Pointed Discussion

For just you can potentially gain a substantial amount of life and remove a powerful card at the same time. What's not to like about it?

I agree with Vinfera, Seek is like Extract with an alternating amount of life. If you're lucky, you may remove something like the infamous Darksteel Colossus - who could be removed with Hide as well in case he is on the field.
(Unfortunately you can't cast both sides, otherwise you could put him on the bottom and then extract it afterwards)

The split card combines nicely with Isochron Scepter as well. (You'll have the possibility to choose which of both halves you want to cast each time)

killer in EDH. Two cards in one.

SEEK has become much better lately as so many decks are including one of the 10+ CMC Mythic Eldrazi. You pay 2, Exile their Emrakul, the Aeons Torn and go up 15 life. Definitely the bane of Eldrazi fanatics.

*Gasp* This + Isochron Scepter means you can tear apart your opponents library by first searching through his/her deck and removing anything that would counter/destroy the scepter/instant. Then work your way down from there e.g. broken monster. Only drawback is you run the risk of reshuffling the deck and having the card s/he wants on the top >.>

With the previously mentioned Isochron Scepter combo, you can use Seek to look at your opponent's library and then Hide to enable milling their whole deck with Tunnel Vision. Assuming, of course, they have at least one artifact or enchantment, but you'd know that by then...

Wish it let you look at the person's hand instead.

As is, it's basically just life gain. Oh, you removed one of my jaces from my deck? I still have 3 left anyway, my board position and the cards in my hand didn't change.

Seek becomes much more powerful in Commander/EDH, where card multiples are disallowed.

Hide should be the usual mode (it's a one-for-one). Seek is lifegain, and it comes in handy at times.

"Wish it let you look at the person's hand instead. As is, it's basically just life gain. Oh, you removed one of my jaces from my deck? I still have 3 left anyway, my board position and the cards in my hand didn't change."

I completely agree. With the exception of a few decks, cherry-picking one card won't matter.

Hide is nice though, for the same reason that seek isn't; the card is in your library now, where you don't have easy access to it. It's gone, even if it's indestructable.

This is a very impressive (and extremely useful) card in the legacy tournament format. A few previous players mention this is like the card Extract. Well that is correct in what the card does, although much more thought can easily be poured into the use of this card, then that of Extract. Any experienced, or competitive MtG player will easily explain the difference between an instant and a sorcery. Sorcery is designed to be a powerful spell that has a greater effect on the current battlefield. If a sorcery goes off, it will usually remove multiple targets, if not defeat your opponent(s) out right at that moment. But thats why they are designed to be played on the owner of the sorcery player's turn, allowing all other opponents to respond if they can. Now an instant will never really have the same tremendous impact on a battlefield, for they are designed to remove a single target (although there are exceptions). But in tournament format, many times it boils down to a single play that makes up the difference.

Going back to this card. This is far more versatile then your Extract. Just the fact it is an instant, that alone should already (and very easily) out weigh Extract. But now at second glance, most players would probably think... Ok sideboard. Because targeting something that may not even see play may not be the greatest strategy, especially if the opponent is not even running combo. On the other hand, If the opponent is running combo, well this card will officially allow them to understand that you truly are their father. Emrakul, Progenitus, Jin-Gitaxis (and other animators) and even a storm deck that runs only 1 tendrils. Those decks will all bleed when hit by this...

But we shouldn't stray from the fact, that targeting something that isn't on the current battlefield, or targeting the opponent's current hand, should be a main deck choice. In most cases, it would be a weak main deck choice. But now... a third glance. Gone is attached to this. Now we have a disenchant effect (ok so it doesn't destroy the card, but putting it on the bottom of the players deck isn't good enough? Not to mention, this even deals with indestructibles) I will tell you with utmost ease that 9 out of 10 legacy deck sideboards will have pithing needle at least! So disenchant effect can easily take up a few slots of any main deck. If we take it from that angle, now we get a disenchant, that can also potentially extract a card at instant speed and make up some life points, if their isn't a disenchant target. Either way this card is used, you will find it will never be in vain.

A *great* sideboard card for red-splashing Junk. Even ignoring Hide's obvious uses, Seek hoses combo decks that are self-confident enough to run one copy of their kill card, which is an absurdly common practice in Legacy.

Vs Ad Nauseam combo decks: Seek for Tendrils of Agony

Opponent: *immediately fold* ... unless they have a Burning Wish to fetch their only other Tendrils

Vs Natural Order combo decks: Seek for Progenitus

Opponent: ... :( ... especially funny if you cast Seek in response to them playing Natural Order

Vs Doomsday+Shelldock Isle combo decks: Seek for Emrakul, the Aeons Torn

Opponent: ... D: ... it's especially funny if you cast Seek *after* Doomsday resolves

I love that Seek does not require you to declare a card name; you can choose whatever you want after picking through the library. It's really funny if you can snag their only red mana source, or some such thing (Seek is rare in that it lets you snag a basic land, which in Legacy is occasionally their only basic land of that color...)

Seek + Sadistic Sacrament can remove a playset of something. (shrug)

Lots of fun corner-case applications, too. Seek also lets you see their entire library, so even if you don't seek for Force of Will you can determine if they have it in hand by counting the number of Forces you see in the library, setting up a Cabal Therapy. And unlike Extract, Seek doesn't die to Mental Misstep :)

(my new favorite trend is the emerging tendency to talk up 2cc cards which have obviously superior 1cc alternatives because the 2cc card doesn't die to Mental Misstep)

This is a good sideboard card ;)

Last night I built a Modern discard deck with Wrench Mind and Castigate in these colors. This is perfect, as it can deal with Blightsteel Colossus for me, as well as other play other roles. Once their hand is empty, I'd rather they not topdeck an Ancient Grudge to deal with the Rack.

Hide and seek, how cute.

Seek is perfect for dealing with 1 of the eldrazi lords. Hide is basic artifact/enchantment removal with some combo potential.

In terms of Modern nowadays, this card is exceptional against Wurmcoil Engine in the colours that don't have access to Degalmer, such as UWR. It is also fine against Affinity, allowing you to deal with things like Cranial Plating while also being prepared for Blood Moon if they side that in.

Hide the Theros Gods.