Storm Scale

The Storm Scale is a ranking of the likelihood that a given mechanic will be reprinted in a future Standard-legal set. Mechanics are ranked from 1 (very likely) to 10 (very unlikely). The scale is created and used by Mark Rosewater as his personal assessment, and is not an official policy or guarantee.

After this system proved popular, it spawned a whole series of other "Rosewater Scales". The Rabiah Scale offers analogous ratings for planes, the Beeble Scale provides ratings for creature types, the Venser Scale does it for planeswalkers, and the Gotcha Scale rates Silver-bordered mechanics.

History

The Storm Scale was created on Mark Rosewater's blog, Blogatog, in response to a question asking for the odds of cascade being reprinted "on a scale of storm-10". It is named for the storm mechanic, which Rosewater describes as the most broken mechanic ever printed, and which will almost certainly never be reprinted in a Standard-legal set.

Mark Rosewater has stated that the Scale is only a reflection of his willingness, as Head Designer, to reprint mechanics. It does not account for any actual future plans, or the opinions of other R&D members. He has also asked that it be considered a form of entertainment and taken with a grain of salt. Any rankings higher than 10 are strictly humorous.

Although the Storm Scale was originally phrased in the context of reprinting mechanics, it has since been used to ask for the likelihood of a variety of other things, including the eventual printing of known but unreleased mechanics, and new cards fitting a specific niche.

Descriptive rankings

In 2016, Mark Rosewater began writing articles about the Storm Scale on magicthegathering.com. Starting with the first such article, he offered a brief explanation of the odds represented by each numeric point on the Storm Scale.

• Level 1: Will definitely see again, most likely in the next set (evergreen)
• Level 2: Will definitely see again, but not necessarily right away (deciduous)
• Level 3: Will most likely do again, probably many times
• Level 4: Will most likely do again, but they have issues that make them less of a guarantee
• Level 5: We need to find the right place to bring it back, but I'm optimistic
• Level 6: We need to find the right place to bring it back, but I'm a little less optimistic
• Level 7: It's unlikely to return, but possible if the right environment comes along
• Level 8: It's unlikely to return, but possible if the stars align
• Level 9: I never say never, but this would require a minor miracle
• Level 10: I never say never, but this would require a major miracle
• Level 11: Never

