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Forensic Gadgeteer, art by Vance Kelly
Art by Vance Kelly · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast · image via Scryfall
Selected printing · USD
$2.06
checked Jun 14, 2026 · Scryfall
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Forensic Gadgeteer

{2}{U} · Creature — Vedalken Artificer Detective

Whenever you cast an artifact spell, investigate. (Create a Clue token. It's an artifact with "{2}, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.") Activated abilities of artifacts you control cost {1} less to activate. This effect can't reduce the mana in that cost to less than one mana.

Rulings (7)

Feb 2, 2024 · Forensic Gadgeteer's last ability affects only abilities of artifacts you control on the battlefield. The costs of activated abilities of artifact cards that work in other zones, such as cycling, won't be reduced.

Feb 2, 2024 · Some abilities trigger "whenever you sacrifice a Clue". Those abilities trigger whenever you sacrifice a Clue for any reason, not just to activate a Clue's activated ability.

Feb 2, 2024 · Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keywords are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. Triggered abilities (starting with "when," "whenever," or "at") are unaffected by the cost reduction ability of Forensic Gadgeteer.

Feb 2, 2024 · You can't sacrifice a Clue to pay multiple costs. For example, you can't sacrifice a Clue token to activate its own ability and also to activate Alquist Proft, Master Sleuth's ability.

Feb 2, 2024 · Clue is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some cards with other permanent types, it's never a creature type, a land type, or anything but an artifact type.

Feb 2, 2024 · If an effect refers to a Clue, it means any Clue artifact, not just a Clue artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Wrench to pay for Alquist Proft, Master Sleuth's activated ability.

Feb 2, 2024 · Some spells and abilities that investigate may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't create any Clue tokens.

LegacyLegal
VintageLegal
ModernLegal
PioneerLegal
StandardLegal
PauperNot legal
PremodernNot legal
cEDHLegal

Where it’s played now

Inclusion by archetype · cEDH

% of archetype's lists running it · last 30 days · n=15 decks
ArchetypeFormatInclusionCopiesDecks (n)
Marneus CalgarcEDH100%1
Kinnan, Bonder ProdigycEDH7.1%14
Data as of Jun 14, 2026 · MTGO + papercasthaven.com

Price

Forensic Gadgeteer — price trend

Daily cheapest printing · USD · last 90 days · n=2 snapshots
Data as of Jun 14, 2026 · Scryfallcasthaven.com

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