What it does
Echo is a catch-up cost on certain creatures and permanents. When a permanent with echo enters the battlefield, you must pay its echo cost (often equal to its mana cost) the next time it would untap during your upkeep—otherwise you sacrifice it. Effectively, you pay for the permanent twice: once to cast it, once to keep it after a turn.
The most common mistake is thinking echo triggers immediately or every turn. It only triggers once, during your first upkeep after the permanent comes under your control—even if it didn't untap (it triggers regardless). Importantly, echo triggers when the permanent changes control too, so flickering or stealing an echo creature re-imposes the cost.
In Commander, echo matters for blink decks and clone effects—reanimating or flickering an echo creature forces you to pay again, which can catch opponents (and yourself) off guard.
Iconic cards with Echo
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