Can I use a Clue the turn I create it?

Yes. A Clue isn't a creature and has no tap symbol in its cost, so you can use it right away.

Is a Clue an artifact?

Yes, a colorless artifact token with the subtype Clue. Effects that count or sacrifice artifacts see it.

Can my opponent stop the draw?

Only with an effect that counters an activated ability. Artifact removal in response does nothing, because the Clue is already sacrificed.

What happens to a Clue that leaves the battlefield?

A token that leaves the battlefield stops existing shortly after. It can briefly reach your graveyard, which is enough to trigger effects, but it never comes back.

Investigate — what does it mean?

Create a Clue token: an artifact you can pay 2 mana and sacrifice to draw a card.

Investigate appears on 138 cards.

How does Investigate work?

Investigate is a keyword action (rule 701.16), and it means exactly one thing: create a Clue token. A Clue is a colorless artifact token with ‘2 generic mana, sacrifice this token: draw a card’ (rule 111.10f). Investigate twice and you get two Clues.

A Clue doesn't tap. You just pay 2 and sacrifice it. That means you can crack several Clues in one turn as long as you have the mana, and a Clue still works if it got tapped for some other reason. Since a Clue isn't a creature, summoning sickness doesn't apply, so you can use it the turn you make it.

The ability uses the stack. You sacrifice the Clue as a cost, so you can't save it if someone responds, but a response also can't stop the draw unless it counters the ability itself. You can crack a Clue any time you have priority. That's why experienced players often hold them until the opponent's end step: you keep mana up for an instant and turn whatever's left into cards. Clues are artifacts too, so they count for anything that counts artifacts or triggers when an artifact is sacrificed.

An example at the table

Turn 4, you have four lands. In your main phase you cast a 2-mana creature that investigates when it enters. You get a Clue. You keep the other 2 mana open for a removal spell during your opponent's turn. They don't attack and don't cast anything worth answering. In their end step you pay those 2 mana, sacrifice the Clue, and draw a card. Your mana didn't go to waste, and your opponent spent the whole turn not knowing whether you had an answer.

Cards with Investigate

Tireless TrackerIllustration: Eric Deschamps

Forensic GadgeteerIllustration: Volkan Baǵa

Tamiyo's JournalIllustration: Chase Stone

Ethereal InvestigatorIllustration: Sean Murray

Tivit, Seller of SecretsIllustration: Chris Rahn

Common mistakes

Thinking a Clue has to tap. It doesn't; 2 mana and a sacrifice is all it takes, so you can crack several per turn.
Cracking a Clue in your own main phase for no reason. It works at instant speed, so waiting until your opponent's turn keeps your options open.
Thinking investigate draws a card right away. You only get the token; the card comes when you pay the 2 mana.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a Clue the turn I create it?: Yes. A Clue isn't a creature and has no tap symbol in its cost, so you can use it right away.
Is a Clue an artifact?: Yes, a colorless artifact token with the subtype Clue. Effects that count or sacrifice artifacts see it.
Can my opponent stop the draw?: Only with an effect that counters an activated ability. Artifact removal in response does nothing, because the Clue is already sacrificed.
What happens to a Clue that leaves the battlefield?: A token that leaves the battlefield stops existing shortly after. It can briefly reach your graveyard, which is enough to trigger effects, but it never comes back.

Official rule: Comprehensive Rules 701.16. More on where this rulebook comes from under Sources.

Often seen with

Flying Vigilance Partner Transform Haste

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Which cards with Investigate do you own? →

Last updated: 26 October 2026