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Magic: The Gathering’sMurders at Karlov Manor is a fascinating set that’s focused on solving murders at, you guessed it, Karlov Manor in the famed plane of Ravnica.
Magic is known for its unique, varied mechanics including keyword abilities such as flying, trample, haste and hexproof, among myriad others (including an ability actually called myriad). One unique keyword ability that debuted in Murders at Karlov Manor is collecting evidence. What exactly does this sleuthing keyword do, and how does it impact gameplay?
What Is Collecting Evidence?
Collecting evidenceis a cost that you may be asked to pay when activating an ability, casting a spell, or even as an additional cost imposed by a ward ability.
The keyword collect evidence willalways be seen in combination with a number. When cards ask you to collect evidence, exileany number of cards from your graveyard with total mana valueof the indicated number or greater.
For example, to collect evidence 6, you have the option to exile a single card with a mana value of six from your graveyard. Alternatively, you’re able to combine cards with mana values such as one, two, two, and one.
As long as the total adds up to at least six, you will have satisfied the requirements of the card.The key is flexibility, as you’re able to use any number of cards, including extra ones if needed. However, if you’re unable to meet the required total, you forfeit the opportunity to collect evidence and cannot exile any cards from your graveyard.
Some spells may have optional additional costs of collecting evidence. These spells will have additional effects that happen “if evidence was collected.” For permanents with those additional costs, theymay have unique enters-the-battlefield triggered abilitiesthat occur only if evidence was collected.
How To Use Collect Evidence
Most MTG players understand thatgraveyard manipulation (and its related shenanigans) is among the most enjoyable (and effective) methods of constructing a deck. Any deck that can fill up the graveyard quickly would be good to pair with cards featuring the collect evidence mechanic.
Take the black artifact card Polygraph Orb, for example. When this card comes into play, it gives you the opportunity to look at the top four cards of your library and put two into your hand and the rest into your graveyard. The artifact also has anactivated ability that lets you pay two generic mana, tap it, and collect evidence 3 to force opponents to either discard a card, sacrifice a creature, or lose three life.
While this isn’t a massive payoff, you can see the idea:put cards into your graveyard, then find a method of profiting from it with cards that collect evidence.
Furthermore, in the set before Murders at Karlov Manor, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, akeyword called descenddebuted. This keyword focuses on a certain number of cards being in your graveyard. Beyond that, there are cards thatgain additional abilities or effects if you “descended” this turn; that is, if a permanent was put into your graveyard from anywhere.
Clearly, there is some built-in synergy between these two mechanics. Yougain bonuses from putting cards into your graveyard if you descend, and then you can use those cards to collect evidence– further gaining optional abilities or effects.
How Many Collect Evidence Cards Are There?
As of Murders at Karlov Manor, the set in which collect evidence debuted,there are 23 cards with collect evidence. 22 of them are in Murders at Karlov Manor, and one is found inRavnica: Clue Edition, a special product that is based on the famed board game Clue.
Green seems to be the most popular color for collecting evidence withsix cardsfeaturing the keyword, followed byfive blue, three black, two red and only one white.
There arefive multicolored cardsthat feature the keyword, includingtwo Golgari (black/green), one Dimir (blue/black), one Simic (green/blue) and one Izzet (blue/red). There is alsoone colorless cardwith collect evidence.
In terms of rarity, four collect evidence cards are mythic rare, eight are rare, six are uncommon and five are common.
