Sunbird's Invocation MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers card advantage by revealing and casting spells at no extra cost.
  2. Accelerates game play but can strain mana in multicolor decks.
  3. Expensive to cast, yet provides immense value in spell-heavy decks.

Text of card

Whenever you cast a spell from your hand, reveal the top X cards of your library, where X is that spell's mana value. You may cast a spell with mana value X or less from among cards revealed this way without paying its mana cost. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sunbird’s Invocation offers a unique form of card advantage by potentially revealing multiple spells you can cast for free. Whenever you cast a spell from your hand, you get to look at the top few cards of your library and may cast a card with a lower mana cost without paying its mana cost, which can lead to a cascade of valuable plays.

Resource Acceleration: Although not providing direct mana acceleration, Sunbird’s Invocation indirectly accelerates your resources by bypassing mana costs of the additional spells you cast. This can lead to playing multiple heavy-hitting spells in a single turn without depleting your mana reserves, effectively advancing your board state and strategic options at an accelerated pace.

Instant Speed: While Sunbird’s Invocation itself isn’t an instant, it allows you to cast spells that you reveal at instant speed, regardless of their original speed limitations. That means you can potentially cast sorcery-speed spells during your opponent’s turn, catching them off-guard and adapting to the board state in real time.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Sunbird’s Invocation doesn’t require a discard as part of its immediate effect, it’s important to consider that utilizing its triggered ability effectively often means playing a heavy stream of spells, potentially depleting your hand faster than desired.

Specific Mana Cost: This enchantment carries a strict red color mana requirement, which may not align seamlessly with all strategies, particularly in multicolored decks where casting consistency is key.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of six mana, Sunbird’s Invocation leans towards the more expensive end of the spectrum. This can be quite the investment, especially when there are other options that might set up or support your game plan at a lower cost.


Reasons to Include Sunbird’s Invocation in Your Collection

Versatility: Sunbird’s Invocation offers a high degree of flexibility across various decks that crave spell-triggered abilities. Its unique effect of revealing and potentially casting a card of lower mana cost for free whenever you cast a spell enhances numerous strategies.

Combo Potential: This enchantment shines in setups aiming to chain together spell casts. It pairs seamlessly with cards that have cascade effects or with strategies that look to cast numerous spells in a single turn, multiplying the value gained from every spell you cast.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames that favor long, drawn-out battles of resource management, Sunbird’s Invocation can be a powerhouse. It sustains momentum for the player by offering additional plays every turn, making it challenging for opponents to keep up without dedicated enchantment removal.


How to beat

Sunbird’s Invocation is a formidable enchantment in Magic: The Gathering, known for turning any sizable spell into a cascade of additional plays. To effectively neutralize this card’s advantage, fast removal spells or counterspells can be employed before its controller can utilize its benefits. Disenchant and Naturalize can swiftly dispose of it after it hits the battlefield, while a preemptive Negate or Dovin’s Veto can prevent it from ever taking effect.

Another angle involves strategy alteration where one prioritizes low-cost disruption while withholding high-impact spells to minimize Sunbird’s Invocation triggers. Efficient hand attack spells like Thoughtseize can also be crucial, allowing you to discard Sunbird’s Invocation before it’s even cast. Lastly, pressure tactics using aggressive creatures can force a player to respond, rather than setting up the board state needed to take advantage of this powerful enchantment’s capabilities.

When taking on a card like Sunbird’s Invocation, the key is to prevent it from becoming the engine of value it’s designed to be. A swift and decisive approach is essential in dismantling the strategies built around this key card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG involves more than knowledge of each card; it demands an understanding of how cards like Sunbird’s Invocation mesh within your deck’s ecosystem. For enthusiasts seeking to add a layer of dynamism to their plays, this enchantment could be a game-changer, boosting your spell-slinging capabilities significantly. Whether you’re constructing a new deck or optimizing an existing one, consider the boundless possibilities that Sunbird’s Invocation can unlock. Curious about weaving this powerhouse into your strategy and taking on the meta with confidence? Dive deeper with us to explore, improve, and ultimately reign supreme in your MTG confrontations.


Cards like Sunbird's Invocation

Sunbird’s Invocation is a unique enchantment within the MTG realm, often likened to cards like Cascade that offers unpredictable advantages. Mirroring Cascade’s ability to potentially cast a free spell, Sunbird’s Invocation allows players to sift through their library and cast spells without paying their mana costs, depending on the original spell’s cost. While Cascade is usually linked to specific cards like Shardless Agent, Sunbird’s Invocation offers a more flexible range, dictated by the converted mana cost of your last played spell.

