Secrets of the Key MTG Card
2021-09-24 - Number 73
2022-01-28 - Number 73
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Flashback,Investigate |
Key Takeaways
- Secrets of the Key excels at granting card advantage and enabling strategic deck searches during gameplay.
- Its instant speed offers reactive play options, fitting smoothly into control and tempo strategies.
- While powerful, it has limitations like discard requirements and specific mana needs that affect its use.
Text of card
Investigate. If this spell was cast from a graveyard, investigate twice instead. (Create a Clue token. It's an artifact with ", Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.") Flashback
As Sigarda and Sorin battled, Arlinn and Teferi recovered the key from the Markov catacombs.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Secrets of the Key offers players the potential to uncover more of their deck, gaining access to additional cards when used. By enabling you to unlock further options in your library, this card can pivotally shift the tide of the game by stocking your hand with more tools and strategies.
Resource Acceleration: This card is a boon for those looking to ramp up their resources efficiently. With its ability to delve into your deck for key pieces, it accelerates your gameplay by ensuring that you’re not just drawing cards but that you’re also drawing into the resources you need when you need them.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Secrets of the Key at instant speed is immense. It allows proactive players to make strategic moves on the fly, adapting to the evolving state of the game without losing momentum. Whether it’s in the midst of battle or at the end of an opponent’s turn, the timing of this card can be as crucial as the effect itself.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Secrets of the Key necessitates the disposal of an additional card upon casting. This stipulation can hinder your hand management, particularly in scenarios where maintaining card advantage is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: The spell requires a precise mana assembly, blue in this case, which can present challenges in multicolored or non-blue focused decks. This limitation often forces deck builders to adapt their mana base and could interfere with the deck’s overall consistency.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that may be deemed steep for its immediate impact, Secrets of the Key competes against a variety of other cards in the mana curve. In many cases, players might opt for alternatives offering immediate board presence or more substantial effects for the same or lesser investment.
Reasons to Include Secrets of the Key in Your Collection
Versatility: Secrets of the Key is a blue instant that offers incredible flexibility within various deck strategies. Its ability to investigate at instant speed allows players to draw cards when it’s most advantageous, fueling both control and combo decks effectively.
Combo Potential: Alongside its card draw capabilities, the clues generated can synergize with artifact-centric strategies, such as enabling prowess triggers or growing the strength of cards like Etherium Sculptor. This opens up a world of combo possibilities that can take your gameplay to the next level.
Meta-Relevance: Given its place in current game dynamics, where knowledge is power, having access to additional cards at critical moments can tilt the scales in your favor. Whether you’re fending off aggressive strategies or navigating through complex control mirrors, Secrets of the Key provides a dynamic response that keeps you competitive.
How to beat
Secrets of the Key can be a tricky card to counter in any MTG deck that focuses on consistency and card advantage. Unlike other instant-speed cantrips, Secrets of the Key offers both immediate impact and long-term investment. It draws a card and can create Clue tokens with its Investigate mechanic, providing a steady stream of card draw opportunities.
To effectively challenge this strategy, disrupting the artifact tokens can be a game-changer. Artifact removal spells or abilities that target Clue tokens can limit the card advantage gained from Secrets of the Key. Additionally, applying pressure through an aggressive game plan will force your opponent to use their mana inefficiently or in a way that doesn’t align with their game plan. Denying them the time to utilize their Clue tokens could corner them into a defensive position.
It’s also significant to remember that Secrets of the Key requires timing to maximize its Investigate potential. Pouncing during early turns before Clue tokens accumulate or in response to the casting of Secrets of the Key might shift the balance in your favor. Ultimately, while Secrets of the Key can unlock powerful plays for your opponent, a focused and disruptive strategy on your part can lock them out instead.
Cards like Secrets of the Key
Secrets of the Key brings versatility to MTG’s suite of instant spells with its unique Innistrad: Midnight Hunt imprint. While it’s in line with spells like Opt, which allows for drawing a card at instant speed, Secrets of the Key introduces an innovative foretell mechanic. This provides strategic depth, allowing players to set up for future turns at a reduced mana cost. However, unlike Opt’s singular card draw, Secrets of the Key has the potential to draw multiple cards with its investigate ability.
Peering into the depth of card comparisons, Anticipate also emerges as a candidate for deck inclusion. This spell allows players to look at the top three cards and pick the best fit for their hand. Though it doesn’t directly draw multiple cards like Secrets of the Key can through investigate, the selection process it offers is noteworthy. Another similar spell is Consider, which offers the additional benefit of putting a card from your library into your graveyard, contributing to strategies that harness graveyard synergy.
Overall, Secrets of the Key stands out in the MTG realm with its foretell edge, providing a subtle yet powerful option for players who enjoy strategizing ahead and leveraging card advantage.
Cards similar to Secrets of the Key by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Secrets of the Key MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Secrets of the Key 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
Printings
The Secrets of the Key Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Alix Branwyn.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-09-24 | Innistrad: Midnight Hunt | MID | 73 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alix Branwyn | |
| 2 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 73 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alix Branwyn |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Secrets of the Key has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Secrets of the Key card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-09-24 | "Flashback -ost]" means "You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying -ost] rather than paying its mana cost" and "If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack." |
| 2021-09-24 | A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way. |
| 2021-09-24 | If a card with flashback is put into your graveyard during your turn, you can cast it if it's legal to do so before any other player can take any actions. |
| 2021-09-24 | To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a flashback cost) you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was. |
| 2021-09-24 | You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast. |
| 2021-09-24 | You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card's type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery. |
