Gone Missing MTG Card

Gone Missing - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)

Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
2016-04-08 - Number 67

Mystery Booster (MB1)
2019-11-07 - Number 393

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number SOI-67

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Investigate

Key Takeaways

Gone Missing offers dual benefits: a bounce effect plus card draw, giving players both disruption and resource gain.
While not instant, its sorcery speed affords strategic timing for disrupting opponents during your turn.
It’s mana-intensive, but its unique interaction with the opponent’s library can justify the cost in certain decks.

Text of card

Put target permanent on top of its owner's library. Investigate. (Put a colorless Clue artifact token onto the battlefield with ", Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.")

"Sometimes it's best for the lost to stay lost." —Herzag, mayor of Havengul

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gone Missing packs a punch with its ability to not only bounce an opponent’s permanent to the top of their library, but it also lets you draw a card. This dual action places you steps ahead by disrupting their board and fortifying your hand.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana acceleration, Gone Missing indirectly influences your resource tempo by setting your opponent back. Requiring them to redraw a card they’ve already played can be a significant tempo swing in your favor.

Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Gone Missing allows you to meticulously plan your turn, creating an opening to disrupt your opponent’s strategy during your turn with complete information about the board state. So although it’s not at instant speed, this assures optimum timing for maximum impact.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Gone Missing necessitates putting an opponent’s card on top of their library, but if you’re facing a deck with effective draw capabilities, this can simply delay the inevitable rather than providing a lasting solution.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands one blue plus four other mana to cast. This requirement can constrain its inclusion to decks that heavily favor blue mana sources or have ample mana fixing options.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total casting cost of five mana, Gone Missing is considered to have a high mana investment for its effect. Players may find other bounce or removal options that are more cost-effective or provide additional benefits for the same or lower mana cost.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Gone Missing offers players a unique way to interact with an opponent’s library and battlefield. This spells flexibility, making it a fit for control decks or any strategies emphasizing disruption.

Combo Potential: It has the potential to work in tandem with cards that capitalize on putting opponents’ cards in exile or their library. Furthermore, its Clue token can be synergistic with artifact-related combos or simply as a draw mechanism.

Meta-Relevance: Given that a well-placed bounce spell can disrupt an opponent’s plan, Gone Missing can be particularly relevant in a meta-game filled with permanents that have entered the battlefield abilities or need to be temporarily dealt with.

How to beat

Gone Missing is a card that often flies under the radar in Magic the Gathering, yet it has the potential to disrupt strategies if used effectively. Its ability to put an opponent’s permanent on top of their library, combined with the card draw from Clue token, can set your adversary back a considerable amount.

However, overcoming the setback from Gone Missing involves maintaining card advantage and a well-rounded board state. If your deck focuses on low-cost creatures and spells, you can rapidly rebuild after a Gone Missing episode. It’s crucial to be mindful of your resources and not overcommit on the board when you suspect your opponent could be holding such a card. The key is to bait it out with less critical permanents or use spells that protect or regenerate your more valuable ones. In the game of Magic the Gathering, anticipation and resource management often spell the difference between falling victim to a strategy setback or outmaneuvering it.

While Gone Missing may not be seen in every deck, it’s a clear reminder to plan for the unexpected and maintain a hand that allows you to rebound from any disruption. Smart play and strategic foresight are your best tools against this sneaky card.

Cards like Gone Missing

Gone Missing stands out within Magic: The Gathering as a utility card that offers both disruption and card advantage. Like Gone Missing, cards such as Commit // Memory provide a way to deal with any nonland permanent by putting it second from the top of its owner’s library, but also include the added flexibility of a powerful aftermath effect. However, Gone Missing is unique in that it also allows the caster to draw a card, ensuring that the spell replaces itself in hand.

Another comparable card is Unsubstantiate, which has a similar role in disrupting an opponent’s strategy by returning a spell or creature to their hand. While it doesn’t tuck cards into a library or draw you a card, its lower mana cost and instant speed provide a quicker and more reactionary answer to threats.

Peel from Reality is also related to Gone Missing, providing a temporary answer by bouncing a creature to its owner’s hand. Yet, Gone Missing’s ability to specifically target the top of an opponent’s library is a subtler form of tempo play, coupled with its card draw, it stands its own ground in terms of long-term advantage. Thus, Gone Missing offers a unique combination of delay and card draw within Magic: The Gathering’s vast card pool.

Cards similar to Gone Missing by color, type and mana cost

Temporal Manipulation - MTG Card versions

Ribbons of the Reikai - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gone Missing MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad and Mystery Booster, 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 Gone Missing and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Gone Missing Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by James Paick.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2016-04-08	Shadows over Innistrad	SOI	67	2015	Normal	Black	James Paick
2	2019-11-07	Mystery Booster	MB1	393	2015	Normal	Black	James Paick
3	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	SOI-67	2015	Normal	Black	James Paick

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gone Missing has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-04-08	If you sacrifice a Clue for another card’s cost or effect, such as that of Angelic Purge or Tamiyo’s Journal, you can’t also pay and sacrifice it to draw a card.
2016-04-08	The token is named Clue and has the artifact subtype Clue. Clue isn’t a creature type.
2016-04-08	The tokens are normal artifacts. For example, they can be sacrificed to cast Angelic Purge or targeted by Root Out.
2016-04-08	You can’t cast a spell without choosing legal targets. If all of those targets become illegal, the spell doesn’t resolve and you won’t investigate.