any card’s potential downsides. A mandatory discard can be problematic, especially when cards in hand are needed for other strategic plays.
Specific Mana Cost: Covenant of Blood demands a specific mana alignment, requiring one black mana among its total cost. This can restrict the card’s integration into multi-color decks that may not have enough black mana sources to cast it reliably.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of seven mana, Covenant of Blood can be quite expensive. Players may find that its cost outweighs the benefit, especially when there are alternative removal options that are more mana-efficient and can be played earlier in the game.
Reasons to Include Covenant of Blood in Your Collection
Versatility: Covenant of Blood offers a flexible option for decks that need a way to deal damage while also gaining life. This card can serve as both a removal tool and a finisher, depending on the state of the game.
Combo Potential: The convoke mechanic allows you to tap creatures to help pay the mana cost. This can synergize with strategies that capitalize on creature summoning and tap/untap mechanics, potentially enabling powerful plays.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where stabilizing your life total while controlling the board is essential, Covenant of Blood fits well. It’s especially applicable in commander and limited formats where the impact of a single spell can be quite significant.
How to beat
Covenant of Blood is a noteworthy spell in Magic: The Gathering that comes with a powerful life-draining effect. This card, demanding a total of seven mana including a Convoke ability, allows players to tap creatures as part of the cost to cast it. It’s a solid choice when it comes to tipping the scales in a game through both its direct damage to a creature or player and the corresponding life gain.
To effectively counter Covenant of Blood, one must focus on limiting the opponent’s board presence. Since the card’s efficiency hinges on having creatures to tap, keeping their side of the battlefield clear undermines its potency. Utilizing removal spells to maintain control and prevent the opponent from amassing a creature army can significantly hamper their ability to exploit Covenant of Blood’s Convoke mechanic. Furthermore, counterspells, as integral tools for any control deck, can outright negate this threat before it takes effect, preserving your life points and board state.
Strategic planning and timely intervention are thus essential. Knowing when to thwart creature development or having a counterspell at the ready can transform Covenant of Blood from a formidable obstacle into a manageable aspect of your MTG strategy.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Covenant of Blood MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2015 and Mystery Booster, 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 Covenant of Blood and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Covenant of Blood Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2014-07-18 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Seb McKinnon.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014-07-18 | Magic 2015 | M15 | 91 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Seb McKinnon | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 603 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Seb McKinnon | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | M15-91 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Seb McKinnon |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Covenant of Blood has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Covenant of Blood 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 | If the target permanent or player is an illegal target when Covenant of Blood tries to resolve, it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won’t gain any life. (Any creatures you tapped to cast Covenant of Blood remain tapped.) |
| 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 . |