Seeker of Insight MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Wizard
Power 1
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides card filtering and resource acceleration, vital for controlling the game’s pace.
  2. Instant speed ability adds flexibility, but has a specific mana requirement and conditions.
  3. Crucial for decks that benefit from casting noncreature spells and graveyard strategies.

Text of card

: Draw a card, then discard a card. Activate this ability only if you've cast a noncreature spell this turn.

The Trial of Knowledge challenges and broadens the minds of initiates.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Seeker of Insight provides consistent access to card filtering, allowing you to cycle through your deck and find key spells or answers more efficiently. This can be critical for maintaining a strong position during longer matches.

Resource Acceleration: By enabling the looting effect upon casting a noncreature spell, Seeker of Insight contributes to resource acceleration. This mechanism can be an essential part of a strategy that aims to outpace the opponent by efficiently using available mana each turn.

Instant Speed: The activated ability of Seeker of Insight can be used at instant speed, offering versatile timing options for your plays. This enables you to wait until the most opportune moment during your turn or the opponent’s turn to draw into your next action, thus keeping your tactics flexible and unpredictable.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Seeker of Insight, while enabling looting, forces you to part with another card in your hand. This can be notably detrimental when your hand is nearly empty or when you have to discard a crucial piece you would prefer to keep for later strategic plays.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires blue mana, which may restrict its integration only into blue or multicolored decks. Players running decks without blue mana will find Seeker of Insight incompatible with their strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Competing with other two-mana creatures, Seeker of Insight has a steeper mana cost given its utility. When considering its 1/3 stat line and the fact that its activated ability can only be used on a turn you’ve cast a noncreature spell, other options may prove to be more mana-efficient for the same or better effects.


Reasons to Include Seeker of Insight in Your Collection

Versatility: Seeker of Insight plays a crucial role in decks that emphasize spell casting or card draw. Its ability to let you loot, drawing a card then discarding a card, whenever you cast a noncreature spell, makes it a valuable asset in ensuring you get the resources you need when you need them.

Combo Potential: This card’s looting ability can be a key piece in combos, especially in decks that aim to fill the graveyard with specific cards for various strategies or that get benefits from having a certain card type in the discard pile.

Meta-Relevance: In formats where resource management and card advantage are crucial, Seeker of Insight can provide consistent value. Its low casting cost makes it a considerable choice for early game setup and maintaining momentum against opponents.


How to beat

Defeating a Seeker of Insight in MTG can be quite straightforward with the right strategy. As a creature heavily reliant on its ability to loot—drawing and discarding cards—it thrives in decks that fuel graveyard mechanics or benefit from card selection. To tackle this blue creature, it’s crucial to cut off its ability to aid in sculpting the perfect hand for your opponent.

Targeted removal spells are efficient against Seeker of Insight. Instant-speed removals can disrupt your opponent’s plans during their turn, preventing any potential combo setups. Additionally, counteracting the looting effect can be done by imposing hand size limits or by employing cards like Narset, Parter of Veils, which stifles your opponent’s ability to draw multiple cards. Creature lockdown enchantments also serve as a means to neutralize Seeker of Insight without triggering any death-related effects it may have.

Assessing Seeker of Insight’s impact on the board and the graveyard is vital. If you suspect your opponent is setting up a powerful play through card filtration, using graveyard exile effects can dismantle their strategy. By staying a step ahead, you can mitigate the card advantage that Seeker of Insight offers and maintain control of the game.


Cards like Seeker of Insight

Seeker of Insight is an intriguing card for players looking for utility creatures in their Magic: The Gathering decks. As a fellow looter, it draws comparison to cards like Merfolk Looter, another creature that allows a player to draw and then discard a card. Yet, Seeker of Insight comes with a condition that requires casting a noncreature spell before activation. Unlike Merfolk Looter, it cannot be used as quickly or as often unless you’re playing a spell-heavy deck.

Another similar card is Jeskai Elder. While also a looter, the Elder has prowess and allows for the looting effect to trigger on combat damage to a player, potentially offering greater versatility compared to Seeker of Insight’s restriction to noncreature spells. Additionally, Jeskai Elder’s prowess ability can make it a bigger threat in combat.

Moreover, Seeker of Insight is reminiscent of the classic card Thought Courier, sharing the same mana cost and looting ability without restrictions. However, the latter lacks the spell-casting trigger but offers looting at any time.

Overall, Seeker of Insight can be a valuable asset in the right deck, especially one that maximizes spell casting, compared to other looters that offer different advantages in MTG.

Merfolk Looter - MTG Card versions
Jeskai Elder - MTG Card versions
Thought Courier - MTG Card versions
Merfolk Looter - Exodus (EXO)
Jeskai Elder - Duel Decks: Speed vs. Cunning (DDN)
Thought Courier - Fifth Dawn (5DN)

Cards similar to Seeker of Insight by color, type and mana cost

Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions
Minamo Sightbender - MTG Card versions
Vodalian Soldiers - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Zephyr Falcon - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Giant Albatross - Homelands (HML)
Phantasmal Sphere - Alliances (ALL)
Skyshroud Condor - Tempest (TMP)
School of Piranha - Exodus (EXO)
Coral Merfolk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Wu Light Cavalry - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sea Eagle - Starter 1999 (S99)
Overtaker - Mercadian Masques Promos (PMMQ)
Hazy Homunculus - Prophecy (PCY)
Darting Merfolk - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Thought Eater - Odyssey (ODY)
Spellstutter Sprite - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Sneaky Homunculus - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Coral Eel - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Storm Crow - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Aquamoeba - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Soratami Cloudskater - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Minamo Sightbender - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Seeker of Insight MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Amonkhet Remastered, 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 Seeker of Insight and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Seeker of Insight Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Magali Villeneuve.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-04-28AmonkhetAKH 692015normalblackMagali Villeneuve
22020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 762015normalblackMagali Villeneuve

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Seeker of Insight has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-04-18 It doesn’t matter whether the noncreature spell has resolved or was countered, as long as it was cast. That spell may even still be on the stack when you activate Seeker of Insight’s ability.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks