Inspiring Call
Instant
Draw a card for each creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it. Those creatures gain indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy them.)
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Final Fantasy Commander
- Price
- $0.35
- EDHREC rank
- #274
Inspiring Call refills your hand equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on your creatures and makes those same creatures indestructible until end of turn — all for three mana at instant speed. In any deck that reliably loads up counters, this is a haymaker that doubles as protection; The Swarmlord is the clearest example of a commander that treats it as a staple rather than a consideration.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
The Swarmlord
The Swarmlord dumps +1/+1 counters onto every Tyranid it produces, so Inspiring Call routinely draws four or five cards while blanking a board wipe — it's the card that makes the token swarm durable enough to actually close games.
Hakbal of the Surging Soul
Hakbal of the Surging Soul puts counters on Merfolk every combat, meaning Inspiring Call scales up fast in a deck that's already attacking repeatedly; the indestructibility clause is what turns a sweeper from a setback into a non-event.
Tidus, Yuna's Guardian
Tidus, Yuna's Guardian grows the board with counters through normal combat math, and Inspiring Call converts that accumulated value into fresh cards while shielding the team from the removal that would otherwise punish going wide.
Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener
Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener distributes +1/+1 counters aggressively as part of its doubling gameplan, so Inspiring Call reliably draws three or more cards and makes Bright-Palm's buffed team survive whatever answer the table fires back.
Hamza, Guardian of Arashin
Hamza, Guardian of Arashin wants a counter-laden board to keep its cost reduction online, and Inspiring Call does double duty — it protects that board from sweepers and refuels the hand to keep the counters flowing next turn.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Inspiring Call earns its reputation: multiplayer means more threats worth protecting, and the combination of mass indestructibility plus card draw for one instant is exactly the kind of two-for-one that swings a four-player game. In competitive 60-card formats like Modern and Pioneer, Inspiring Call is legal but rarely sees play — dedicated counter shells exist, but targeted protection like Tyvar's Stand or simple cantrips usually outperform it when your board is one or two creatures rather than six. Legacy and Vintage give it more powerful competition and faster games that rarely let counter synergies fully develop. Oathbreaker mirrors Commander's dynamics closely enough that Inspiring Call can find a home there too, provided the planeswalker at the helm is building a counter engine. Standard legality gives it occasional relevance when a counter-heavy set is in rotation, but outside of those windows it sits in bulk boxes.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.35 bulk tier
At $0.35, Inspiring Call is firmly bulk — you can finish a playset for what a single premium staple costs, and there's no meaningful price floor risk for a card this cheap. It's a safe pickup for any counter-based Commander deck; the low price reflects casual demand rather than any weakness in the card itself.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.