Lobotomy

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Lobotomy refers to the act of exiling all (or any) copies of a card generally from target player's hand, library and graveyard. It alludes to the effect of its namesake, the Tempest card Lobotomy[1], and occasionally are called extraction effects after Surgical Extraction.

Description

Lobotomy effects are primary centered in black—flavored as permanently messing with people's minds. Blue also used to be getting a decent amount, but nowadays it is solely to be found in black.[2] Urza's Destiny had a lobotomy cycle that was reprinted in Betrayers of Kamigawa. The effect is primarily a sideboard anti-combo effect, as against most decks removing one specific card is ineffectual, whereas combo decks dedicate resources towards finding particular cards. Recently, more aggressively costed Lobotomy effects are accompanied with a clause that grants the target a bonus (usually a card, sometimes a creature) if one of the named cards were in the hand. This design recognizes that the extra mana that it costs is not worth the potential for card parity by catching the card in hand.

The most famous cards are Extirpate and Surgical Extraction.

List of lobotomy cards

Last Updated for Wilds of Eldraine

Name Cost Original Set What being lobotomized
Counterbore {3}{U}{U} Shadowmoor Lobotomizes a countered spell.
Cranial Extraction {3}{B} Champions of Kamigawa Lobotomizes a nonland card of chosen card name.
Crumble to Dust {3}{R} Battle for Zendikar Lobotomizes a nonbasic land.
Deadly Cover-Up {3}{B}{B} Murders at Karlov Manor Lobotomizes a chosen card from a graveyard.
Deicide {1}{W} Journey into Nyx Lobotomizes an enchantment if it's also a God.
Dispossess {2}{B} Amonkhet Lobotomizes an artifact of chosen card name.
Eradicate {2}{B}{B} Urza's Destiny Lobotomizes a nonblack creature.
Extirpate {B} Planar Chaos Lobotomizes a chosen card, other than a basic land, from a graveyard.
Grizzled Huntmaster {1}{G}{G} Alchemy: Innistrad Lobotomizes a creature from your hand and deck.
Haunting Echoes {3}{B}{B} Odyssey Lobotomizes all cards, other than basic lands, from a graveyard.
Infinite Obliteration {1}{B}{B} Magic Origins Lobotomizes a creature of chosen card name.
Invasive Surgery {U} Shadows over Innistrad Lobotomizes a countered sorcery spell if the player has enabled Delirium.
Kotose, the Silent Spider {3}{U}{B} Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Lobotomizes a chosen card, other than a basic land, from an opponent's graveyard
Lobotomy {2}{U}{B} Tempest Lobotomizes a chosen card, other than a basic land, from a hand.
Lost Legacy {1}{B}{B} Kaladesh Lobotomizes a nonartifact, nonland card of chosen card name.
Memoricide {3}{B} Scars of Mirrodin Lobotomizes a nonland card of chosen card name.
Necromentia {1}{B}{B} Core Set 2021 Lobotomizes a card other than a basic land of chosen card name.
Pick the Brain {2}{B} Shadows over Innistrad Lobotomizes a chosen nonland card from a hand if the player has enabled Delirium.
Quash {2}{U}{U} Urza's Destiny Lobotomizes a countered instant or sorcery spell.
Reap Intellect {X}{2}{U}{B} Dragon's Maze Lobotomizes chosen up to X nonland cards from a hand.
Scour {2}{W}{W} Urza's Destiny Lobotomizes an enchantment.
Shimian Specter {2}{B}{B} Future Sight Creature that lobotomizes a chosen nonland card from a hand when deals combat damage to that hand's player.
Slaughter Games {2}{B}{R} Return to Ravnica Lobotomizes a nonland card of chosen card name.
Sowing Salt {2}{R}{R} Urza's Destiny Lobotomizes a nonbasic land.
Splinter {2}{G}{G} Urza's Destiny Lobotomizes an artifact.
Stain the Mind {4}{B} Magic 2015 Lobotomizes a nonland card of chosen card name.
The End {2}{B}{B} Wilds of Eldraine Lobotomizes a creature or planeswalker.
The Stone Brain {2} The Brothers' War Lobotomizes up to 4 copies of any card with chosen card name.
Surgical Extraction {B/P} New Phyrexia Lobotomizes a chosen card, other than a basic land, from a graveyard.
Test of Talents {1}{U} Strixhaven: School of Mages Lobotomizes a countered target or instant spell.
Thought Hemorrhage {2}{B}{R} Alara Reborn Lobotomizes a nonland card of chosen card name.
Unexpected Conversion {2}{U} Alchemy: Innistrad Lobotomizes an instant or sorcery from your hand and deck.
Unmoored Ego {1}{U}{B} Guilds of Ravnica Lobotomizes up to 4 copies of any card with chosen card name.

Acorn cards

Name Cost Original Set What being lobotomized
Look at Me, I'm the DCI {5}{W}{W} Unglued Lobotomizes a card of chosen card name to all players (including their sideboards and the battlefield). The exiled cards remain exiled until the match ends.

References

  1. Mark Rosewater (May 1, 2017). "Amonkhet Talking, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Mark Rosewater (June 5, 2017). "Mechanical Color Pie 2017". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.