Archivist of Oghma — Magic: The Gathering card

Archivist of Oghma

{1}{W}
Creature — Halfling Cleric

Flash

Whenever an opponent searches their library, you gain 1 life and draw a card.

*"Knowledge is the greatest tool of the mortal mind, outweighing anything made by mortal hands. Before anything else can exist, the idea must exist."*

Power/Toughness: 2/2

Set Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate
Rarity Rare
Mana Value 2
Artist Stella Spente
Collector # 4

Why Play Archivist of Oghma

Flash makes this an excellent reactive threat that punishes opponents for tutoring while providing immediate card advantage. The card shines in metas heavy with fetch lands, tutors, and ramp spells, turning your opponents' deck optimization into your resource engine. Deploy it end-of-turn before opponents' tutoring phases or in response to visible search effects to maximize value. White-based control and midrange decks appreciate both the card selection and incidental lifegain against aggressive strategies.

Format Notes

Commander represents the strongest home for Archivist of Oghma, where multiplayer games guarantee frequent library searches from fetch lands, cultivate effects, and tutors. Legacy sees occasional play in white-based control shells as a hedge against combo decks that rely heavily on tutoring. The card has avoided any ban considerations due to its reactive nature and reasonable power level. Historic applications remain limited but viable in anti-tutor sideboards.

Combos & Synergies

Alms Collector creates a powerful stax package that severely punishes opponents' card selection while advancing your own game plan. Opposition Agent pairs naturally in multiplayer formats, as stealing opponents' tutored cards while drawing additional cards creates overwhelming advantage. Cards like Aven Mindcensor amplify the anti-tutor theme by making opponents' searches less effective while still triggering your draw ability. The lifegain component synergizes well with cards that care about gaining life, such as Ajani's Pridemate or Test of Endurance.