Talrand's InvocationHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

Talrand's Invocation is a straightforward sorcery that costs four mana. Upon resolution, it creates two Drake tokens. These tokens are blue, 2/2 creatures, and notably possess the Flying keyword. This means they cannot be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach, allowing you to bypass ground-based defenses easily.

How It Resolves

Step 1: You cast the spell by paying two blue and two generic mana, placing it on the stack. Step 2: If no one counters the spell, it resolves. Step 3: You place two 2/2 blue Drake tokens onto the battlefield. Step 4: The sorcery card is put into your graveyard. The Drakes will have summoning sickness unless you have a way to grant them haste, so you typically wait until your next turn to attack.

Common Mistakes

A common error is forgetting that these are tokens, not card-based creatures. If an effect returns a Drake to your hand, it will cease to exist once it leaves the battlefield. Additionally, because the spell creates two separate tokens, effects that trigger when a creature enters the battlefield will trigger twice, once for each Drake.

When to Play It

This spell is best utilized in the mid-game to stabilize your defense against small ground attackers or to begin a clock against a slower opponent. Since it creates two bodies with one card, it is an excellent way to maintain card advantage and force your opponent to use multiple removal spells to clear your board.

Interaction examples

Building an Airborne Army

Drake

When you cast Talrand's Invocation, you generate two Drake tokens. This effectively puts 4 power and 4 toughness onto the battlefield spread across two flying bodies, making it difficult for an opponent to stop both with a single blocker.

Refilling the Hand after Deployment

Windfall

After casting Talrand's Invocation to establish your board, you may find your hand size lower than your opponent's. By following up with Windfall in a later turn, you can force everyone to discard and draw new cards, potentially drawing into more spells while your Drakes continue to deal damage.

Finding Synergy

Fabricate

If your Drakes need help closing out the game, you can use Fabricate to search your library for a powerful artifact, such as an Equipment or a mana rock. While Talrand's Invocation provides the creatures, Fabricate ensures you have the utility tools needed to support them.