Price$0.18 – $9.90
Buy on TCGplayerOpt
Instant
LegalCard DrawRank #214
Scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom.)
Draw a card.
KeywordsScry
Why is this card good?
Opt is a humble but reliable cantrip — a one-mana instant that smooths your draws and replaces itself. It won't win games, but it greases the wheels.
Where it shines:
- Spellslinger / Izzet decks (Niv-Mizzet, Veyran, Krark) that care about casting cheap instants, triggering "magecraft" or prowess, and need cheap fuel for storm-style turns.
- Control shells where holding up a flexible instant to dig at instant speed (after combat, end of opponent's turn) matters.
- Spell-count payoffs like Young Pyromancer, Talrand, or copy effects.
The scry-before-draw matters more than it looks: you can set up your next draw or filter away a flood/dryspell.
When NOT to play it: In a typical 99-card singleton deck, Opt's raw card advantage is weak — you're not down a card, but you're not ahead either. If your deck doesn't care about instant count, you'll usually want a stronger draw spell (Night's Whisper, Mystic Remora) or a card that draws two-plus. Pure value decks can skip it.
Related cards
Preordain
One-mana scry 2 then draw, smoother card selection.
Ponder
One-mana cantrip with deeper library manipulation.
Brainstorm
One-mana draw three, bottom two cards selection.
Serum Visions
One-mana draw then scry 2 cantrip.
Consider
One-mana scry/surveil 1 then draw, near-identical to Opt.
Sleight of Hand
One-mana selective cantrip looking at top two.
Anticipate
Two-mana instant digging three for one card.
Mystical Tutor
One-mana instant-speed selection setting up draws.
Printings (19)
Show all 19 printingsShow fewer
Played by these commanders
Galadriel, Elven-Queen100% of 1
Shiko and Narset, Unified100% of 1
Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor100% of 1
Stella Lee, Wild Card100% of 1
Combos (8)
- Thopter Foundry + Time Sieve + Sword of the Meek
→ Infinite turns, Lock
- Sai, Master Thopterist + Myr Retriever + Scrap Trawler + Krark-Clan Ironworks
→ Infinite colorless mana, Infinite creature tokens, Infinite death triggers
- Thopter Foundry + Sword of the Meek + Ashnod's Altar
→ Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite ETB
- Urza, Lord High Artificer + Thopter Foundry + Sword of the Meek
→ Cast all spells in your library, Infinite blue mana, Infinite creature tokens
- Thopter Assembly + Time Sieve
→ Infinite turns, Lock
- Thopter Foundry + Sword of the Meek + Krark-Clan Ironworks
→ Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite ETB