Ratings for reprinting mechanics

Mechanic	Latest ranking	Timeline
-1/-1 counters	2	1, 2
Absorb	8	8
Adamant	5	5
Adventure	5	5
Affinity	6	4, 3, 5, 5, 6
Affinity for artifacts	8	7, 9, 9, 8
Affinity for basic lands	6	6
Afflict	7	7
Aftermath	7	7
Annihilator	9	7, 7, 8, 7, 10, 9, 9
Ante	10	9, 10, 10
Arcane	9	7, 9
Artifact creatures	1	1
Artifact lands	10	10
Augment and Host	8	8
Aura swap	6	6
Awaken	4	4
Banding	10	10, 10, 9, 10
Bands with other	11	11, 11, 11
Batching mechanics	5	5
Battalion	4	5, 4
Battle cry	4	3, 4
Bestow	7	7, 7
Bloodrush	6	6, 6
Bloodthirst	3	3
Bolster	5	4, 5
Bushido	8	8
Bushido (renamed)	4	4
Buyback	8	6, 6, 6, 8, 8, 8
Cartouches	4	4
Cartouches and Trials	8	8
Cascade	7	3, 7, 7, 7
Champion	7	6, 7
Changeling	6	5, 5, 4, 4, 5, 6
Chroma	10	6, 5, 6, 5, 10
Cipher	9	9
Clash	9	9
Clues	5	5
Cohort	8	8
Coin flipping	2	1, 2
Color changer	6	6
Colored artifacts	2	2
Colorless Matters	5	5
Companion	9	9, 9
Conspire	6	6
Constellation	5	5, 5, 5
Contraptions	9	9
Converge	6	6
Convoke	4	2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4
Cumulative upkeep	9	9
Curses	4	2, 3, 4, 4
Cycling	3	1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3
Dash	3	3
Delirium	8	7, 8
Delve	8	5, 6, 8, 8
Detain	3	5, 5, 3
Devoid	5	2, 5
Devotion	4	2, 5, 3, 3, 4, 4
Devour	6	6, 7, 6
Dice rolling	10	10
Domain	6	4, 4, 6, 6
Dredge	10	8, 10, 10, 10
Echo	8	8, 9, 8
Embalm	8	8
Embalm (on Amonkhet)	5	5
Emerge	6	6
Enchantment artifact (On Theros)	3	3
Enchantment artifact (Non-Theros Plane)	7	7
Energy	6	6, 7, 6
Entwine	6	4, 5, 6, 6
Epic	9	7, 8, 9
Equipment	2	2
Escalate	5	5
Escape	6	6, 6
Eternalize	8	8
Evoke	5	2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 5, 4, 5
Evolve	4	5, 5, 4
Exalted	4	3, 3, 4, 4
Exert	4	4
Exploit	6	6
Extort	6	6
Fabricate	6	6, 6
Fading	8	8
Fateful hour	8	7, 8
Fateseal	8	8
Fear	10	9, 10, 10
Ferocious	7	7
Flanking	7	9, 8, 8, 7
Flanking (modified)	6	7, 5, 7, 6
Flashback	3	1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3
Flip cards	10	8, 10
Flipwalkers	5	5
Flying	1	1
Food	4	4
Forecast	8	8, 8
Formidable	9	9
Fortification/Structures	9	9
Fortify	8	8
Frenzy	8	8
Fuse	4	4
Gotcha	10	10, 10
Graft	8	8
Grandeur	5	4, 5
Grind	5	5, 5
Haunt	6	9, 9, 6
Hellbent	5	5
Heroic	5	4, 5, 4, 5, 5
Hideaway	8	8
Historic	5	5
Horsemanship	9	9, 8, 9, 9, 9
Hybrid mana	1	1
Imprint	6	5, 6, 6
Improvise	5	5
Indestructible	1	1
Infect	7	2, 3, 3, 6, 5, 6, 6, 8, 6, 6, 6, 7, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7
