Search for Survivors MTG Card

Provides card advantage by recurring creatures from the graveyard, enriching hand options each turn. Instant speed allows for flexible responses and strategic plays during your opponent’s turn. Has specific mana requirements, potentially limiting its use in multi-color decks.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Released	2000-06-05
Set symbol
Set name	Prophecy
Set code	PCY
Number	102
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mark Romanoski

Text of card

Shuffle your graveyard. An opponent chooses a card from it at random. If that card is a creature card, put it into play. Otherwise, remove it from the game.

There's no rest for a Keldon.

Cards like Search for Survivors

Search for Survivors is an engaging tool in the realm of deck manipulation cards within Magic: The Gathering. It reminisces other red chaos spells, like Warp World or Scrambleverse, which shuffle and rearrange permanents and the library. However, Search for Survivors possesses a unique angle. With Search for Survivors, rearranging the order of creatures in your library and potentially cheating one into play can redirect the course of a match, similar to the ripple effect of tucking a creature with Proteus Staff.

Comparatively, cards like Goblin Lore or Dangerous Wager also involve a level of unpredictability and deck manipulation. They delve into drawing and discarding cards without the control that Search for Survivors offers in rearranging creature cards. A sought-after spell like Gamble is another kin in the lottery playstyle, but unlike Search for Survivors, it directly tutors for a card and then discards at random, which is a different approach to deck strategy.

When weighing up the strengths and synergies of Search for Survivors against its fellow chaotic cards, its unique place is solid in setups that capitalize on creature positioning and reanimation tactics, giving it a niche but powerful role in deck strategies focusing on creature line-up control.

Cards similar to Search for Survivors by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Search for Survivors shines in providing card advantage. It lets you retrieve a creature card from your graveyard every turn, which can be a significant boost in keeping your hand filled with options.

Resource Acceleration: This card offers a form of resource acceleration by potentially returning high-cost creatures to your hand. You’re able to play powerful creatures more frequently, enhancing your board presence without expending additional resources from your deck.

Instant Speed: The ability to use Search for Survivors at instant speed gives you the flexibility to respond to threats or fill your hand just before your turn begins, all while keeping your mana untapped for other crucial spells or abilities during your opponent’s turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Search for Survivors comes with a stipulation that you must discard a card to activate its ability. This requirement could potentially put you at a disadvantage, especially in a tightly contested game where every card in hand matters. In some situations, this might force you to make difficult decisions, sacrificing valuable late-game resources to gain immediate, but not guaranteed, advantages.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s mana cost includes both generic and red mana. This specificity necessitates a commitment to red mana sources within your deck, potentially limiting flexibility. Decks that run multiple colors may find it challenging to consistently generate the required mana, thereby reducing the card’s playability outside of mono-red or heavily red-focused deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including two that must be red, Search for Survivors might be considered costly for its effect, which is contingent on both players’ graveyards. In a game where tempo is crucial, deploying mana-efficient spells can often be the key to victory. Hence, there might be alternative cards that provide more immediate and guaranteed value for similar or less mana investment, making this card less favorable in a highly competitive environment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Search for Survivors is a flexible card that can be slotted into various deck archetypes. It shines in decks that plan for long game strategies and those that require specific cards to establish board dominance.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize well with graveyard manipulation tactics or benefit from having particular cards in hand. Its ability to potentially reorder the library can set up future draws or combo pieces effectively.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where resource advantage is key, Search for Survivors can help sift through the library to find crucial responses or threats. It ensures that decks are equipped to handle an array of situations that might arise during competitive play.

How to beat

Search for Survivors is a distinctive card that offers a unique twist to deck manipulation strategies in MTG. This card can orchestrate a conversion of deck composition by rearranging creatures in your graveyard. To effectively counter this strategy, players should consider incorporating graveyard disruption tools into their decks. Cards such as Tormod’s Crypt can be a crucial asset by exiling cards from the graveyard, thus negating the benefits that Search for Survivors provides to the opponent.

In the realm of control decks, countermagic such as Negate can be incredibly effective. A well-timed Negate can prevent Search for Survivors from ever hitting the battlefield, securing your position. Additionally, proactive strategies that rely on exile effects, like Rest in Peace, make Search for Survivors virtually obsolete by keeping graveyards empty and eliminating the card’s utility.

Lastly, maintaining board presence with robust creatures or employing removal spells strategically ensures your opponent gains minimal advantage from rearranging their creature lineup. Outpacing the slow buildup of Search for Survivors is key; aggressive decks can sometimes win before Search for Survivors’ effects can make a significant impact on the game’s outcome.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Search for Survivors MTG card by a specific set like Prophecy, 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 Search for Survivors and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Search for Survivors has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal