diff --git a/app/(ui)/search/page.tsx b/app/(ui)/search/page.tsx
index 757e78f..ea768ed 100644
--- a/app/(ui)/search/page.tsx
+++ b/app/(ui)/search/page.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 import { Suspense } from "react";
 import { connection } from "next/server";
 import { Eyebrow } from "@/components/ui/eyebrow";
-import { searchCards } from "@/lib/search/card-search";
-import { searchCardsBySyntax } from "@/lib/search/card-search";
+import { getDefaultCards, searchCards, searchCardsBySyntax } from "@/lib/search/card-search";
 import { parseSyntax } from "@/lib/search/syntax-parser";
 import { SearchForm } from "@/app/_components/search/search-form";
 
@@ -34,6 +33,7 @@ async function SearchResults({
   const limit = Math.min(parseInt(limitParam ?? "60", 10) || 60, 120);
 
   let results: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof searchCards>> = [];
+  let isDefault = false;
 
   if (query || colors.length || types.length) {
     if (searchMode === "syntax") {
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ async function SearchResults({
       }
     }
     // AI mode: results handled client-side via server action, no SSR results
+  } else {
+    results = await getDefaultCards();
+    isDefault = true;
   }
 
   return (
@@ -59,6 +62,7 @@ async function SearchResults({
       initialTypes={types}
       initialResults={results}
       initialCount={results.length}
+      isDefault={isDefault}
     />
   );
 }
diff --git a/app/_components/search/__tests__/search-form.test.tsx b/app/_components/search/__tests__/search-form.test.tsx
index 2775982..dddbf53 100644
--- a/app/_components/search/__tests__/search-form.test.tsx
+++ b/app/_components/search/__tests__/search-form.test.tsx
@@ -105,4 +105,23 @@ describe("SearchForm", () => {
     const href = replaceMock.mock.calls.at(-1)![0];
     expect(href).toContain("q=bolt");
   });
+
+  it("shows 'Browse cards — search to filter' label when isDefault is true in simple mode", () => {
+    renderForm({ isDefault: true, initialMode: "simple" });
+
+    expect(screen.getByText(/browse cards — search to filter/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("does not show browse label when isDefault is false", () => {
+    renderForm({ isDefault: false, initialMode: "simple" });
+
+    expect(screen.queryByText(/browse cards — search to filter/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText(/sorted by relevance/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("does not show browse label in AI mode even when isDefault is true", () => {
+    renderForm({ isDefault: true, initialMode: "ai" });
+
+    expect(screen.queryByText(/browse cards — search to filter/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/app/_components/search/search-form.tsx b/app/_components/search/search-form.tsx
index 2dbec93..1334452 100644
--- a/app/_components/search/search-form.tsx
+++ b/app/_components/search/search-form.tsx
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ interface SearchFormProps {
   initialTypes: string[];
   initialResults: CardSearchResult[];
   initialCount: number;
+  isDefault?: boolean;
 }
 
 // ── Component ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ export function SearchForm({
   initialTypes,
   initialResults,
   initialCount,
+  isDefault = false,
 }: SearchFormProps) {
   const router = useRouter();
   const pathname = usePathname();
@@ -231,11 +233,13 @@ export function SearchForm({
           {initialMode === "ai" && !aiTranslated ? "Waiting for prompt" : `${displayCount} result${displayCount !== 1 ? "s" : ""}`}
         </Eyebrow>
         <span className="font-mono text-[11px] text-muted-foreground/60">
-          {initialMode === "syntax"
-            ? "scryfall-syntax mode"
-            : initialMode === "ai"
-              ? "natural language → syntax"
-              : "sorted by relevance"}
+          {isDefault && initialMode !== "ai"
+            ? "Browse cards — search to filter"
+            : initialMode === "syntax"
+              ? "scryfall-syntax mode"
+              : initialMode === "ai"
+                ? "natural language → syntax"
+                : "sorted by relevance"}
         </span>
       </div>
 
