Unexpected Assistance

three generic mana one blue mana Instant

Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for one generic mana or one mana of that creature's color.)

Draw three cards, then discard a card.

In one breath, Abigale's mind turned from panic to poetry.

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Showing Lorwyn Eclipsed#80

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0.25 $

Foil 0.30 $

6 printings

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Unexpected Assistance rulings

2025-11-17
Tapping an untapped creature that's attacking or blocking to convoke a spell won't cause that creature to stop attacking or blocking.
2025-11-17
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 before 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.
2025-11-17
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. Convoke doesn't change a spell's mana cost or mana value.
2025-11-17
You can tap any untapped creature you control to convoke a spell, even one you haven't controlled continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn.

Unexpected Assistance keyword rules

Convoke Rule 702.51

Convoke is a static ability that functions while the spell with convoke is on the stack. “Convoke” means “For each colored mana in this spell’s total cost, you may tap an untapped creature of that color you control rather than pay that mana. For each generic mana in this spell’s total cost, you may tap an untapped creature you control rather than pay that mana.”

The convoke ability isn’t an additional or alternative cost and applies only after the total cost of the spell with convoke is determined.

A creature tapped to pay for mana in a spell’s total cost this way is said to have “convoked” that spell.

Multiple instances of convoke on the same spell are redundant.