Read the Bones (CMM)

Read the Bones
Casting Cost: {2}{B}
Card Type: Sorcery

Card Text:
Scry 2, then draw two cards. You lose 2 life.

Flavour Text:
"The dead know lessons the living haven't learned."

Artist: Lars Grant-West

In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, card advantage and manipulation are crucial elements that can dictate the flow of a game. Read the Bones encapsulates these mechanics in a darkly thematic package.

For a casting cost of {2}{B}, this sorcery offers players the ability to tailor their upcoming draws through the Scry 2 ability, allowing a peek at the top two cards of their library and deciding whether to keep them on top or push them to the bottom. This level of manipulation can be vital in sculpting a player's subsequent turns, setting up combinations, or finding answers to pressing threats.

After scrying, drawing two cards immediately replenishes a player's hand, granting more options and resources. However, this power comes at a cost - a payment of 2 life. In the black color pie of MTG, life is often used as a resource, representing the color's willingness to sacrifice for greater knowledge or power.

The flavour text, "The dead know lessons the living haven't learned," speaks to black's obsession with mortality, the afterlife, and the secrets that may lie beyond death's veil. It hints at a darker wisdom, knowledge gleaned from the realms beyond, and the often macabre lengths to which black mages will go to uncover such mysteries.

Lars Grant-West's artwork likely evokes a sense of foreboding, capturing the ritualistic act of bone reading. The bones might be depicted cast upon a dark surface, their cryptic formations hinting at the future. Shadows, eerie lighting, and perhaps ghostly apparitions might enhance the artwork, encapsulating the mystical and eerie ambiance of the card.

In conclusion, Read the Bones is a multifaceted card, combining strategic gameplay with rich lore and artistry, making it a favorite for many black mages seeking knowledge at any cost.