Gitaxian Probe

Gitaxian Probe was released in the 2011 Magic: The Gathering set New Phyrexia. The set depicts the final victory of the Phyrexians, a biomechanical race of perfection-obsessed zealots, as they successfully corrupted the plane of Mirrodin. Designed as a blue sorcery, the card allows a player to look at an opponent's hand and draw a card for the cost of two life, reflecting the 'Phyrexian mana' mechanic which permitted players to pay health instead of mana to cast spells, embodying the set's theme of sacrifice for power.

The card’s illustration was created by artist Christopher Moeller, who depicted a distorted, clinical scene of psychic interrogation characteristic of the Phyrexian aesthetic. While the art captured the intended atmosphere of invasive surveillance, the card became infamous for its mechanical efficiency. It saw widespread play across multiple formats, eventually leading to its restriction or ban in several environments because it provided too much information and card velocity for too low a cost, becoming a staple of competitive play during its tenure.