Scry & Multiply is a resource for Magic: The Gathering players who want to understand the analytical side of the game. Whether you're building a deck, making mulligan decisions, evaluating card choices, or trying to understand metagame dynamics, rigorous thinking can give you an edge.
The site covers a range of topics: probability and statistics, game theory, simulation, optimization, and whatever other analytical lenses prove useful for understanding Magic. Some articles will be math-heavy, others more conceptual. The goal is always the same: replace gut feelings with understanding.
Why "Scry & Multiply"?
The name captures two aspects of analytical thinking in MTG.
In Magic, to scry is to peek at the top of your library and decide whether to keep or bottom those cards. It's a nice metaphor for how we should approach decisions under uncertainty: observe what information you have, update your expectations, and act accordingly. Every decision in Magic involves incomplete information, and the best players are those who extract the most value from what they can see.
The "multiply" refers to how probabilities combine. When you ask "what's the chance I draw a land and a removal spell in my opener?", you're multiplying probabilities. When you count the ways to arrange a mana base, you're using combinatorics. Multiplication is everywhere in the math of Magic.
What to Expect
Articles here don't shy away from real math and theory—expect formulas, distributions, and proper terminology. But everything is explained through MTG examples and metaphors, so the concepts should click even if you haven't touched a statistics textbook. You'll find probability calculations for opening hands, expected value analyses of card choices, game-theoretic breakdowns of bluffing situations, and Monte Carlo simulations of deck performance.
The scope may expand over time. Magic is a deep game, and there's no shortage of angles to explore.
The Philosophy
Magic is a game of incomplete information and calculated risks. You can't control variance, but you can understand it. The goal isn't to remove luck from the equation—it's to make decisions that put the odds in your favor over hundreds of games. Stop guessing. Start calculating.
This site is an independent fan/educational project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro, or Scryfall. Magic: The Gathering and related trademarks are the property of their respective owners.