Conclave Phalanx MTG Card
2005-10-07 - Number 10
2015-05-22 - Number 12
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Soldier |
| Abilities | Convoke |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Conclave Phalanx aids sustainability against fast-paced decks with its substantial life gain effect.
- Its convoke ability allows for resourceful play by tapping creatures to cover mana costs.
- Undeniably strong in creature-heavy decks, it reinforces both life total and board presence.
Text of card
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by or by one mana of that creature's color.) When Conclave Phalanx comes into play, you gain 1 life for each creature you control.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Conclave Phalanx provides an influx of life points which translates to sustainability against aggressive decks and gives you more breathing room to execute your strategy. Its ‘convoke’ ability could indirectly result in card advantage by utilizing creatures for a dual purpose.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, the card’s convoke mechanic can bypass mana costs by tapping creatures you control, which enables a quicker and potentially earlier deployment than what your available mana would normally allow.
Instant Speed: Though Conclave Phalanx operates at sorcery speed, its impact on the board state is immediate and measurable, often swinging the momentum in your favor during your turn and solidifying your position.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although Conclave Phalanx doesn’t directly ask for a card to be discarded, it does have conditions that could indirectly lead to discarding. Building a strategy around it may result in having to discard other valuable cards to maintain a creature-heavy hand, affecting your overall game plan.
Specific Mana Cost: Conclave Phalanx has a specific mana requirement that includes white. This restriction means it’s only a perfect fit for decks that can reliably produce white mana, potentially limiting its versatility in multicolored or non-white decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that is considered high for its effect, Conclave Phalanx might not always provide the best value. There are other cards with lower mana costs that can offer similar life gain or even additional benefits, making them potentially more cost-effective choices in a deck.
Reasons to Include Conclave Phalanx in Your Collection
Versatility: Conclave Phalanx offers a unique blend of life gain and creature presence on the battlefield. This makes it a great addition for decks that aim for a strong board state while maintaining a high life total, adaptable in various situations.
Combo Potential: Its ability to gain life equal to the number of creatures you control makes it an excellent choice for creature-heavy decks. You can pair it with cards that leverage high life totals or those that benefit from having many creatures on the field.
Meta-Relevance: In a metagame that favors aggressive strategies, Conclave Phalanx can serve as a counterbalance. It provides not only a defensive creature but also a significant life buffer to outlast and stabilize against such decks.
How to beat
Conclave Phalanx is a card that stands out in MTG for its ability to provide a significant life boost through its Convoke ability, which allows you to tap creatures rather than pay mana to cast it. This can often be a turning point in a game, as it allows you to stabilize your life total while establishing a formidable board presence. To effectively counteract Conclave Phalanx, consider using removal spells to control the number of creatures your opponent has on the battlefield. This limits their ability to convoke and subsequently reduces the life gained.
Another strategy is to apply consistent pressure early in the game, reducing their life total before they have a chance to cast Conclave Phalanx with a significant impact. Additionally, cards that prevent life gain or punish the opponent for gaining life can serve as specific countermeasures against Conclave Phalanx. Finally, having a robust sideboard plan that includes cards tailored to disrupt your opponent’s strategy will greatly increase your chances of success against decks utilizing this life-gaining creature.
Understanding the intricacies of not only your cards but your opponents’ key pieces, like Conclave Phalanx, allows you to craft game plans that can navigate around potential turning points and secure victory even in the face of life-gaining obstacles.
Cards like Conclave Phalanx
Conclave Phalanx is an intriguing life-gain card in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with other cards that bolster life points such as Soul Warden, known for its life gaining abilities every time another creature enters the battlefield. Nevertheless, Conclave Phalanx stands out by offering a significant one-time life boost contingent on the number of creatures you control when it’s played. This makes it potent in creature-heavy decks where the life gain can be substantial.
Another kin in terms of life gain is Ajani’s Pridemate, which gets stronger with every instance of life gain. Unlike Conclave Phalanx, the Pridemate doesn’t provide an immediate life increase but becomes a growing threat over time. Then there’s Heroes’ Reunion, offering a direct and hefty life gain without any creature dependency. However, it lacks the board presence Conclave Phalanx provides. Both serve different strategies within lifegain archetypes, showcasing the diverse approaches players can take within this theme.
Ultimately, the value of Conclave Phalanx within Magic: The Gathering lies in its ability to sway the game’s momentum in your favor in just one move, especially if you’re commanding a wide board of creatures. Its unique strength within the spectrum of life-gain spells offers strategic depth to any deck that focuses on creature synergy, making it a compelling card for those seeking to leverage their army’s numbers for survival.
Cards similar to Conclave Phalanx by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Conclave Phalanx MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds and Modern Masters 2015, 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 Conclave Phalanx and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Magic products
Printings
The Conclave Phalanx Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2005-10-07 and 2015-05-22. Illustrated by Wayne Reynolds.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005-10-07 | Ravnica: City of Guilds | RAV | 10 | 2003 | normal | black | Wayne Reynolds | |
| 2 | 2015-05-22 | Modern Masters 2015 | MM2 | 12 | 2015 | normal | black | Wayne Reynolds |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Conclave Phalanx has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Conclave Phalanx 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 | 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 . |