Ingest	9	9
Inspired	9	9
Intimidate	10	9, 10, 10
Investigate	3	4, 3
Keyword counter	5	5
Kicker	3	1, 2, 4, 4, 3
Kinship	7	7
Landfall	3	1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3
Landhome	9	9
Landwalk	9	9
Legendary sorceries or instants	8	7, 6, 8
Level up	8	7, 8, 8
Living weapon	7	6, 6, 6, 7
Locus Land Type	8	8
Madness	8	8, 7, 8, 7, 8, 8, 9, 8, 8, 8
Manifest	6	6
Manland	5	5
Megamorph	9	9
Meld	7	5, 6, 7
Metalcraft	6	7, 7, 6
Mill	1	1
Miracle	8	4, 5, 5, 8, 8
Modular	8	8
Monarch	7	6, 7
Monocolor themes	3	3
Monstrosity	4	3, 3, 4, 5, 4
Morbid	5	5, 4, 5
Morph	4	3, 5, 4
Multikicker	5	5
Mutate	6	6, 6
Ninjutsu	5	7, 5
Ninjutsu (renamed)	6	6, 6
Nonbasic landwalk	9	9
Outlast	7	7
Overload	6	6
Partner with	9	9
Persist	6	3, 3, 6
Phasing	8	9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 8
Phyrexian mana	9	5, 7, 8, 9
Planeswalkers with static abilities	2	2
Poison	5	2, 6, 5
Populate	5	5, 5
Processor (tribal mechanic)	9	9
Proliferate	6	2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6
Provoke	9	7, 7, 7, 9, 9
Prowess	4	4, 4, 1, 4, 4
Prowl	6	6
Punch-out counters	3	3
Punisher effects	6	6
Quests	5	6, 6, 5
Radiance	9	8, 9
Raid	3	4, 3
Rally	6	6
Rampage	9	9
Rebel (tribal mechanic)	8	8
Rebound	3	3, 4, 3, 3
Recover	7	6, 7
Regenerate	10	10
Renown	4	4
Replicate	5	4, 5
Retrace	7	6, 7
Revolt	6	6
Rhystic	9	9
Ripple	8	8
Sagas	3	4, 3, 3
Samite Healer prevention effect	7	7
Scavenge	4	4
Scry	1	1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1
Shadow	7	6, 7, 9, 7
Shroud	9	9
Skulk	7	7, 7
Slivers (symmetric)	10	10
Slivers (tribal mechanic)	3	1, 2, 2, 3
Snow	7	7, 7, 7
Soulbond	8	5, 7, 6, 8
Spellshaper (tribal mechanic)	8	4, 5, 8
Spike (tribal mechanic)	6	6, 6
Splice	8	8, 8
Split second	7	7, 8, 8, 7, 7, 7
Storm	10	10, 10
Strive	8	8
Substance	10	10
Sunburst	9	9
Support	6	6
Surge	4	4
Suspend	9	9, 8, 9, 9, 8, 9, 8, 8, 7, 8, 8, 9
Threshold	7	8, 9, 8, 8, 9, 7, 7
Totem armor	5	4, 3, 5
Transfigure	9	9
Transform	4	1, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4
Transmute	9	9
Traps	6	6
Treasure	2	2
Trials	6	6
Tribal (type)	9	9, 9
Tribute	8	8
Two-brid mana	6	2, 3, 5, 6
Typecycling	8	8
Undying	5	4, 4, 5
Unearth	5	2, 4, 3, 5
Unleash	4	4
Untap symbol	9	9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 8, 9, 9
Vanishing	7	7
Vehicles	2	2
Voting	10	10
Wither	5	3, 3, 4, 5
World (supertype)	8	8, 9, 10, 9, 8

