Sorcerous Spyglass MTG Card


Grants a strategic edge by revealing opponents’ hands and nullifying chosen card abilities. Demands insightful play—missteps could reduce its potential impact on the game. Essential in current metagames, versatile across multiple deck archetypes and formats.
Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeArtifact

Text of card

As Sorcerous Spyglass enters the battlefield, look at an opponent's hand, then choose any card name. Activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can't be activated unless they're mana abilities.


Cards like Sorcerous Spyglass

Sorcerous Spyglass is a powerful artifact in Magic the Gathering, offering unique preemptive disruption by peering into an opponent’s hand and shutting down key cards. Pithing Needle bears the closest resemblance, sharing the ability to deactivate the use of cards’ activated abilities. While Pithing Needle has a lower casting cost, Sorcerous Spyglass steps ahead, allowing you to gain crucial information about your opponent’s hand and plan your moves accordingly.

Phyrexian Revoker is another card that functions similarly, possessing the power to name and nullify nonland cards’ activated abilities. Unlike Sorcerous Spyglass, Phyrexian Revoker has the added benefit of being a creature, which can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on the board state and your need for a blocker. Although it doesn’t provide the hand insight that Sorcerous Spyglass does, the Revoker compensates with its physical presence on the battlefield.

As players evaluate the strategic benefits of these options, Sorcerous Spyglass rises to the occasion for those who value information warfare and strategic advantage in Magic the Gathering. It stands out by combining disruption with vital reconnaissance, positioning it as a favorable choice in decks that aim to outsmart the opponent.

Pithing Needle - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Revoker - MTG Card versions
Pithing Needle - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Revoker - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Sorcerous Spyglass by color, type and mana cost

Chaos Orb - MTG Card versions
Winter Orb - MTG Card versions
Ankh of Mishra - MTG Card versions
Amulet of Kroog - MTG Card versions
Nacre Talisman - MTG Card versions
Howling Mine - MTG Card versions
Essence Bottle - MTG Card versions
Emerald Medallion - MTG Card versions
Scrying Glass - MTG Card versions
Cursed Totem - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Millikin - MTG Card versions
Swiftfoot Boots - MTG Card versions
Ark of Blight - MTG Card versions
Surestrike Trident - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions
Angel's Feather - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Elsewhere Flask - MTG Card versions
Chaos Orb - MTG Card versions
Winter Orb - MTG Card versions
Ankh of Mishra - MTG Card versions
Amulet of Kroog - MTG Card versions
Nacre Talisman - MTG Card versions
Howling Mine - MTG Card versions
Essence Bottle - MTG Card versions
Emerald Medallion - MTG Card versions
Scrying Glass - MTG Card versions
Cursed Totem - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Millikin - MTG Card versions
Swiftfoot Boots - MTG Card versions
Ark of Blight - MTG Card versions
Surestrike Trident - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions
Angel's Feather - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Elsewhere Flask - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

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

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Other ShopsOther Shops VintageOther ShopsVintage Preliminary 2024-03-29
Prison ShopsPrison Shops VintagePrison ShopsVintage Preliminary 2023-11-17
Izzet ControlIzzet Control LegacyCharlotte Legacy League Season 1 Week 11
Colorless 12-PostColorless 12-Post LegacyColorless Cloudpost2023 Asia Legacy Championship
Dimir MidrangeDimir Midrange StandardDimir MidrangeWHITE - SAT - 12PM - Chicago Standard Cup
Colorless PrisonColorless Prison ModernPrison Tron$5K RCQ - Modern - SCG CON Pittsburgh - Friday - 1:00 pm
Golos StaxGolos Stax Vintage2023 Asia Vintage Championship
Eldrazi StompyEldrazi Stompy LegacyColorless Cloudpost2023 Asia Legacy Championship
Dimir ComboDimir Combo LegacyPainterEternal Weekend Europe 2023 Legacy Mainevent

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sorcerous Spyglass provides a distinct form of card advantage by allowing you to peek at an opponent’s hand, revealing their strategies and upcoming plays. This information can be crucial in planning your moves and disrupting your opponent’s game plan effectively.

Resource Acceleration: Despite not directly accelerating resources, the Sorcerous Spyglass offers strategic resource preemption by potentially shutting down an opponent’s mana-generating abilities or any potent activated abilities of their cards that might lead to significant mana advantages for them.

