Magic: The Gathering's new Reality Fracture set has introduced Sphinx's Approach, a three-mana blue instant that allows players to include any number of copies of itself in their decks. When a specific condition is met, this common card transforms into a powerful tutor spell, capable of putting a Sphinx creature directly onto the battlefield.
Normally, Magic constructs are limited to four copies of any given card, excluding basic lands. However, a lineage of cards, starting with Fifth Dawn's Relentless Rats, has bypassed this restriction. These cards, which Wizards of the Coast internally refers to as “relentless” cards, include notable examples like Shadowborn Apostle, Rat Colony, Persistent Petitioners, and Dragon's Approach. Sphinx's Approach is the first instant-speed card to join this exclusive group.
Magic head designer Mark Rosewater had previously teased the existence of such an instant before the Reality Fracture previews began. Sphinx's Approach, for one generic and two blue mana, draws two cards. Its controller can then exile the spell alongside four other copies of Sphinx's Approach from their graveyard to search their library for any Sphinx creature and put it onto the battlefield.
This mechanic closely mirrors Dragon's Approach from the Innistrad set. While Dragon's Approach involved damaging opponents before summoning a dragon, Sphinx's Approach focuses on card advantage before bringing forth a powerful Sphinx. A key difference is that Sphinx's Approach offers a functional effect—drawing two cards—even if its primary deckbuilding gimmick isn't fully realized. This provides more consistent utility compared to cards that are largely ineffective until their specific conditions are met.
The synergy potential of Sphinx's Approach is already evident, particularly with older cards. Sphinx of the Chimes, a 5/6 flyer from Return to Ravnica, normally requires discarding two nonland cards with the same name to draw four cards, a challenging feat in Commander's singleton format. With Sphinx's Approach, once four copies are in the graveyard, the next Approach can fetch Sphinx of the Chimes directly into play. Each subsequent Approach in hand can then be used to discard two cards and draw four, allowing for massive card advantage. Players have already begun exploring deckbuilding strategies incorporating this interaction in Commander and Pioneer formats.
Another potential target is Conspiracy Unraveler from Murders at Karlov Manor. This card allows its controller to collect evidence 10 instead of paying mana costs for spells. Discarding Sphinx's Approach cards can help fuel this ability, enabling other powerful spells to be cast for free from the graveyard.
While these interactions are potent, building a deck around Sphinx's Approach requires a significant investment in three-mana draw spells. Casting five Approaches to enable the Sphinx payoff, for example, costs 15 mana. However, self-mill and other graveyard-focused strategies can bypass this mana cost by putting the required four copies of Sphinx's Approach into the graveyard directly. Cards that manipulate Magic's deckbuilding rules often inspire such creative and experimental strategies.
Reality Fracture is scheduled for release worldwide on October 2, with the complete card image gallery expected on September 18.