Other Storm Scale requests

Although originally used for evaluating the odds of mechanics being reprinted, the Storm Scale has evolved into a catch-all for asking for the odds of anything being printed, including entirely novel cards, mechanics, and themes.

New mechanics

• The "E" mechanic, which had previously been mentioned by that name only, was rated at a 5 in August 2014. It was later revealed to be energy counters, and printed for the first time, in Kaladesh.
• Spells requiring two cards, like Unglued's B.F.M. (Big Furry Monster), were ranked at a 7 in March 2013. A similar mechanic, by the name of link, was known to have been scrapped from the design of New Phyrexia. A mechanic matching this description, meld, was finally printed in Eldritch Moon.
• Turning cards face-down, outside of the morph mechanic, was rated at 6. Manifest and megamorph have since used face-down cards, as has Tezzeret, Cruel Machinist.
• Further cards in the vein of Ghostfire were rated at 6. This space was later explored with the devoid cards in Battle for Zendikar block.
• Inserting cards into another player's deck was rated at 10 on the Storm Scale.
• Lands that can be played during an opponent's turn are rated at 10.
• A sixth color is rated at 9.
• A (not U) mana symbol is also rated at 9.

Creature types

Characteristic tribal mechanics are listed in the table above.

Specific cards

Reprints

• Angelic Destiny was rated a 4.
• Baneslayer Angel was rated a 3. Lyra Dawnbringer was later printed in Dominaria with much of the same effect, and Baneslayer itself was reprinted in Core 2021.
• Birds of Paradise was rated a 6.
• Dark Ritual was rated a 10. Multiple times. Even if colorshifted to red.
• Doubling Season was rated a 10, due to the strength of its interaction with planeswalkers.
• Giant Growth was rated a 2. It was later reprinted in War of the Spark.
• Healing Salve was rated a 6.
• Isochron Scepter was rated a 4.
• Lightning Bolt was previously rated a 2, but more recently rated an 8.
• The Laces were rated an 8.
• Maro was rated either a 3 or a 4.
• Mishra's Factory was rated a 9.
• Mother of Runes was rated an 8.
• The Future Sight Pact cycle, including cards such as Pact of Negation, was rated a 7.
• Pain lands were rated a 5. The enemy-colored variants were reprinted in Magic 2015 - the largest barrier is likely the fact that six of the ten have Dominarian names.
• Path to Exile was rated a 5.
• Shichifukujin Dragon was rated a 10.
• Skullclamp was rated "as 10 as they get".
• Storm Crow was rated a 1.
• Swords to Plowshares was rated a 10.
• Sylvan Library was rated a 10. As a new card in the right colors, it rates a 5.
• Volcanic Hammer was rated a 3.
• Winter Orb was rated a 9.

New cards

• A new variant of Jace was rated a 1. The fifth iteration of Jace was Jace, The Living Guildpact and has semi-regular printings since.
• A new bear lord was rated a 3. Ayula, Queen of Bears is a bear Lord from Modern Horizons.
• A goblin planeswalker was rated a 5. Since then, Daretti, Scrap Savant and Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast were released in Commander 2014 and Conspiracy: Take the Crown respectively.
• Further land creatures, like Dryad Arbor, were rated a 9.
• A new mox was rated a 4. Since then, Mox Amber has been printed in Dominaria and Mox Tantalite in Modern Horizons.
• A new lotus was rated an 8. Nyx Lotus and Lotus Field were since printed.
• A new card with negative power or toughness was rated a 4.
• More nonbasic lands with basic land subtypes were rated a 2. Since then, the Battle lands and the Amonkhet Cycling lands have been printed.
• An ooze lord was rated a 4. Since then, Biogenic Ooze was printed in Ravnica Allegiance.
• A Phyrexian planeswalker was rated a 10, as they are incapable of holding a spark.
• A card capable of removing counters from an arbitrary permanent, like Vampire Hexmage, was rated a 3. Quarry Hauler has a limited capacity to do so.
• Planeswalker cards for Serra and Urza were rated a 10, due to both characters being definitively dead. However, since that response, Commander 2014 was released, featuring planeswalker and creature cards for several similarly deceased characters. In addition, the card Urza, Academy Headmaster was later released in Unstable, and Serra the Benevolent in Modern Horizons.
• Sorceries that can be cast at instant-speed for a higher cost were rated a 5.
• Timeshifted legendary creatures were rated a 10.
• A vanilla rare or mythic rare creature was rated a 1. Since then, Infinity Elemental was released in Unstable. In Core Set 2019, Gigantosaurus was the first vanilla rare in black border released for a decade (last seen with Indomitable Ancients in Morningtide).
• A wall without defender was rated a 10.
• Named token makers like Goldmeadow Lookout and Llanowar Mentor was rated about an 8. While several legendary-token makers have been printed (Verix Bladewing, Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves), Ajani, Strength of the Pride is an card that made a token that existed as a previous card.
• New Titans were rated a 4, or a 7 at the original power. The definition for this is vague; Mythic rarity cycles of non-legendary, high-costed, monocolored creatures of the same creature type have been done twice before the asking date (the Souls in Magic 2015, the Gearhulks of Kaladesh) and once after (the Cavaliers of Core Set 2020). Two literal "Titans" were printed in Theros Beyond Death, complete with being 6/6 creatures with attack/entry triggers.
• Alternate win cards are a 3. Simic Ascendancy was released in Ravnica Allegiance not two months later.
• Enchantment creatures were rated a 4. A revisit to Theros in Theros Beyond Death supplied many more enchantment creatures, though the rating would later become a 5.,
• More red Rituals are rated a 5. Irencrag Feat was the next printed Ritual effect in Standard.
• Barry's Land is rated a 10.

