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Magic: The Gatheringreturns to the Aztec-themed plane inThe Lost Caverns of Ixalan, Magic’s 98th expansion. With the set focused on Indiana Jones-style ventures into long-forgotten ruins, it only makes sense for Magic to produce a new mechanic centered around new discoveries.
“Discover,” as it’s helpfully called, is a lot like Cascade–it lets you dig through your deck to play cards that you’d otherwise have to wait for. There are definitely some rules to Discover that you’ll want to be aware of, which is what we’ll discuss in this guide.
What Is Discover?
Discover isa keyword actionthat can be either acomes-into-play effect or an activated or triggered ability. Discover always comes with a value, which is usually a defined number but can sometimes be defined by X relating to some other card or game statistic.
Here’s thereminder textfor discover: “Discover X (Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value X or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)”
There are no Discover 1 or 2 cards, but there are plenty of discover 3, 4, or 5 cards. There are a few discover X cards, and there are a few discover 10 cards.Whichever card you select is considered the “discovered” card.
You don’t have to play the card you exile from your library. you may decide to put it into your hand if you’d rather not play it or if it has a comes-into-play effect that requires it to be played from your hand.
It’s possible to discover split or double-faced cards. If you do, then you can play whichever part of the card satisfies the discovery value. For example, discover 3 would allow you to play either Promise of Aclazotz or Foul Rebirth, but not both.
For split cards,the combined mana cost of the two halves determines its discover cost. You may cast either half using discover, but you cannot cast both halves.
All The Discover Cards In The Lost Caverns Of Ixalan
There are26 cardswith Discover in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan. Here they are in alphabetical order.
Brass’s Tunnel-Grinder
Two generic, one red legendary artifact - Rare
When Brass’s Tunnel-Grinder enters the battlefield, discard any number of cards, then draw that many cards plus one.
At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn, put a bore counter on Brass’s Tunnel-Grinder. Then if there are three or more bore counters on it, remove those counters and transform it. (You descended if a permanent card was put into your graveyard from anywhere.)
Legendary land - Cave - Rare
(Transforms from Brass’s Tunnel-Grinder.)
Tap: Add one red mana.
Whenever you cast a permanent spell using mana produced by Tecutlan, the Searing Rift, discover X, where X is that spell’s mana value.
Two generic artifact - Common
Tap, Sacrifice Buried Treasure: Add one mana of any color.
Five generic mana, Exile Buried Treasure from your graveyard: Discover 5. Activate only as a sorcery. (Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value five or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Caparocti Sunborn
Two generic, one red, one white legendary creature - Human Soldier - 4/4 - Uncommon
Whenever Caparocti Sunborn attacks, you may tap two untapped artifacts and/or creatures you control. If you do, discover 3. (Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value 3 or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Six generic legendary artifact - Mythic Rare
Spells you control can’t be countered.
At the beginning of your end step, discover 5. (Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value 5 or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Contest of Claws
One generic, one green sorcery - Rare
Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to another target creature. If excess damage was dealt this way, discover X, where X is that excess damage. (Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with that mana value or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Curator of Sun’s Creation
Three generic, one red creature - Human Artificer - 3/3 - Uncommon
Whenever you discover, discover again for the same value. This ability triggers only once each turn.
Four generic, one red sorcery - Common
Up to three target creatures can’t block this turn.
Discover 4.(Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value 4 or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Digsite Conservator
Two generic artifact creature - Gnome - 2/1 - Uncommon
Sacrifice Digsite Conservator: Exile up to four target cards from a single graveyard. Activate only as a sorcery.
When Digsite Conservator dies, you may pay four generic mana. If you do, discover 4.(Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value four or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Dinosaur Egg
One generic, one green creature - Dinosaur Egg - 0/3 - Rare
Evolve(Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, if that creature has greater power or toughness than this creature, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.)
When Dinosaur Egg dies, you may discover X, where X is its toughness.