Instant Speed: Sorcerous Spyglass itself is played at sorcery speed, but its ability to preemptively neutralize threats or key pieces of an opponent’s deck means you can strategically plan around your own instants and responses, ensuring that when you cast spells at instant speed, they have maximum impact on the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sorcerous Spyglass itself doesn’t have a discard requirement, but it necessitates having a good knowledge of your opponent’s hand and strategy to maximize its potential. Without this insight, you might find yourself naming a card that is not particularly relevant at the time, which can be a wasted opportunity.

Specific Mana Cost: This artifact requires a precise mana investment of two generic mana, which while not restrictive, can sometimes compete with other key two-mana plays in your strategy, demanding careful consideration of your turn two game plan.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While two mana may not seem prohibitive, in formats where speed is of the essence, dedicating your second turn to play Sorcerous Spyglass might set you behind if it doesn’t severely disrupt your opponent. In such cases, the card could be less impactful compared to other two-mana plays that immediately affect the board state or advance your own strategy.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sorcerous Spyglass offers flexible utility across various deck archetypes by allowing you to peek at an opponent’s hand and shut down activated abilities of a chosen card. This can be crucial for disrupting combo decks or powerful planeswalkers in an opponent’s lineup.

Combo Potential: Its ability to hinder opponent strategies makes it a prime candidate for decks that aim to control the game’s tempo. Pairing Sorcerous Spyglass with discard spells or effects that let you see an opponent’s hand can effectively hamper their game plan.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment dense with activated abilities, Sorcerous Spyglass proves to be a necessary tool. It consistently stands out as a sideboard staple across formats by being able to target a myriad of threats found in the current competitive scene.


How to beat Sorcerous Spyglass

Sorcerous Spyglass holds a unique position within the artifact realm of Magic: The Gathering, giving players the strategic upper hand by peeking into an opponent’s hand and rendering chosen cards powerless. To navigate around this stifling piece, smart deck-building and on-the-fly adaptability become crucial.

Among the best methods to neutralize its effect is deploying artifact removal spells. Cards such as Abrade or Nature’s Claim allow players to destroy Sorcerous Spyglass outright, making them essential tools in your arsenal. Another approach involves preempting its arrival by utilizing counter spells like Negate or Dovin’s Veto to prevent it from hitting the battlefield altogether. It’s also beneficial to have diverse strategies that don’t solely rely on the abilities of one or two key cards, thereby reducing the potential impact of Sorcerous Spyglass on your gameplay. Prioritizing creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects or spell-based strategies can also diminish the leverage Sorcerous Spyglass might have. By understanding your deck’s weaknesses and having answers ready, you can ensure that Sorcerous Spyglass doesn’t disrupt your path to victory.

In essence, while Sorcerous Spyglass can be a thorn in any player’s side, a combination of proactive and reactive strategies can effectively counteract this powerful artifact, securing your game plan and maintaining the flow of your deck’s mechanics.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sorcerous Spyglass MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan Promos and Ixalan Promos, 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 Sorcerous Spyglass and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sorcerous Spyglass Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-09-29Ixalan PromosPXLN 248s2015NormalBlackKieran Yanner
22017-09-29Ixalan PromosPXLN 248p2015NormalBlackKieran Yanner
32017-09-29IxalanXLN 2482015NormalBlackKieran Yanner
42019-10-04Throne of EldraineELD 3842015NormalBlackAaron Miller
52019-10-04Throne of EldraineELD 2332015NormalBlackAaron Miller
62019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 6932015NormalBorderlessCosmin Podar
72021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 4011997NormalBlackKieran Yanner
82023-11-17The Lost Caverns of IxalanLCI 2612015NormalBlackTyler Walpole

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sorcerous Spyglass has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlBanned
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sorcerous Spyglass card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2021-03-19 Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "
-ost:
-ffect]." Some keyword abilities (such as equip) are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. Triggered abilities (starting with "when," "whenever," or "at") are unaffected by the last ability of Sorcerous Spyglass.
2021-03-19 An activated mana ability is one that produces mana as it resolves, not one that costs mana to activate.
2021-03-19 Sorcerous Spyglass affects cards regardless of what zone they're in. This includes cards in hand, cards in the graveyard, and exiled cards.
2021-03-19 You can choose any card name, even if that card doesn't normally have an activated ability. You're not limited to the names of cards you saw in the opponent's hand.
2021-03-19 You can't choose the name of a token unless that token has the same name as a card.