Fleeting Memories MTG Card
2016-04-08 - Number 62
2023-03-21 - Number 69
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment |
| Abilities | Investigate,Mill |
Key Takeaways
- Fleeting Memories enables consistent card advantage through investigation whenever a controlled creature enters the battlefield.
- Its triggered ability offers flexible instant speed interactions and unexpected plays against opponents.
- Despite its benefits, the card’s specific mana and discard requirements could limit its utility in some decks.
Text of card
When Fleeting Memories enters the battlefield, investigate. (Put a colorless Clue artifact token onto the battlefield with ", Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.") Whenever you sacrifice a Clue, target player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Fleeting Memories enables you to investigate whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, providing a consistent mechanism for drawing additional cards and staying ahead in the game.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, the clues generated through investigation with Fleeting Memories can be cashed in for card draw, indirectly offering a resource boost by ensuring you have more options each turn.
Instant Speed: This enchantment allows you to utilize its investigate trigger at any time, especially when paired with flash creatures or surprise token generators, keeping your opponents guessing and your resources flowing.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Fleeting Memories imposes a discard requirement, necessitating you to relinquish another card when you want to capitalize on its triggered ability. This can send vital resources to the graveyard when your hand size is already diminished, potentially putting you at a disadvantage.
Specific Mana Cost: This card’s need for blue mana in its casting cost constrains its utility to decks that run blue lands or sources of mana fixing, certainly not a universal option for all deck architectures.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes three mana, including one blue, decks may find Fleeting Memories to be an investment that doesn’t quite match up with the benefit it provides, especially when the game’s pace is swift, and each turn’s mana allocation is vital.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Fleeting Memories offers gameplay flexibility as it can seamlessly fit into decks that exploit graveyard strategies or those that aim to control opponents’ strategies through card advantage.
Combo Potential: This card thrives in setups that can readily place clue tokens, leveraging synergies with artifacts and fueling engine decks driven by sacrificing permanents.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment heavy with graveyard interaction or where long games predominate, the incremental advantage gained from Fleeting Memories can become a pivotal piece to outmaneuver your opponents.
How to beat
Fleeting Memories is a unique enchantment card that plants clues in the game, creating a buildup of possible card advantage for the controller. When a clue is sacrificed and a card is drawn, an opponent mills three cards, slowly eroding their deck. However, beating this card involves tactics to either expedite one’s victory or disrupt the clue-gathering process.
Aggressive decks can aim to win before the clue-based milling is relevant. Focusing on direct damage and quick creature strikes, players can outpace the slow burn of Fleeting Memories. Control players, on the other hand, might choose to counter the spell itself or remove it with enchantment destruction cards. Additionally, graveyard manipulation or shuffle effects that recycle one’s own library can negate the milling aspect of Fleeting Memories.
Ultimately, understanding your deck’s strengths and the avenues to either accelerate your game plan or directly answer the threat of Fleeting Memories is key. By adaptively strategizing against this enchantment, players can mitigate its potential impact and preserve their chances of claiming victory on the battlefield.
Cards like Fleeting Memories
Fleeting Memories is an intriguing enchantment that stands out in Magic: The Gathering. It enables players to uncover clues and potentially manipulate an opponent’s strategy. When we look at other cards with a similar thematic, we can compare it to cards like Trail of Evidence, which also produces clue tokens whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell. However, Trail of Evidence has a broader trigger condition, but it lacks the milling aspect that Fleeting Memories offers.
Another comparable card is Tamiyo’s Journal. Although this legendary artifact has a higher mana cost, it consistently generates clue tokens and provides the option to sacrifice three clues to search your library for a card. It delivers a more direct form of card advantage, whereas Fleeting Memories affects the graveyards, which could be a subtle yet impactful strategy in disrupting your opponent’s game plan.
Within the realm of enchantments and artifacts that mold the flow of a match, Fleeting Memories presents a unique hybrid of generating resources and milling, positioning it as a tactical choice for players who enjoy incremental advantages and opponents’ deck disruption.
Cards similar to Fleeting Memories by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Fleeting Memories MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad and Shadows over Innistrad Remastered, 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 Fleeting Memories 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 Fleeting Memories Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Christine Choi.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-04-08 | Shadows over Innistrad | SOI | 62 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Christine Choi | |
| 2 | 2023-03-21 | Shadows over Innistrad Remastered | SIR | 69 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Christine Choi |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Fleeting Memories has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Fleeting Memories card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 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 | If you sacrifice a Clue to pay the cost of a spell or ability, Fleeting Memories’s second ability will resolve before that spell or ability. |
| 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. |
