Best Investigate Cards in Magic: The Gathering
There are some mechanics that just feel right in Magic: The Gathering. For me, Investigate is at the top of that list.
First introduced in Shadows over Innistrad back in 2016, this mechanic solved a problem we didn’t even know we had, how to keep the cards flowing without breaking the game.
Fast forward to late 2025, and creating Clue tokens, which allows you to tap two mana to draw a card, has gone from a spooky flavor win to a legitimate competitive strategy.
Here are some great Investigate cards you need to know about.
Tireless Tracker
We have to start here. The ability to investigate every time a land enters the battlefield is just absurd value, especially in formats with Fetch Lands. But what makes this card a forever staple is that it grows.
For a card that provides a lot of value, the singles market is pretty favorable with copies often going for under $1. Even the borderless variants hover around $2.
Academy Manufactor
Okay, technically this card doesn’t say Investigate on it, but let’s get real, you can’t talk about Clues without talking about this card that just breaks the math.
Academy Manufactor from Modern Horizons 2 turns a single Clue into a Clue, a Treasure, and a Food.
I’ve seen this card single-handedly take over Commander games. It turns draw a card into draw a card, gain life, and get mana to cast it.
The foil prices on this guy have always been resilient, ranging between $5 to $10, because every artifact deck needs one.
Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student
Modern Horizons 3 brought us a lot of broken things, but Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student is my personal favorite. A one-mana flier that investigates on attack.
The fact that she flips into a Planeswalker just by drawing three cards, which, by the way, her Clue helps you do, makes her an absolutely fantastic card in competitive formats.
From a financial perspective, the Textured Foil Borderless version is the chase here, often going for over $30.
It’s a stunning piece of art, and since she’s seeing play in Legacy and Modern, that price tag is most likely going to stay elevated.
Morska, Undersea Sleuth
If you’re building a dedicated Clue deck in Commander, you’re probably looking at Morska, Undersea Sleuth. Released in the Murders at Karlov Manor, she solves the biggest issue with Investigate decks, hand size.
Having no maximum hand size while generating Clues every turn is a recipe for success. The market is pretty darn cheap with copies often going for under $1.
Thraben Inspector
We can’t talk about Clues without paying respects to the card that holds the whole archetype together in formats like Pauper.
Thraben Inspector defines efficiency. For one white mana, you get a body on the board and a Clue token to crack later. It smooths out your draws and turns on your artifact synergies, all for a single mana.
Recently, Murders at Karlov Manor gave us a functional reprint in Novice Inspector, which means Commander players can finally run two copies of this effect.
If you’re looking to add some style to your deck, grab the Anime Borderless version from Ravnica Remastered. It’s a dollar bin card that looks like a million bucks.
