Wildcall MTG Card
2015-01-23 - Number 146
2015-01-23 - Number 146s
2002-06-24 - Number 55749
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Manifest |
Text of card
Manifest the top card of your library, then put X +1/+1 counters on it. (To manifest a card, put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it's a creature card.)
A howl on the wind hides many dangers.
Cards like Wildcall
Wildcall stands out in MTG as a versatile card that allows players to manifest the top card of their deck, essentially turning it face down as a 2/2 creature that can be turned face up for its mana cost. This can be likened to the card Mastery of the Unseen, which offers a similar manifest mechanic. However, Mastery of the Unseen requires a more strategic setup, as it is an enchantment that slowly accrues value over time.
Comparing further, we can look at Call of the Wild, which shares the green creature-centric nature of Wildcall. Call of the Wild offers the ability to repeatedly look at and potentially play the top card of your library, but lacks the immediate board presence and surprise element of Wildcall. Interestingly, Etherial Ambush is another card that induces manifest. However, it is confined to instant speed and doesn’t allow for the variable X cost that can make Wildcall’s impact much larger.
In the realm of adding creatures to the board, Wildcall is a unique concoction of flexibility and surprise, providing both immediate presence and a late-game threat, making it a fine option for decks that thrive on such dynamism.
Cards similar to Wildcall by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Wildcall offers a strategic advantage by manifesting the top card of your library, which can later be turned into a creature on the battlefield, effectively serving as a card in hand. Its scalability with the X mana cost allows it to adapt to various stages of the game, maintaining card advantage by matching the size of the creature manifested to the current mana resources.
Resource Acceleration: As a versatile spell, Wildcall can significantly bolster your board presence, especially in the mid to late game. By investing more mana into X, you’re effectively accelerating your resource investment into potential threats, which can make it a formidable play against opponents, setting a faster tempo.
Instant Speed: Despite being a sorcery, Wildcall’s strategic depth compensates for the lack of instant speed. Planning when to cast it, such as after a board wipe or when the opponent is tapped out, can lead to favorable outcomes, allowing you to bring out a powerful creature at a potentially pivotal moment with less risk of immediate counterplay.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Wildcall allows for a degree of flexibility with its ability to manifest the top card of your library, it necessitates discarding a card to activate its ferocious ability. This can deplete your hand and be particularly detrimental when you’re trying to maintain card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Wildcall requires green mana to cast. This requirement can be restrictive as it fits primarily green-based decks, potentially limiting its inclusion in multicolor decks that have a tight mana base or those that cannot reliably produce green mana early in the game.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a X mana cost model, the spell’s efficiency is dependent on the amount of mana you invest. To create a formidable creature, a significant investment is needed. This high mana cost can make Wildcall less appealing when compared to other creature generation or evolution options available at lower mana costs.
Reasons to Include Wildcall in Your Collection
Versatility: Wildcall’s ability to manifest the top card of your library offers a unique way to sneak creatures into play. This card becomes a flexible tool in decks that appreciate surprise elements or work with face-down creature mechanics.
Combo Potential: Wildcall not only places a creature on the battlefield but also adds +1/+1 counters based on the mana invested in its casting. This synergizes well with strategies that take advantage of proliferation or counter manipulation.
Meta-Relevance: In an evolving game where adaptability is key, Wildcall remains pertinent. It’s capable of fitting into multiple archetypes, including green-based midrange decks that dominate the battlefield with substantial creatures.
How to beat
Wildcall is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering that brings the element of surprise to the battlefield by allowing players to manifest the top card of their deck. This essentially means you could be facing a mystery creature for just three mana, but herein lies the strategy to overcome it. When facing a card with the manifest ability, it’s crucial to maintain open mana for removal spells or abilities that can deal with the manifested card should your opponent choose to turn it face up. Pay close attention to your opponent’s mana availability as well, since it’s an indicator of the potential threat level of the manifested card.
Additionally, board wipes such as Wrath of God or Doomskar are highly effective against decks utilizing manifest strategies. These cards can clear out all creatures on the battlefield, including those hiding behind the guise of a simple 2/2 creature. Keeping these types of removal in your arsenal ensures you can handle the unpredictability Wildcall introduces and maintain control over the game’s pace.
Ultimately, the key to beating Wildcall revolves around readiness and adaptability. By smartly managing your resources and anticipating your opponent’s moves, you can mitigate the impact of their manifested threats and maintain the upper hand throughout the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Wildcall MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Fate Reforged, 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 Wildcall 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
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Printings
The Wildcall Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2015-01-23 and 2015-01-23. Illustrated by Adam Paquette.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 55749 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette | ||
| 2 | 2015-01-23 | Fate Reforged | FRF | 146 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette | |
| 3 | 2015-01-23 | Fate Reforged Promos | PFRF | 146s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Wildcall has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Wildcall card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-11-24 | A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren’t affected. |
| 2014-11-24 | Any time you have priority, you may turn a manifested creature face up by revealing that it’s a creature card (ignoring any copy effects or type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. |
| 2014-11-24 | At any time, you can look at a face-down permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents you don’t control unless an effect allows you to or instructs you to. |
| 2014-11-24 | Because face-down creatures don’t have names, they can’t have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature. |
| 2014-11-24 | Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger. |
| 2014-11-24 | If a face-down permanent you control leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends. |
| 2014-11-24 | If a manifested creature would have morph if it were face up, you may also turn it face up by paying its morph cost. |
| 2014-11-24 | If you choose 0 for X, you’ll just manifest the top card of your library. |
| 2014-11-24 | Some older Magic sets feature double-faced cards, which have a Magic card face on each side rather than a Magic card face on one side and a Magic card back on the other. The rules for double-faced cards are changing slightly to account for the possibility that they are manifested. If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up. A double-faced permanent on the battlefield still can’t be turned face down. |
| 2014-11-24 | The face-down permanent is a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It’s colorless and has a converted mana cost of 0. Other effects that apply to the permanent can still grant or change any of these characteristics. |
| 2014-11-24 | There are no cards in the Fate Reforged set that would turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, but some older cards can try to do this. If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it’s an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won’t trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up. |
| 2014-11-24 | Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn’t change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped. |
| 2014-11-24 | Unlike a face-down creature that was cast using the morph ability, a manifested creature may still be turned face up after it loses its abilities if it’s a creature card. |
| 2014-11-24 | You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield in order to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for indicating this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. You must also track how each became face down (manifested, cast face down using the morph ability, and so on). |