Pack's Favor MTG Card
2018-10-05 - Number 139
2019-11-07 - Number 1288
2020-09-26 - Number GRN-139
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| 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.) Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
Selesnya grows its ranks in more ways than one.
Cards like Pack's Favor
Pack’s Favor is an alluring instant for players enjoying the ramp and buff strategies in their MTG decks. As a member of the card grouping known as combat tricks, Pack’s Favor is often compared to other boost spells like Giant Growth. Where Giant Growth provides a more immediate and potent boost with a +3/+3 increase for a single green mana, Pack’s Favor brings flexibility at the cost of three mana with its convoke mechanism — allowing creatures to help cast this spell.
Another spell in the discussion is Titanic Growth. It offers a +4/+4 increase for two mana but lacks the possibility for a reduced casting cost through convoke. Then there’s Rabid Bite, presenting a different take on power increase. Rather than a buff during combat, it allows a creature to deal damage equal to its power to another creature, without the need to engage in a fight. While it doesn’t directly empower creatures for the entirety of a turn, the strategic removal it offers can be pivotal.
In weighing the pros and cons, Pack’s Favor is versatile for its cost reduction mechanic, which can be a game-changer in decks that swarm the battlefield with creatures, thus enhancing both its usability and appeal among MTG players.
Cards similar to Pack's Favor by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When it comes to enhancing your hand and the field, Pack’s Favor can be pivotal. By strengthening a creature unexpectedly, it can turn the tide of battle in your favor, potentially connecting card advantage with board control.
Resource Acceleration: Pack’s Favor fits perfectly in decks that benefit from spells that utilize the Convoke mechanic, allowing you to tap creatures instead of paying mana and accelerating your resource allocation efficiently.
Instant Speed: The instant nature of Pack’s Favor means you can adapt to the dynamic battlefield on the fly. Cast it during combat to surprise an opponent or at the end of their turn to keep mana open for other strategic moves.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: Pack’s Favor requires a combination of green mana and generic mana to cast. This specific mana requirement can restrict its inclusion to decks with a green mana base, potentially limiting its versatility in multi-colored deck builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For three mana, Pack’s Favor provides a creature with a temporary boost of +3/+3. This cost can be considered high when compared to other combat tricks or permanent buffs available in the MTG universe, making it less favored in competitive play where efficiency is key.
Discard Requirement: While Pack’s Favor doesn’t have a discard requirement, its use of the Convoke mechanic could be seen as a similar trade-off. The need to tap creatures as part of the casting cost can leave you vulnerable to attacks, which is a strategic risk to consider when playing this card.
Reasons to Include Pack’s Favor in Your Collection
Versatility: Pack’s Favor is a flexible addition to green decks, offering an instant boost in power. Whether you’re dealing with aggressive creatures or need a surprise during combat, it adapts to various situations on the battlefield.
Combo Potential: This spell excels in decks that capitalize on the undergrowth mechanic or that track the number of spells cast. It could enhance strategies that leverage creature power or the casting of instant spells for larger synergistic plays.
Meta-Relevance: In games where combat tricks determine the victor, Pack’s Favor could tilt the scales in your favor. It supports decks that thrive in creature-heavy metas, proving to be a cost-effective method to preserve and strengthen your creatures against removals or during pivotal combat phases.
How to beat
Pack’s Favor is a card that can catch players off guard, especially during the limited formats of Magic: The Gathering. It’s a green instant that allows a player to give a creature +3/+3 until end of turn for three mana, but it can be cast more efficiently through its convoke ability, potentially for a mere tap of creatures instead of paying its mana cost.
To outmaneuver this combat trick, maintain open mana for removal or bounce spells when your opponent has a full board and enough mana to cast Pack’s Favor. Cards like Shock or Unsummon can disrupt your opponent’s plans by eliminating the buffed creature or returning it to their hand, rendering the convoke-cost largely irrelevant. It’s also vital to gauge when to hold back on attacking or blocking when you suspect your opponent has this card in hand. This strategy of resource management and board state awareness positions you strongly against the surprise boosts Pack’s Favor provides.
In summation, removing creatures in response to Pack’s Favor, considering its convoke cost, and strategic combat decisions are crucial techniques when facing off against this card in Magic: The Gathering. By implementing these tactics, you will minimize the card’s impact and keep the upper hand in your matches.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Pack's Favor MTG card by a specific set like Guilds of Ravnica 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 Pack's Favor 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
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Printings
The Pack's Favor Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2018-10-05 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Lius Lasahido.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-10-05 | Guilds of Ravnica | GRN | 139 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lius Lasahido | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1288 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lius Lasahido | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | GRN-139 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lius Lasahido |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Pack's Favor has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Pack's Favor card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-10-05 | Because convoke isn’t an alternative cost, it can be used in conjunction with alternative costs. |
| 2018-10-05 | Convoke doesn’t change a spell’s mana cost or converted mana cost. |
| 2018-10-05 | 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 before 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. |
| 2018-10-05 | Tapping a multicolored creature using convoke will pay for or one mana of your choice of any of that creature’s colors. |
| 2018-10-05 | 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. |
| 2018-10-05 | 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 Worldsoul Colossus (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 white creatures, you’ll have to pay . |
| 2018-10-05 | You can tap an untapped creature you haven’t controlled continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn to convoke a spell. |