Two generic, red enchantment - Aura - Common
Enchant creature you control
When Etali’s Favor enters the battlefield, discover 3.(Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value 3 or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has trample.
Geological Appraiser
Two generic, two red creature - Human Artificer - 3/2 - Uncommon
When Geological Appraiser enters the battlefield, if you cast it, discover 3.(Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value three or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Hidden Cataract enters the battlefield tapped.
Tap: Add one blue mana.
Four generic, one blue, Tap, Sacrifice Hidden Cataract: Discover 4. Activate only as a sorcery.(Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value four or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Hidden Courtyard enters the battlefield tapped.
Tap: Add one white mana.
Four generic, one white, Tap, Sacrifice Hidden Courtyard: Discover 4. Activate only as a sorcery.(Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value four or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Hidden Necropolis enters the battlefield tapped.
Tap: Add one black mana.
Four generic, one black, Tap, Sacrifice Hidden Necropolis: Discover 4. Activate only as a sorcery.(Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value four or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Hidden Nursery enters the battlefield tapped.
Tap: Add one green mana.
Four generic, one green, Tap, Sacrifice Hidden Nursery: Discover 4. Activate only as a sorcery.(Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value four or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Hidden Volcano enters the battlefield tapped.
Four generic, one red, Tap, Sacrifice Hidden Volcano: Discover 4. Activate only as a sorcery.(Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value four or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Hit the Mother Lode
Four generic, three red sorcery - Rare
Discover 10. If the discovered card’s mana value is less than 10, create a number of tapped Treasure tokens equal to the difference.(To discover 10, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value ten or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Hurl Into History
Three generic, two blue instant - Uncommon
Counter target artifact or creature spell. Discover X, where X is that spell’s mana value.(Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with that mana value or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Pantlaza, Sun-Favored
Two generic, one red, one green, one white legendary creature - Dinosaur - 4/4 - Mythic Rare
Whenever Pantlaza, Sun-Favored or another Dinosaur enters the battlefield under your control, you may discover X, where X is that creature’s toughness. Do this only once each turn.(Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with that mana value or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Primordial Gnawer
Four generic, one black creature - Insect Horror - 5/2 - Common
When Primordial Gnawer dies, discover 3.(Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value three or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Quintorius Kand
Three generic, one red, one white Legendary Planeswalker - Quintorius - 4 - Mythic Rare
Whenever you cast a spell from exile, Quintorius Kand deals 2 damage to each opponent and you gain 2 life.
+1: Create a 3/2 red and white Spirit creature token.
−3: Discover 4.
−6: Exile any number of target cards from your graveyard. Add one red mana for each card exiled this way. You may play those cards this turn.
Swashbuckler’s Whip
One generic artifact - Equipment - Uncommon
Equipped creature has reach, “Two generic, Tap: Tap target artifact or creature,” and “Eight generic, Tap: Discover 10.”(Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value 10 or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Equip one generic mana.
Trumpeting Carnosaur
Four generic, two red creature - Dinosaur - 7/6 - Rare
Trample
When Trumpeting Carnosaur enters the battlefield, discover 5.
Two generic, one red, Discard Trumpeting Carnosaur: It deals 3 damage to target creature or planeswalker.
Walk with the Ancestors
Four generic, one green sorcery - Common
Return up to one target permanent card from your graveyard to your hand. Discover 4.(Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value four or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Two generic, one blue enchantment - Aura - Uncommon
Enchant artifact
Enchanted artifact is a Golem creature with base power and toughness 5/4 in addition to its other types.
When Zoetic Glyph is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, discover 3.
Zoyowa’s Justice
One generic, one red instant - Uncommon
The owner of target artifact or creature with mana value 1 or greater shuffles it into their library. Then that player discovers X, where X is its mana value.(They exile cards from the top of their library until they exile a nonland card with that mana value or less. They cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into their hand. They put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Next:Magic: The Gathering – The Lost Caverns Of Ixalan Commander Decks, Ranked