diff --git a/docs/runbook/postgres.md b/docs/runbook/postgres.md
index 1dadd03..a6abdde 100644
--- a/docs/runbook/postgres.md
+++ b/docs/runbook/postgres.md
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ Capture `EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, BUFFERS, FORMAT TEXT)` for each query after a warm ca
 | Card name search — 1-token (e.g. `"bolt"`) | `lib/search/card-search.ts:67` |
 | Card name search — 4-token (e.g. `"sol ring ramp elf"`) | `lib/search/card-search.ts:134` |
 | Commander-eligible name search (`?commander=1`) — adds un-indexed `ILIKE` on `type_line`/`oracle_text` | `lib/search/card-search.ts:44` |
-| Exact-name resolve (EDHREC suggestions, `= ANY` + DFC `LIKE ANY` fallback) | `lib/search/card-search.ts:251` |
+| Default-state browse — first 25 cards alphabetically (`LATERAL` join for image, `ORDER BY c.name`) | `lib/search/card-search.ts:242` |
+| Exact-name resolve (EDHREC suggestions, `= ANY` + DFC `LIKE ANY` fallback) | `lib/search/card-search.ts:296` |
 | `getDeckById` | `lib/deck/queries.ts:404` |
 | `getPublicDecksWithPreview` with `?page=2` | `lib/deck/queries.ts:279` |
 | Diff upsert — Card batch insert + update loop | `workflows/scryfall/steps.ts:213–240` |
diff --git a/lib/search/__tests__/card-search.test.ts b/lib/search/__tests__/card-search.test.ts
index 1b09e0a..33111f9 100644
--- a/lib/search/__tests__/card-search.test.ts
+++ b/lib/search/__tests__/card-search.test.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ vi.mock("@/lib/db", () => ({
 import { cacheTag } from "next/cache";
 import { prisma } from "@/lib/db";
 import { type ParsedWhere } from "../syntax-parser";
-import { findCardsByNames, searchCards, searchCardsBySyntax } from "../card-search";
+import { findCardsByNames, getDefaultCards, searchCards, searchCardsBySyntax } from "../card-search";
 
 const mockQueryRaw = vi.mocked(prisma.$queryRaw);
 const mockCacheTag = vi.mocked(cacheTag);
@@ -377,3 +377,53 @@ describe("findCardsByNames", () => {
     expect(fallback.values).toContainEqual(["100\\%\\_Borrowed // %"]);
   });
 });
+
+describe("getDefaultCards", () => {
+  it("queries the database and returns mapped CardSearchResult rows", async () => {
+    mockQueryRaw.mockResolvedValue([RAW_ROW] as never);
+
+    const result = await getDefaultCards();
+
+    expect(mockQueryRaw).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(result).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(result[0]).toEqual({
+      id: 1,
+      name: "Lightning Bolt",
+      mainType: "INSTANT",
+      typeLine: "Instant",
+      manaCost: "{R}",
+      imageUri: "bolt.jpg",
+      legalities: { modern: "legal" },
+      gameChanger: true,
+      colorIdentity: ["R"],
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("tags cache with 'card-search'", async () => {
+    mockQueryRaw.mockResolvedValue([RAW_ROW] as never);
+
+    await getDefaultCards();
+
+    expect(mockCacheTag).toHaveBeenCalledWith("card-search");
+  });
+
+  it("applies null-safe fallbacks for legalities, gameChanger, colorIdentity", async () => {
+    mockQueryRaw.mockResolvedValue([
+      { ...RAW_ROW, legalities: null, game_changer: null, color_identity: null },
+    ] as never);
+
+    const [row] = await getDefaultCards();
+
+    expect(row?.legalities).toEqual({});
+    expect(row?.gameChanger).toBe(false);
+    expect(row?.colorIdentity).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("returns empty array when no rows returned", async () => {
+    mockQueryRaw.mockResolvedValue([] as never);
+
+    const result = await getDefaultCards();
+
+    expect(result).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/lib/search/card-search.ts b/lib/search/card-search.ts
index 259eb23..fe8f6ab 100644
--- a/lib/search/card-search.ts
+++ b/lib/search/card-search.ts
@@ -230,6 +230,51 @@ export async function searchCardsBySyntax(
   }));
 }
 
+/**
+ * Return a representative sample of cards for the default (no-query) search state.
+ * Results are cached for a day so the empty-state load is free.
+ */
+export async function getDefaultCards(limit = 25): Promise<CardSearchResult[]> {
+  "use cache";
+  cacheLife("days");
+  cacheTag("card-search");
+
+  const rows = await prisma.$queryRaw<RawCardRow[]>(Prisma.sql`
+    SELECT
+      c.id,
+      c.name,
+      c.main_type,
+      c.type_line,
+      c.mana_cost,
+      c.legalities,
+      c.game_changer,
+      c.color_identity,
+      p.image_uri
+    FROM card c
+    INNER JOIN LATERAL (
+      SELECT image_uri
+      FROM printing
+      WHERE card_id = c.id
+      ORDER BY id ASC
+      LIMIT 1
+    ) p ON true
+    ORDER BY c.name
+    LIMIT ${limit}
+  `);
+
+  return rows.map((row) => ({
+    id: row.id,
+    name: row.name,
+    mainType: row.main_type,
+    typeLine: row.type_line,
+    manaCost: row.mana_cost,
+    imageUri: row.image_uri,
+    legalities: (row.legalities ?? {}) as Legalities,
+    gameChanger: row.game_changer ?? false,
+    colorIdentity: row.color_identity ?? [],
+  }));
+}
+
 /** Upper bound on names resolved per call — bounds the IN-list and result size. */
 const MAX_NAMES = 500;