Observed with an eye for value, Sunbird’s Invocation could be compared to the likes of cards like Maelstrom Nexus, which also allows the first spell you cast each turn to cascade. However, the depth Sunbird’s Invocation reaches extends beyond just one spell a turn. In terms of scalability and potential for impact, it’s a powerful engine that can cascade through your deck as you cast increasingly expensive spells, unlike the constant but limited capacity of a card like Maelstrom Nexus.

Weighing the strategic implication, Sunbird’s Invocation stands as a titan in a league fueled by high-powered spell casting. The flexibility and scale it introduces surely carves a unique space in decks looking to harness the raw power of casting spells free of cost, making it a formidable card amongst its counterparts.

Shardless Agent - MTG Card versions
Maelstrom Nexus - MTG Card versions
Shardless Agent - Planechase 2012 (PC2)
Maelstrom Nexus - Alara Reborn (ARB)

Cards similar to Sunbird's Invocation by color, type and mana cost

Territorial Dispute - MTG Card versions
Arcane Bombardment - MTG Card versions
Fiery Emancipation - MTG Card versions
Risky Move - MTG Card versions
Dragon Roost - MTG Card versions
Grip of Chaos - MTG Card versions
Tide of War - MTG Card versions
Curse of the Fire Penguin // Curse of the Fire Penguin Creature - MTG Card versions
Homura, Human Ascendant // Homura's Essence - MTG Card versions
Rage Reflection - MTG Card versions
Wild Evocation - MTG Card versions
Warstorm Surge - MTG Card versions
Guild Feud - MTG Card versions
Lightning Diadem - MTG Card versions
Cyclops of Eternal Fury - MTG Card versions
Might Makes Right - MTG Card versions
Form of the Dinosaur - MTG Card versions
Haphazard Bombardment - MTG Card versions
Mirror March - MTG Card versions
Dreamshaper Shaman - MTG Card versions
Territorial Dispute - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Arcane Bombardment - Streets of New Capenna Promos (PSNC)
Fiery Emancipation - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)
Risky Move - The List (PLST)
Dragon Roost - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Grip of Chaos - Scourge (SCG)
Tide of War - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Curse of the Fire Penguin // Curse of the Fire Penguin Creature - Unhinged (UNH)
Homura, Human Ascendant // Homura's Essence - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Rage Reflection - The List (PLST)
Wild Evocation - Magic 2011 (M11)
Warstorm Surge - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)
Guild Feud - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Lightning Diadem - Jumpstart (JMP)
Cyclops of Eternal Fury - Journey into Nyx (JOU)
Might Makes Right - Magic 2015 (M15)
Form of the Dinosaur - Rivals of Ixalan (RIX)
Haphazard Bombardment - Dominaria Promos (PDOM)
Mirror March - The List (PLST)
Dreamshaper Shaman - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sunbird's Invocation MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan Promos and 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 Sunbird's Invocation and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sunbird's Invocation Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2021-04-23. Illustrated by Christine Choi.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-09-29Ixalan PromosPXLN 165p2015normalblackChristine Choi
22017-09-29IxalanXLN 1652015normalblackChristine Choi
32017-09-29Ixalan PromosPXLN 165s2015normalblackChristine Choi
42021-04-23Commander 2021C21 1802015normalblackChristine Choi

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sunbird's Invocation has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-09-29 Casting Sunbird’s Invocation won’t cause its own ability to trigger.
2017-09-29 For spells with in their mana costs, use the value chosen for X to determine the spell’s mana value.
2017-09-29 If a revealed card in your library has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.
2017-09-29 If the spell’s mana value is 0, you do nothing as the ability of Sunbird’s Invocation resolves.
2017-09-29 If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t pay any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Costly Plunder, those must be paid to cast the card.
2017-09-29 If you cast one of the revealed cards, you do so as part of the resolution of the triggered ability. You can’t wait to cast it later in the turn. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored, but other restrictions (such as “Cast
-his card] only during combat”) are not.
2017-09-29 The ability of Sunbird’s Invocation resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It will resolve even if that spell is countered. If you cast a spell as part of the resolution of the ability, that spell resolves before the spell that caused the ability to trigger.
2017-09-29 The mana value of a split card, such as cards with aftermath from the Amonkhet block, is based on the combined mana cost of its two halves. The mana value of the resulting spell is based only on the half you cast.

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