Rummaging Wizard MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Wizard
Abilities	Surveil
Released	2002-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Onslaught
Set code	ONS
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	110
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jerry Tiritilli

Key Takeaways

Offers card advantage through swift library search, keeping players ahead via consistent access to critical cards.
Instant speed activation adds strategic depth, allowing players to optimize hand quality at the perfect moment.
Although potent, the necessity to discard and specific mana requirements pose tactical challenges to usage.

Text of card

o U: Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card into your graveyard.

"I've got everything you'd ever need right here. Just give me some time to find it."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Rummaging Wizard offers the ability to potentially sift through your library quickly, providing a method to access the right cards when you need them. This helps you to consistently find solutions or threats, keeping you one step ahead of your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: By allowing you to discard cards and then draw, Rummaging Wizard can effectively churn through your deck to reach important mana sources or key spells more swiftly, accelerating your game plan and putting pressure on your opponent.

Instant Speed: The versatility of activating Rummaging Wizard’s ability at instant speed cannot be overstated. It enables strategic depth by allowing you to wait until the most opportune moment during any player’s turn to refine your hand, thereby maximizing the potential of each draw.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Rummaging Wizard necessitates discarding a card, making it less optimal when your hand is almost empty, or the cards in it are too valuable to throw away.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a particular blend of mana, including blue, to cast. This can make it challenging to include in multi-colored decks which may not have consistent access to blue mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring three mana for activation can be steep when considering its ability’s impact. This high cost can be detrimental, especially when there are other cards that offer card selection or advantage without needing to discard at a lower mana rate.

Reasons to Include Rummaging Wizard in Your Collection

Versatility: Rummaging Wizard offers a unique utility across a multitude of deck archetypes. Its ability to sift through your deck and manipulate your hand can be invaluable for strategies that prioritize card selection.

Combo Potential: This Wizard thrives in environments where deck synergy is key. It pairs well with strategies that involve graveyard play or benefit from casting multiple spells each turn. Its repeatable effect can be the engine that drives combo decks to victory.

Meta-Relevance: In a constantly evolving metagame, adaptability is crucial. Rummaging Wizard helps players stay relevant, responding to various popular game plans by fine-tuning their draw to find the best answers or threats in real-time.

How to beat Rummaging Wizard

Rummaging Wizard is a unique card that brings a layer of decision-making to Magic: The Gathering matches with its ability to sift through the deck. When facing a card like Rummaging Wizard, it’s essential to disrupt the opponent’s strategy. Board control and removal spells directly targeting creatures are effective against Rummaging Wizard, as it requires presence on the field to utilise its ability.

One strategy is to employ instant-speed removal spells that can catch the opposing player off guard, potentially wasting their mana and turn. Utilizing hand disruption techniques can also cripple Rummaging Wizard’s effectiveness by forcing the player to discard it before it’s ever played. Paying attention to the flow of cards and controlling the tempo of the game goes a long way toward overcoming the advantages offered by Rummaging Wizard’s library manipulation.

Ultimately, being proactive in maintaining board superiority and disrupting the opponent’s hand and deck-mining strategies are key to gaining an upper hand against Rummaging Wizard. By doing so, players secure their position and reduce the impact of their opponent’s strategic deck cycling.

Cards like Rummaging Wizard

Rummaging Wizard is a unique creature within Magic: The Gathering, offering a distinctive twist on card selection mechanics. It stands in comparison with cards like Merfolk Looter, which share the ability to draw and discard cards. Where Rummaging Wizard takes its own path is in its repeatable nature, allowing you to rummage through your deck as often as you have the mana to spend, potentially multiple times in a single turn.

Another card worth comparing is Mad Prophet. This card has haste and offers the same kind of rummaging ability. However, Mad Prophet’s ability requires the card to tap, limiting its usage to once per turn circle unless you have a way to untap it, whereas Rummaging Wizard does not. Then we see Deal Broker, a card that functions as both a creature and a way to improve hand quality, similar to our Wizard, but it’s restricted to Commander format for its full potential.

Despite the competition, the Rummaging Wizard has an edge in continuous utility, providing players with the flexibility to dig for answers or key combo pieces in Magic: The Gathering, particularly in long-drawn games where sustained card filtering becomes crucial.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rummaging Wizard MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught, 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 Rummaging Wizard and other MTG cards: