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Glowcap Lantern

{G}

Artifact — Equipment

LCIThe Lost Caverns of Ixalan#187uncommon
Foil
Border
black
Frame
2015
Pull rate
about 1 per booster–1 in 1104
Illustrator
Irina Nordsol
Found in
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan MTGO Redemption · The Lost Caverns of Ixalan MTGO Redemption Foil · 3 more
Printings1
CommanderLegalModernLegalStandardLegal
Format legality
AlchemyNot legal
BrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
Competitive BrawlLegal
DuelLegal
Future StandardLegal
GladiatorLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
Old SchoolNot legal
PauperNot legal
Pauper CommanderNot legal
PennyNot legal
PioneerLegal
PreDHNot legal
PremodernNot legal
StandardLegal
Standard BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal
Tiny LeadersLegal
VintageLegal
Equipped creature has "You may look at the top card of your library any time" and "Whenever this creature attacks, it 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 that creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard.) Equip {2}
Equip

Plays as: Attack Trigger · Is Equipment · Topdeck Matters

Market · per finishspark updated 5h ago · prices as of 2026-07-12
Nonfoil+8.7%
$0.25
$0.01 low$0.00 gap
Foil+4.0%
$0.26
$0.07 low-$0.01 gap
Cheapest playable copy$0.25· across 1 printing

Rulings

9 · latest Nov 10, 2023 · one tap opens all
  • WotCNov 10, 2023

    If Glowcap Lantern isn't attached to a creature you control, you can't look at the top card of your library. The lantern isn't that bright.

  • WotCNov 10, 2023

    If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to explore but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still explores. If you reveal a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything, but you may put the revealed card into your graveyard. Effects that trigger "whenever a creature explores" trigger as appropriate.

  • WotCNov 10, 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.

  • WotCNov 10, 2023

    If no card is revealed, most likely because that player's library is empty, the exploring creature receives a +1/+1 counter.

  • WotCNov 10, 2023

    If the top card of your library changes while you're casting a spell, playing a land, or activating an ability, you can't look at the new top card until you finish doing so. This means that if you cast the top card of your library, you can't look at the next one until you're done paying for that spell.

  • WotCNov 10, 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.)

  • WotCNov 10, 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.

  • WotCNov 10, 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.

  • WotCNov 10, 2023

    The ability granted by Glowcap Lantern lets you look at the top card of your library whenever you want (with one restriction—see below), even if you don't have priority. This action doesn't use the stack. Knowing what that card is becomes part of the information you have access to, just like you can look at the cards in your hand.