Polygraph Orb MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact |
| Abilities | Collect evidence |
| Released | 2024-02-09 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Murders at Karlov Manor |
| Set code | MKM |
| Number | 99 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Jokubas Uogintas |
Key Takeaways
- Polygraph Orb grants card advantage by allowing draws when opponents cast from non-hand sources.
- Its instant speed ability ensures a steady game plan and leverages opponents’ unexpected plays.
- Despite its benefits, its specific mana requirements may challenge a multicolored deck’s synergy.
Text of card
When Polygraph Orb enters the battlefield, look at the top four cards of your library. Put two of them into your hand and the rest into your graveyard. You lose 2 life. , , Collect evidence 3: Each opponent loses 3 life unless they discard a card or sacrifice a creature. (To collect evidence 3, exile cards with total mana value 3 or greater from your graveyard.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Polygraph Orb offers a unique spin on card advantage. Every time an opponent casts a spell from anywhere other than their hand, you get to draw a card, keeping your hand full and options open.
Resource Acceleration: This artifact can efficiently accelerate your resources, not by producing mana itself but by allowing you to leverage the spells your opponents play to your advantage and indirectly paving the way for quicker and more impactful plays. This indirect resource acceleration can be a game-changer in matches.
Instant Speed: The ability to trigger the card draw at instant speed is critical in MTG. Polygraph Orb gives you that advantage, working on your opponent’s turn and providing benefits each time they try to surprise you with spells cast from unusual places. It ensures that the pace of your game plan stays steady or even races ahead.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing the Polygraph Orb might backfire if you’re forced to discard a valuable card, reducing your hand and potentially giving your opponent an unnecessary advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that necessitates specific mana types, the orb could be a challenging fit in a multicolored deck that may not always have the necessary mana available.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Given its mana cost, the Polygraph Orb competes with other cards in the same mana range that could provide a more immediate or impactful presence on the board.
Reasons to Include Polygraph Orb in Your Collection
Versatility: Polygraph Orb is a card that shines in a variety of deck builds. Its ability to manipulate the stack and control opponents’ spells makes it a flexible tool for any player keen on maintaining a competitive edge regardless of their strategy.
Combo Potential: With its unique effect, the Polygraph Orb has the capacity to work wonders in combo-centric decks. It serves as an engine for spell-slinging archetypes or decks that capitalize on casting multiple spells in a single turn.
Meta-Relevance: Given its power to disrupt opponent tactics and influence the course of the game, Polygraph Orb holds particular value in meta-games that are heavy on instant-speed interactions and stack wars. Its presence on the board could be a game-changer in matches against highly strategic or reactive decks.
How to beat
Polygraph Orb presents a unique challenge in MTG, as this artifact can become quite the thorn in your side if its abilities are fully leveraged by your opponent. Deployed correctly, it can provide a significant advantage by manipulating the flow of information as well as enabling specific strategic setups. A key to overcoming the Polygraph Orb lies in minimizing the effectiveness of its scrying mechanic.
To address the challenge it poses, it’s critical to either have artifact removal at the ready or employ strategies that are less dependent on reacting during your own turn. Cards with instant-speed interaction, such as Abrade or Naturalize, offer a safety net by allowing you to remove the Polygraph Orb before its activated abilities can be used effectively. Alternatively, decks that focus on proactive strategies, rather than being heavily reactive, will naturally diminish the impact of your opponent’s scrying capabilities.
Ultimately, understanding the specific meta-game dynamics and having a well-prepared sideboard that can adapt to powerful artifacts like the Polygraph Orb is crucial. By anticipating it as a possible threat, you can play around its advantages and maintain a strong position during your matches.
Cards like Polygraph Orb
Polygraph Orb is an intriguing artifact in MTG that offers players a strategic edge by potentially revealing a card from opponents’ hands at random upon their creatures attacking. It’s akin to Glasses of Urza in terms of granting insight into opponents’ strategies, although Glasses of Urza specifically permits looking at an opponent’s hand without the attack trigger. Polygraph Orb’s randomized reveal is less comprehensive but can be repeated.
Telepathy is another card that operates in the realm of revealing opponents’ plans, giving you unobstructed knowledge of everyone’s hands without any requirements. While this continuous effect grants a player more consistent information, Polygraph Orb’s ability each time an opponent’s creature attacks can accumulate similar information over time and be as impactful.
Assessing Polygraph Orb’s likeness to these cards underscores its unique combination of disruption and information gathering during combat, a niche advantage that could tip the scales when every bit of knowledge counts. Its ability to blend into various deck strategies dedicated to denial or manipulation showcases its subtle yet potentially game-altering impact within the metagame of MTG.
Cards similar to Polygraph Orb by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Polygraph Orb MTG card by a specific set like Murders at Karlov Manor, 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 Polygraph Orb 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Polygraph Orb has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Standardbrawl | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |