Thraben Inspector MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 9 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Soldier
Abilities Investigate
Power 1
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Brings valuable early card draw and sustains advantage with a Clue token’s instant card draw ability.
  2. Acts as a versatile combo piece in artifact-centric and sacrifice-focused deck strategies.
  3. Compared to similar cards, it uniquely balances early board control with strategic card draw.

Text of card

When Thraben Inspector enters the battlefield, investigate. (Put a colorless Clue artifact token onto the battlefield with ", Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.")

"If you've been at this as long as I have, nothing can surprise you. That's the hope, at least."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Thraben Inspector brings a clue token upon entry, offering a valuable card draw for a minimal investment. This enhances your ability to keep up with opponents in the longer games by ensuring you have a steady stream of cards.

Resource Acceleration: Although it doesn’t directly accelerate your mana, the clue token generated by Thraben Inspector can be considered a resource accelerator. It becomes an inexpensive and efficient way to draw a card while developing your board presence.

Instant Speed: The clue token created by Thraben Inspector can be sacrificed at instant speed, providing flexibility. You can end your opponent’s turn to maximize your mana usage and keep pace with the unfolding game without missing a step.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Thraben Inspector offers the advantage of clue creation, it also requires a separate action to utilize the Clue for card draw which incidentally needs a discard of other potentially useful cards. As such, in certain situations, players might find themselves in a dilemma as to sacrifice the fresher options to gain more card advantage, which can impede the game plan if not executed with caution.

Specific Mana Cost: Thraben Inspector necessitates a specific color mana (white) for casting, which can restrict its versatility across various deck archetypes. This stipulation sometimes pigeonholes the card into mono-white or dual color decks that can easily accommodate the white mana requirement, potentially reducing its ubiquitousness in the diverse MTG meta.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its mere cost of a single white mana, the additional cost to draw from the Clue token effectively makes the card’s card-drawing ability cost two mana. This is somewhat costly when compared with other one-drop creatures that provide immediate value upon entering the battlefield or have built-in card draw without the additional cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Thraben Inspector offers a low-cost entry point for decks that benefit from early board presence. Its ability to create Clue tokens adds a layer of utility, granting card draw when resources are spare.

Combo Potential: The Clue tokens created by Thraben Inspector can be instrumental in strategies focused on artifacts or sacrificing permanents for greater value, integrating seamlessly with numerous synergies.

Meta-Relevance: Given that certain metagames lean towards resource efficiency and incremental advantage, Thraben Inspector’s low-cost investment for future card draw aligns well with decks aiming to maintain card advantage over opponents.


How to beat

Thraben Inspector is a resourceful card in MTG, offering a unique blend of early board presence and card advantage. With its ability to create a Clue token that can later be converted into a card draw, it presents a subtle but significant value for any player. Complementing its advantages, it also serves as a useful blocker in the early stages of the game.

To effectively counter Thraben Inspector, consider using removal spells that can deal with it before the Clue token is utilized. This prevents your opponent from gaining the additional card draw, thus minimizing their advantage. Another strategy is to deploy more aggressive creatures early on, thereby overshadowing the Inspector’s presence and pressuring your opponent into a defensive stance. Moreover, since the Inspector is often played in decks that build around artifact synergy, artifact removal can be particularly impactful in disrupting those strategies.

Always keep in mind the balance between resource investment and board control when planning to beat Thraben Inspector. By preemptively managing the Inspector and its Clue token, you can maintain an edge in the game and negate the incremental advantage it provides.


BurnMana Recommendations

Unlocking the full potential of your MTG deck often involves incorporating versatile and cost-effective cards like Thraben Inspector. With its synergistic abilities, it comfortably fits into artifact-centric and control decks, serving both as a reliable early blocker and a consistent source of card draw via Clue tokens. Whether you’re looking to enhance your white-based deck’s resilience or seeking to strengthen your overall card advantage, Thraben Inspector is a smart addition that promises nuanced strategic depth. Dive deeper into deck-building techniques and find out how Thraben Inspector can turn the tides in your favor on BurnMana, where espousing the finer points of gameplay leads to triumphant matches.


