Drag the Canal — Sleuthing for Blood and Clues
Drag the Canal is an instant that fits neatly into control and graveyard-aware strategies from Murders at Karlov Manor. Cast it for {U}{B} to create a 2/2 white and blue Detective creature token and force an immediate board presence while you keep interaction open. If a creature died this turn the card also rewards you with life gain, card selection through surveil, and a Clue to convert into card advantage later, which makes it a compact three part payoff that intersects well with sacrifice lines and combat tricks.
The card reads like a tidy piece of procedural play rather than a dramatic flourish. Use the Detective token to block, pressure, or trigger sacrifice and death triggers. The conditional bonus for a creature dying this turn pairs cleanly with your removal, attacks, and token synergies to turn tempo into resources. Experienced players will value the timing flexibility that an instant offers and the incremental advantage from investigate and surveil when closing out games.
Card Details:
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Mana Cost – {U}{B}
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Card Type – Instant
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Subtypes –
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Card Text / Rules Text (Printed) – Create a 2/2 white and blue Detective creature token. If a creature died this turn, you gain 2 life, surveil 2, then investigate. (Create a Clue token. It’s an artifact with “2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.”)
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Power / Toughness – N/A
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Loyalty – N/A
