Quest for the Holy Relic MTG Card
2009-10-02 - Number 33
2020-09-26 - Number ZEN-33
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment |
Key Takeaways
- Quest for the Holy Relic enables fetching and free placement of Equipment, offering an unexpected advantage in play.
- High creature play requirement for quest counters may leave your hand vulnerable and limit deck flexibility.
- Despite its situational cons, it enriches collections through combo potential and shifts in competitive formats.
Text of card
Whenever you cast a creature spell, you may put a quest counter on Quest for the Holy Relic. Remove five quest counters from Quest for the Holy Relic and sacrifice it: Search your library for an Equipment card, put it onto the battlefield, and attach it to a creature you control. Then shuffle your library.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Quest for the Holy Relic offers a unique form of card advantage by enabling you to fetch an Equipment card from your deck and put it directly onto the battlefield. This not only adds to your card presence but also circumvents any casting costs associated with the Equipment itself.
Resource Acceleration: By utilizing creatures to fulfill its quest counters, the card accelerates your resource allocation. Instead of investing mana to play Equipment from your hand, you can deploy other threats or hold mana for disruption, effectively streamlining your game plan.
Instant Speed: Although Quest for the Holy Relic is not an instant, it allows for instant speed interactions once it’s active. After the quest is completed, you can bring an Equipment into play at instant speed which can surprise opponents and disrupt their strategy during critical phases of the game, particularly combat.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although Quest for the Holy Relic allows you to put a powerful equipment into play directly, it requires a significant number of creature cards to be played beforehand. This can deplete your hand, leaving you in a precarious situation if you’re unable to sustain a steady stream of creatures.
Specific Mana Cost: The fact that Quest for the Holy Relic requires white mana can make it a tricky fit in multi-colored decks. For those decks focusing on a broader color palette, incorporating enough white mana sources to reliably cast it can be a challenge.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite being a one-mana enchantment, the indirect cost of having to play five creatures to satisfy its condition can be steep. There are scenarios where a player might prefer lower-cost spells that provide equipment tutoring with fewer prerequisites. This makes Quest for the Holy Relic potentially less appealing in fast-paced or highly competitive settings.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Quest for the Holy Relic is a flexible card that can adapt to numerous deck types, particularly those centered around creature play. With its ability to fetch an Equipment card, it can suit various game plans and enhance your board presence.
Combo Potential: This card’s real power shines in combo strategies that revolve around quickly summoning creatures to activate the quest. Once fulfilled, it can bring game-changing Equipment into play, turning the tide in your favor almost instantaneously.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where aggressive and creature-based strategies are prevalent, Quest for the Holy Relic can offer a significant edge by allowing you to assemble powerful Equipment combos that other players may not be prepared to face.
How to beat
Quest for the Holy Relic is an intriguing card in MTG that challenges players to adapt their strategies. Consolidating a significant advantage from amassing quest counters, a player can activate it to fetch a powerful Equipment card directly from their deck. Overcoming this requires a proactive approach to either prevent the accumulation of the necessary quest counters or to efficiently deal with the Equipment cards once they’re put into play.
One effective method is to limit creature control. Since Quest for the Holy Relic relies on creature presence and casting to gain counters, board wipes or spot removals can dampen its progress. Utilizing cards like Wrath of God or Path to Exile can disrupt the opponent’s board and slow down their quest. Another strategy entails targeting the enchantment itself with disenchant effects or countering it upon initial cast. Spells such as Naturalize, or countermagic like Negate, provide the necessary tools to preemptively tackle the enchantment.
If the Quest is completed, it’s essential to have answers ready for the Equipment cards it brings. Having Artifact destruction spells or capabilities to steal or incapacitate equipped creatures will mitigate the advantage gained. With these countermeasures, you can navigate around the challenges posed by Quest for the Holy Relic and maintain control of the game.
Cards like Quest for the Holy Relic
Quest for the Holy Relic shines in decks that focus on rapidly deploying creatures. It’s akin to Open the Armory, which also helps in fetching key equipment. However, Quest for the Holy Relic raises the stakes by not just tutoring an equipment card but allowing you to put it onto the battlefield without paying its mana cost, provided you’ve met the quest conditions. In contrast, Open the Armory simply adds the equipment card to your hand.
In a similar context lies Stoneforge Mystic, a powerful creature that also fetches equipment cards and can put them into play. Although Stoneforge Mystic comes with the upside of being a repeatable effect, it requires mana to activate, whereas Quest for the Holy Relic’s effect is free once activated. Steelshaper’s Gift is another card that searches for equipment but lacks the free cost and automatic deployment offered by Quest for the Holy Relic.
Ultimately, Quest for the Holy Relic presents a unique blend of aggressive creature play and cost-efficient equipment strategy, solidifying its position in MTG as a formidable option for lovers of quick and impactful plays involving artifact equipment.
Cards similar to Quest for the Holy Relic by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Quest for the Holy Relic MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar 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 Quest for the Holy Relic and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Quest for the Holy Relic Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2009-10-02 and 2009-10-02. Illustrated by Greg Staples.
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Quest for the Holy Relic 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 Quest for the Holy Relic card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-10-01 | If you cast a creature spell, Quest for the Holy Relic’s triggered ability triggers and goes on the stack on top of it. The triggered ability will resolve before the spell does. |
| 2009-10-01 | The activated ability doesn’t target the creature the Equipment will be attached to. It may be attached to a creature with shroud, for example. You don’t choose which creature it will be attached to until you actually attach it. Once you choose which creature to attach it to, it’s too late for players to respond. |
| 2009-10-01 | You may activate Quest for the Holy Relic’s activated ability even if you control no creatures, or you control no creatures that can be equipped. In that case, you’ll simply put the Equipment card you find onto the battlefield without attaching it to anything. |
