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Gitaxian Probe
Price$3.67 – $20.77
Buy on TCGplayer

Gitaxian Probe

{U/P}

Sorcery

LegalCard DrawRank #525

({U/P} can be paid with either {U} or 2 life.)

Look at target player's hand.

Draw a card.

Why is this card good?

Gitaxian Probe is effectively a free card — pay 2 life, draw a card, and peek at an opponent's hand. The "free" part is what matters: it replaces itself while advancing other mechanics. Why it's good: It triggers anything that cares about casting spells or counts spells cast. That means it's a staple in cEDH and competitive combo/spellslinger shells: it fuels storm count, triggers prowess/Young Pirate-style payoffs, enables Aetherflux Reservoir, and turns on "magecraft" and cost-reduction engines like Birgi or Storm-Kiln Artist. The hand-peek information is real value when deciding whether to combo off or hold up interaction. Who wants it: Storm decks (Kess, Krark, Mizzix), free-spell combo lines, and any deck chaining cheap cantrips. It also thins your deck by one card without costing a real draw. When to skip it: In casual/midrange decks it does almost nothing — a peek and a card isn't worth a slot when you're not abusing the cast trigger. The life loss also stings in aggressive metas.

Related cards

Street WraithB

Free cantrip via cycling for life, cheap card replacement like Probe.

Mishra's BaubleC

Zero-cost cantrip artifact, draws and peeks like Probe.

ManamorphoseRG

Free-feeling cantrip that replaces itself, used for storm/combo enablers.

PeekU

Same effect minus Phyrexian mana: view hand and draw a card.

OptU

One-mana cantrip with scry, similar cheap card filtering.

ConsiderU

One-mana cantrip with surveil, enables graveyard and draws.

Sleight of HandU

One-mana card selection cantrip for digging.

BrainstormU

One-mana draw three put two back, premier cheap cantrip.

Printings (5)

sldSecret Lair Drop · #2067R$20.77Buy
mb2Mystery Booster 2 · #28C$3.67Buy
plstThe List · #NPH-35C$6.23Buy
f12Friday Night Magic 2012 · #12R$38.03Buy
nphNew Phyrexia · #35C$5.78Buy

Combos (1)

  • Doomsday + Gush + Gitaxian Probe + Lion's Eye Diamond + Yawgmoth's Will + Laboratory Maniac

    → Win the game

Rulings (6)

  • 2011-06-01

    A card with Phyrexian mana symbols in its mana cost is each color that appears in that mana cost, regardless of how that cost may have been paid.

  • 2011-06-01

    To calculate the mana value of a card with Phyrexian mana symbols in its cost, count each Phyrexian mana symbol as 1.

  • 2011-06-01

    As you cast a spell or activate an activated ability with one or more Phyrexian mana symbols in its cost, you choose how to pay for each Phyrexian mana symbol at the same time you would choose modes or choose a value for X.

  • 2011-06-01

    If you're at 1 life or less, you can't pay 2 life.

  • 2011-06-01

    Phyrexian mana is not a new color. Players can't produce Phyrexian mana.

  • 2011-06-01

    The targeted player may have no cards in their hand. You'll still draw a card.

Discussion (0)