Alquist Proft, Master SleuthHow it works & interactions with other cards

A Clue Upon Entry

When Alquist Proft, Master Sleuth enters the battlefield, his triggered ability resolves and you investigate. This creates a Clue token, which is an artifact with the ability to pay two generic mana and sacrifice itself to draw a card. Because Alquist has vigilance, he can attack during your turn and still remain untapped to use his powerful activated ability later.

Solving the Case

Alquist's second ability costs XWUU and requires you to tap him and sacrifice a Clue. This Clue does not have to be a token; any artifact with the subtype Clue will work. Upon resolution, you draw X cards and gain X life. This is a single ability, meaning the card draw and life gain happen sequentially as the ability resolves.

Common Pitfalls

A frequent mistake is attempting to double-dip on sacrifices. You cannot sacrifice the same Clue to its own ability (to draw one card) and to Alquist's ability at the same time. Once you sacrifice a Clue to pay for one cost, it is gone and cannot be used for another. Additionally, if an effect prevents you from gaining life, you will still draw the X cards, and vice versa.

Strategic Timing

Since the activated ability requires tapping, Alquist usually needs to wait a turn unless he has haste. However, because he has vigilance, he is a fantastic candidate for attacking. You can declare him as an attacker, and then, during your opponent's end step or in response to a spell, tap him to activate his ability and refill your hand.

Interaction examples

Doubling the Evidence

Alquist Proft, Master SleuthRoaming Throne

If you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Detective' chosen as the creature type, Alquist Proft's enters-the-battlefield ability triggers an additional time. You will investigate twice, creating two Clue tokens instead of one. This provides extra fuel for Alquist's activated ability later in the game.

Clue Token Basics

Alquist Proft, Master SleuthClue

When Alquist enters, he creates a Clue token. On a later turn, you pay {3}{W}{U}{U} (where X=2) and tap Alquist, sacrificing that Clue token. As the ability resolves, you draw two cards and gain two life. You chose to use the Clue for Alquist's ability instead of the Clue's own {2} mana ability.

Value Engine

Alquist Proft, Master SleuthSolemn Simulacrum

While Solemn Simulacrum helps you ramp into the mana required for Alquist's large {X} costs, it's important to note their interaction with the stack. If you use the lands from the Golem to cast Alquist, he enters and investigates. You now have the resources to protect Alquist or use the Clue to dig for more answers.