<p>You lose when you draw a card in an empty library due to rule 104.3c:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>If a player is required to draw more cards than are left in his or her library, he or she draws the remaining cards, and then loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based action. See rule 704.)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Scrying doesn't cause you to draw cards. It only allows you to look at the top X cards of your library and put them on the top/bottom of your library. See rule 701.17a:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>To “scry N” means to <strong>look</strong> at the top N cards of your library, then put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top of your library in any order.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><em>emphasis mine</em></p>

<p>If scry made you draw it would say draw and not look.</p>

<p>source <a href="https://tappedout.net/mtg-questions/does-scrying-an-empty-library-trigger-a-loss/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">1</a> <a href="https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Scry" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-02T18:57:54.947Z
Same answer with Surveil.
aloisdg
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-02T19:51:03.317Z
It might be a good idea to mention that a scry with an empty library does nothing, but an effect that tells you to scry and also do something else still does that something else.
Arthur
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-03T14:52:36.640Z
And that anything that triggers off scrying will still trigger, even though your scry did nothing. (The same is true of shuffling a library with 1 or fewer cards in it.)
eyeballfrog
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-02T15:12:05.997Z
2020-01-30T10:05:57.560Z
2020-01-30T10:05:57.560Z
aloisdg
<p>What happens to a player if they have to scry (for whatever reason), but are unable to scry a card because their library is empty? Does scrying an empty library trigger a loss?</p>

<p>Related to <a href="https://boardgames.stackexchange.com/questions/24161/what-happens-if-you-are-unable-to-draw-because-your-library-is-empty">What happens if you are unable to draw because your library is empty?</a> </p>

<magic-the-gathering>
What happens if you are unable to scry because your library is empty?
aloisdg
# What happens if you are unable to scry because your library is empty?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-09-02)

What happens to a player if they have to scry (for whatever reason), but are unable to scry a card because their library is empty? Does scrying an empty library trigger a loss?

Related to [What happens if you are unable to draw because your library is empty?](https://boardgames.stackexchange.com/questions/24161/what-happens-if-you-are-unable-to-draw-because-your-library-is-empty)

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2019-09-02. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

You lose when you draw a card in an empty library due to rule 104.3c:

> If a player is required to draw more cards than are left in his or her library, he or she draws the remaining cards, and then loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based action. See rule 704.)

Scrying doesn't cause you to draw cards. It only allows you to look at the top X cards of your library and put them on the top/bottom of your library. See rule 701.17a:

> To “scry N” means to **look** at the top N cards of your library, then put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top of your library in any order.

*emphasis mine*

If scry made you draw it would say draw and not look.

source [1](https://tappedout.net/mtg-questions/does-scrying-an-empty-library-trigger-a-loss/) [2](https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Scry)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Same answer with Surveil.  
> **username_1**: It might be a good idea to mention that a scry with an empty library does nothing, but an effect that tells you to scry and also do something else still does that something else.  
> **username_2**: And that anything that triggers off scrying will still trigger, even though your scry did nothing. (The same is true of shuffling a library with 1 or fewer cards in it.)  

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