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Not to be confused with Signature Spellbook.

Spellbook
MTGA Spellbook
Mechanic
Introduced Jumpstart: Historic Horizons
Last used Alchemy: Karlov Manor
Reminder Text A card’s spellbook is a curated list of associated, flavor-resonant cards.
Statistics
44 cards
{C} 2.3% {W} 9.1% {U} 13.6% {B} 11.4% {R} 11.4% {G} 22.7% {U/B} 2.3% {G/W} 2.3% {W/B} 2.3% {U/R} 2.3% {B/G} 2.3% {R/W} 9.1% {G/U} 2.3% {M} 4.5% {artifact symbol} 2.3%
Scryfall Search
fulloracle:"Spellbook"

A spellbook is a list of cards from outside the game that can be accessed by the conjure or draft keyword actions. Each spellbook is different, depending on which effect it's associated with. Spellbook was designed as a digital-only mechanic for MTG Arena.[1][2]

Description[ | ]

A spellbook is a curated list of up to 15 flavor-resonant cards tied to a specific card in the game. Cards with the spellbook mechanic only appear on Alchemy cards.[2] The spellbook cards are not counted as part of a card's color identity.

The cards of the spellbook are not visible on the main cards themselves. Spellbooks are browsable in-game by right-clicking (or long-pressing) on the cards, much like looking at dungeons or cards that make multiple tokens. Outside of MTG Arena, lists are available online.

Cards in a spellbook are added to the game in one of two ways - A single card can be chosen from the entire list and conjured or a card can be drafted.

Drafting from a spellbook may occur as part of a spell, an activated or triggered ability. The player is presented with three cards chosen at random from among the spellbook cards and selects one to put into their hand. Conjuring or drafting a card does not remove that card from the spellbook and it can be selected again if it comes up.[3]

History[ | ]

A spellbook was first named in Tome of the Infinite from Jumpstart: Historic Horizons, where it was used in combination with conjure instead of draft. The mechanic also has similarities with Davriel, Soul Broker's offers and conditions from the same set. Drafting from a spellbook was formally introduced in Alchemy: Innistrad.[2]

Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate has some unique spellbooks amongst its selection: Oyaminartok, Polar Werebear is the first to overlap more than ten cards with a previous spellbook (Tireless Angler), The Hourglass Coven has all entirely new digital cards (all of which have the same art) and Follow the Tracks has only five cards and are all from the same set.

In Alchemy: Eldraine, Drover of the Swine, Porcine Portent and Swine Rebellion all use the same named three-card spellbook - the Three Pigs. Alchemy: Ixalan has Brazen Boarding, which also has a three-card spellbook, alongside a distinct way to determine its conjured card.

List of card spellbooks[ | ]

Spellbook card Color Theme Alchemy set Link to card list
Celestial Vault {W} Angels New Capenna Cards
Faithful Disciple {W} Enchantments Innistrad Cards
Slayer's Bounty {W} Justice and detainment Innistrad Cards
Experimental Pilot {U} Vehicles Kamigawa Cards
Giant's Secrets {U} Auras Eldraine Cards
Skywriter Djinn {U} Control Dominaria Cards
Tireless Angler {U} Marine life Innistrad Cards
Tome of Gadwick {U} Cantrips Eldraine Cards
Tome of the Infinite {U} Utility spells Jumpstart: Historic Horizons Cards
Break Expectations {B} Artifacts Innistrad Cards
Cursebound Witch {B} Witches and witch tropes Innistrad Cards
The Hourglass Coven {B} Hags Baldur's Gate Cards
March Toward Perfection {B} Phyrexians of The Dross Pits Phyrexia Cards
Xander's Wake {B} Party scoundrels New Capenna Cards
Arms Scavenger {R} Adventuring Equipment Innistrad Cards
Big Spender {R} Valuable antiques New Capenna Cards
Goblin Influx Array {R} Goblins Dominaria Cards
Kayla's Kindling {R} Burn The Brothers' War Cards
Tibalt, Wicked Tormentor {R} Devils Innistrad Cards
Boseiju Pathlighter {G} Lands Kamigawa Cards
Follow the Tracks {G} The Reimagined Gates Baldur's Gate Cards
Garruk, Wrath of the Wilds {G} Wild creatures Innistrad Cards
Hinterland Chef {G} Unusual edible creatures Innistrad Cards
Ishkanah, Broodmother {G} Spiders Innistrad Cards
Loose in the Park {G} Wild beasts New Capenna Cards
Oyaminartok, Polar Werebear {G} Fished Sea Creatures Baldur's Gate Cards
Scalespeaker Shepherd {G} Dinosaurs Ixalan Cards
Relics of the Rubblebelt {G} Ravnican guild signets Karlov Manor Cards
Bind to Secrecy {U}{B} Graveyard recursion New Capenna Cards
Emmara, Voice of the Conclave {G}{W} Spells with Convoke Karlov Manor Cards
Raddic, Tal Zealot {W}{B} Knights The Brothers' War Cards
Brazen Boarding {U}{R} Pirates Ixalan Cards
Slimefoot, Thallid Transplant {B}{G} Fungus related Dominaria Cards
Bladehold Cleaver {R}{W} Mirran resistance forces Phyrexia Cards
Imperial Blademaster {R}{W} Samurai Kamigawa Cards
Protean War Engine {R}{W} Medium sized Dragons, Angels or attack-based humanoids Dominaria Cards
Tajic, Legion's Valor {R}{W} Boros Legion members Karlov Manor Cards
Contagion Dispenser {G}{U} Cards with Proliferate Phyrexia Cards
Darigaaz, Shivan Champion {B}{R}{G} Dragons Dominaria Cards
Key to the Archive {C} Mystical Archive spells Innistrad Cards
Ominous Traveler {C} Innistrad's monsters Innistrad Cards

List of shared spellbooks[ | ]

Spellbook name Color Theme Used by Alchemy set Link to card list
Three Pigs {W}{B}{G} Boars Drover of the Swine; Porcine Portent; Swine Rebellion Eldraine Cards

Rules[ | ]

Spellbooks are not included as part of the Comprehensive Rules.[4] They operates according to the programmed rules of Magic: The Gathering Arena.

Example[ | ]

Example 1

Ishkanah, Broodmother {3}{G}
Legendary Creature — Spider
3/5
Reach
Other Spiders you countrol get +1/+2
{1}{B/G}, Exile two cards from your graveyard: Draft a card from Ishkanah, Broodmother's spellbook.

Ishkanah's spellbook

Example 2

Swine Rebellion {2}{G}
Sorcery
If you control three or more Boars with different names, conjure each card from the Three Pigs spellbook onto the battlefield.
If you control two or fewer Boars with different names, conjure two cards of your choice from the Three Pigs spellbook into your hand, then put one of them onto the battlefield.

Three Pigs spellbook

References[ | ]

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