Defective Detective MTG Card
Text of card
Defective Detective can't be blocked. When Defective Detective enters the battlefield, a person outside the game looks at target opponent's hand and chooses a card from it. That player reveals that card.
Nothing gets by her . . . except the evidence, the motive, and the culprit.
Cards like Defective Detective
Defective Detective marks an intriguing presence among creatures in the strategic landscape of Magic: The Gathering. This card might remind seasoned players of cards like Loyal Sentry, which similarly has a surprise interaction upon blocking. Loyal Sentry destroys any creature it blocks, while Defective Detective offers a distinct investigative ability, rewarding the player with a clue token that can be sacrificed for card draw.
Investigative skills don’t stop there; Tireless Tracker is another creature that thrives on clues. Unlike Defective Detective, which provides a clue token upon blocking, Tireless Tracker allows you to obtain these valuable tokens through land plays, offering a more consistent clue generation method. In the realm of subterfuge and reconnaissance, Daring Sleuth is worth mentioning. It requires more active engagement to transform and capitalize on its clue-related abilities but provides a potentially stronger combat presence once transformed.
Each card offers a unique blend of combat capabilities and secondary effects. Assessing the benefits, Defective Detective offers a strategic choice for players looking to merge defense with incremental card advantage, filling a niche role within MTG’s diverse array of clever creatures and their arsenals.
Cards similar to Defective Detective by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Defective Detective card shines in providing card insight by revealing the top card of each player’s library, potentially giving you more information to make strategic decisions throughout the match.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly impactful on your mana pool, Defective Detective offers incidental advantages by potentially disrupting your opponent’s draws, which can indirectly accelerate your own resource advantage.
Instant Speed: As a spell with instant speed, Defective Detective can be cast at nearly any time, giving you the flexibility to respond to an opponent’s actions or to end your turn with a surprise reveal, keeping your adversaries on their toes.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Defective Detective comes at a cost that’s hard to ignore. It compels you to discard a card, an additional expense that can hurt especially when your hand size is dwindling. This demand for resources can put you at a disadvantage, particularly in the late game when every card counts.
Specific Mana Cost: Deck building with Defective Detective demands attention to its mana needs. The card’s cost is bound to a specific color combination, which may reduce its flexibility. It’s pivotal to match it with a compatible mana base, potentially limiting the variety of decks in which it can perform optimally.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that’s on the higher side for its abilities, Defective Detective competes with a range of alternatives. Other cards may provide similar or increased value for less mana, making this card a less appealing option for players aiming for an efficient mana curve in their deck strategies.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Defective Detective presents a unique addition to any deck involvingsubterfuge and disruption strategies. Its ability to inspect opponents’ cards can shape your tactical decisions for the greater good of the game’s outcome.
Combo Potential: This card shows promise when paired with other surveillance-themed cards or abilities that capitalize on having information about your opponent’s hand, boosting not just its standalone value but also the potential for strategic plays within numerous combos.
Meta-Relevance: With a constant ebb and flow in the competitive scene, the insight provided by Defective Detective can be crucial. It can tilt the scales in a metagame that heavily favors insider knowledge and pre-emptive disruption, making it a cunning inclusion in your collection.
How to beat
Defective Detective is a unique card that introduces an intriguing challenge to opponents in MTG. Its ability to essentially become unblockable by creatures with a keyword can shake up the battlefield dynamics significantly. Unlike cards that offer straightforward protection or evasion, Defective Detective requires a more strategic approach to overcome.
To effectively counter this card, players may want to include versatile removal spells in their deck that can target creatures without relying on combat scenarios. Options such as board wipes or direct damage spells are effective choices. Moreover, taking advantage of the times when Defective Detective’s conditional unblockability isn’t active is key. This could be during the setup phase, or when the opponent’s strategy does not grant their creatures any keywords, allowing for traditional blocking tactics.
Creative strategies may also include altering the keywords of your creatures on the fly or utilizing spells that negate the creature’s abilities, effectively turning the defective aspect of the card against itself. Consequently, while Defective Detective presents a challenging puzzle within the game, its weaknesses can be exploited with careful planning and the right card interactions.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Defective Detective MTG card by a specific set like Unstable, 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 Defective Detective and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
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Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Defective Detective card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-01-19 | If there’s no one around to make a decision, you can call or text someone if you need to. If there’s a physical action required, such as high-fiving, you’ll need someone there. |
| 2018-01-19 | It doesn’t have to be someone who plays Magic. This may be fun. |
| 2018-01-19 | You can choose any player not currently in your game. This includes people who used to be in your game but left it. |