Ransack the Lab MTG Card


Card selection with Ransack the Lab enhances deck efficiency, crucial for optimizing game play. It synergizes well with graveyard-based strategies, enabling powerful card interactions. Ransack the Lab’s specific mana requirement may limit its use in diverse mana decks.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery

Text of card

Look at the top three cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest into your graveyard.

"I think someone is stealing from my laboratory. It had better not be you!" —Geralf, letter to Gisa


Cards like Ransack the Lab

Ransack the Lab is an intriguing option within the catalogue of black spells that offer deck manipulation in MTG. Similar to the notorious Strategic Planning, it allows players to look at the top three cards of their library, but Ransack the Lab adds a twist by sending the unwanted cards to the graveyard rather than the bottom of the library. This subtle difference can be a significant advantage in decks that thrive on graveyard interactions.

Considering other options, Read the Bones stands out for its ability to not only scry 2 but also draw 2 cards at the expense of 2 life. Its deeper digging capability sets it apart from Ransack the Lab, offering a trade-off between life points and card selection. Another card in this realm is Sign in Blood, which straightforwardly enables drawing two cards, but it also comes with the cost of 2 life and it doesn’t provide any sort feature.

Each of these cards shines under different circumstances, but Ransack the Lab’s unique interaction with the graveyard often provides strategic depth to many decks, especially those designed to leverage their graveyard as an extended resource.

Strategic Planning - MTG Card versions
Read the Bones - MTG Card versions
Sign in Blood - MTG Card versions
Strategic Planning - MTG Card versions
Read the Bones - MTG Card versions
Sign in Blood - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Ransack the Lab by color, type and mana cost

Drain Life - MTG Card versions
Demonic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Sinkhole - MTG Card versions
Word of Binding - MTG Card versions
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Stitch Together - MTG Card versions
Drain Life - MTG Card versions
Demonic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Sinkhole - MTG Card versions
Word of Binding - MTG Card versions
Soul Exchange - MTG Card versions
Dry Spell - MTG Card versions
Hymn to Tourach - MTG Card versions
Mind Knives - MTG Card versions
Shattered Crypt - MTG Card versions
Disturbed Burial - MTG Card versions
Death Stroke - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Imperial Edict - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Intent - MTG Card versions
Decompose - MTG Card versions
Chainer's Edict - MTG Card versions
Walk the Plank - MTG Card versions
Predators' Hour - MTG Card versions
Nausea - MTG Card versions
Stitch Together - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Ransack the Lab. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Golgari MidrangeGolgari Midrange GladiatorGladiator Games: We're Back
DecklistDecklist Free formCanadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed
Mardu ReanimatorMardu Reanimator ModernMardu ReanimatorEternal Weekend Europe 2023 Modern Mainevent
ReanimatorReanimator LegacyReanimatorLegacy League 2023-12-05

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ransack the Lab allows you to look at the top three cards of your library, putting one into your hand and the other two into your graveyard. This selection process can provide a significant advantage as it helps sift through your deck for key cards while fueling strategies that benefit from graveyard interactions.

Resource Acceleration: By enabling strategic placement of cards into the graveyard, Ransack the Lab can indirectly accelerate resources. It sets the stage for powerful reanimation spells or the casting of spells with delve, therefore increasing the speed at which you can deploy your threats and responses.

Instant Speed: Although Ransack the Lab operates at sorcery speed, its role in setting up instant speed plays is crucial. By filtering your deck and filling the graveyard, it makes it easier to effectively utilize your mana in subsequent turns for instant speed interactions and keep the pressure on your opponent with the right cards at hand.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Ransack the Lab offers the player a look at the top three cards of their library, it comes with the downside of having to put one of those cards into your graveyard. This can feel like a drawback if the discarded card is a pivotal piece of your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Ransack the Lab has a black mana in its casting cost, which could be restrictive for players who are not running black mana sources. This requisite makes it less flexible for inclusion in multi-color decks that may not prioritize the color black.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although two mana might not seem overly costly for the effect, in a fast-paced game, the mana spent on Ransack the Lab could be used towards more impactful plays, considering other one-mana spells may provide similar or better library manipulation or card advantage.


Reasons to Include Ransack the Lab in Your Collection

Versatility: Ransack the Lab is a valued addition to any deck looking for efficient card selection. It allows players to dig through the top three cards of their library, thereby streamlining their game plan by choosing the most needed card.

Combo Potential: This card shines in strategies that capitalize on graveyard synergies. By putting cards into the graveyard, it enables various interactions or sets up powerful reanimation tactics.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where specific answers are needed quickly, Ransack the Lab helps sift through decks to find the right pieces while also maintaining graveyard interaction, an aspect crucial in numerous competitive formats.


How to beat Ransack the Lab

Ransack the Lab is a nifty card in Magic: The Gathering that allows players to delve into their library, picking and choosing what comes next. It’s not unlike strategic spells such as Anticipate, which grants a peek at the top few cards of your deck. While both cards offer a glimpse into future draws, Ransack the Lab has a distinct advantage with its ability to put the unwanted cards into the graveyard, setting up potential synergies with graveyard mechanics.

However, to effectively counter Ransack the Lab, consider employing graveyard disruption tactics. Cards like Tormod’s Crypt can exile a player’s graveyard, negating the benefits that Ransack the Lab might have set up. Grafdigger’s Cage is another powerful piece, inhibiting cards from being played from the graveyard – a direct hit to strategies reliant on such combinations. When you mitigate the advantages of Ransack the Lab, you diminish the card’s impact and safeguard your position in the game.

Ultimately, recognizing and disrupting the graveyard-focused strategies that often accompany Ransack the Lab can be as pivotal as any direct removal or counter-spell. By staying one step ahead, you ensure this card doesn’t ransack your chances of victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the dynamics of a card like Ransack the Lab is key to leveraging its full potential in your MTG gameplay. This card serves as a turning point for many strategies, especially those that use the graveyard as a resource. Whether enhancing a reanimation approach or optimizing card advantage, mastering its uses can be a game changer. If you’re keen to explore how Ransack the Lab can alter the landscape of your deck and matches, we offer in-depth insights and strategic advice tailored to elevate your MTG experience. Dive deeper into the tech and tactics with us, and enhance your gameplay today.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ransack the Lab MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons and Jumpstart: Historic Horizons, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Ransack the Lab and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ransack the Lab Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by Chris Seaman.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 1032015NormalBlackChris Seaman
22021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 3782015NormalBlackChris Seaman

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ransack the Lab has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal