Top 30 Investigate Cards in Magic: The Gathering

How to Use Clue Tokens in Magic

Clue tokens are artifacts that can be sacrificed at any time for two mana to draw a card. Formerly rare occurrences, they've become much more commonplace, and for whatever reason, the universe beyond sets love using them, so we'll see many crossover cards from series like Fallout and Warhammer. Still, plenty of base set spells create them too—these are the 30 best clue-making investigate cards in Magic: The Gathering!

30. Duggan, Private Detective

Duggan's stats equal however many cards you have in hand, which he helps get by investigating both on entry and by attacking. He also packs a single-use removal, spending two and tapping to deal twice his power as damage to another creature.

29. Deduce

Deduce lets control decks hold mana for counterspells, but if they end up not needing one, cast it for one draw and one clue token, simple but potent advantage.

28. Foreboding Steamboat

This one's odd, but powerful. On entry, Steamboat exiles two non-token creatures each player (including you) controls, but they'll return to the field once Steamboat leaves. However, you can prevent that by having Steamboat attack (it crews easy by tapping creatures with two or more power), doing so lets you put one of its exiled cards into its owner's graveyard and investigate.

Not only does this grant you a clue, it prevents foes from recovering their cards even when Steamboat leaves.

27. Fateful Absence

This one's ranking low not because it's bad, but it's usually the opponent who gets to investigate, not you. In exchange for handing your opponent a clue token, you get to destroy any creature or planeswalker at instant speed, a great spot removal for non-black decks to quickly eliminate threats.

26. Fugitive of the Judoon

This saga requires five mana, but only one needs to be green and right on entry, you create a 1/1 human with ward two and a 4/4 alien. Next turn, the second trigger investigates, but consider not spending this clue, as you can use it with the third trigger, which lets you sacrifice both a human and an artifact to search and free-play any doctor card from your deck! Heck, even if you're short on doctors, remember that changelings count as all types.

25. Heaven Sent

Another saga, this one simply investigates on both the first and second trigger, and it's red-blue colors are the ones best suited to capitalize on artifacts. The final trigger hits opponents for one damage, and if that brings an opponent to zero life, you draw seven cards.

Sure, that's unlikely (and you'd win from it anyway in 1v1), but a free damage is always nice, plus if you don't get the draws, you exile Heaven Sent and can cast it that turn! Meaning, infinite investigation loop.

24. Merchant of Truth

Truth has solid angel and detective subtypes and investigates whenever your non-token creature (including herself) dies. She also gives your clue tokens exalted, meaning they boost any of your creatures that attack alone by 1/1 (per token) for the turn!

23. Slayer's Bounty

This online-only card exists in MTG Arena, and it's criminally underrated. On entry, it reveals any creature cards in your opponent's hand, a simple way to gain some tactical info.

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More than that, it counts as a clue and can be sacrificed for two to draw, and whenever you sac a clue (whether itself or another), you draft one of three randomly selected options from its 15-card spellbook.

So by sacrificing itself, you get a draw plus a draft (the options are listed below and are mainly creature-hampering low-cost spells), and it only gets better if you have other clues to toss.

Slayer's Bounty draft options:

• Bound in Gold
• Bounty Agent
• Bring to Trial
• Collar the Culprit
• Compulsory Rest
• Expel
• Fairgrounds Warden
• Glass Casket
• Iron Verdict
• Luminous Bonds
• Outflank
• Raise the Alarm
• Reprobation
• Seal Away
• Summary Judgment

22. Inquisitor Eisenhorn

This Warhammer 40k card is a bit weak for four at 2/3. but can reveal the first card you draw each turn and create a legendary 4/4 flying demon if you reveal an instant or sorcery. Plus, when Eisenhorn deals combat damage to a player, he investigates that many times, meaning two clues at base, possibly more if you boost him.

21. Morska, Undersea Sleuth

In exchange for needing three different colors, you get a 2/3 that gives infinite hand size, investigates at your upkeep, and gets a +1/+1 when you draw your second card each turn. Nice abilities that work well together.

20. Bygone Bishop

Compare this card to Welcoming Vampire, who shares the same cost and 2/3 flying stats. Vampire draws whenever a creature with two or less power enters your field, but is once per turn. Bishop investigates instead of outright drawing, but can trigger multiple times per turn and works off mana cost of three or less. Both useful tools for white, the color most in need of draw support.

19. Inquisitor Greyfax

Good for both aggro and advantage, Greyfax offers a 3/3 with vigilance that gives your other creatures +1/+0 and vigilance, letting them swing without tapping. That keeps Greyfax ready for her tap effect, spending one to tap an opposing creature and investigate, great at shutting down aggro and mana weenies while readying new draws.

18. Dennick, Pious Apparition/Dennick, Pious Apparition

Dennick provides a unique albeit situational net, preventing cards in graveyards from being the target of abilities. Sadly, this doesn't stop cards that play themselves with effects like flashback or embalm, just things that would target them. Still, 2/3 stats plus lifelink are great against aggro, and you can cast Dennick's second half from your graveyard for four.

Here, he's a 3/2 with flying who investigates whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from anywhere, and thankfully this counts opposing graveyards as well, though it only triggers once per turn.

17. Tireless Tracker

Tracker's landfall investigates whenever a land enters your field, great alongside fetch lands like Fabled Passage, which essentially investigate twice for one land play! Plus, when you sacrifice a clue, Tracker gets a +1/+1, quickly skyrocketing her already-decent 3/2 stats.

