Scryfall MTG Card Search

Search for Magic: The Gathering cards using the Scryfall API.

API Overview

Base URL: https://api.scryfall.com

Required Headers:

headers = {
    "User-Agent": "OpenClawMTGSkill/1.0",
    "Accept": "application/json"
}

Rate Limiting: Insert 50-100ms delay between requests (max 10 req/sec).

Core Endpoints

Search Cards

GET /cards/search?q={query}

Parameters:

• q (required): Fulltext search query
• unique: cards|art|prints (default: cards)
• order: name|set|released|rarity|color|usd|tix|eur|cmc|power|toughness|edhrec|penny|artist|review
• dir: auto|asc|desc
• page: Page number for pagination

Named Card Lookup

GET /cards/named?exact={name}
GET /cards/named?fuzzy={name}

Use fuzzy for partial matches (e.g., "jac bele" → "Jace Beleren"). Add &set={code} to limit to specific set.

Random Card

GET /cards/random
GET /cards/random?q={query}

Card by ID

GET /cards/{id}
GET /cards/{set_code}/{collector_number}

Autocomplete

GET /cards/autocomplete?q={partial_name}

Returns up to 20 card name suggestions.

Search Syntax Reference

See references/search_syntax.md for the complete search syntax guide.

Quick examples:

• c:red pow=3 - Red cards with power 3
• t:merfolk t:legend - Legendary merfolk
• o:"draw a card" - Cards with "draw a card" in text
• cmc=3 r:rare - 3-mana rares
• e:dom - Cards from Dominaria
• f:standard - Standard legal cards
• usd<1 - Cards under $1

Implementation

Use the provided script for common operations:

python3 scripts/scryfall_search.py search "lightning bolt"
python3 scripts/scryfall_search.py named --exact "Black Lotus"
python3 scripts/scryfall_search.py random
python3 scripts/scryfall_search.py random --query "t:dragon"

Or make direct API calls with proper headers and rate limiting.

Card Object Key Fields

When displaying card info, prioritize these fields:

• name, mana_cost, type_line
• oracle_text, power, toughness
• image_uris.normal (for card image)
• prices.usd, prices.usd_foil
• legalities (format legality)
• set_name, rarity

For double-faced cards, check card_faces array.

Error Handling

• 404: Card not found
• 422: Invalid search query
• 429: Rate limited (wait and retry)

Always validate responses have object field; if object: "error", check details for message.