Scry
| Scry | |
|---|---|
| Keyword Action | |
| Introduced | Fifth Dawn |
| Last used | Evergreen |
| Reminder Text | Scry y (To scry N, look at the top N cards of your library, then put any number of them on the bottom of your library and the rest on top in any order.) |
| Statistics |
96 cards  39.6%  15.6%  9.4%  7.3%  7.3%  5.2%  2.1%  1%  1% Land 11.5% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| keyword:"Scry" | |
Scry is a keyword action that allows a player to look at a certain number of cards at the top of his or her library and put them back in any order.[1] It primarily features on instants and sorceries, but has also appeared on creatures, an artifact, a land and an enchantment.
History
The first cards with scry were designed by Aaron Forsythe and printed in Fifth Dawn.[2] It was then expanded on several years later in Future Sight,[3] and returned in Magic 2011 [4] and Theros block.[5] It became evergreen in Magic Origins.[6][7] When the mechanic became evergreen some older cards like Soldevi Excavations and Opt were errata'd to have the keyword.[8]
Originally scry was a keyword ability like flying or first strike. It has now been errata'd to be a "keyword action", like regenerate, attach, or counter. The original cycle of Fifth Dawn instants and sorceries with scry has been errata'd to have a period after "Scry N", indicating that it is no longer a keyword ability but an action.
According to Mark Rosewater, any color can scry 1, but scrying more is limited to certain colors.[9][10]
Rules
Rulings
- When you scry, you may put all the cards you look at back on top of your library, you may put all of those cards on the bottom of your library, or you may put some of those cards on top and the rest of them on the bottom.
- You choose how to order those cards no matter where you put them.
- You perform the actions stated on a card in sequence. Some spells with scry, e.g. all of them in in the Fifth Dawn set, have scry as the last part of their text, so scrying is the last thing you do before the spell is put into its owner's graveyard. Other cards (e.g. Read the Bones) have scry followed by another effect, so scrying is done before following the other instructions.
- Scry appears on some spells and abilities with one or more targets. If all of the spell or ability's targets are illegal when it tries to resolve, it will be countered and none of its effects will happen. You won't scry.
Examples
Reminder text
As of Theros block the latest reminder text for Scry differs depending on the number.
If N is 1 the reminder text reads as follows: "Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.".
Scry mulligan
In 2015 a change to the traditional "Paris" Mulligan was introduced using scry.[11][12] The Scry mulligan, also called Vancouver mulligan, is performed as follows: The player shuffles his or her hand back into the library, then draws a hand of one fewer card. This part might be repeated as long as the hand size is not zero. Once all players are done, their current hand becomes the opening hands. Each player with fewer cards than their starting hand size may then scry 1.
References
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- ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (September 07, 2017). "". Tumblr.
- ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (March 1, 2017). "". Tumblr.
- ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (March 1, 2017). "". Tumblr.
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ Marc Calderaro (July 31, 2015) "The Vancouver Mulligan Rule", magicthegathering.com, Wizards of the Coast.