Farseek

Farseek Full Guide

Friday Night Magic 2013 Rare
Mana Cost: {1}{G}
Type: Sorcery
Farseek Text:
Search your library for a Plains, Island, Swamp, or Mountain card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
Flavor:
"How truly vast this city must be, that I have traveled so far and seen so much, yet never once found the place where the buildings fail."
Artist: Michael Komarck
Collector Number: 3
Release Date: 2013-01-01
Art crop
Cards Mentioned in This Review
These cards are referenced in the strategy guide below

Strategy Guide

Last updated 2025-06-29
TL;DR Summary

Farseek: A 2-cost, rare green sorcery that lets you search your library for a basic land and put it onto the battlefield tapped. This can provide an immediate source of mana or help fix your color distribution in the early game.

Farseek is particularly powerful when combined with cards like Mox Opal or other mana-fixing artifacts, allowing you to ramp up quickly and generate additional mana on subsequent turns. Its main use cases include fixing your manabase, accelerating development, and generating card advantage through increased land drops.

In popular formats like Commander, Farseek is a staple in many green-based decks due to its ability to rapidly accelerate the game state and provide a steady supply of basic lands.

Card Mechanics & Interactions

Farseek is a sorcery that allows you to search your library for a Plains, Island, Swamp, or Mountain card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. This card has no power or toughness.

When Farseek resolves, it searches your library for one of the specified land cards. If such a card is found, it is put into play with its controller's choice as to whether it's tapped or untapped. The player then shuffles their library at the end of the turn.

A key consideration when playing Farseek is the timing of the search and the subsequent draw step. Since Farseek resolves before the beginning of the next end step, if you find a land card during the resolution of Farseek, it will be put onto the battlefield tapped, but it won't be able to generate mana for your next turn.

This card can also interact with cards that care about the number of lands on the battlefield. For example, Sylvan Caryatid would gain an additional +1/+1 counter if a land is played during its controller's draw step.

In Commander decks, Farseek is often used to ramp into more expensive spells or to generate mana in the early game. It can also be used as a flexible way to search for specific lands that are needed for combos or card advantage.

Strategic Applications

Farseek is a versatile sorcery that benefits various Commander strategies, color identities, and archetypes. Its ability to search for and put a tapped basic land on the battlefield makes it an excellent tool for ramping up mana.

Ramp-based Decks: Farseek excels in decks reliant on rapid acceleration of mana development. Cards like Simian Spirit Guide, Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin, and Goblin Rabblemaster benefit from Farseek's ability to consistently find a basic land, ensuring a smooth mana curve.

Mono-Green Stompy Decks: In aggressive Mono-Green decks, Farseek helps ramp up to more expensive creatures like Golgari Findbroker, Chandra, Torch of Defiance, and Kurkesh, Onakke Gigantoprimus. These creatures can then be played earlier in the game, increasing the tempo.

Control Decks: Farseek is also used in control-oriented strategies that rely on maintaining a consistent mana base. Cards like Liliana, Death's Majesty, Dreadbore], and [[Thalia, Guardian of Thraben benefit from Farseek's ability to ensure an untapped basic land, enabling the player to maintain control.

Commander Archetypes: Farseek is particularly well-suited for Commander archetypes that focus on ramping up mana quickly. Some examples include:

Casual and Competitive Builds: Farseek is used in both casual and competitive builds due to its versatility. In casual decks, it can be played in a variety of colors and configurations to create unique ramp strategies. In competitive decks, Farseek provides a consistent way to maintain an untapped basic land, enabling players to play more expensive spells.

In summary, Farseek is a valuable tool for Commander players looking to accelerate their mana development and maintain a consistent mana base. Its versatility makes it suitable for various color identities and archetypes, from aggressive Mono-Green Stompy decks to control-oriented strategies.

Advanced Techniques

Farseek is a versatile and powerful sorcery that can greatly impact the board in several ways. One of its most notable applications is in conjunction with lands like Emeria, Shattered Skies, which allows for an aggressive ramp into big spells while also generating card advantage.

To maximize Farseek's effectiveness, it's essential to consider the color combinations and land distributions in your deck. For instance, pairing it with a heavy green aggro strategy featuring cards like Serra Ascendant or Liliana of the Veil can create a formidable force on the board.

