Discover explained: MTG’s strongest new mechanic 

The Discover ability in MTG is allowing players to double up on their casting value and build impressive boards, and we’ll show you how it works.

Discover is at the heart of The Lost Caverns of Ixalan set and is proving to be the most impactful new element to come out of the set by far. 

With cards bearing the Discover ability, such as Bonehoard Dracosaur, fetching absurd prices, it’s time to dig into just what makes Discover so valued, and why it’s dominating the MTG space following The Lost Caverns of Ixalan’s launch. 

What is Discover? 

Discover is a new MTG ability that allows players to exile cards from the top of their deck until they hit a card of a specific mana value – for example, 5 for the Discover 5 ability – and then cast that spell for free or add it to their hand. 

Discover and Cascade 

While Discover is an incredibly potent ability in MTG, its reign hasn’t come out of nowhere. Rather than existing as a brand-new design concept, Discover is an updated variation on a classic mechanic. 

Cascade can be said to be the initial version of Discover, with a near-identical exile-and-cast mechanic, doubling up on your value and quickly stacking the field. The main difference between Cascade and Discover is that Discover will only work on a specific mana value, whereas Cascade allows you to cast any spell with a value lower than the spell that triggered Cascade.  

Discover is far from a simple nerf to Cascade though. In allowing players to add the discovered card back to their hand if needed, Discover prevents spells from going off at the wrong moment. 

MTG abilities spawn iterations all the time, often in an attempt to update or balance old mechanics that are getting creakier with age. Hexproof and Ward wouldn’t be where they are now without having Shroud to build off. 

Why is Discover so popular? 

Simply put, Discover is an ability that is as flexible as it is powerful, adding a huge amount of variety. In effectively doubling the value of what you cast, players with Discover can quickly run away with the game, making it extremely hard for their opponents to catch up, short of a board wipe. 

Additionally, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan’s Veloci-RAMP-tor deck featured Discover as its main Commander mechanic. With such easy access to powerful Discover effects in the Command zone, as well as synergies with many red exile strategies, Discover shows no signs of slowing down in MTG. 

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