Hard Evidence MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Investigate

Key Takeaways

  1. Delivers immediate board presence and potential card advantage with its Crab token and Clue artifact.
  2. Aligns with token generation strategies, enhancing overall resource acceleration and synergy.
  3. Though confined to sorcery speed, it sets up strong defense during the caster’s turn.

Text of card

Create a 0/3 blue Crab creature token. Investigate. (Create a Clue token. It's an artifact with ", Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.")

The investigator felt a pinch on his ankle. When he looked down, something glittered in the sand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hard Evidence provides an immediate two-for-one exchange. By casting a single card, you net both a Clue token, which can later be sacrificed to draw a card, and a 0/3 Crab creature. This small investment can pay off by bolstering your board presence and maintaining card flow.

Resource Acceleration: While Hard Evidence doesn’t directly accelerate your mana resources, the Clue token it creates can indirectly lead to resource acceleration when combined with mechanics that reward token generation or card drawing. Additionally, it can set up favorable conditions for spells and abilities that depend on the number of creatures or artifacts you control.

Instant Speed: Hard Evidence is actually cast at sorcery speed, offering a strategic setup during your own turn. This guarantees you’ll have an additional creature to block with or an artifact that can be utilized with various synergies come your opponent’s turn. Being proactive with Hard Evidence allows you to fortify your defenses and opportunities before passing control.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Hard Evidence provides utility, it may require you to toss a valuable card from your hand, which can disrupt your game strategy and leave you at a resource disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Hard Evidence demands a blue mana, making it exclusive to decks running blue and potentially unsuitable for multicolor strategies that can’t consistently produce the required mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: To cast Hard Evidence, players need to invest mana that could be used for other spells with potentially greater impact. When mana conservation is key, this can be a crucial drawback in gameplay.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Hard Evidence fits seamlessly into a wide range of blue-control or tempo-oriented strategies. The ability to put a creature onto the battlefield while also creating a clue token for later card draw provides multiple options for forward gameplay.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies that exploit artifact and creature presence. For instance, it can be a setup for sacrificing the clue token to fuel graveyard-based mechanics or improve the outcome of spells that count the number of creatures you control.

Meta-Relevance: Hard Evidence is relevant in metas with an emphasis on early board presence. The crab token can be an early blocker, deterring aggressive opponents, while the clue token ensures you don’t fall behind in card advantage as the game progresses.


How to beat

Hard Evidence is a versatile card often employed in Magic: The Gathering control and midrange decks, primarily for its ability to create a quick defensive blocker in the form of a 0/3 Crab creature token and to draw a card indirectly through an investigative clue token. Confronting such utility can be challenging, but not insuperable. The key is to focus on the tempo of the game. As Hard Evidence is often used early, aggressive strategies can outpace the control elements it provides, leveraging the speed of your own deck.

Moreover, it’s beneficial to use spells that can handle multiple creatures or tokens at once. Sweeper spells or those that can exile tokens, like Echoing Truth, sidestep the token’s defensive purpose and can render the clue’s card draw less effective. In addition, understanding the role of Hard Evidence in your opponent’s strategy can guide your decisions on when to apply pressure and when to hold back. Managing the board state actively and disrupting your opponent’s plan preemptively can give you the upper hand against a card like Hard Evidence.

Ultimately, while Hard Evidence offers a compact set of advantages, a well-timed strategy that prioritizes board control and pace can effectively neutralize its impact in the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the strategies and nuances of blue decks with Hard Evidence, a card that offers both early game defense and card advantage. Perfect your gameplay by incorporating cards that not only create opportunities for control but also provide you with the essential resources to outmaneuver your opponents. If you appreciate cards that offer flexibility and synergize well with token generation or artifact-based mechanics, then Hard Evidence deserves a closer look. Visit us to enhance your understanding of this card’s place in the meta and how it can strengthen your deck’s performance in every match. Your MTG journey towards victory is just one click away.


Cards like Hard Evidence

Hard Evidence is an intriguing Sorcery spell that carves its niche in the world of Magic: The Gathering. It draws parallels with card generation spells like Omen of the Sea, which not only peeks into the future with scry but also adds to your hand. Unlike Omen, Hard Evidence offers a tactile advantage by creating a 0/3 Crab creature token upon execution, ensuring you a defender on board while also letting you investigate, which later translates to card draw.

Examining further, we find cards like Wall of Omens, providing a similar defensive benefit with its entrance, netting a card in the process. Nevertheless, Wall of Omens lacks the continued potential of card draw that Hard Evidence’s Clue token provides. Chart a Course is another candidate offering card draw. Activated during an attack, it draws two cards but requires discarding one unless a creature was sent into battle that turn. Here, Hard Evidence stands apart with its no-attack-necessary condition and the provision of a defensive creature.

Tallying up strengths and applications, Hard Evidence holds a valuable spot in decks aiming for defensive depth while simultaneously boosting their card advantage strategy in Magic: The Gathering.

Omen of the Sea - MTG Card versions
Wall of Omens - MTG Card versions
Chart a Course - MTG Card versions
Omen of the Sea - MTG Card versions
Wall of Omens - MTG Card versions
Chart a Course - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hard Evidence MTG card by a specific set like The List and Modern Horizons 2, 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 Hard Evidence and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Hard Evidence Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-06-18 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by Yeong-Hao Han.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-09-26The ListPLST MH2-462015NormalBlackYeong-Hao Han
22021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 462015NormalBlackYeong-Hao Han
32021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 2002015NormalBlackYeong-Hao Han

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hard Evidence has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

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