Scampering Surveyor MTG Card

This MTG card efficiently thins your deck, improving draw quality by fetching basic lands. It allows for earlier play of high-cost spells, making it a staple for multicolor decks. Scampering Surveyor’s ability works like an instant, providing mana use flexibility.

Scampering Surveyor - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact Creature — Gnome
Released	2023-11-17
Set symbol
Set name	The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
Set code	LCI
Power	3
Toughness	2
Number	260
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Xavier Ribeiro

Text of card

When Scampering Surveyor enters the battlefield, search your library for a basic land card or Cave card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.

It knows the length, pitch, and orientation of every tunnel it has ever traversed.

Cards like Scampering Surveyor

Scampering Surveyor offers MTG players the blend of resource fixing and a creature presence on the battlefield. Comparable cards such as Pilgrim’s Eye play the same role, providing land fetching ability upon entering the battlefield. The Pilgrim’s Eye, although sharing the same mana cost, cannot match up with Scampering Surveyor’s flexibility across varied formats due to the Eye’s fixed Ability flying.

Farhaven Elf is another card that nudges close to Scampering Surveyor’s utility. While it fetches a land directly to the battlefield, thereby offering an immediate mana benefit, it doesn’t share the Surveyor’s ability to also act as a chump blocker or to assist in metalcraft or artifact synergies. Similarly, Solemn Simulacrum, often referred to as Sad Robot by the community, presents another level entirely, providing land benefits and card draw, but at a higher casting cost that may not fit into the same early game slot as Scampering Surveyor.

All things considered, Scampering Surveyor holds its own as a useful card for decks in need of early game mana smoothing and a board presence. In various deck types that value artifacts, the Surveyor can unexpectedly shine, underscoring the intricate value comparisons that make deck building in Magic: The Gathering a continually compelling pursuit.

Cards similar to Scampering Surveyor by color, type and mana cost

Krark-Clan Ironworks - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Scampering Surveyor provides a search option that helps you thin your deck. As you fetch a basic land card onto the battlefield or into your hand, you’re effectively improving the quality of your future draws so you draw into more action instead of additional lands.

Resource Acceleration: By enabling you to get an extra land, Scampering Surveyor can help in ramping up your resources, ensuring you play high-cost spells earlier than usual. It’s particularly beneficial for multicolor decks as it aids in fixing your mana to get the right colors when you need them.

Instant Speed: Although Scampering Surveyor is a creature, its enter the battlefield ability has an impact at any point of the game, much like an instant. It allows you to efficiently use mana during your turn or simply play it as a land fetch tool when needed, maintaining the pace and momentum essential in controlling the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Scampering Surveyor offers a way to search for a basic land card, players must be cognizant that it necessitates discarding a valuable card from their hand. This can sometimes backfire especially in scenarios where maintaining card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Although Scampering Surveyor is an inclusive card with its colorless mana cost, it still requires three mana of any type to play. This can be slightly restrictive early in the game when mana resources are tight and players are looking to build a presence on the battlefield.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: As a three cost artifact creature, the Scampering Surveyor may not offer the most efficient route for land searching. There are other cards available at lower mana costs that serve similar functions more economically, potentially making the Surveyor a less optimal choice in many deck setups.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Scampering Surveyor is a flexible addition to any MTG deck thanks to its ability to search for a basic land card, ensuring you’re not left behind on your mana curve.

Combo Potential: This artifact creature is a handy enabler in decks that capitalize on landfall triggers or strategies revolving around artifacts.

Meta-Relevance: As games evolve to be more about board presence and mana efficiency, Scampering Surveyor’s capacity for mana fixing and its role as a blocker can often turn the tide in tightly-contested matches.

How to beat

Scampering Surveyor may appear unassuming in the sprawling universe of Magic: The Gathering, but this little artifact creature offers a unique advantage by ensuring a land drop. When it enters the battlefield, it allows its controller to search their library for a basic land card and put it into their hand, thereby smoothing out mana and supporting color fixing for multicolored decks.

To effectively counter Scampering Surveyor, consider the timing and impact of your removal. Since its primary utility occurs upon entry, traditional removal spells won’t prevent its land-search ability. Instead, focus on strategies that mitigate its long-term value. Applying pressure with aggressive creatures forces your opponent to defend rather than utilize their mana efficiently. Hand disruption can also be effective by removing key spells that depend on the Surveyor’s land fetching, thus hampering your opponent’s game plan.

Additionally, by including land destruction or denial cards, you can directly challenge the extra land Scampering Surveyor provides. Cards that limit land plays or punish players for searching libraries can neutralize the advantage gained. This synergistic approach to disrupting your opponent’s mana base can be key to overcoming the utility that Scampering Surveyor brings to the table.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scampering Surveyor MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Scampering Surveyor and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Scampering Surveyor has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal