Paranormal Analyst is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Whenever you manifest dread, put a card you put into your graveyard this way into your hand.
Complete guide
Paranormal Analyst is a sharp Human Detective from Duskmourn who ensures your investigations never lead to a dead end. This creature transforms the uncertainty of manifesting dread into pure card advantage by retrieving what you would have lost to the graveyard.
What It Does
Paranormal Analyst has a triggered ability that watches for whenever you 'manifest dread'. When you manifest dread, you look at the top two cards of your library, put one onto the battlefield as a face-down 2/2 creature, and put the other into your graveyard. The Analyst then steps in, allowing you to take that card you just put into the graveyard and put it directly into your hand instead.
How It Resolves Step by Step
First, an effect instructs you to manifest dread. You look at the top two cards of your library, choose one to be a face-down creature, and place the other in your graveyard. Immediately after this process finishes, Paranormal Analyst's ability triggers and goes on the stack. When the ability resolves, you move the card from your graveyard to your hand. Note that if you only had one card in your library to begin with, you only put a card onto the battlefield and none into the graveyard; in this specific case, the Analyst triggers but has no card to return.
Common Mistakes
A common error involves timing: the Analyst's ability is a trigger that uses the stack, so opponents can respond to it. If the card is removed from your graveyard (for example, by an effect that exiles cards) before the Analyst's ability resolves, you will not be able to return it to your hand. Additionally, if an effect like Leyline of the Void is on the battlefield, the card never actually hits the graveyard, meaning the Analyst's ability won't find a card to return.
When to Play It
This card is essential in decks focused on the 'manifest dread' mechanic. It effectively turns every manifest action into a 'draw one' effect while simultaneously building your board presence. It is best played early in the game to maximize the value of subsequent manifest triggers, ensuring your hand stays full of resources while your battlefield grows with face-down threats.
Interaction examples
Foundry InspectorIf you manifest dread while Paranormal Analyst is out and choose to put a land on the battlefield face-down, you might put Foundry Inspector into your graveyard. The Analyst triggers, allowing you to put the Foundry Inspector into your hand, effectively drawing a card while gaining a 2/2 creature.
Ornithopter of ParadiseIf your library contains only an Ornithopter of Paradise when you are told to manifest dread, you must put it onto the battlefield face-down. Because no card was put into the graveyard, Paranormal Analyst's ability triggers but does nothing upon resolution, as there is no card to retrieve.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Paranormal Analyst
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Unlike a face-down creature that was cast using a disguise or morph ability, a manifested creature may still be turned face up after it loses its abilities if it's a creature card.
Card named in this ruling
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can't transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up.
Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If your library contains only one card when you manifest dread, you'll look at that card and put it onto the battlefield face down. You won't have the option to put it into your graveyard instead. If your library contains no cards when you manifest dread, you won't do anything.
Card named in this ruling
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Some cards in the Duskmourn release have abilities that trigger "whenever you manifest dread." In circumstances where you are instructed to manifest dread but can't perform some or all of the steps of manifesting dread (probably because your library has one or fewer cards in it), these abilities will still trigger.
Card named in this ruling
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
At any time, you can look at a face-down spell or permanent you control. You can't look at face-down permanents or spells you don't control unless an effect instructs or allows you to do so.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent and Auras and Equipment that were attached to that permanent aren't affected unless the new characteristics of the object change the legality of those targets or attachments.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn't change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
If a face-down spell leaves the stack and goes to any zone other than the battlefield (if it was countered, for example), you must reveal it. Similarly, if a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or the game ends.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it's turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn't cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
Because face-down creatures don't have a name, they can't have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
If a face-down creature loses its abilities, it can't be turned face up with a disguise or morph ability because it will no longer have that ability (or the associated cost) once face up.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
If you didn't put any cards into your graveyard when you manifested dread (perhaps because your opponent controls Leyline of the Void), Paranormal Analyst's ability will still trigger, but you won't be able to put any cards into your hand when it resolves. Similarly, if a card put into your graveyard when you manifested dread leaves your graveyard before Paranormal Analyst's ability resolves, you won't be able to put that card in your hand.
Card named in this ruling
- #13· Wizards of the Coast
To manifest dread, look at the top two cards of your library. Manifest one (by putting it onto the battlefield face down) and put the other into your graveyard. The card you put onto the battlefield becomes a 2/2 face-down creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It's colorless and has a mana value of 0. Other effects that apply to the permanent can still grant it any characteristics it doesn't have or change the characteristics it does have.
Card named in this ruling
- #14· Wizards of the Coast
Any time you have priority, you can turn a manifested permanent you control face up by revealing that it's a creature card (ignoring any copy effects or type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to.
Card named in this ruling
- #15· Wizards of the Coast
If a manifested creature would have disguise or morph if it were face up, you may also turn it face up by paying its disguise or morph cost, as appropriate.
Card named in this ruling
- #16· Wizards of the Coast
You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can be easily differentiated from each other. You're not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield to confuse other players. The order in which they entered should remain clear, as well as what ability caused them to be face down. (This includes manifest, disguise, cloak, morph, and a few older effects that turn cards face down.) Common methods for doing this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield.
Card named in this ruling
- #17· Wizards of the Coast
If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it's an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won't trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up.
No other card is named in this ruling.
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