Secret Salvage MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Drives significant card advantage by retrieving numerous copies of a specific nonland card.
  2. Enables resource acceleration in decks, particularly those built on mana ramp strategies.
  3. Aids in maintaining upper hand by stocking up on key cards, ready for instant-speed play.

Text of card

Exile target nonland card from your graveyard. Search your library for any number of cards with the same name as that card, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

There is no shortage of illegal salvage in Ghirapur, nor of those who are willing to profit from it.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When you cast Secret Salvage, it excels at providing card advantage by allowing you to exile a nonland card from your graveyard and then search your library for any number of cards with the same name. This can potentially fill your hand with crucial pieces, ensuring you have the resources you need to execute your strategy.

Resource Acceleration: Although Secret Salvage itself doesn’t create mana, the ability to retrieve multiple copies of a card can lead to resource acceleration. For example, retrieving more ramp spells or creatures that produce mana can significantly boost your speed in game progression.

Instant Speed: Whilst Secret Salvage is a sorcery, it sets you up to utilize instant speed spells on subsequent turns. By ensuring your hand is stocked with responses or threats, you maintain the upper hand, able to react swiftly to your opponents’ moves.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: With Secret Salvage, you are obliged to exile a card from your graveyard, which can pose a challenge if your graveyard management is essential to your strategy or if your graveyard is simply empty.

Specific Mana Cost: Secret Salvage comes with a stringent mana requirement, that is one black and four colorless mana, making it relatively hard to cast in multi-color decks that may not always have the necessary black mana sources available.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost of five mana to cast this spell is quite steep, considering other cards in MTG could provide card advantage or selection at a lower cost. This makes Secret Salvage a card that might not always be the optimal choice, especially in faster-paced games where efficiency is key.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Secret Salvage stands out for its flexibility. It’s a unique card that excels in decks built around exploiting the graveyard or those aiming to consistently access specific nonland cards.

Combo Potential: When paired with cards that benefit from having multiple copies, such as those with the Delve or Prowess abilities, Secret Salvage can set up explosive plays or amplify recurring effects.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where games tend to last longer and utility from the graveyard becomes a key factor, Secret Salvage offers the sustained card advantage needed to outpace control tactics or outmaneuver aggro opponents.


How to beat

Secret Salvage is an intriguing option for players looking to maximize the potential of their decks in Magic: The Gathering. It allows for the extraction of all copies of a nonland card from your deck after discarding or having one such card in your graveyard. While this can provide a strategic advantage, there are ways to counteract the sizable impact of Secret Salvage.

Graveyard disruption is a key strategy to combat the power of Secret Salvage. By using cards that exile or shuffle the opponent’s graveyard into their library, the benefit of Secret Salvage is drastically reduced. This means cards like Tormod’s Crypt and Leyline of the Void become immensely valuable. Additionally, hand disruption mechanics, like Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek, can preemptively remove Secret Salvage from an opponent’s hand before they have a chance to cast it, diminishing their game plan.

Ultimately, understanding the timing and the deck synergy of Secret Salvage can inform your strategy to effectively neutralize its benefits. By prioritizing graveyard management and hand disruption, you can maintain control over the game and diminish your opponent’s opportunities to leverage Secret Salvage to their advantage.


BurnMana Recommendations

Secret Salvage can transform your deck’s potential by harvesting your graveyard for a nonland card’s copies, turning a subtle advantage into an overwhelming one. Whether fueling mana accelerators, arming yourself with redundant threats or setting up for a game-breaking combo, this card demands contemplation in specific strategies within the MTG panorama. Understanding both its strengths and limitations can guide you to make informed decisions to tighten your game plan. Curious about how Secret Salvage could revolutionize your deck or craving insider knowledge on advanced graveyard tactics? Explore with us further and let’s tap into the power of this compelling card together.


Cards like Secret Salvage

Delving into the intricacies of *Secret Salvage*, we discover a unique card in the MTG arsenal, with an ability that sifts through your deck for nonland cards sharing a name with one in your graveyard. This card echoes the functionality of pieces like *Demonic Tutor*, which allows for a specific card search but without the aforementioned duplication condition. Unlike *Demonic Tutor*, however, *Secret Salvage* shines in decks that capitalize on repetition and numerous copies of certain cards.

Looking to other sorceries, *Diabolic Tutor* also offers a card search ability, albeit more general and without *Secret Salvage*’s graveyard interaction. Where *Diabolic Tutor* is neutral regarding card advantage, *Secret Salvage* can potentially fill your hand, setting the stage for powerful combo plays. Another comparison can be drawn with *Increasing Ambition*. While *Increasing Ambition* has a higher mana cost and provides a one-time search, its flashback ability adds flexibility, albeit at a steeper price than *Secret Salvage*.

To sum up, *Secret Salvage*’s potential to retrieve multiple copies of a single card from your deck gives it a distinctive edge in self-mill or duplication strategies, making it a noteworthy consideration for Magic: The Gathering players who favor those routes.

Demonic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Increasing Ambition - MTG Card versions
Demonic Tutor - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Diabolic Tutor - Odyssey (ODY)
Increasing Ambition - Dark Ascension (DKA)

Cards similar to Secret Salvage by color, type and mana cost

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Soul Feast - MTG Card versions
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Reign of Terror - Mirage (MIR)
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Soul Feast - Tenth Edition (10E)
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Haunting Echoes - Odyssey (ODY)
Beacon of Unrest - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)
Coveted Prize - Zendikar Rising (ZNR)
Final Punishment - Scourge (SCG)
Sever Soul - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Mind Sludge - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Patriarch's Bidding - Modern Horizons 2 (MH2)
Aether Snap - Commander 2014 (C14)
Vicious Betrayal - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Dance of Shadows - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Brainspoil - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Head Games - Tenth Edition (10E)
Rise from the Grave - Zendikar Rising Commander (ZNC)
Voices from the Void - Conflux (CON)
Promise of Power - Commander 2014 (C14)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Secret Salvage MTG card by a specific set like Aether Revolt and Aether Revolt 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 Secret Salvage and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Secret Salvage Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-01-20 and 2017-01-20. Illustrated by Tommy Arnold.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-01-20Aether RevoltAER 712015normalblackTommy Arnold
22017-01-20Aether Revolt PromosPAER 71s2015normalblackTommy Arnold

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Secret Salvage has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

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