Scholar of the Lost Trove MTG Card


Enables casting of high-cost spells for free, saving mana and allowing for a wider range of plays. High mana cost requires strategic deck building and careful play but ensures a substantial late-game presence. Versatile and meta-relevant, it’s a potent addition to blue or graveyard-centric decks, enhancing combos and value plays.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Sphinx
Abilities Flying
Power 5
Toughness 5

Text of card

Flying When Scholar of the Lost Trove enters the battlefield, you may cast target instant, sorcery, or artifact card from your graveyard without paying its mana cost. If an instant or sorcery spell cast this way would be put into your graveyard, exile it instead.


Cards like Scholar of the Lost Trove

Scholar of the Lost Trove is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering, offering versatility and power in the late game. It echoes the ability of cards such as Diluvian Primordial, granting the chance to cast a spell for free from your graveyard. Yet, where Diluvian Primordial targets your opponents’ graveyards and limits the casting to instants or sorceries, Scholar of the Lost Trove provides access only to your own graveyard but includes artifacts, showing a broader range of strategic options.

Comparable interactions can be seen in the mighty Tamiyo’s Journal. This artifact allows players to routinely search their library, though it lacks the instant gratification of casting a high-value spell directly from the graveyard. Contrast this with the instant impact Scholar of the Lost Trove has upon entering the battlefield, which can significantly turn the tides in a single turn, and it’s clear how the Scholar can be a game-changer.

Overall, Scholar of the Lost Trove carves its niche within Magic: The Gathering as a formidable reanimator with the potential for massive swing turns. This card delivers a significant presence and provides ample reason to build a strategy utilizing your graveyard as a resourceful extension of your hand.

Diluvian Primordial - MTG Card versions
Tamiyo's Journal - MTG Card versions
Diluvian Primordial - MTG Card versions
Tamiyo's Journal - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Scholar of the Lost Trove by color, type and mana cost

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Island Fish Jasconius - MTG Card versions
Blizzard Elemental - MTG Card versions
Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant - MTG Card versions
Tromokratis - MTG Card versions
Hullbreaker Horror - MTG Card versions
Mistform Skyreaver - MTG Card versions
Slipstream Eel - MTG Card versions
Weaver of Lies - MTG Card versions
Quicksilver Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Vizzerdrix - MTG Card versions
Rimefeather Owl - MTG Card versions
Marjhan - MTG Card versions
Goliath Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Scrapdiver Serpent - MTG Card versions
Chancellor of the Spires - MTG Card versions
Kraken of the Straits - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Ingester - MTG Card versions
Alhammarret, High Arbiter - MTG Card versions
Nephalia Moondrakes - MTG Card versions
Aethersquall Ancient - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Scholar of the Lost Trove. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Four-color Some Brand of CerealFour-color Some Brand of Cereal GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 09 2024

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Scholar of the Lost Trove is designed to swing the balance of power in your favor by granting access to additional spells from your graveyard. When it enters the battlefield, you get the chance to cast an instant, sorcery, or artifact card from your graveyard without paying its mana cost, providing a significant edge through recycling powerful effects.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly a tool for ramping, this creature’s ability to freely cast a potentially high-cost spell can save you a significant amount of mana. This virtual savings allows for a more flexible allocation of resources in the turn it’s played and opens the potential for casting additional spells during your turn.

Instant Speed: Although Scholar of the Lost Trove itself is not an instant, the free spell you cast from your graveyard can be, assuming it was already there. This gives the flexibility to cast something at instant speed that could disrupt your opponent’s plans or protect your interests without the need to reserve mana for it ahead of time.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Despite Scholar of the Lost Trove’s impressive ability to cast an instant, sorcery, or artifact card from your graveyard without paying its mana cost, there’s a catch. This ability is contingent on the card being cast this way during a turn where Scholar enters the battlefield. This means, if you can’t get Scholar on the field or keep it in play until your turn, you may miss out on the opportunity to make the most of this powerful effect.

Specific Mana Cost: Scholar of the Lost Trove is a bit stringent when it comes to mana. Requiring three blue mana as part of its total seven mana cost makes it a little less flexible, especially in decks that are not heavily blue. Players running three-color or more decks might find it challenging to meet its color-intensive cost consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of seven mana, the Scholar stands on the higher end of the mana curve. This can potentially slow down your game plan, as it occupies a slot in your deck that could otherwise be filled with lower-cost cards that provide faster, more immediate impact.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Scholar of the Lost Trove offers incredible adaptability as it allows for the freecasting of an instant, sorcery, or artifact card from your graveyard upon entering the battlefield, making it a perfect addition to a wide array of blue-centric or graveyard-focused decks.

Combo Potential: Coupled with spells that have potent enter-the-battlefield effects or cards that benefit from being cast multiple times, Scholar of the Lost Trove has the potential to serve as the lynchpin in a game-changing combo turn, providing depth and intricacy to your gameplay.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where recursion and value plays are key, Scholar of the Lost Trove’s ability to revisit your most impactful spells could tilt the scales in your favor, ensuring its relevance in various competitive formats.


How to Beat Scholar of the Lost Trove

Scholar of the Lost Trove has undoubtedly made waves in MTG as a card that can swing the momentum of a game. This seven-mana blue creature brings a potent ability to the table, allowing you to cast an instant, sorcery, or artifact card from your graveyard without paying its mana cost. However, this doesn’t make it unbeatable. To effectively neutralize this threat, consider running counterspells to prevent the Scholar from hitting the battlefield in the first place. Cards like Negate or Essence Scatter are great for this purpose.

Should the Scholar of the Lost Trove manage to resolve, having graveyard removal at the ready can instantly nullify its reanimation ability. Nihil Spellbomb or Leyline of the Void can keep your opponent’s graveyard clean, rendering the Scholar’s power significantly less impactful. Furthermore, instant-speed removal such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile can dispatch the Scholar after it hits the field but before its ability is utilized, minimizing its potential to affect the game. At its core, being proactive with counters, ready with graveyard management, and responsive with removal will give you the edge over this powerful MTG card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Unlocking the full potential of Scholar of the Lost Trove is a thrilling challenge for any MTG player. With its synergistic abilities that leverage your graveyard, this card offers a unique avenue for strategic deck building. If you’re keen to maximize your game by employing clever card interactions and exploiting powerful spell recasts, integrating this card into your collection might just give you the upper hand. Dive into the finer strategies of utilizing graveyards and reanimation tactics to take your MTG sessions to new heights. Ready to unfold the mysteries of Scholar of the Lost Trove? Visit us for in-depth insights and tactics that can transform your gameplay experience.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scholar of the Lost Trove MTG card by a specific set like Jumpstart and Jumpstart, 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 Scholar of the Lost Trove and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Scholar of the Lost Trove Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2020-07-17 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Volkan Baǵa.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-07-17JumpstartJMP 142015NormalBlackVolkan Baǵa
22020-07-17JumpstartJMP 4962015NormalBlackVolkan Baǵa

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Scholar of the Lost Trove has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-06-23 If a spell has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.
2020-06-23 If you cast a spell “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, those must be paid to cast the spell.
2020-06-23 If you cast an artifact spell this way, it won’t be exiled if it would be put into your graveyard this turn.
2020-06-23 If you wish to cast the target card, you must cast it while the triggered ability is resolving. You can’t cast it later in the turn.