Magic the Gathering: Echo?

Question

If my opponent removes my Albino Troll from the game with Parallax Wave, do I have to pay his echo cost when he is returned to play?

Answer 1

Echo is a keyword ability originally seen in the Urza block. The echo rules are changing, but that doesn't functionally change any existing cards with echo. The revised rules for the echo ability are as follows:

502.19. Echo

502.19a Echo is a triggered ability. "Echo [cost]" means "At the beginning of your upkeep, if this permanent came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay [cost]."



The old rules said to sacrifice the permanent unless its mana cost is paid. The new rules say to sacrifice the permanent unless its echo cost is paid. For all older cards, those two costs will be the same.

Paying for echo is always optional. When the echo triggered ability resolves, if the controller of the permanent can't pay its echo cost, or chooses not to, that player sacrifices that permanent.

A permanent's echo ability will trigger during its controller's upkeep if it came into play since the beginning of its controller's last upkeep (including if it left play and came back during that time, or if it phased in during that time), or if its current controller took control of it since the beginning of his or her last upkeep.

From:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mag...

So, yes, you do have to pay the echo cost again, if you still want it.  The last paragraph is the important one.

Answer 2

The Echo ability dates back a long time, and even during the Urza days, it was very confusing. In short, during your upkeep, if the permenant that has echo has been in play since your last upkeep, you must pay its echo cost or sacrifice it. The Echo ability is used to balance "unfair" creatures.

In your case, the echo cost does not have to be paid, since the creature was not under your control since your last upkeep.

Hope that helped.

Answer 3

Couldn't have said it better than Steve, in order keep a creature with echo cost then you would have to pay the echo "fee" otherwise the creature fizzles out of existance.  However, I usually let that happen since most echo cards have a trigger ability when they leave play.  It is ultimately up to you to decide how you play.