Searchlight Companion MTG Card

Sharpens deck performance with in-game deck refinement and hand improvement. Boosts mana availability, allowing faster deployment of key plays. Offers instant-speed flexibility, adapting to ever-changing game states.

Searchlight Companion - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact Creature — Drone
Abilities	Flying
Released	2022-02-18
Set symbol
Set name	Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
Set code	NEO
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	258
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Rudy Siswanto

Text of card

Flying When Searchlight Companion enters the battlefield, create a 1/1 colorless Spirit creature token.

The merging of the spirit and material realms has resulted in some unusual friendships.

Cards like Searchlight Companion

Searchlight Companion has emerged as a versatile tool in Magic: The Gathering, reminiscent of popular card advantage creatures like Elvish Visionary. Both cards allow players to draw a card upon entering the battlefield, a straightforward and desirable effect. However, Searchlight Companion offers an added layer of utility with its ability to become a land when necessary, giving it a distinct edge in terms of flexibility.

Another card that echoes a similar sentiment is Wall of Omens. This creature also grants you a card upon arrival, coupled with the added benefit of being a solid defensive unit. Nevertheless, what makes Searchlight Companion stand out is that placement as a land can be crucial in keeping up the momentum and not falling behind on land drops.

Assessing the value of Searchlight Companion, we find that its dual functionality commands a unique position in gameplay. It’s not merely about drawing a card but also about seamlessly integrating into your land base, thus enhancing the card’s strategic depth and utility in Magic: The Gathering decks.

Cards similar to Searchlight Companion by color, type and mana cost

Scale of Chiss-Goria - MTG Card versions

Sword of Feast and Famine - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Searchlight Companion card offers players the ability to refine their deck mid-game, providing opportunities for strategic planning and enhancing overall hand quality.

Resource Acceleration: As a versatile artifact, this card acts as a catalyst for mana generation, enabling you to deploy more significant threats earlier in the match or respond more swiftly with answers to opponents’ moves.

Instant Speed: This card can be activated at instant speed, granting players the flexibility to adapt to the dynamic battlefield conditions, whether that’s during your turn or in response to your opponent’s actions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Searchlight Companion requires you to discard another card when deploying its activated ability. This stipulation can be challenging when your hand is already depleted or when every card in your grip is vital to your strategy, potentially setting back your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: This artifact’s ability necessitates a particular combination of mana, which is a cost comprised of both colorless and one white mana. This specific requirement can sometimes restrict the card’s integration, particularly in multicolor decks that may have a tighter mana base and cannot always afford such specific costs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana expense to cast Searchlight Companion and then activate its ability can be considerable. When considering the cost-to-benefit ratio, it’s clear there are alternate cards within the same cost range that could potentially offer greater immediate impact or versatility without additional conditions to meet, making it a less attractive option in competitive play scenarios.

Reasons to Include Searchlight Companion in Your Collection

Versatility: Searchlight Companion offers great flexibility in deckbuilding. It’s a useful card in artifact-centric decks and can also serve as an efficient creature to hold equipment or auras in a variety of formats.

Combo Potential: This card has synergy with themes that revolve around tapping or untapping artifacts. It can also enable interesting combos with cards that care about artifact count or creature presence, further expanding its utility in intricate gameplay scenarios.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where artifacts play a key role or where low-cost creatures are valuable, Searchlight Companion can be a surprisingly effective piece. It’s particularly relevant in formats where its specific attributes align with prevalent gameplay strategies.

How to beat

Searchlight Companion presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to keep your opponents on their toes by mandating them to pay extra for targeting your creatures. This card functions as not only a creature but also as a pseudo guardian for your other minions. It can be quite taxing for your adversary to adapt to the increased costs for their spells and abilities.

However, the strength of Searchlight Companion can be turned against it. Cards that deal damage irrespective of targeting, such as board wipes or global damage spells, can bypass its protective capability effectively. Additionally, leveraging the power of mass removal spells ensures that the extra mana tax imposed by Searchlight Companion becomes irrelevant, as there’s no targeting involved. Moreover, cards that change the rules of engagement, like those allowing you to cast spells without paying mana costs, can neutralize the Companion’s impact. As such, including non-targeted removals or alternative cast condition cards in your deck could serve as a solid strategy to outmaneuver the obstacles posed by Searchlight Companion.

Strategic deck-building is crucial in creating pockets of opportunity to beat cards with taxing abilities. By anticipating your opponent’s moves and preparing your arsenal adequately, overcoming the challenges posed by Searchlight Companion can be achieved.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Searchlight Companion MTG card by a specific set like Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, 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 Searchlight Companion and other MTG cards:

BUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Searchlight Companion has restrictions

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