Salvager of Secrets MTG Card
2018-07-13 - Number 70
2019-11-15 - Number 25
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Merfolk Wizard |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
When Salvager of Secrets enters the battlefield, return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.
The greatest treasure of the deep is an echo from above.
Cards like Salvager of Secrets
The Salvager of Secrets presents itself as a staple card for those who seek to reclaim spells from their graveyard in Magic: The Gathering. It shares characteristics with mnemonic sages like Archaeomancer, which also returns an instant or sorcery card from the graveyard to its owner’s hand. However, Salvager of Secrets has a sturdier body, which could potentially mean more longevity on the battlefield.
Another similar card is Izzet Chronarch, which carries with it the same cost and ability to retrieve a spell. The difference lies in its guild allegiance, offering advantages in decks that capitalize on multicolored synergies. And then there’s Anarchist, a card that only fetches sorceries, restricting its function but potentially fitting well in a more focused deck strategy.
All these creatures find their own niches in various deck builds, but Salvager of Secrets wins favor for its flexibility and balanced stats. Whether you’re casting spells in a control deck or working towards a combo, this card proves to be a valuable asset in the MTG gameplay environment.
Cards similar to Salvager of Secrets by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Salvager of Secrets shines in retrieving a valuable instant or sorcery from your graveyard, effectively giving you access to an additional card in your hand.
Resource Acceleration: This card may not directly provide resource acceleration, but by recasting an earlier mana ramp spell recovered from your graveyard, it indirectly contributes to your mana development.
Instant Speed: Although the Salvager itself is a creature, the main appeal comes from its synergy with instant speed spells. Reclaiming a crucial instant can enable you to maintain a responsive playstyle even after significant spells have been used.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Salvager of Secrets doesn’t directly require a discard, but its nature as a five-mana spell means that often, you’re tapping out or sacrificing potential plays. This can indirectly force you to discard valuable cards at the end of your turn due to maximum hand size limits if you’re not careful with your resources.
Specific Mana Cost: Salvager of Secrets necessitates both blue and generic mana, demanding a solid presence of blue sources in your mana base. This specificity may restrict flexibility, especially in multi-colored decks that can’t always guarantee the right mana mix.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, this card’s investment is quite steep considering the benefit of retrieving a single instant or sorcery from your graveyard. Spell retrieval is powerful, but there are numerous lower-cost alternatives in the game that can provide similar or better effects without such a significant mana outlay.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Salvager of Secrets offers a reusable way to return instant or sorcery cards from your graveyard to your hand. This can be extremely valuable in decks that rely heavily on these card types, enabling you to reuse your most powerful spells.
Combo Potential: With its ability to reclaim spells, Salvager of Secrets can be the linchpin in decks that focus on spell-based combos. It provides a recursion engine that, when combined with bounce effects or other synergistic cards, can dominate the board.
Meta-Relevance: Understanding the current competitive environment is crucial. In a game-state where control or combo decks are prevalent, the Salvager can gain you incremental advantage over time, potentially out-valuing your opponents and securing key victories.
How to beat
The Salvager of Secrets is an intriguing creature card that often finds its way into spell-centric MTG decks, especially those designed to leverage the wizard’s ability to return an instant or sorcery card from the graveyard to its owner’s hand. To counteract this recurring value, players should consider using removal spells right after the Salvager of Secrets is played, mitigating the chance for your opponent to benefit from the card’s ability multiple times.
Another effective strategy involves graveyard manipulation. By using cards that can exile instant and sorcery cards directly from the graveyard, like Scavenging Ooze or Bojuka Bog, the utility that Salvager of Secrets can bring to the game is greatly diminished. As a last resort, employing counterspells to prevent the Salvager from entering the battlefield in the first place can be a solid tactic, as it preempts the loop of reusing instants and sorceries altogether.
Identifying and neutralizing the advantages Salvager of Secrets offers within a match makes gameplay significantly more manageable for opponents. These strategies are particularly crucial in formats where stalled games can allow decks built around this card to generate overwhelming value over time.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Salvager of Secrets MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2019 and Game Night 2019, 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 Salvager of Secrets 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Salvager of Secrets Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-07-13 and 2019-11-15. Illustrated by Lars Grant-West.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-07-13 | Core Set 2019 | M19 | 70 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lars Grant-West | |
| 2 | 2019-11-15 | Game Night 2019 | GN2 | 25 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lars Grant-West |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Salvager of Secrets has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |