Inquisitive Puppet MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact Creature — Construct |
| Abilities | Scry |
| Released | 2019-10-04 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Throne of Eldraine |
| Set code | ELD |
| Power | 0 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 223 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Joseph Meehan |
Text of card
When Inquisitive Puppet enters the battlefield, scry 1. Exile Inquisitive Puppet: Create a 1/1 white Human creature token.
"The strings were gone, but he still felt the pull of invisible forces tugging at his mind." —*Beyond the Great Henge*
Cards like Inquisitive Puppet
In the vast universe of Magic: The Gathering, the Inquisitive Puppet stands out as an innovative creature card with an exile-based mechanic. If we look at other cards like Bronze Sable, which also costs one mana, the Puppet offers a subtle strategic advantage. Bronze Sable is simply a small creature, whereas Inquisitive Puppet provides a scry opportunity upon entering the battlefield, giving players a chance to set up their next draws.
Another card worth considering is Gingerbrute, with its one mana cost and haste, allowing immediate impact on the board. Though it lacks the scry ability, it can be tougher for opponents to block. Comparatively, the value of Inquisitive Puppet lies in setting up future plays, fitting well into decks that thrive on knowledge and control. Gilded Goose, while not a construct, resonates with the one-mana theme and brings ramp and fixing to the table by creating Food tokens. It’s a different path of value but it’s important to acknowledge the utility it provides in enabling subsequent turns.
Devising a deck that effectively maximizes the strengths of the Inquisitive Puppet often comes down to a balance between board presence and foresight, revealing the unique role it plays within creature spells in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Inquisitive Puppet by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Inquisitive Puppet offers a unique form of card advantage as it gives players an Exile effect that can be used to potentially dig for more useful cards later in the game. This little artifact creature can set up your draws and provide an edge by filtering through the deck.
Resource Acceleration: Though Inquisitive Puppet doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense, it does provide a cost-effective creature for one mana. This efficiency allows you to deploy other strategies sooner by conserving your mana, providing indirect acceleration of your game plan.
Instant Speed: While Inquisitive Puppet itself isn’t played at instant speed, it synergizes well with instant speed tricks. With its scry ability upon entering the battlefield, it can impact the game at critical moments by setting up your next draw. This ensures you’re better prepared to react to your opponent’s moves with the right resources in hand.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: With Inquisitive Puppet, the absence of a discard requirement is notable. However, players looking to synergize with discard mechanics for benefits or specific deck strategy may find this lacking. It may not fit with strategies that capitalize on discarding cards as a resource for triggering various effects or for graveyard retrieval strategies.
Specific Mana Cost: The Inquisitive Puppet card asks for one colorless mana, which is generally an advantage for its versatility. But in decks that heavily rely on colored mana synergies or devotion impacts, this card’s lack of a specific color can be less conducive to supporting those specific mana-based abilities and interactions.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While boasting a low casting cost, the Inquisitive Puppet’s overall value could be debated when its mana cost is compared to its impact on the game state. A single mana for a 0/2 creature may not be as impactful in situations where board presence or higher power and toughness are desirable. Competing one-mana creatures or spells can offer greater utility or aggressive stats, which could make Inquisitive Puppet a lower priority when optimizing a deck’s mana curve.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Inquisitive Puppet’s adaptability makes it a welcomed addition to multiple deck archetypes. With its low casting cost and scry ability, the puppet primes any deck aiming for efficient setup and early board presence.
Combo Potential: The Puppet, once exiled, leaves behind a 1/1 Human creature token. This can serve as fodder for various strategies such as sacrifice synergies or being the catalyst for enablement of token strategies.
Meta-Relevance: Being a one-drop with the potential to filter draws and produce additional creatures situates Inquisitive Puppet favorably in a meta that values incremental advantages and board development from the outset of the game.
How to beat
In the diverse and strategic world of Magic: The Gathering, Inquisitive Puppet is a unique artifact creature card that brings an interesting dynamic to the battlefield. With its low casting cost and exile ability to scry 1, it presents a modest challenge but can be handled adeptly with the right strategies. To counter this puppet’s potential, the focus should be on minimizing the benefits it provides upon entering or leaving the play.
Removal spells that do not send the creature to the graveyard, such as exile effects or bounce spells, can be particularly effective. This nullifies the Puppet’s value by preventing the scry ability and ensuring it doesn’t return as a 1/1 white Human creature token. Cards like Path to Exile are perfect as they remove the Puppet without any additional effects for the opponent. Alternatively, suppressing your opponent’s ability to scry through cards like Ashiok’s Erasure can also diminish the Puppet’s utility, leaving your opponent with fewer choices and less control over their deck’s flow.
Ultimately, understanding and anticipating the small advantages that Inquisitive Puppet offers can easily turn the tides in your favor. Strategic planning and choosing the right countermeasures will ensure that this artifact creature becomes more of a minor distraction than a significant threat in your games of Magic: The Gathering.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Inquisitive Puppet MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine, 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 Inquisitive Puppet 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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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Inquisitive Puppet has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |