In Search of Greatness is a powerful green enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that offers a unique way to accelerate your game plan without spending mana. Released in the Kaldheim set, this card caught the attention of many players for its potential to cheat mana costs and enable early threats. While its true potential is best realized in carefully constructed decks, its presence can be felt in both competitive and casual settings. Understanding how to build around this card and how it interacts with the rest of your deck is essential for maximizing its effectiveness and unlocking the full potential of green’s efficient creatures and spells.
Card Overview and Mechanics
Card Details
In Search of Greatness is a green enchantment that costs GG (two green mana) to cast. Its rules text reads:
- At the beginning of your upkeep, you may cast a permanent spell from your hand with mana value equal to 1 plus the highest mana value among other permanents you control without paying its mana cost. If you don’t, scry 1.
This effect is recurring and takes place at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. If you have the right curve in your hand and on the battlefield, In Search of Greatness allows you to cast progressively more expensive permanents for free.
Mana Efficiency and Deck Design
The enchantment demands that your deck be constructed with a careful mana curve in mind. To make the most of it, you need to ensure that at every point in the game, you have a card in hand whose mana value is exactly one higher than the most expensive permanent you control. If that condition is met, the spell becomes essentially free.
Strategic Applications
Curve-Based Value Engine
In Search of Greatness acts as a value engine if you build your deck to support it. A perfect curve enables a snowballing effect, letting you cast more and more powerful cards every turn without spending mana. This not only conserves your resources but also lets you develop your board much faster than your opponents.
Tempo and Board Advantage
Since you can cast a spell for free each turn, this enchantment provides significant tempo advantage. In aggressive or midrange decks, that can mean dropping big threats likeQuesting BeastorVorinclex, Monstrous Raiderearlier than usual. By the time your opponent catches up, you might already control the battlefield.
Deck Archetypes That Benefit
In Search of Greatness fits naturally in several types of decks:
- Mono-Green Aggro: With a well-defined curve and consistent green mana, mono-green decks can reliably benefit from its effect.
- Green Midrange: Creature-heavy decks with a range of mana values can snowball advantage if they curve correctly.
- Enchantment Synergy Decks: Since it’s an enchantment, it can support and be supported by cards that benefit from enchantments, likeSetessan Champion.
Building a Deck Around In Search of Greatness
Curve Considerations
The biggest key to success with this card is your deck’s mana curve. You want a sequence of permanents that increase in value turn after turn. An example of a good curve might include:
- 1-drop:Pelt Collector
- 2-drop:Scavenging Ooze
- 3-drop:Lovestruck Beast
- 4-drop:Questing Beast
- 5-drop:Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider
This kind of build ensures that every turn, you’ll likely have a valid target to cast for free if you’re curving properly and maintaining a healthy hand size.
Card Draw and Hand Management
Because In Search of Greatness only works if you have valid targets in your hand, card draw or selection becomes important. Cards likeThe Great Henge,Guardian Project, orVivien, Monsters’ Advocatecan help refill your hand and ensure the engine keeps running. When you can’t cast a free spell, the scry 1 still offers some value by improving your draw quality.
Multicolor Builds
While the card requires double green, it can be used in multicolor decks if your mana base supports it. In a Simic or Golgari shell, you can gain access to more diverse options likeHydroid KrasisorToski, Bearer of Secrets. In Naya or Gruul builds, the enchantment complements both aggression and ramp strategies.
Interactions and Notable Synergies
Synergy with Permanents Only
Keep in mind that In Search of Greatness only works with permanent spells. Instants and sorceries cannot be cast with this effect. Focus on creatures, planeswalkers, enchantments, artifacts, or lands that have beneficial enters-the-battlefield effects or static abilities.
Synergistic Cards
Consider the following cards to pair effectively with In Search of Greatness:
- The Great Henge Draw engine and mana ramp once on board
- Karn’s Bastion Can proliferate if you’re using counters or planeswalkers
- Stonecoil Serpent Flexible mana value for filling curve gaps
- Yorvo, Lord of Garenbrig Scales up as creatures enter
Planeswalker Acceleration
Because planeswalkers are also permanents, you can use In Search of Greatness to cheat them into play. This is especially powerful with high-impact walkers likeGarruk, UnleashedorVivien, Arkbow Ranger, giving you early control and utility without the mana investment.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Advantages
- Consistent free casting when well-supported
- Improved tempo and board presence
- Scrying provides passive card quality filtering
- Synergy with permanent-focused strategies
Drawbacks
- Requires a carefully tuned mana curve
- Doesn’t help with non-permanent spells
- Can be a dead card if hand lacks matching mana values
- Vulnerable to enchantment removal likeDisenchantorReclamation Sage
Meta Considerations
Competitive Play
In competitive environments, In Search of Greatness has seen sporadic play, mostly in Historic and Pioneer formats. It isn’t a staple, but in the right metagame, it provides a surprise advantage by enabling explosive starts and overwhelming board states. Its success depends heavily on how consistently the deck can align its permanents and hand to take advantage of the free casting each turn.
Commander Use
In Commander (EDH), the card is harder to maximize due to the singleton nature of the format. However, in mono-green or enchantment-based decks, it still provides value, especially with commanders likeGargos, Vicious WatcherorSeton, Krosan Protector. It works best in decks that maintain a high permanent count and can manipulate the top of the deck or hand size effectively.
In Search of Greatness is a fascinating green enchantment that rewards thoughtful deckbuilding and careful curve management. While it’s not a plug-and-play card for every green deck, in the right hands and under the right conditions, it offers a powerful mana advantage and accelerates gameplay to your favor. Whether you’re looking to dominate Standard or explore synergies in Commander, this card invites creative strategies and offers great potential for players seeking efficiency and tempo. Master its mechanics, build around its needs, and you may truly find greatness within your grasp.