Hakbal of the Surging Soul
Current paper retail
Card Kingdom$3.49
Cardmarket€2.04
ManaPool$1.32
TCGplayer$2.26
Buylist (dealers pay)
Card Kingdom$1.30
MTGO (Cardhoarder)
retail$2.00 tix
90-day paper retail (USD)
3 providers
This printing
SetLCC
Collector #29
Released2023-11-17
Raritymythic
ArtistTyler Walpole
LanguageEN
Layoutnormal
ScryfallOpen ↗

Hakbal of the Surging Soul

MythicColour IDMV 4
Legendary Creature — Merfolk Scout
At the beginning of combat on your turn, each Merfolk creature you control explores. (Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it's a land. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on the exploring creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard.)
Whenever Hakbal attacks, you may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield. If you don't, draw a card.
3 / 3
Keywords
Explore
Card capabilities
Card drawCreatureLegendary creature
Derived deterministically from card types, Oracle text and keywords. Not a strategic evaluation.
Format legality
Other printings
3 other English printingsEarliest 2023-11-17Newest 2023-11-17Cheapest priced $0.24 in LCC
Rulings (8)
wotc10 Nov 2023
Once an ability that causes a creature to explore begins to resolve, no player may take any other actions until it's done. Notably, opponents can't try to remove the exploring creature after you reveal a nonland card but before it receives a counter.
wotc10 Nov 2023
In some unusual cases, noncreature permanents may explore. For example, if the creature card returned by Defossilize is somehow not a creature once it's on the battlefield, it can still explore. You'll take all the same actions, and you may end up putting a +1/+1 counter on the permanent. (Note that some effects target a creature, and those effects would still require a legal target to have it explore.)
wotc10 Nov 2023
If no card is revealed, most likely because that player's library is empty, the exploring creature receives a +1/+1 counter.
wotc10 Nov 2023
Some spells or abilities might cause a creature to explore multiple times in a row. If you reveal a nonland card when a creature explores and leave it on top of your library, then the creature explores again immediately afterwards, you'll reveal the same card again.
wotc10 Nov 2023
Each of your Merfolk creatures will explore during the resolution of Hakbal of the Surging Soul's first ability. Players won't be able to respond between the explores.
wotc10 Nov 2023
If an ability instructs a creature to explore, its controller reveals the top card of their library. If it's a land card, they'll put it into their hand. Otherwise, they'll put a +1/+1 counter on that creature, then choose to either leave that card on top of their library or put it into their graveyard.
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Ranked by shared capabilities, colour identity, mana value and type — never by strategic judgement.