Inquisition of Kozilek MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 15 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides card advantage by preemptively disrupting opponent strategies and maintaining your game plan.
  2. Though not an instant, it sets the stage for future plays by revealing opponents’ hands for smarter interactions.
  3. Limited to affecting cards with converted mana costs of 3 or less, it may not catch larger threats.

Text of card

Target player reveals his or her hand. You choose a nonland card from it with converted mana cost 3 or less. That player discards that card.

You will scream out your innermost secrets just to make it stop.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Inquisition of Kozilek excels in disrupting your opponent’s hand, effectively providing you with card advantage. By preemptively removing key cards from your opponent’s grip, you diminish their ability to execute their strategy, while keeping your own plans intact.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources, this card indirectly contributes to resource advantage. By stripping crucial spells from the opposing hand early on, Inquisition of Kozilek can set your opponent back, allowing you to be one step ahead in the race to deploy threats or answers on the board.

Instant Speed: Although not cast at instant speed, this sorcery sets the stage for your future instant-speed interactions. By knowing exactly what your opponent holds, you can more effectively time your instants and disrupt their play during their turn, maximizing your tactical edge.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One consideration for Inquisition of Kozilek is that it only targets cards with converted mana costs of 3 or less, meaning it may miss crucial higher-cost cards in your opponent’s hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Inquisition of Kozilek requires one black mana, which could restrict its compatibility in decks not focused around black mana or lacking mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While one black and one generic mana is affordable, some players might prefer the swiftness of Thoughtseize, despite its life point cost, to disrupt the opponent’s hand more comprehensively.


Reasons to Include Inquisition of Kozilek in Your Collection

Versatility: Inquisition of Kozilek is not limited to one archetype. Its ability to discard an opponent’s card with a converted mana cost of 3 or less finds a place in almost any deck aiming to disrupt the opponent’s strategy early on, from control to midrange, and even in some aggressive builds.

Combo Potential: The power to strip a key piece from your opponent’s hand makes this card a great combo enabler. It clears the way for your own combo by removing potential threats or disruption, ensuring a smoother path to victory.

Meta-Relevance: Given the prevalence of low-cost spells in competitive play, Inquisition of Kozilek remains highly relevant. It’s a staple in formats where efficient disruption is crucial, and can give you the upper hand against a wide range of popular strategies by handicapping your opponent’s early game.


How to beat Inquisition of Kozilek

Inquisition of Kozilek is a potent tool frequently found in the arsenals of black decks within Magic: The Gathering. Renowned for its ability to disrupt opponents early in the game, it excels by extracting key cards from an opponent’s hand—provided the cards have a mana cost of 3 or less. This can stall or even halt an opponent’s game plan before it gets off the ground.

Overcoming Inquisition of Kozilek hinges on diversifying the cost of spells in your deck and ensuring you hold cards with higher mana values that are immune to this disruption. Utilizing instant-speed spells that can be played in response to Inquisition can also dilute its effectiveness by removing the target of choice before the opponent can act on the information gleaned. Moreover, having cards in your deck that benefit from being in the graveyard can turn Inquisition’s disruption into an advantage for you.

Properly timing plays and maintaining awareness of potential threats such as Inquisition of Kozilek can inform when to commit key cards to the board and when to keep them in hand. Thus, while it’s a formidable card, strategic planning and a balanced deck can help you mitigate the damage caused by this iconic piece of hand disruption.


BurnMana Recommendations

Magic the Gathering enthusiasts know that a well-built deck can make all the difference between victory and defeat. Inquisition of Kozilek is a strong addition to any collection, effectively hampering your opponents from the get-go. Whether through card pros like direct disruption or navigating around cons such as specific mana costs, this card texture adds layers to your gameplay. Even facing its strengths, strategies to beat it can enhance your MTG prowess. Learn to incorporate Inquisition of Kozilek into your arsenal or craft a counterstrategy. Gain edge and depth in your matches; join us to advance your MTG journey.


Cards like Inquisition of Kozilek

Inquisition of Kozilek is an iconic disruption spell, offering early-game advantage by sniping crucial pieces from your opponent’s hand. It’s often mentioned alongside Thoughtsieze, another premier hand disruption tool that, while more flexible due to its ability to target any card regardless of mana cost, also costs the player 2 life. Inquisition doesn’t have this life penalty but is limited to cards with converted mana cost 3 or less.

A closer comparative card is Duress, which is limited to noncreature, nonland cards yet comes at a single black mana’s expense. Inquisition’s power lies in its compromise — it hits creatures in addition to other card types like Duress, with a ceiling on mana cost for balance. While not exact parallels, Thought Erasure warrants a mention, allowing surveil in addition to the discard effect, albeit at two mana and in the blue-black color pairing.

Each card has distinct applications and strengths, but Inquisition of Kozilek strikes a fine balance between cost, effect, and the type of cards it can address. Making it a favored choice for many players seeking to disrupt their opponents early in the game without incurring a life penalty.

Thoughtseize - MTG Card versions
Duress - MTG Card versions
Thought Erasure - MTG Card versions
Thoughtseize - Lorwyn (LRW)
Duress - Urza's Saga (USG)
Thought Erasure - Guilds of Ravnica Promos (PGRN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Inquisition of Kozilek MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Magic Online Promos, 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 Inquisition of Kozilek and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Inquisition of Kozilek Magic the Gathering card was released in 11 different sets between 2010-04-23 and 2022-07-08. Illustrated by 6 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 996771997normalblackVolkan Baǵa
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 1022472015normalblackrk post
32010-04-23Rise of the EldraziROE 1152003normalblackTomasz Jedruszek
42014-05-30Modern Event Deck 2014MD1 42003normalblackTomasz Jedruszek
52016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 1402015normalblackVolkan Baǵa
62017-03-17Modern Masters 2017MM3 752015normalblackVolkan Baǵa
72019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 6942015normalblackVolkan Baǵa
82019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 11522015normalborderlessAleksi Briclot
92020-09-26The ListPLST MM3-752015normalblackVolkan Baǵa
102021-04-23Strixhaven Art SeriesASTX 71s2015art_seriesborderlessMatthew G. Lewis
112021-04-23Strixhaven Mystical ArchiveSTA 312015normalborderlessMatthew G. Lewis
122021-04-23Strixhaven Mystical ArchiveSTA 942015normalborderlessYuka Oka
132021-04-23Strixhaven Art SeriesASTX 712015art_seriesborderlessMatthew G. Lewis
142022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 802015normalblackTomasz Jedruszek
152022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 3552015normalborderlessrk post

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Inquisition of Kozilek has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2014-02-01 If you target yourself with this spell, you must reveal your entire hand to the other players just as any other player would.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks