<p>You don't need to name a card. If you need to name a card that card would say it, like with <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Cranial%20extraction">Cranial extraction</a> for example.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-01T11:30:30.007Z
Definitely unclear though isn't it? Any search "for" something without first determining what you're looking for is really just pilfering!
ProductionValues
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-02T22:12:17.580Z
@ProductionValues: Different definitions of for. "To search for" is just Magic's way of saying "look at all cards in that zone and select one".
Guvante
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-04T07:37:32.257Z
@ProductionValues seems pretty clear to me: you are looking for a card. Anything that counts as "a card" is fair game to be found by the search. If an ability said "search your library for a land card" then you could find anything that is a land card. If it said "search your library for a green creature card with converted mana cost less than 6" then you could find anything that is a green creature card with CMC less than 6. Would you argue that these are all unclear because you don't know which piece of cardboard you are allowed to get?
David Z
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-05T07:14:41.743Z
@DavidZ, yours are in deed find examples of sensible usage of the word "search". After all, the library is not known to be all lands, or known to consist of only creatures with converted mana cost less than 6. To determine if there are any, we must search. I am really curious about the nuance at play here. How would "Search your hand for a card and discard it." sound as an example? There is "Search your graveyard for a creature and put it into play." but not "Search your graveyard for a card and exile it.". It would simply read "Exile a card from your graveyard."
ProductionValues
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-01T11:14:16.970Z
2014-11-01T11:14:16.970Z
Ivo
<p>The <a href="http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Search" rel="nofollow">rules for searching</a> clarify exactly what you're supposed to do. Specifically:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>701.15a</strong> To search for a card in a zone, look at all cards in that zone (even if it’s a hidden zone) and find a card that matches the given description.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This means that option 2 is exactly what you are supposed to do.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-02T17:00:33.503Z
Let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/18351/discussion-between-murgatroid99-and-ikegami).
murgatroid99
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-01T15:56:31.950Z
2014-11-01T15:56:31.950Z
murgatroid99
<p>2 is very close.</p>

<p>You <em>must</em> look through opponent's library, then you must choose a card to exile (if possible) and exile it. The opponent must shuffle his library afterwards.</p>

<p>There's nothing odd about not being specific about what you are searching for. For example, Say you are an entrepreneur starting a business. You can say you are searching for an investor without naming an investor, and it doesn't mean you'll take the first offer that comes along.</p>

<hr>

<h2>In detail</h2>

<p>Searching is defined as follows:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>701.15a To search for a card in a zone, look at all cards in that zone (even if it’s a hidden zone) and find a card that matches the given description.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>But in this case, the ability doesn't specify a quality to match, so you are simply searching for a number of cards.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>701.15d If a player is searching a hidden zone simply for a quantity of cards, such as “a card” or “three cards,” that player must find that many cards (or as many as possible, if the zone doesn’t contain enough cards).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>As you can see, there's nothing optional about it, and at no point do you need to name a card.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-02T17:23:37.263Z
2014-11-02T17:23:37.263Z
ikegami
<p><a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Extract">Extract</a> is a Sorcery which reads:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Search target player's library for a card and exile it. Then that player shuffles his or her library.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><em><strong>Which option below, if either, is equivalent to the actual card text above?</strong></em></p>
<ol>
<li><p>Name a card, and then look through opponent's library for it. Exile a copy if any are found in the library. Opponent shuffles the library afterwards.</p>
</li>
<li><p>You may look through opponent's library; exile any card of your choice. Opponent shuffles library afterwards.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p><em>In short, do I need to know what I am looking for?</em></p>

<magic-the-gathering>
When resolving Extract, do I need to know what card I'm looking for?
ProductionValues
# When resolving Extract, do I need to know what card I'm looking for?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-11-01)

[Extract](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Extract) is a Sorcery which reads:

> Search target player's library for a card and exile it. Then that player shuffles his or her library.

***Which option below, if either, is equivalent to the actual card text above?***

1. Name a card, and then look through opponent's library for it. Exile a copy if any are found in the library. Opponent shuffles the library afterwards.
2. You may look through opponent's library; exile any card of your choice. Opponent shuffles library afterwards.

*In short, do I need to know what I am looking for?*

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering


---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-11-01. Score: 5

You don't need to name a card. If you need to name a card that card would say it, like with [Cranial extraction](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Cranial%20extraction) for example.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Definitely unclear though isn't it? Any search "for" something without first determining what you're looking for is really just pilfering!  
> **username_2**: @username_0: Different definitions of for. "To search for" is just Magic's way of saying "look at all cards in that zone and select one".  
> **username_3**: @username_0 seems pretty clear to me: you are looking for a card. Anything that counts as "a card" is fair game to be found by the search. If an ability said "search your library for a land card" then you could find anything that is a land card. If it said "search your library for a green creature card with converted mana cost less than 6" then you could find anything that is a green creature card with CMC less than 6. Would you argue that these are all unclear because you don't know which piece of cardboard you are allowed to get?  
> **username_0**: @username_3, yours are in deed find examples of sensible usage of the word "search". After all, the library is not known to be all lands, or known to consist of only creatures with converted mana cost less than 6. To determine if there are any, we must search. I am really curious about the nuance at play here. How would "Search your hand for a card and discard it." sound as an example? There is "Search your graveyard for a creature and put it into play." but not "Search your graveyard for a card and exile it.". It would simply read "Exile a card from your graveyard."  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-11-01. Score: 3

The [rules for searching](http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Search) clarify exactly what you're supposed to do. Specifically:

> **701.15a** To search for a card in a zone, look at all cards in that zone (even if it’s a hidden zone) and find a card that matches the given description.

This means that option 2 is exactly what you are supposed to do.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/18351/discussion-between-username_4-and-username_5).  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2014-11-02. Score: 2

2 is very close.

You *must* look through opponent's library, then you must choose a card to exile (if possible) and exile it. The opponent must shuffle his library afterwards.

There's nothing odd about not being specific about what you are searching for. For example, Say you are an entrepreneur starting a business. You can say you are searching for an investor without naming an investor, and it doesn't mean you'll take the first offer that comes along.

---

## In detail

Searching is defined as follows:

> 701.15a To search for a card in a zone, look at all cards in that zone (even if it’s a hidden zone) and find a card that matches the given description.

But in this case, the ability doesn't specify a quality to match, so you are simply searching for a number of cards.

> 701.15d If a player is searching a hidden zone simply for a quantity of cards, such as “a card” or “three cards,” that player must find that many cards (or as many as possible, if the zone doesn’t contain enough cards).

As you can see, there's nothing optional about it, and at no point do you need to name a card.


---

