Surgical Extraction MTG Card
2011-05-12 - Number 74★
2011-05-13 - Number 74
2015-05-22 - Number 99
2022-07-08 - Number 444
2022-07-08 - Number 94
2022-07-08 - Number 356
2024-04-19 - Number 19
2002-06-24 - Number 102251
2002-06-24 - Number 40072
| Card sets | Released in 9 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Instant |
Text of card
({B/P} can be paid with either or 2 life.) Choose target card in a graveyard other than a basic land card. Search its owner's graveyard, hand, and library for any number of cards with the same name as that card and exile them. Then that player shuffles.
Cards like Surgical Extraction
Surgical Extraction has cemented its status as a formidable card in the world of MTG. Its close relative, Extirpate, offers a similar ability to pluck cards out of an opponent’s deck and graveyard. However, Surgical Extraction’s versatility comes from its Phyrexian mana cost, allowing it to be cast for life points instead of black mana, making it accessible to a broader range of decks.
Another card that echoes this exile mechanism is Lost Legacy. While it requires an investment of three mana and only targets non-artifact, non-land cards, it compensates by providing a thorough search through the opponent’s deck, hand, and graveyard. Lost Legacy also grants the opponent the opportunity to draw cards, which can be a downside compared to the more surgical approach of Surgical Extraction. Meanwhile, Cranial Extraction demands four mana and focuses exclusively on nonland cards, but it lacks the instant speed that makes Surgical Extraction so impactful in disrupting an opponent’s strategy during their turn.
With the ability to be used in a pinch and without a dedicated black mana source, Surgical Extraction remains a standout sideboard staple in MTG, offering a unique combination of speed and precision that few other cards can match.
Cards similar to Surgical Extraction by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Surgical Extraction. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Dimir Mill | Modern | Mill | Modern Challenge 32 2024-04-27 |
 | Esper Stoneblade | Legacy | Esper Stoneblade | Legacy League 2024-05-08 |
 | Omni-Tell | Legacy | Omni-Tell | Legacy Challenge 64 2024-05-05 |
 | Sultai Scam | Legacy | Sultai Scam | Legacy Challenge 32 2024-05-05 |
| Azorius Mill | Modern | Mill | Modern Challenge 64 2024-04-28 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Surgical Extraction is a powerhouse when it comes to disrupting your opponent’s game plan. By extracting a key card from their hand, graveyard, and library, you strategically deplete their resources while gaining valuable information on their deck’s composition.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating your resources, this card prevents potential acceleration of your opponent’s by removing combos or critical cards from their deck, effectively slowing them down and tipping the scales in your favor.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Surgical Extraction at instant speed provides a significant tactical edge. It allows you to respond to your opponent’s plays in real-time, potentially removing threats before they have a chance to impact the board—a versatile tool for interaction on your opponent’s turn or in response to a trigger.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Surgical Extraction has the upside of a Phyrexian mana cost, allowing you to pay life instead of mana, it can hinder your life total significantly in games where every point counts.
Specific Mana Cost: Despite the alternative payment option, some players might not always have the life to spare, making its black mana cost a restriction in non-black or multicolored decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Though paying two life can be easier than paying mana, in the context of highly competitive play, this cost can place players at a disadvantage against fast-paced decks geared towards quick damage output.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Surgical Extraction fits into numerous deck archetypes, being a non-land card that can be paid with life instead of mana, thus allowing players to disrupt opponents’ strategies even in the most resource-tight situations.
Combo Potential: The ability to remove all copies of a card from an opponent’s deck and graveyard offers unique pairing options with cards that predicate on players’ having fewer options or reveal their hand, enhancing strategic depth in competitive gameplay.
Meta-Relevance: With the dynamic nature of the metagame, Surgical Extraction remains a highly relevant sideboard choice, capable of removing key combo pieces or graveyard-based threats across various formats, maintaining its standing as a staple in the ever-evolving world of competitive play.
How to beat
Encountering Surgical Extraction in an MTG match can be intimidating, as it ruthlessly uproots cards directly from a player’s library and graveyard. To counteract this card’s precision removal, consider including cards in your deck that do not hinge on singular, specific combo pieces. Diversify your threats to ensure that the removal of one key element doesn’t topple your entire strategy.
Deck resilience is also key when playing against Surgical Extraction. Having cards that benefit from graveyard strategies or enable recursion can offset the potential loss inflicted by this disruptive spell. Moreover, prioritize having a mix of instant-speed responses to hamper your opponent’s plans. By having counter spells or flash creatures, you maintain pressure and keep your adversary guessing, undermining the effectiveness of their targeted removal.
It’s worth noting that this powerful removal spell’s utility diminishes against decks with redundant components. As such, constructing your deck to be robust against single-target disruption improves your position against cards like Surgical Extraction, keeping your game plan intact even when facing such concise and potentially devastating interactions.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Surgical Extraction 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 Surgical Extraction and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Surgical Extraction Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2011-05-12 and 2024-04-19. Illustrated by 4 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 102251 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Thomas M. Baxa | ||
| 2 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 40072 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Greg Staples | ||
| 3 | 2011-05-12 | New Phyrexia Promos | PNPH | 74★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Greg Staples | |
| 4 | 2011-05-13 | New Phyrexia | NPH | 74 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 5 | 2015-05-22 | Modern Masters 2015 | MM2 | 99 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 6 | 2022-07-08 | Double Masters 2022 | 2X2 | 444 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 7 | 2022-07-08 | Double Masters 2022 | 2X2 | 94 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 8 | 2022-07-08 | Double Masters 2022 | 2X2 | 356 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Thomas M. Baxa | |
| 9 | 2024-04-19 | Breaking News | OTP | 19 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Arik Roper |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Surgical Extraction has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Surgical Extraction card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2011-06-01 | A card with Phyrexian mana symbols in its mana cost is each color that appears in that mana cost, regardless of how that cost may have been paid. |
| 2011-06-01 | As you cast a spell or activate an activated ability with one or more Phyrexian mana symbols in its cost, you choose how to pay for each Phyrexian mana symbol at the same time you would choose modes or choose a value for X. |
| 2011-06-01 | If you’re at 1 life or less, you can’t pay 2 life. |
| 2011-06-01 | Phyrexian mana is not a new color. Players can’t add Phyrexian mana to their mana pools. |
| 2011-06-01 | To calculate the converted mana cost of a card with Phyrexian mana symbols in its cost, count each Phyrexian mana symbol as 1. |
| 2011-06-01 | “Any number of cards” means just that. If you wish, you can choose to leave some or all of the cards with the same name as the targeted card, including that card, in the zone they’re in. |