Magic of the smith/Alastor vs unique equipment

Ankha wrote:

You can always choose to "fail" a search in your library/hand/ash heap, even if an eligible card is present.

[LSJ 20010605]

LSJ wrote:

> > One more related question. Are you allowed to "not search very hard"
> > and fail to find equipment that is actually in your library? This is
> > important for a diminished library where you just want to shuffle.
>
> Or are you allowed to skip the searching at all? If you know that there's no
> equipment and everyone takes your word for it (to save time).

Yes to both. Enforcing other options is not really tenable.
You'd still have to shuffle, however, since you've still ostensibly "searched"
your library.

Note that this doesn't apply to Vast Wealth, where you must pick the first one down, which does force a self-contest (handled normally) if you hit the other copy of your Soul Gem, and not your 19 copies of Saturday Night Special.