Pursuit of Knowledge MTG Card

Stronghold (STH)
1998-03-02 - Number 10

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number STH-10

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment

Key Takeaways

Offers incremental card advantage, rewarding strategy over immediate gains in MTG play.
Instant speed functionality allows players to optimize their strategy and maintain surprise.
Demands careful play, balancing resource accrual against card discard trade-offs.

Text of card

Skip drawing a card: Put a study counter on Pursuit of Knowledge. Remove three study counters from Pursuit of Knowledge, Sacrifice Pursuit of Knowledge: Draw seven cards.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Pursuit of Knowledge, players can gradually build up knowledge counters that ultimately lead to drawing three cards. This can provide a significant boost in card advantage and can oftentimes ensure that your hand never runs dry of options.

Resource Acceleration: One of the main advantages of Pursuit of Knowledge is its ability to synergize with decks that focus on drawing cards. Each time you draw a card, you get closer to that influx of new cards, essentially speeding up your access to resources necessary for executing your strategy more efficiently.

Instant Speed: The real power lies in Pursuit of Knowledge’s ability to be utilized at instant speed when the fourth knowledge counter is placed. This flexibility allows players to optimize their plays, keeping the opponent guessing and better managing their resources in response to the current state of play.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging with Pursuit of Knowledge involves making significant trade-offs. To fully benefit, you are required to forgo access to certain cards by discarding them. This can become particularly burdensome when the game requires maintaining a strategic hand size for optimal play.

Specific Mana Cost: The cost for casting Pursuit of Knowledge is not just quantitatively sizeable but also qualitatively demanding. Requiring two white mana within its cost, it asks for a dedicated commitment to white mana, which might not synergize well with multicolored or less mana-flexible decks aiming for a diverse strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total mana cost of four, including the stringent white mana requirement, Pursuit of Knowledge establishes itself on the higher end of the mana curve when it comes to enchantments in MTG. Considering the scope of other card-drawing or advantage-gaining spells and abilities available at or below this cost tier, players may perceive its cost-effectiveness unfavorably compared to other options that provide immediate effects or require less commitment.

Reasons to Include Pursuit of Knowledge in Your Collection

Versatility: Pursuit of Knowledge offers a unique approach to drawing cards. It can be slotted into various builds, particularly those looking to circumvent hand size limits or setups aiming to rapidly cycle through their decks to access specific combinations of cards.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with effects that allow you to play additional lands or effects that trigger upon drawing cards. Its ability to store knowledge counters provides a flexible reserve of card draw that you can tap into at the most opportune moments, forming potent combos with the right setup.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where long-term card advantage wins games, Pursuit of Knowledge shines. It’s well-suited for control or combo decks that operate on achieving critical mass of resources or options, thereby maintaining relevancy in diverse gameplay environments.

How to beat

Pursuit of Knowledge is an intriguing white enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that offers a unique card drawing mechanic. Players can skip drawing cards to place study counters on it, and upon reaching three counters, you can sacrifice Pursuit of Knowledge to draw seven cards. This presents a strategic element, as you forgo immediate card advantage for a potentially greater payoff later.

To effectively counteract Pursuit of Knowledge, consider cards that deal with enchantments directly such as Disenchant or Naturalize. These not only disrupt the accumulation of study counters but can catch an opponent off-guard, negating the satisfaction of their seven-card reward. Other strategies involve pressuring your opponent with an aggressive board state or disrupting their hand with thoughtseize effects, ensuring they don’t have the luxury of time to set up Pursuit of Knowledge’s full benefit. Remaining adaptable and timing your enchantment removal wisely can mean the difference between victory and watching your opponent surge ahead with a fresh hand.

Ultimately, understanding the right moment to dismantle this knowledge-seeking strategy interrupts your opponent’s game plan and keeps you one step ahead. By being preemptive and employing efficient removal or disruption tactics, you can navigate past Pursuit of Knowledge and its potential card advantage.

Cards like Pursuit of Knowledge

Pursuit of Knowledge is a unique enchantment that offers a distinct approach to card advantage in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to draw multiple cards is shared by similar effects, like the staple card, Accumulated Knowledge, which lets you draw a card and then draw cards equal to the number of Accumulated Knowledge in all graveyards. Unlike Accumulated Knowledge, which can immediately impact the game, Pursuit of Knowledge requires a build-up of study counters before its potential is unleashed, offering a larger one-time payoff.

Another parallel can be drawn with the card Tidings, a spell that provides an instant boost by drawing four cards without any preliminary conditions. Tidings presents a one-off effect while demanding more mana investment upfront, contrasting Pursuit of Knowledge’s delayed gratification that could ultimately reward a player more substantially if the game permits the accrual of the necessary study counters.

Ultimately, the strategic use of Pursuit of Knowledge in a game grants a notable edge when played alongside cards that enhance or benefit from the drawing of multiple cards, standing out in its class while promoting a different tactical plan compared to its counterparts.

Accumulated Knowledge - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Pursuit of Knowledge by color, type and mana cost

Divine Transformation - MTG Card versions

Diversionary Tactics - MTG Card versions

Teleportation Circle - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pursuit of Knowledge MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold and The List, 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 Pursuit of Knowledge and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Pursuit of Knowledge Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1998-03-02 and 1998-03-02. Illustrated by DiTerlizzi.