Cards like Thraben Inspector

In the realm of efficient creature cards, Thraben Inspector makes a notable impression among Magic: The Gathering players. As a one-drop creature, it draws a parallel with cards like Elvish Visionary, both offering the added bonus of drawing a card upon entering the battlefield. However, Thraben Inspector presents utility in controlling the board with its Clue token, giving players the freedom to decide when to draw.

Examining another counterpart, Wall of Omens, we note it also provides card advantage through its enter-the-battlefield effect. Although it boasts superior toughness compared to the Inspector, it does not leave behind a reusable Clue artifact that can be exploited for card draw at a strategic moment. Sage of Epityr stands as a low-cost alternative, allowing a peek at the top four cards of a player’s library, but it lacks the Inspector’s immediate card draw capability and the potential resource accumulation from a Clue token.

In assessing cards with congruent strategies, Thraben Inspector’s flexibility and contribution to board presence make it a strong candidate in decks that capitalize on incremental advantages. Its unique blend of early creature play and card advantage echo the importance of tactical resource management in Magic: The Gathering.

Elvish Visionary - MTG Card versions
Wall of Omens - MTG Card versions
Sage of Epityr - MTG Card versions
Elvish Visionary - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Wall of Omens - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Sage of Epityr - Time Spiral (TSP)

Cards similar to Thraben Inspector by color, type and mana cost

Savannah Lions - MTG Card versions
Benalish Hero - MTG Card versions
Icatian Infantry - MTG Card versions
Icatian Scout - MTG Card versions
Icatian Javelineers - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Warrior - MTG Card versions
Trade Caravan - MTG Card versions
Vigilant Martyr - MTG Card versions
Honor Guard - MTG Card versions
Nomads en-Kor - MTG Card versions
Volunteer Militia - MTG Card versions
Soul Warden - MTG Card versions
Resistance Fighter - MTG Card versions
Cho-Arrim Alchemist - MTG Card versions
Honorable Scout - MTG Card versions
Devoted Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - MTG Card versions
Kor Duelist - MTG Card versions
Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful - MTG Card versions
Mother of Runes - MTG Card versions
Savannah Lions - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Benalish Hero - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Icatian Infantry - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Icatian Scout - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Icatian Javelineers - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Kjeldoran Warrior - Ice Age (ICE)
Trade Caravan - Homelands (HML)
Vigilant Martyr - Mirage (MIR)
Honor Guard - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Nomads en-Kor - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Volunteer Militia - Portal Second Age (P02)
Soul Warden - Historic Anthology 1 (HA1)
Resistance Fighter - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Cho-Arrim Alchemist - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Honorable Scout - Planeshift (PLS)
Devoted Caretaker - Odyssey (ODY)
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Kor Duelist - Wizards Play Network 2009 (PWP09)
Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Mother of Runes - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Thraben Inspector MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad and Mystery Booster, 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 Thraben Inspector and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Thraben Inspector Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-04-08Shadows over InnistradSOI 442015normalblackMatt Stewart
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 2602015normalblackMatt Stewart
32020-08-07Double Masters2XM 352015normalblackMatt Stewart
42020-09-26The ListPLST SOI-442015normalblackMatt Stewart
52021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 3051997normalblackMatt Stewart
62022-10-01Regional Championship Qualifiers 2022PRCQ 32015normalborderlessYuko Shimizu
72022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 2552015normalblackMatt Stewart
82023-03-21Shadows over Innistrad RemasteredSIR 512015normalblackMatt Stewart
92023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 662015normalblackMatt Stewart

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Thraben Inspector has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-04-08 If you sacrifice a Clue for another card's cost or effect, such as that of Angelic Purge or Tamiyo's Journal, you can't also pay and sacrifice it to draw a card.
2016-04-08 The token is named Clue and has the artifact subtype Clue. Clue isn't a creature type.
2016-04-08 The tokens are normal artifacts. For example, they can be sacrificed to cast Angelic Purge or targeted by Root Out.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks