Toxin Analysis 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
Target creature gains deathtouch and lifelink until end of turn. Investigate. (Create a Clue token. It's an artifact with ", Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.")
Complete guide
Toxin Analysis is a versatile black instant that provides a significant combat advantage while ensuring you don't run out of steam. By granting two powerful keywords and investigating, it allows you to swing the tide of battle and set up your future turns.
Keyword Mastery and Investigation
When you cast Toxin Analysis, you target a single creature to receive deathtouch and lifelink until the end of the turn. Deathtouch ensures any amount of damage dealt by the creature is lethal to others, while lifelink ensures that damage also restores your life total. Crucially, the spell also instructs you to investigate, which creates a Clue token—a specialized artifact that can be sacrificed later for two mana to draw a card.
The Resolution Process
As the spell resolves, it first checks if the target creature is still legal. If the target has left the battlefield or gained protection from black, the entire spell fails and you will not create a Clue token. If the target is legal, the creature gains its new abilities immediately, and then the Clue token is created. You can use the Clue's draw ability at any time you could pay its mana cost, even on later turns.
Strategic Timing
The best time to use Toxin Analysis is often during the declare blockers step. By giving a small creature deathtouch, you can trade up against a much larger threat. Alternatively, using it on a high-power creature allows you to stabilize your health via lifelink. Remember that the investigation happens regardless of whether the creature actually deals damage, as long as the spell resolves successfully.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is forgetting that the Clue token is an artifact. If an opponent destroys the Clue in response to you trying to sacrifice it, you won't get the card draw. Additionally, note that Toxin Analysis requires a target; you cannot cast it simply to investigate if there are no creatures on the battlefield to target.
Interaction examples
Vampiric TutorIf you cast Vampiric Tutor to put a specific card on top of your library, you can then cast Toxin Analysis targeting any creature. The investigation creates a Clue token, which you can immediately activate for two mana to draw that specific card you just tutored for.
Dark Ritual
ClueYou can use Dark Ritual to generate three black mana. Spend one to cast Toxin Analysis on a creature. With the remaining two mana, you can immediately sacrifice the Clue token created by the investigation to draw a card, effectively cycling through your deck quickly.
When your opponent attacks with a massive creature, you can block with a small token and cast Toxin Analysis on your blocker. The deathtouch will destroy their attacker, and the lifelink will gain you life equal to your creature's power, all while leaving you with a Clue token for later use.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Toxin Analysis
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Clue is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some cards with other permanent types, it's never a creature type, a land type, or anything but an artifact type.
Card named in this ruling
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect refers to a Clue, it means any Clue artifact, not just a Clue artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Wrench to pay for Alquist Proft, Master Sleuth's activated ability.
Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
You can't sacrifice a Clue to pay multiple costs. For example, you can't sacrifice a Clue token to activate its own ability and also to activate Alquist Proft, Master Sleuth's ability.
Card named in this ruling
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Some spells and abilities that investigate may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't create any Clue tokens.
Card named in this ruling
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Some abilities trigger "whenever you sacrifice a Clue". Those abilities trigger whenever you sacrifice a Clue for any reason, not just to activate a Clue's activated ability.
Card named in this ruling
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Toxin Analysis
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