Card library

Read the Bones

Magic: The GatheringCommander 2017#122

Click the card to switch sides

—Views —Likes —Times played

Magic: The Gathering

Mana cost

Commander 2017C17 · #122
Card type
Sorcery
Rarity
Common
Indicative price
0.46 € · 0.36 $
Mana value
3
Colour
Black

Card text

Scry 2, then draw two cards. You lose 2 life. (To scry 2, look at the top two cards of your library, then put any number of them on the bottom and the rest on top in any order.)

Format legality

  • BrawlLegal
  • CommanderLegal
  • CompetitivebrawlLegal
  • DuelLegal
  • GladiatorLegal
  • HistoricLegal
  • LegacyLegal
  • ModernLegal
  • OathbreakerLegal
  • PauperLegal
  • PaupercommanderLegal
  • PennyLegal
  • PioneerLegal
  • TimelessLegal
  • VintageLegal

Legalities follow the imported catalogue; check format rules before a tournament.
Data imported on 2026-10-06 (UTC).

Indicative Scryfall prices, updated daily. ★: foil; ★ E: etched foil. EUR and USD represent different markets.

Printing information

Illustrator
Lars Grant-West
Card language
English
Release date
2017-08-25

Flavour text

The dead know lessons the living haven't learned.

Rulings

Scry appears on some spells and abilities with one or more targets. If all of the spell or ability's targets are illegal when it tries to resolve, it won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won't scry.

The loss of life is part of the spell's effect. It's not an additional cost. If Read the Bones doesn't resolve, you won't lose life.

When you scry, you may put all the cards you look at back on top of your library, you may put all of those cards on the bottom of your library, or you may put some of those cards on top and the rest of them on the bottom.

You choose how to order cards returned to your library after scrying no matter where you put them.

You perform the actions stated on a card in sequence. For some spells and abilities, that means you'll scry last. For others, that means you'll scry and then perform other actions.

Other printings of this card

Report a problem

This report is sent to the administrator. Your explanation remains private.