Farseek also synergizes well with lands that produce multiple colors at once, such as Command Tower, allowing you to cast spells from different color combinations. This flexibility makes it an excellent addition to Commander decks focused on exploring various color combinations.

In terms of rules interactions, Farseek interacts interestingly with cards like Banned in all Formats: Exquisite Blood, which can create a temporary advantage by sacrificing creatures. Additionally, the fact that Farseek requires a basic land card from your library being put onto the battlefield tapped means it doesn't disrupt existing land synergies.

To further optimize its performance, consider incorporating lands like Misty Rainforest or Golgari Findbroker, which can help filter through your deck to find the desired lands.

Common Mistakes

Farseek is a popular choice in Commander decks, but there are several common mistakes players make when playing this card.

Timing Issues

  • Incorrect timing: Players often try to cast Farseek on their turn, searching for a land and putting it onto the battlefield tapped. However, the correct timing is to play Farseek during an opponent's main phase or beginning of combat, allowing you to search for a land and put it into play immediately.

Misunderstood Rules

  • Putting lands onto the battlefield tapped: Some players misinterpret the card's effect, thinking that they can cast Farseek to put lands onto the battlefield untapped. However, the Oracle text explicitly states that the land is put onto the battlefield tapped.

Poor Synergies

  • Overextending with multiple Farseeks: While Farseek is a great tool for fixing your mana, playing too many instances can leave you vulnerable to removal spells and creature attacks. Be mindful of your life total and only use this card when necessary.
  • Ignoring the importance of land destruction: Cards like Maelstrom Pulse or Liliana of the Veil can completely disrupt your Farseek strategy by destroying the lands you've searched for.

Other Considerations

  • Interactions with other cards: Farseek has a significant impact on your deck's overall mana curve. Be aware of potential interactions between this card and other effects, such as Chandra, Torch of Defiance's ability to generate additional mana.
  • Synergies with specific commanders: Certain Commander decks excel with Farseek due to its ability to ramp into more expensive spells. However, others may find it less effective, especially if they rely on cheaper creatures or single-color strategies.

Keep these considerations in mind when building your deck and making strategic decisions during gameplay.

Conclusion

Farseek is a rare sorcery from the Fifth Dawn set, allowing players to search their library for any Plains, Island, Swamp, or Mountain card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. This card has had several printings throughout its history.

In Commander decks, Farseek often appears in aggressive green decks that focus on ramping up mana to cast powerful spells or generating card advantage. It's a staple in some popular Commander archetypes, such as Mono-Green Stompy and Rakdos Midrange.

Farseek is a versatile tool for deckbuilders, offering an efficient way to accelerate the player's mana development and create a robust board presence. Its ability to search for basic lands allows players to adapt their strategy based on the cards they find in their library.

In terms of budget-friendliness, Farseek is not particularly affordable, with its foil version currently costing around 9.10 USD. However, there are alternative options available that can provide similar effects at a lower cost.

For those seeking similar effects without breaking the bank, consider these options:

  • Rampant Growth: A common green sorcery from Lorwyn that provides 3 life and taps a tapped land.
  • Llanowar Elves: An uncommon green creature from Lorwyn that allows you to tap it for mana on its upkeep.
  • Explore: A common green sorcery from Khans of Tarkir that allows you to search your library for basic lands, similar to Farseek but at a lower cost and with the added benefit of being able to play them tapped.

In Commander formats, where budget is often a concern, cards like Nature's Claim, Primal Command, or Abundant Growth can provide similar ramping effects without the hefty price tag. These cards often come with additional benefits, such as life gain or card draw, which can further enhance your deck's overall strategy.

Farseek remains a valuable addition to any deck that relies on green mana, providing an efficient way to accelerate the player's mana development and create a robust board presence.

Deckbuilding & Synergies

Farseek is a versatile sorcery that enables mana fixing and tutoring, making it an attractive addition to various Commander decks. Its primary function is to search for a basic land card (Plains, Island, Swamp, or Mountain) from your library, allowing you to tap it and then shuffle your deck.