16. Tivit, Seller of Secrets

Six mana and three colors is a lot, but you get a 6/6 flying sphinx with ward 3, making Tivit costly to target. Plus, her ability triggers both on entry and when attacking, having each player (including you) vote to give you either a clue or a treasure token.

Not only does this work great in multiplayer, but Tivit lets you vote an extra time with all vote effects, meaning at absolute minimum, you get three tokens (two from you and at least one from opponents).

15. Hard Evidence

Here's a simple but useful card. For a single mana, you create a 0/3 crab token and investigate. That sounds weak, but it gives blue a fantastic early blocker while also replacing itself (eventually) in hand, and it gives creature blocking but with sorcery classification, fitting better in most non-creature blue decks.

14. Osgood, Operation Double

2/2 looks weak for four mana, but bear in mind Osgood creates a non-legendary duplicate on cast, hard to completely counterspell and essentially giving 4/4 total stats. Both your Osgoods can tap for one colorless that can only be used for artifact spells or abilities, and they each investigate when you cast a spell from anywhere other than your hand—cast your commander for easy clue tokens!

13. Foul Play

True, Foul Play is limited in what it can hit, only destroying a creature with power two or less, and sadly only at sorcery speed. Still, it does something almost no other removal does by investigating, letting you eventually get a draw off it.

12. Teysa, Opulent Oligarch

Teysa's a 2/3 with deathtouch who investigates at your end step for each opponent that lost life that turn, great in multiplayer and easily triggered with extort abilities. Plus, whenever you lose a clue, she once per turn creates a 1/1 flying spirit token.

11. James, Wandering Dad

You can cast Fallout's James right off the bat, or you can first cast his adventure, Follow Him. Using this sorcery costs two plus X mana and lets you investigate X times, great when you're full on mana and need draws.

Then, cast James for three, he's got solid 2/4 stats and can tap for two colorless that can only be used on abilities (like sacrificing clues).

10. The Rani

Three colors yields a 3/4 with a great effect that triggers both on entry and when attacking. Rani creates an aura token that gives +2/+2 and goads another creature, forcing it to attack a player other than you if possible.

Not only does this make foes hit each other instead of you, you get to investigate whenever a goaded creature deals combat damage to an opponent. Cool thing is, this also works with other goad effects and the aura tokens stay even if Rani herself is removed.

9. Malcolm, the Eyes

Flying, haste and 2/2 stats start off strong, plus Malcolm investigates whenever you cast your second spell each turn. Load up on cheap instants like Opt to quickly overwhelm foes, especially if you can cast twice on both your turn and opposing ones.

8. Lazav, Wearer of Faces

Here's a card I find very underrated. 2/3 stats are good for just two, and Lazav activates two cool effects just by attacking, both investigating and exiling a card from a graveyard. Plus, when you sacrifice a clue, you can have Lazav become a copy of a creature he's exiled until end of turn, a great bonus ability on top of already-solid effects.

7. Homicide Investigator

Investigator, well, investigates whenever your non-token creature (including himself) dies. It's just once per turn, but time your blocks and sacrifice effects well to use it both on your turns and opposing ones.

6. Rory Williams

Rory Williams and Amy partner with each other, meaning you can have one search the other from your library when it enters. Rory wields fantastic 3/3 stats plus lifelink and first strike for just two mana, but when cast from anywhere other than exile, he instead investigates and suspends himself with three time counters.

Sadly, Rory's not as impressive as a 2/2 able to remove time counters from your spells when she hits opponents, but consider her a nice bonus to Rory.

5. Kellan, Inquisitive Prodigy

Kellan's adventure half, Tail the Suspect, uses two mana to both investigate and give an extra land play that turn. Then, cast Kellan for a 3/4 with flying and vigilance who destroy an artifact whenever he attacks!

He can even destroy your own artifacts to draw (letting you avoid the two-cost fee of the clue he made earlier), but usually you want to hit opposing artifacts first.

4. Hostile Investigator

Investigator simply does a lot for four, with only one needing to be black. 4/3 stats aren't bad, and Investigator makes an opponent discard on entry. Plus, once per turn, he investigates when anyone (even you) discards, meaning he'll investigate immediately and very likely continue to do so as other discard effects trigger.

3. Lavinia, Foil to Conspiracy

Lavinia's hybrid symbols accept either blue or white mana, she has decent 2/3 stats and vigilance, and she investigates when you cast your second spell each turn! If that weren't enough, she taps for two colorless mana, but can only do so on opposing turns. Still, that gives easy access to instants, or simply to sacrifice clue tokens.

2. Forensic Gadgeteer

Blue artifact decks are as competitive as even, and you boost them with Gadgeteer, who not only investigates by casting artifacts, but makes artifact abilities cost one less (letting you sac the clues for just one instead of two).

1. Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student/Tamiyo, Seasoned Scholar

Banned in 1v1 commander for being absolutely busted, Tamiyo only needs one mana and impresses as both a creature and a planeswalker. Her creature form has 0/3 flying stats, honestly solid against early aggro, and just by attacking, she investigates. This offers easy control deck wins; hold two mana for counterspells if your opponent plays a big threat, spend the mana on the clue token if they don't.

Once you've drawn your third card in a turn, Tamiyo transforms into her Scholar planeswalker, whose +2 gives opposing attackers -1/-0, can recover an instant or sorcery (and gain a mana if it's green) with -3, and draw literally half your deck with ultimate -8!

Artifact Synergy

As clues count as artifact, run them alongside artifact support cards like Emry Lurker of the Loch and Galazeth Prismari, but for now, share your favorite investigate effects and I'll see you at our next MTG countdown!

© 2024 Jeremy Gill