Pattern Matcher MTG Card

Enables cloning creatures on the battlefield to expand your forces and gain a strategic advantage. Accelerates your deck’s threat deployment, enabling you to double down on key creatures swiftly. Despite its potential, it comes with trade-offs such as specific activation costs and high mana investment.
Pattern Matcher - Core Set 2020
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact Creature — Golem
Released2019-07-12
Set symbol
Set nameCore Set 2020
Set codeM20
Power 3
Toughness 3
Number234
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byJesper Ejsing

Text of card

When Pattern Matcher enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a card with the same name as another creature you control, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.

"Good! Now put it with the other widdle bunnies." —Sargis Haz, artificer

Cards like Pattern Matcher

Pattern Matcher stands out in the Magic: The Gathering universe as a unique artifact creature. It draws parallels to other cards that synergize well with certain types of cards in your deck. One such card is Fauna Shaman, which lets you search for creatures in your library, enabling a strategy built around specific creature types. However, Pattern Matcher is distinct for requiring a direct match in your hand to fetch another duplicate from your deck.

Another relative card is Duplicant, an artifact creature focusing on removal rather than card advantage. It exiles an opponent’s creature and, similar to Pattern Matcher, it adapts based on what’s in play, although in a different manner. While Duplicant has a more immediate board impact, Pattern Matcher requires setup but can potentially lead to value over time by cloning your creatures.

In essence, Pattern Matcher is a niche card that could carve out its own space in MTG. It offers a different approach to deck building and synergy explorations compared to its counterparts, by rewarding players for having a hand that reflects their deck’s specific pattern.

Fauna Shaman - MTG Card versions
Duplicant - MTG Card versions
Fauna Shaman - MTG Card versions
Duplicant - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Pattern Matcher is a unique card, enabling you to search for a duplicate of a creature already on your battlefield. This not only increases your army but gives you an immediate edge in terms of available resources.

Resource Acceleration: By fetching an extra creature card from your deck, Pattern Matcher can effectively work as a form of acceleration, compressing the timeline within which you deploy your threats and could potentially double the presence of a key creature on your board.

Instant Speed: Although Pattern Matcher itself is not an instant, it interacts well with cards of instant speed. This synergy allows you to react to the state of the board, ensuring that Pattern Matcher’s effect can be utilized at the most opportune moment, such as following an instant-speed creature entering the battlefield.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Pattern Matcher demands you relinquish a card from your hand to activate its abilities. This trade-off can be challenging, especially in game scenarios where your hand size is critical for maintaining strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: The activation cost of Pattern Matcher is locked into a precise mana combination. This restriction means that decks without the exact mana base might struggle to incorporate this card seamlessly, thus reducing its versatility across different deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost that might be seen as steep for its effect, Pattern Matcher competes with a plethora of other cards vying for a slot in your deck. Players may find the mana investment more rewarding elsewhere, particularly in spells or creatures that have an immediate impact on the game state.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Pattern Matcher offers a unique ability to fish specific cards out of your deck, making it a flexible addition to an array of strategies that aim to assemble key pieces or duplicates.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that operate on synergy, enabling you to quickly pull together crucial components for your winning combos with relative ease.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors matchup-specific answers or twin strategies, Pattern Matcher can become an essential tool, allowing you to adapt swiftly and maintain an edge over your opponents.

How to beat

Pattern Matcher is a unique card in the world of Magic the Gathering, presenting an intriguing challenge to players. This artifact shines in decks that capitalize on having multiple copies of the same creature, fetching a twin from the deck upon its entry onto the battlefield. This mechanic can create a significant advantage by effectively doubling a player’s threat without additional cost.

To effectively counter Pattern Matcher, it’s essential to disrupt the duplicating strategy. Tools such as discard effects can preemptively remove key creatures from an opponent’s hand before they can utilize the Pattern Matcher’s ability. Counter spells also prove efficient in stopping Pattern Matcher before it hits the field, denying the potential cascade of creatures. Finally, removal spells targeting the copied creatures can mitigate the advantage gained, maintaining the balance. The strategic use of these responses can stifle an opponent’s Pattern Matcher strategy, making it crucial to pack your deck with versatile answers to this potential threat.

In mastering the art of MTG, understanding how to dismantle an opponent’s game plan is as critical as building your own. A deck well-equipped with answers to Pattern Matcher is resilient and adaptable, key qualities in navigating the diverse challenges the game presents.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pattern Matcher MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020, 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 Pattern Matcher and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Pattern Matcher has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-07-12 If a second Pattern Matcher enters the battlefield under your control, you can have it look at the first Pattern Matcher to search for a third Pattern Matcher.
2019-07-12 You may choose to search your library for nothing and shuffle it, even if you control no other creatures.