Probe

Probe was released in 2000 as part of the Invasion expansion for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. Developed by Wizards of the Coast, the Invasion set marked the beginning of a thematic block centered on the Phyrexians' full-scale invasion of the plane of Dominaria, a critical moment in the game's evolving narrative. As a blue sorcery card, Probe was designed to facilitate deck manipulation and card advantage by allowing players to look at the top three cards of their library, keeping one and discarding the rest, a mechanic intended to reward tactical planning during the high-stakes conflict of the story.

The artwork for Probe was created by artist Carl Critchlow, whose distinct style contributed to the unsettling, biomechanical aesthetic of the Phyrexians during this era. Critchlow was tasked with visualizing the intrusive nature of Phyrexian technology, resulting in an illustration that captures a sense of cold, analytical observation. The card was well-received by players at the time for its efficiency, finding a niche in various blue-based control decks that prioritized card selection and library management to navigate the complex landscape of the Invasion era.