Call of the Ring is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
At the beginning of your upkeep, the Ring tempts you. Whenever you choose a creature as your Ring-bearer, you may pay 2 life. If you do, draw a card.
Complete guide
Call of the Ring is a powerful black enchantment that brings the corrupting influence of Middle-earth to your upkeep. It provides a consistent way to progress through The Ring's abilities while offering card advantage at the cost of your health.
Corrupting the Upkeep
Call of the Ring features two distinct abilities. First, at the start of every upkeep, the Ring tempts you. This happens automatically and does not require you to control a creature. Second, it has a triggered ability that monitors whenever you choose a Ring-bearer. If you successfully name a creature as your Ring-bearer, you can pay 2 life to draw a card. This second ability is optional, allowing you to manage your life total as needed.
Resolution Step-by-Step
When your upkeep begins, the first ability triggers and goes on the stack. As it resolves, you first receive The Ring emblem if you don't have one. The emblem then gains its next ability in sequence (from top to bottom). Finally, if you control one or more creatures, you must choose one to be your Ring-bearer. If a creature is chosen this way, the second ability of Call of the Ring triggers. When that resolves, you decide whether to pay 2 life; if you do, the card is drawn immediately.
Strategic Implementation
This card is best used in decks that consistently maintain a board presence, as you cannot pay the life to draw a card if you have no creatures to designate as a Ring-bearer. It serves as a thematic alternative to classic black draw engines, providing both evasion for your creatures through The Ring's mechanics and raw card draw. Remember that even if you choose the same creature that was already your Ring-bearer, it still counts as 'choosing' a Ring-bearer and will trigger the draw ability.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is assuming you can draw a card every time the Ring tempts you. If you control no creatures when the Ring tempts you, you cannot choose a Ring-bearer, meaning the second ability never triggers. Additionally, keep in mind that the life payment is part of the triggered ability's resolution; you cannot pay the life multiple times for a single temptation to draw multiple cards.
Interaction examples
Call of the Ring
The Ring // The Ring Tempts YouAt the start of your upkeep, Call of the Ring triggers. You choose a 1/1 soldier token you control to be the Ring-bearer. Because you chose a creature, Call of the Ring's second ability triggers. You pay 2 life and draw a card. Your soldier is now legendary and can't be blocked by creatures with power 2 or greater.
Phyrexian ArenaWhile Phyrexian Arena triggers at the upkeep to give you a card for 1 life automatically, Call of the Ring requires you to have a creature to choose as a Ring-bearer and costs 2 life. However, Call of the Ring provides the additional benefits of The Ring emblem, such as loot effects and life drain, which Phyrexian Arena does not offer.
Black Market ConnectionsIn a single turn, you could use Call of the Ring during your upkeep to draw a card for 2 life, then use Black Market Connections during your pre-combat main phase to create a 3/2 Shapeshifter token. If you had no creatures during your upkeep, you couldn't draw with Call of the Ring, but the token from Black Market Connections ensures you will have a creature to choose as a Ring-bearer on your next turn.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Call of the Ring
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Call of the Ring's last ability will trigger any time you choose a creature as your Ring-bearer, even if that creature was already your Ring-bearer.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If the Ring tempts you but you can't choose a creature as your Ring-bearer (probably because you control no creatures), Call of the Ring's last ability won't trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
As the Ring tempts you, you get an emblem named The Ring if you don't have one. Then your emblem gains its next ability and you choose a creature you control to become (or remain) your Ring-bearer.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
The Ring can tempt you even if you don't control a creature. In this case, abilities that trigger "whenever the Ring tempts you" will still trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If the creature you choose as your Ring-bearer was already your Ring-bearer, that still counts as choosing that creature as your Ring-bearer for the purpose of abilities that trigger "whenever you choose a creature as your Ring-bearer" or abilities that care about which creature was chosen as your Ring-bearer.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
The Ring gains its abilities in order from top to bottom. Once it gains an ability, it has that ability for the rest of the game.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Each time the Ring tempts you, you must choose a creature if you control one.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
Each player can have only one emblem named The Ring and only one Ring-bearer at a time.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
Some spells and abilities that cause the Ring to tempt you may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. The Ring won't tempt you.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Call of the Ring
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.