Rhystic

Rhystic
Mechanic
Introduced	Prophecy
Last used	Prophecy
Text	… unless (someone) pays (cost).
Storm Scale	9^[1]
Statistics	132 cards 9.1% 77.3% 0.8% 3.8% 1.5% 0.8% 1.5% 1.5% 0.8% 3%
Scryfall Search
fulloracle:"unless its controller pays"

Rhystic is the unofficial name of a mechanic utilized on cards from the Prophecy expansion that have some effect unless a player pays to keep the effect from happening.

Decription

For example Withdraw is an instant that reads, "Return target creature to its owner's hand. Then return another target creature to its owner's hand unless its controller pays ." When Withdraw resolves, the targeted creature's controller may pay to stop the second part of Withdraw's effect from happening.

As with all spells and abilities, most choices (other than targets) are made on resolution, not when the spell or ability is played. For rhystic spells and abilities, this includes the choice of whether to pay the cost to stop the "unless" part of the effect.

While the mechanic looks and plays badly nowadays, the Limited format of Prophecy revolved around sacrificing lands and being penalized for having untapped lands, which meant that the average game had much fewer spare lands than normal and maneuvering into a spot where opponents couldn't pay the Rhystic tax was a realistic option.

Flavor

Flavorwise, rhystic spells are fast, cheap, reckless spells that can be easily disrupted if there is too much mana around. They were invented by Alexi, Zephyr Mage and other Jamuraan spellshapers. Alexi aided the forces of Barrin and Teferi in the Kipamu League against the invading Keldons.

The expansion symbol of Prophecy depicts crystals. These are meant to evoke the rhystic magic.^[2]

Stormscale

Mark Rosewater has stated that it is not likely that rhystic will be coming back anytime soon, if ever.^[3] It is considered a 9 on the Storm Scale.^[4]

Cardlist

The following cards have the Rhystic mechanic:

Associated cards

Similar effects (pre-/post-Prophecy)

Counterspells (pre-/post-Prophecy)

References

↑ Mark Rosewater (2016-04-30). "How was the 'Rhystic' mechanic received? Storm scale?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
↑ Brady Dommermuth (October 31, 2006). "Ask Wizards". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
↑ Mark Rosewater (April 14, 2012). "Thoughts on the rhystic mechanic?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
↑ Mark Rosewater (April 30, 2016). "How was the 'Rhystic' mechanic received? Storm scale?". Blogatog. Tumblr.

Mechanics

Keyword Abilities

Evergreen	Deathtouch Defender Double strike Enchant Equip Equip [quality] Equip planeswalker First strike Flash Flying Haste Hexproof Hexproof from [quality] Indestructible Lifelink Menace Protection Reach Trample Trample over Planeswalkers Vigilance Ward

Other	Absorb Affinity Afflict Afterlife Aftermath Amplify Annihilator Ascend Assist Aura swap Awaken Backup Banding Bands with other [quality] Bargain Battle cry Bestow Blitz Bloodthirst Boast Bushido Buyback Cascade Casualty Champion Changeling Cipher Cleave Companion Compleated Conspire Convoke Craft Crew Cumulative upkeep Cycling [Type]cycling Dash Daybound Nightbound Decayed Delve Demonstrate Dethrone Devoid Devour Devour [type] Disguise Disturb Dredge Echo Embalm Emerge Encore Enlist Entwine Epic Escalate Escape Eternalize Evoke Evolve Exalted Exploit Extort Fabricate Fading Fear Flanking Flashback Forecast Foretell Fortify For Mirrodin! Freerunning Frenzy Fuse Graft Gravestorm Haunt Hidden agenda Double Agenda Hideaway Horsemanship Improvise Infect Ingest Intimidate Jump-start Kicker Multikicker Landwalk Level up Living Metal Living weapon Madness Melee Mentor Miracle Modular More Than Meets the Eye Morph Megamorph Mutate Myriad Ninjutsu Commander Ninjutsu Offering Outlast Overload Partner Choose a Background Doctor's Companion Friends forever Partner with [name] Persist Phasing Plot Poisonous Prototype Provoke Prowess Prowl Rampage Ravenous Read ahead Rebound Reconfigure Recover Reinforce Renown Replicate Retrace Riot Ripple Scavenge Shadow Shroud Skulk Solved Soulbond Soulshift Space sculptor Spectacle Splice Split second Spree Squad Storm Sunburst Surge Suspend Toxic Training Transfigure Transmute Tribute Umbra armor Undaunted Undying Unearth Unleash Vanishing Visit Wither

Keyword Actions

Evergreen	Activate Attach Cast Counter Create Double Destroy Discard Exchange Exile Fight Goad Mill Play Reveal Sacrifice Scry Search Shuffle Tap Untap

Other	Abandon Adapt Amass Assemble Bolster Clash Cloak Collect evidence Connive Convert Detain Discover Exert Explore Face a villainous choice Fateseal Incubate Initiative Investigate Learn Manifest Meld Monstrosity Open an attraction Planeswalk Populate Proliferate Regenerate The Ring Tempts You Roll to visit your attractions Saddle Set in motion Support Surveil Suspect Time Travel Transform Venture into the dungeon Venture into [Quality] Vote

Ability words

Other

Digital only	Backbone Boon Conjure Draft Double team Heist Incorporate Intensity Not the starting player Perpetually Seek Spellbook Specialize Unstoppable

Miscellaneous	Ante Batching Historic Modified Outlaw Party Biting Committing a crime Divvy Dice rolling Energy Flipping a coin Monarch Predefined token Radiation Rhystic

Acorn	Art menace Rampage Augment Ban Blurry Combine Coolness Crank‎ Denimwalk Family gathering Gear Up Gobble Gotcha Hide Install Just a second Knightlifelink Last strike Rangeling Reassemble Stare down Super haste Switch Triple strike Typelink Undeathtouch Uninstall Wrap

Playtest	Aggressive Bank Challenge Curse First strike Four-faced Interplanar Kinfall Landship Legacy Megalegendary Motivate Ransom Reflect Requirement Miracle Scrycast Spark Spellmorph Tasty Token card Underdog Upgrade

Unreleased	Double-tap Forbidden Glorify‎ Hieroglyphics‎ Link Mummify‎ Reckless Unique‎

Former	Bury Landhome Substance

See also	List of Acorn mechanics List of deprecated mechanics List of obsolete terminology List of unreleased mechanics Storm Scale

Contents

Decription

Flavor

Stormscale

Cardlist

References

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Rhystic

Decription

Flavor

Stormscale

Cardlist

References

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