Tracker's Instincts MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Flashback
Released	2012-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Dark Ascension
Set code	DKA
Number	128
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jung Park

Key Takeaways

Gains card advantage by revealing four cards, potentially adding a creature to your hand.
Flashback ability offers a double utilization, enhancing resource management significantly.
Instant speed casting adds a tactical element, affecting opponent’s turn decisions.

Text of card

Reveal the top four cards of your library. Put a creature card from among them into your hand and the rest into your graveyard. Flashback (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tracker’s Instincts shines by digging four cards deep into your library, potentially netting you a creature card to add to your hand. This mechanic is instrumental in ensuring players maintain a strong hand presence, which is paramount in shifting the tides of the match in their favor.

Resource Acceleration: Not only does this card offer the chance to put a creature into your hand, but its flashback ability provides a significant boost in resource acceleration. By utilizing graveyard resources to play Tracker’s Instincts again, you effectively double the card’s utility and maximize your resources, propelling your gameplay significantly.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Tracker’s Instincts at instant speed adds a strategic layer to gameplay. Players can wait until the last possible moment to make crucial decisions, keeping opponents guessing and allowing for responses to actions during the opponent’s turn, which can turn the game in the player’s favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tracker’s Instincts necessitates discarding a card upon use, which might not align with your strategy, especially if your hand is already dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting requirement for Tracker’s Instincts is dedicated to green and blue mana, which could be restrictive if your deck isn’t tailored to these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Given its mana value, Tracker’s Instincts could be seen as a costly investment for its potential return, particularly when compared to other card advantage options available in MTG.

Reasons to Include Tracker’s Instincts in Your Collection

Versatility: Tracker’s Instincts brings a high level of flexibility to green and blue decks. Its primary ability to dig through the top cards of your library and grab a creature feeds into a variety of strategies, from ramp to toolbox decks, allowing for more consistent access to key creatures.

Combo Potential: With its flashback ability, Tracker’s Instincts double dips into your library, setting the stage for graveyard-based synergies or as fuel for delve and other mechanics that thrive on a stocked graveyard. It’s a potential enabler for combos that require specific creature cards to function.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where games tend to stretch longer, having access to a card like Tracker’s Instincts can mean the difference between running out of gas and having the right creatures at the right time. Its ability to select from multiple cards ensures a higher chance of maintaining board presence or finding the perfect response to opponents’ threats.

How to beat

Tracker’s Instincts is a card that allows players to dig through their library and potentially put a powerful creature card into their hand. Much like strategic excavations that uncover hidden treasures, this card reveals the top four cards of your library, offering a choice that could sway the tide of the game. It does so with the finesse of a sorcery, allowing you to select a creature card and put it into your hand while the rest are shuffled back into your library.

Confronting Tracker’s Instincts requires a tactical approach, similar to disarming a sophisticated alarm system. One key strategy is to leverage graveyard hate cards that can thwart any attempt to take advantage of discarded creature cards. Think of cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void, which prevent cards from entering the graveyard in the first place—effectively neutralizing part of Tracker’s Instincts utility. Additionally, proactive counter spells can stop this spell before it even begins its library delving process, ensuring that the creatures remain hidden within the depths of the deck.

Ultimately, by focusing on direct interruption and graveyard disruption, you can effectively “beat” the advantages granted by Tracker’s Instincts, ensuring that your opponent’s search for creatures remains fruitless and their strategic options remain limited.

Cards like Tracker's Instincts

Tracker’s Instincts is a unique spell within the world of Magic: The Gathering, reminiscent of other cards that facilitate digging through the deck for creature cards. A notable comparison is with Commune with the Gods, which allows a look at the top five cards of the library, but Tracker’s Instincts shines with its flashback ability, giving players a second chance to utilize the spell from the graveyard.

Another parallel can be drawn with Grisly Salvage, which offers the choice between creature and land cards, yet it lacks the versatility of reuse granted by flashback. Mulch also offers a similar card selection process, but strictly for lands, and without the secondary use provided by Tracker’s Instincts. In essence, what sets Tracker’s Instincts apart is its potential for card advantage through the flashback mechanic.

Therefore, for enthusiasts looking to optimize creature search capabilities in their deck, Tracker’s Instincts remains an appealing choice, especially for its recycling ability and the strategic depth it adds to gameplay in MTG.

Commune with the Gods - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Tracker's Instincts by color, type and mana cost

Winterthorn Blessing - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tracker's Instincts MTG card by a specific set like Dark Ascension, 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 Tracker's Instincts and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tracker's Instincts has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2011-01-22	You must put a creature card from among the revealed cards into your hand if one is there, even if you’d rather put all the revealed cards into your graveyard.