Commanders

Farseek pairs well with the following Commanders:

  • Atraxa, Praetors' Voice (Growth Spiral Tribal): Atraxa rewards players for casting creature spells, and Farseek helps find the basic lands required to ramp into the Commander's more expensive creatures.
  • Estrid, the Masked (Azorius Control): Estrid's ability to tap a colorless land makes Farseek an excellent choice, as it provides a way to generate colorless mana while maintaining a flexible color identity.
  • Kemba, Kha Regent (Monowhite Humans): Kemba rewards players for playing more than four colors, and Farseek helps achieve this by fixing mana and creating opportunities for multi-colored plays.

Color Identities

Farseek is most effective in decks with a mix of colors that don't have an abundance of basic lands. It's particularly useful in:

  • Monowhite: White-based decks often rely on life gain and card draw, but struggle to fix their mana early game. Farseek helps address this by tutoring for basic lands.
  • GWB (R) Mono: This color combination offers flexibility with removal spells and threats. However, it can suffer from inconsistent mana development. Farseek alleviates this issue by ensuring the necessary lands are available.

Themes

Farseek is an excellent addition to decks focused on:

  • Mana fixing: The card's ability to find basic lands makes it a staple in any deck that prioritizes mana fixing and flexibility.
  • Card advantage: By tutoring for cards, Farseek creates opportunities for players to generate additional value through card draw or token generation.

Synergy Cards

Some notable synergy partners with Farseek include:

  • Fool's Paradise: This enchantment synergizes perfectly with Farseek by increasing the likelihood of drawing a basic land on the next turn.
  • Mana Confluence: Similar to Fool's Paradise, Mana Confluence creates an environment where Farseek excels in fixing mana and generating card advantage.
  • Dreadbore: This removal spell can be used to disrupt opponents' early game while maintaining flexibility with Farseek.

Combo Notes

While not a standalone combo piece, Farseek's ability to tutor for basic lands enables various combos by providing the necessary mana:

  • Tolarian Academy: With Farseek tutoring for Mountains, you can cast Tolarian Academy and generate an abundance of card draw.
  • Demonic Tutor: By finding Islands or Swamps with Farseek, you can accelerate your demonic tutor and create a powerful combo.
Format Roles

Farseek is a versatile sorcery that sees play in Commander and other formats. Its primary impact lies in its ability to search for and add a land of any color to the battlefield, providing a flexible way to develop your mana base.

Commander

In Commander, Farseek is considered competitive as it allows players to easily find lands they need to cast their commander or other spells. It's often played in combo decks that seek to quickly establish a strong mana advantage. For example, a deck featuring Grafd Draal and Sram, Senior Edificer can use Farseek to find the necessary lands for a powerful combo.

Farseek is particularly useful in mono-green Commander decks, where it can be used to find additional green sources of mana. However, its versatility also makes it appealing to multi-color decks that want to avoid committing to specific land types early on.

Competitive Play

In modern and standard formats, Farseek's impact is more muted due to the prevalence of more targeted land manipulation spells like Fetch Lands or Shattering Blow. However, it still sees play in some Commander and Pauper decks that rely heavily on flexible mana development.

Casual Play

Farseek remains a popular choice for casual players due to its simplicity and versatility. It's an excellent addition to any deck seeking to develop a strong mana base without committing to specific land types. Its low mana cost makes it easily accessible, even for newer players.

Banned or Overlooked

Farseek is not banned in any format but is often overlooked in favor of more targeted land manipulation spells. However, its versatility and flexibility make it an attractive choice for players seeking a simple way to develop their mana base without sacrificing adaptability.

Overall, Farseek is a solid inclusion in Commander decks that value flexible mana development and can find lands quickly. Its casual appeal stems from its ease of use and broad applicability across various deck archetypes.

Key Scenarios

Key Scenarios & Matchups for Farseek

Farseek is a versatile sorcery that excels in various Commander and multiplayer scenarios.

Mana fixing in aggressive decks

In aggressive green decks, Farseek pairs well with cards like Tarmogoyf and Golgari Findbroker. By searching for a basic land, Farseek helps fix mana more efficiently, allowing the deck to play more aggressive spells. Against slower decks, this can lead to an early game advantage.

Board presence in control decks

In control green decks, Farseek complements cards like Scour from Existence and Abrupt Decay. By searching for a basic land, Farseek provides a way to disrupt opponents' plans by allowing the deck to play more efficient removal spells. Additionally, Farseek's ability to put lands onto the battlefield tapped can help maintain control of the board.

