Augur of Bolas MTG Card


Augur of Bolas excels in providing card advantage and strategic hand refill in MTG gameplay. Can accelerate resource management by filtering for impactful spells to execute your game plan. Integrates well with instant speed spells, offering tactical flexibility and enhanced responsiveness.
Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Merfolk Wizard
Power 1
Toughness 3

Text of card

When Augur of Bolas enters the battlefield, look at the top three cards of your library. You may reveal an instant or sorcery card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.


Cards like Augur of Bolas

In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, Augur of Bolas stands as an intriguing option among creature spells. It offers a parallel to cards like Omenspeaker, a creature that also lets players look at the top cards of their library. Augur of Bolas, however, leans towards instants or sorcery spells, providing gamers a chance to reveal such a card and add it to their hand, reshaping the game’s potential outcomes.

Seeker of Insight is another creature with a looting ability, allowing for the drawing and discarding of cards. Unlike Augur of Bolas, its focus is not on the library’s top cards, and it requires the successful casting of a noncreature spell to activate its ability. There’s also the venerable Sea Gate Oracle, which presents a similar “look and pick” action for card advantage, but it delves into the library a card deeper than Augur of Bolas at the expense of a higher mana cost.

While evaluating the value each spell brings to a player’s deck in Magic: The Gathering, it is clear that Augur of Bolas excels in decks heavy with instant and sorcery spells, making it a specialized yet potent choice for strategy enhancement.

Omenspeaker - MTG Card versions
Seeker of Insight - MTG Card versions
Sea Gate Oracle - MTG Card versions
Omenspeaker - MTG Card versions
Seeker of Insight - MTG Card versions
Sea Gate Oracle - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Augur of Bolas by color, type and mana cost

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Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Lord of Atlantis - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Augur of Bolas. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
URUR PauperPauper League 2024-04-27
Izzet FaeriesIzzet Faeries PauperIzzet FaeriesPauper League 2024-05-01
Dimir FaeriesDimir Faeries PauperDimir FaeriesPauper Challenge 64 2024-04-28
Jeskai EphemerateJeskai Ephemerate PauperJeskai EphemeratePauper Challenge 64 2024-04-28
Dimir ControlDimir Control PauperDimir ControlPauper Challenge 64 2024-04-28
Grixis ControlGrixis Control PauperGrixis ControlPauper Challenge 64 2024-04-28

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Augur of Bolas excels in filtering through your deck to find key spells. Upon entering the battlefield, its ability to look at the top three cards of your library and reveal an instant or sorcery card among them to add to your hand can significantly increase your strategic options and sustain your hand’s strength throughout the duel.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly increasing mana, the selection process from Augur of Bolas can expediently dig for the needed spells to efficiently manage your resources. By ensuring that your draw is more impactful, you effectively accelerate your game plan.

Instant Speed: This creature’s ability to synergize with instant and sorcery spells makes it a formidable force in decks built around these card types. The power to reveal and cast spells at instant speed in response to game conditions gives you a tactical edge, enhancing the overall responsiveness and flexibility of your plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Augur of Bolas doesn’t force a player to discard outright, the act of looking at the top three cards and having to reveal a sorcery or instant can have a similar filtering effect on one’s hand. Cards that don’t match the criteria essentially become ignored resources which may not be optimal for your strategy during gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost: The requirement of one blue and one generic mana can be a hitch for multicolored decks. This means Augur of Bolas fits primarily in blue-based or two-color decks, potentially restricting its utility in a broader range of deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing two mana might not seem too steep at first glance, but when considering its light stat line and the specificity of its reveal effect, it can be seen as a bit steep for what is primarily a deck-filtering creature. Other cards in this cost bracket may offer more impactful board presence or immediate card advantage without the conditional reveal.


Reasons to Include Augur of Bolas in Your Collection

Versatility: Augur of Bolas is a dual-purpose card that serves both as an early game defender and a card filtering tool. It’s a perfect fit for control decks and can adapt to various game plans.

Combo Potential: With the ability to dig for an instant or sorcery, Augur of Bolas synergizes well in decks that revolve around spell-based combos, enhancing the consistency of pulling off game-winning moves.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta dominated by spell-heavy decks, Augur of Bolas offers value by helping to sculpt your hand with relevant reactive or proactive spells to navigate through the game effectively.


How to Beat Augur of Bolas

Augur of Bolas offers MTG players a unique blend of creature utility and card selection that can dictate the flow of a game in its early stages. This merfolk wizard does its work upon entering the battlefield, letting you peek into your library’s top three cards to reveal an instant or sorcery card and add it to your hand. But how do you gain the upper hand against such a card that bolsters your opponent’s strategic options?

Firstly, since Augur of Bolas requires a successful cast to trigger its ability, counterspells are a straightforward answer to prevent the ability from ever occurring. Force of Will and Mana Leak stand as reliable counters to keep Augur of Bolas at bay. Alternatively, since Augur of Bolas digs for non-creature spells, shifting the balance towards creature-heavy strategies can underwhelm its effectiveness. Creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects that remove creatures, like Shriekmaw or Flametongue Kavu, can also handle the pesky wizard while developing your board state. Lastly, graveyard interaction through cards like Scavenging Ooze can disrupt the synergy of spells Augur of Bolas might be digging for, reducing its impact on the game.

Thus, understanding and preparing for the scenarios that give Augur of Bolas its strength will guide you to craft a strategy that neutralizes its advantages and propels you to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the battlefield in MTG goes beyond sheer power; it’s about the subtle art of card advantage and strategy. Augur of Bolas is a classic tool that sharpens this skill, sifting through your deck to bring essential spells to hand. Great for control decks and spell-heavy strategies, assessing and integrating cards like Augur of Bolas into your collection can significantly enhance your gameplay. Care to dive deeper into the intricacies of deck building and game tactics? We’ve got a trove of insights and tips to boost your performance in every match. Discover more and refine your MTG expertise with us.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Augur of Bolas MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2013 and Commander 2013, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Augur of Bolas and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Augur of Bolas Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2012-07-13 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-07-13Magic 2013M13 432003NormalBlackSlawomir Maniak
22013-11-01Commander 2013C13 302003NormalBlackSlawomir Maniak
32017-03-17Modern Masters 2017MM3 302015NormalBlackSlawomir Maniak
42019-05-03War of the SparkWAR 412015NormalBlackAlex Konstad
52019-05-04War of the Spark PromosPWAR 412015NormalBlackAlex Konstad
62019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 2922015NormalBlackSlawomir Maniak
72020-09-26The ListPLST MM3-302015NormalBlackSlawomir Maniak

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Augur of Bolas has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Augur of Bolas card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2012-07-01 If there are fewer than three cards in your library when Augur of Bolas’s ability resolves, you’ll look at the remaining cards. This won’t cause you to lose the game as you haven’t drawn from an empty library.
2012-07-01 You don’t reveal the other two cards, nor do you reveal their order on the bottom of the library.