Sets and themes

• An all-creature set was rated at 9.
• An artifact block was rated at 1. Since then, Kaladesh block was released.
• A block set in the past was rated at 6. Less than a year later, Fate Reforged was released.
• A block focusing on class-centric tribal synergies was rated at 5, or at 7 if that focus excluded non-class based tribal in the same set. Since then, Ixalan has been released, but only Pirates fit the definition of "class". Zendikar Rising took the Dungeons and Dragons party concept as four class tribes, each with minor support. Incidentally it has no other forms of tribal.
• Color-imbalanced sets, such as Judgment and Torment, were rated at 9 and 10.
• Revisiting Dominaria was rated at 5. Dominaria was since released in April 2018.
• An enchantment block or theme has most often been rated at 1. However, the only response following the release of Theros instead rated it at 4, and stated that a future block is more likely to use enchantments as a component, rather than the sole theme. Theros Beyond Death has enchantments as part of the flavor but the theme is less explored, again receiving a rating of 4.,},
• A goblin theme was rated at 2.
• Graveyard-matters was rated at 1. Ultimate Masters was originally designed as that set, nicknamed Immortal Masters.
  • However, graveyard order matters was rated at 10.
• Human tribal themes are rated at 1. Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths has a small Human theme that linked to token and sacrifice payoffs.
• A set with a strong sense of nostalgia, in the creative vein of Time Spiral block, was rated at 5 or 6. Dominaria had a design influence of history and folklore, and Sagas specifically referred to many events in the Weatherlight and Urza storylines
  • However, a set with more mechanical similarities to Time Spiral instead rates a 9 or 10.
• The return of the Phyrexians was rated at 2.
• A "pirate world" was first rated at 9, but has since improved in likelihood to 7 and then 6. The creative world of Ixalan block has a Tribal pirate theme, as one of four competing factions.
• A new Planechase product was rated at 5. Since then, the only release has been the reprint-only Planechase Anthology.
• Both a planeswalker-heavy and a planeswalker-less set were rated 10s.
  • However, since that War of the Spark has been released as a 36-planeswalker set, which can be considered as a "planeswalker-heavy" set.
• A return to Rabiah was rated 10 multiple times, eventually leading to the creation of the Rabiah Scale. However, a world with similar Persian-inspired themes was rated "less than 10".
• A block containing six planeswalker cards was rated a 3. Kaladesh block, and later Core Set 19, met this criterion.
• A Star Wars set was rated a 10, due to Wizards of the Coast's unwillingness to use outside intellectual property. The release of a Secret Lair with Walking Dead characters brings this closer to reality.
• A third Un-set was rated a 4. Unstable was since released in December 2017.
• More World Championship Decks were rated a 9.
• A prequel set rated a 6.

Assorted inquiries

• Another "You Make the Card" event was variously scored at a 3 or 4. These ratings predated the most recent such event. Afterwards, it became a 6.
• A change to the size of the cards was scored at an 11.
• Explicit references to the stack in card text were scored at an 8.
• Textless lands were scored at a 1.
• Textless vanilla creatures, like those printed in Future Sight, were scored at a 5.
• The promotion of an existing mechanic to evergreen was scored a 3. Since then, both scry and prowess have achieved that status, although prowess later lost it.
• Scratch-off cards scored a 9 "to keep from crushing hopes and dreams".
• White-bordered cards, like the earliest core sets, scored a 10.
• The chance of more storm scale articles was rated a 1.
• The chance of Mark Rosewater involved in a future Standard release is rated a 1. Erik Lauer is also pretty low.
• A card with an exclamation point in its' name is a 4.
• The chances of Phyrexian becoming a creature type is 10.\
  • However, Kaldheim introduced Phyrexian as a creature type , e.g., Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider.
• Cards that grant extra turns or extra combat phases are both a 4.
• Cards with a (A/B)(D) mana cost, like the Esper Stormblade of the Alara Reborn "Blade" cycle, are a 9.
• "Enchant in graveyard" is a 9.
• An edge mechanic (like Monarch) where players fight over a singular resource is a 5.