Combos in mono-green decks

In mono-green decks, Farseek is often used to search for Llanowar Elves or other mana accelerants. When paired with cards like Boros Charm and Vines of Vastwood, Farseek can help enable aggressive plays by searching out the necessary mana sources.

Matchups against artifact-heavy decks

Farseek struggles in matchups against artifact-heavy decks, such as those featuring Atraxa, Praetors' Voice. These decks often have access to removal spells that can destroy Farseek or its searched lands. Additionally, the sheer number of artifacts on the battlefield can make it difficult for Farseek's ability to be effective.

Matchups against graveyard-heavy decks

Farseek also struggles in matchups against graveyard-heavy decks, such as those featuring Golgari Grave-Troof. These decks often have access to cards like Sanguine Bond, which can prevent Farseek from being cast.

History & Meta

History of Farseek

Farseek, a rare sorcery from the Fifth Dawn set (F13), allows players to search their library for any Plains, Island, Swamp, or Mountain card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. This card has had several printings throughout its history.

  • Printings: In addition to its initial printing in Fifth Dawn, Farseek has been reprinted in several sets, including Champions of Kamigawa (CK), Dissension (DIS), Guilds of Ravnica (GRN), and Dominaria United (DU).
  • EDHREC Stats: As of the latest data, Farseek holds a rank of 24 on EDHREC, indicating its popularity in Commander decks. This is not surprising, given its ability to generate card advantage.
  • Tournament Presence: While Farseek has seen play in various formats over the years, it's most commonly found in Commander and casual games due to its simplicity and versatility.
  • Iconic Decks: Farseek often appears in decks that focus on ramping up mana to cast powerful spells or generating card advantage. It's a staple in some popular Commander archetypes, such as Mono-Green Stompy and Rakdos Midrange.

Farseek remains a valuable addition to any deck that relies on green mana, providing an efficient way to accelerate the player's mana development and create a robust board presence.

Flavor & Lore

In the verdant expanse of the vast plane, where ancient forests stretch towards the sky and forgotten ruins whisper secrets to the wind, Farseek holds a special place. This rare sorcery is an extension of the natural balance that pervades this world. By tapping into the primal forces that shape reality, the caster seeks to augment their deck's potential.

The act of searching for a Plains, Island, Swamp, or Mountain card mirrors the seeker's journey through the plane. They venture into uncharted territories, seeking answers and resources. Just as explorers must adapt to the harsh conditions they encounter, the caster must be prepared to respond to whatever cards are found. This synergy with the environment is a hallmark of this world's connection to nature.

Farseek's ability can be used in conjunction with other cards that manipulate card advantage, such as Tolaria West or Rite of Flight. By augmenting their library's potential and drawing upon the diverse array of lands available, players can expand their strategic possibilities. This synergy underlines the card's role as a support tool for more aggressive or evasive strategies.

The Farseek's flavor is reminiscent of cards like Luminarch Ascension from the same set, which also emphasizes the importance of the plane's natural forces in shaping reality.

Budget/Alternatives

Budget-friendliness and Reprint Status

Farseek, a rare sorcery from the F13 set, has seen significant price fluctuations over the years. Its foil version currently costs around 9.10 USD, while its non-foil version is not listed in the provided data. Considering its rarity and relatively low mana cost of {1}{G}, this card's value lies more on its strategic potential rather than its budget-friendliness.

Alternative Options

For those seeking similar effects without breaking the bank, consider these options:

  • Rampant Growth: A common green sorcery from Lorwyn that provides 3 life and taps a tapped land. Its affordability and ability to accelerate mana make it an attractive alternative.
  • Llanowar Elves: An uncommon green creature from Lorwyn that allows you to tap it for mana on its upkeep. This card offers a more permanent solution for ramping up your mana than Farseek's one-time effect.
  • Explore: A common green sorcery from Khans of Tarkir that allows you to search your library for basic lands, similar to Farseek but at a lower cost and with the added benefit of being able to play them tapped.

Commander-Friendly Alternatives

In Commander formats, where budget is often a concern, cards like Nature's Claim, Primal Command, or Abundant Growth can provide similar ramping effects without the hefty price tag. These cards often come with additional benefits, such as life gain or card draw, which can further enhance your deck's overall strategy.

Keep in mind that when it comes to Commander, the value of a card often lies not just in its mana acceleration but also in its ability to contribute to a larger game plan and strategic synergy.