Tenacious Tomeseeker — ruling 1

Adventurer cards aren't instant or sorcery cards while they're in your graveyard. You can't use Tenacious Tomeseeker's ability to return an adventurer card from your graveyard to your hand.

Tenacious Tomeseeker — ruling 3

Bargain represents an optional additional cost. A spell cast with that additional cost paid is “bargained.”

Tenacious Tomeseeker — ruling 4

You may sacrifice only one artifact, enchantment, or token to pay a spell’s bargain cost.

Tenacious Tomeseeker — ruling 5

If you copy a bargained spell, the copy is also bargained. If a card or token enters the battlefield as a copy of a permanent that’s already on the battlefield, the new permanent isn’t bargained, even if the original was.

Tenacious Tomeseeker — ruling 6

Some instant and sorcery spells require additional targets if they’re bargained. You ignore those targeting requirements if those spells aren’t bargained, and you can’t bargain those spells unless you can choose the appropriate targets. On the other hand, you can bargain a permanent spell even if you won’t be able to choose targets for an enters-the-battlefield ability of that permanent once the spell resolves.

Tenacious Tomeseeker : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Tenacious Tomeseeker 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

Bargain (You may sacrifice an artifact, enchantment, or token as you cast this spell.) When this creature enters, if it was bargained, return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.

Complete guide

Tenacious Tomeseeker is a resourceful Human Knight from the Wilds of Eldraine set that rewards you for trading away your resources. By utilizing the Bargain mechanic, this creature ensures your most powerful spells aren't gone for good. It serves as a reliable way to recur value in decks that can generate tokens or utilize disposable artifacts.

What it Does

Tenacious Tomeseeker is a 3-mana blue creature with the Bargain ability. As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice an artifact, enchantment, or token. If you pay this cost, the Tomeseeker becomes 'bargained,' which unlocks its triggered ability to return an instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand when it enters the battlefield.

How it Resolves Step by Step

First, as you cast the spell, decide if you want to Bargain. If you do, sacrifice the required permanent type as part of the casting cost. Once Tenacious Tomeseeker resolves and enters the battlefield, if the Bargain cost was paid, the triggered ability goes on the stack. At this point, you choose a legal target (an instant or sorcery) in your graveyard. If that target is still there when the ability resolves, it returns to your hand.

Common Mistakes

A common point of confusion involves what qualifies as an instant or sorcery. For example, Adventurer cards are only considered creatures while in the graveyard, so they cannot be targeted by this ability. Additionally, remember that you can only sacrifice one permanent to pay the Bargain cost; you cannot sacrifice multiple items to return multiple spells.

When to Play It

This card shines in Midrange or Control decks that utilize 'enters the battlefield' artifacts or creature tokens like Roles and Food. It is best played after you have already cast a high-impact spell that you want to reuse, or when you need to turn a spent artifact into fresh card advantage.

Interaction examples

Bargaining for Extra Value

Solemn Simulacrum

You have a Solemn Simulacrum on the battlefield that has already fetched a land. You cast Tenacious Tomeseeker and choose to Bargain by sacrificing the Simulacrum. This triggers the Simulacrum's 'dies' ability, allowing you to draw a card, and once the Tomeseeker enters, you get to return an instant or sorcery from your graveyard to your hand.

Doubling the Recovery

Roaming Throne

With Roaming Throne on the battlefield (having chosen 'Human' or 'Knight'), you cast Tenacious Tomeseeker with Bargain. When the Tomeseeker enters, its ability triggers. Because of Roaming Throne, the ability triggers an additional time, allowing you to return two different instant or sorcery cards from your graveyard to your hand.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Tenacious Tomeseeker

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
Adventurer cards aren't instant or sorcery cards while they're in your graveyard. You can't use Tenacious Tomeseeker's ability to return an adventurer card from your graveyard to your hand.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
Bargain means “As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice an artifact, enchantment, or token.”
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
Bargain represents an optional additional cost. A spell cast with that additional cost paid is “bargained.”
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
You may sacrifice only one artifact, enchantment, or token to pay a spell’s bargain cost.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If you copy a bargained spell, the copy is also bargained. If a card or token enters the battlefield as a copy of a permanent that’s already on the battlefield, the new permanent isn’t bargained, even if the original was.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
Some instant and sorcery spells require additional targets if they’re bargained. You ignore those targeting requirements if those spells aren’t bargained, and you can’t bargain those spells unless you can choose the appropriate targets. On the other hand, you can bargain a permanent spell even if you won’t be able to choose targets for an enters-the-battlefield ability of that permanent once the spell resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.