Wildcall 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
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.)
Complete guide
Wildcall is a versatile sorcery that allows you to surprise your opponents with a mysterious creature from the top of your library. By utilizing the manifest mechanic, you can create a face-down threat that can later be revealed as a powerful creature, potentially scaling into a massive threat with its X cost.
What it Does
When you cast Wildcall, you manifest the top card of your library. This means you put that card onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 colorless creature with no name, creature types, or abilities. After it enters, you put X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the amount of mana you spent on the X in the spell's cost. This allows the creature to be much larger than a standard 2/2, even if the card itself isn't a creature.
How it Resolves
First, you choose a value for X and pay the mana cost. Upon resolution, you take the top card of your library and place it on the battlefield face down. Immediately after the card is on the battlefield, the +1/+1 counters are placed on it. If you chose 0 for X, you still manifest the card, but it receives no counters. If the manifested card is a creature card, you can turn it face up at any time you have priority by paying its mana cost. This is a special action that does not use the stack and cannot be responded to.
Common Mistakes
A common error is trying to turn a manifested non-creature card face up; according to the rules, you can only turn a manifested card face up if it is actually a creature card. Another mistake involves enters-the-battlefield abilities; because the permanent is already on the battlefield when it turns face up, abilities that trigger when a creature enters the battlefield will not trigger. Additionally, if a manifested instant or sorcery card is somehow forced to turn face up by another effect, it stays face down after you reveal it to show it cannot be turned face up.
When to Play it
Wildcall is most effective in decks that can generate large amounts of mana to maximize the +1/+1 counters. It is also strategically useful when you have ways to manipulate the top of your library, ensuring the manifested card is a creature you want on the battlefield. Because turning it face up is a special action, it is a great way to bypass counterspells or reactive removal that targets the stack.
Interaction examples
You cast Wildcall with X=3, spending five total mana. You manifest the top card of your library. It enters the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature, and then receives three +1/+1 counters, making it a 5/5 creature. Your opponent won't know if the card underneath is a land, a spell, or a creature until you reveal it or it leaves the battlefield.
CultivateOn turn three, you cast Cultivate to put a basic land onto the battlefield and another into your hand. This extra mana allows you to cast Wildcall on turn four with X=2. The resulting creature is a 4/4 (a 2/2 base with two +1/+1 counters). If the manifested card is a creature card, you can use your increased mana pool on a later turn to pay its mana cost and flip it face up.
FarseekYou use Farseek early in the game to find a specific land type and put it onto the battlefield. This thinness in the library slightly increases your chances of manifesting a non-land card with Wildcall later. When you eventually cast Wildcall for a large X value, the +1/+1 counters stay on the creature even if you later turn it face up, potentially creating an enormous version of whatever creature card was on top of your library.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Wildcall
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If you choose 0 for X, you'll just manifest the top card of your library.
Card named in this ruling
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
The face-down permanent is a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It's colorless and has a mana value of 0. Other effects that apply to the permanent can still grant or change any of these characteristics.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
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.
Card named in this ruling
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If a manifested creature would have morph if it were face up, you may also turn it face up by paying its morph cost.
Card named in this ruling
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
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.
Card named in this ruling
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Because face-down creatures don't have names, they can't have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn't change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
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).
Card named in this ruling
- #13· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #14· Wizards of the Coast
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.
Card named in this ruling
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Kitsa, Otterball Elite + Ashnod's Altar + Intruder Alarm + Wildcall
- 1Cast Wildcall by paying its mana cost.
- 2Kitsa's prowess ability triggers, giving it +1/+1 until end of turn.
- 3Holding priority, activate Kitsa's second ability by paying
and tapping it, copying Wildcall. - 4Resolve the copy of Wildcall, causing you to put a card from your library onto the battlefield face-down as a 2/2 creature.
- 5When the creature enters, Intruder Alarm triggers, untapping all creatures.
- 6Holding priority, activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the face-down creature, adding
. - 7Repeat from step 3
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Meta decks with Wildcall
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.