Automatic Librarian MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Artifact Creature — Construct |
| Abilities | Scry |
| Released | 2022-09-09 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Dominaria United |
| Set code | DMU |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 229 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Alex Konstad |
Key Takeaways
- Automatic Librarian excels at improving deck consistency and directly influences in-game strategy with its card filtering ability.
- While the discard requirement and mana cost present hurdles, these can be mitigated by building around the card’s strengths.
- Its unique attributes offer strategic advantages that adapt to multiple MTG game situations and deck archetypes.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Automatic Librarian MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria United, 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 Automatic Librarian and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Text of card
When Automatic Librarian enters the battlefield, scry 2. (Look at the top two cards of your library, then put any number of them on the bottom of your library and the rest on top in any order.)
Enforcing absolute quiet with extreme prejudice since 3285 AR.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Automatic Librarian card shines by streamlining your deck’s performance, selectively drawing you crucial cards when you most need them. It’s a reliable engine for digging through your library to find your key pieces and maintain an upper hand.
Resource Acceleration: By facilitating a smoother flow of your resources, this card accelerates your game plan. It can sift through your deck to grant you access to additional lands or mana-producing cards, effectively ramping up your available resources and enabling bigger plays sooner.
Instant Speed: The versatility of Automatic Librarian is further bolstered by its instant speed, allowing you to adapt to the ever-changing dynamics of a match. React in the blink of an eye to an opponent’s threat or end-of-turn fine-tune your strategy without skipping a beat.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One drawback of the Automatic Librarian card is the discard requirement. To activate its abilities, you’ll need to part with another card from your hand. This can strain your resources, especially in the heat of the game when each card’s value escalates.
Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost to play Automatic Librarian is not only specific but also somewhat restrictive. To cast this spell, you’ll need to have the exact combination of mana types available, which might not always align with your deck’s mana base or strategy at a given moment.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the Automatic Librarian’s mana cost, it’s evident that it stands on the higher end for its category. This can be a significant setback since it may not hit the battlefield until later in the game, potentially giving faster decks an edge over you.
Reasons to Include Automatic Librarian in Your Collection
Versatility: Automatic Librarian is a unique card with the flexibility to be played in multiple deck archetypes. Its ability to selectively filter through your library ensures that you draw into the solutions or threats you need at any given time.
Combo Potential: This card naturally synergizes with strategies revolving around deck manipulation or graveyard interaction. It enables you to set up your draws or enhance other combos by efficiently cycling through cards.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where information and the right answers at the right time are crucial, Automatic Librarian can be a game-changer. Whether you’re facing control decks that require specific answers or aggressive matchups where every draw counts, its utility cannot be overstated.
How to beat
Automatic Librarian presents a unique challenge in MTG due to its ability to selectively filter through a player’s deck. Its main strength lies in its capacity to improve card quality by filtering out unnecessary draws. To counter this card, disrupt the card draw process by either targeting the player’s hand or their deck. Hand disruption spells force the player to discard cards, reducing the value Automatic Librarian can extract from each activation. On the other hand, deck manipulation spells can rearrange or remove the top cards of a library, negating the foresight Automatic Librarian provides.
Also, consider applying pressure by accelerating your board presence. This can divert attention from library optimization to dealing with threats on the battlefield. Direct removal spells that target enchantments or artifacts can eliminate Automatic Librarian from the game, ensuring its abilities will no longer pose a hurdle. Lastly, fast-paced aggro decks can outpace the slow, methodical advantage that Automatic Librarian aims to build, rendering its incremental gains less impactful.
In essence, the key to overcoming Automatic Librarian is to undermine the strategic advantage it provides by either directly dealing with the card or outpacing the slow value engine it creates.
Cards like Automatic Librarian
Automatic Librarian is a unique artifact creature known for its card filtering ability in MTG. It’s often compared to the likes of Court Homunculus or Walking Atlas due to its artifact creature status. While Court Homunculus can be a solid early combat creature, increasing in power with the number of artifacts in play, it lacks the card selection aspect offered by Automatic Librarian. Walking Atlas, in comparison, allows players to put lands onto the battlefield, but it does not directly affect hand quality like Automatic Librarian, which can draw and then discard a card.
Cognitive Sphere is another potential parallel, with its ability to draw then discard cards to quickly sift through a deck for needed responses or threats. Nonetheless, Cognitive Sphere is not a creature, and thus it doesn’t contribute to board presence. Automatic Librarian fills a dual purpose by influencing card advantage while also being a creature that can participate in combat or block when necessary.
Considering these aspects, Automatic Librarian provides a valuable combination of tempo and card manipulation for players. This positions it distinctively within the roster of similar MTG cards, appealing to those who value versatile role players in their decks.
Cards similar to Automatic Librarian by color, type and mana cost
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Automatic Librarian has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |