Rust MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	1994-06-01
Set symbol
Set name	Legends
Set code	LEG
Number	203
Frame	1993
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Liz Danforth

Key Takeaways

Rust can turn the tide in your favor, disrupting opponents and accelerating your win condition.
Playing Rust demands careful consideration due to its discard cost and specific mana need.
With the metagame in flux, Rust’s versatility makes it a potentially powerful addition to your collection.

Text of card

Counter target artifact effect, which must require an activation cost.

"How dull it is to pause, to make an end,/ To rust unburnished, not to shine in use,/ As though to breathe were life!" —Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "Ulysses"

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Rust card can disrupt your opponent’s strategy, potentially causing them to lose a crucial piece of their game plan. This interruption can lead to a card advantage as it forces them to spend additional resources to recover.

Resource Acceleration: Rust offers an effective way to deprive your opponents of their resources. By selectively targeting key artifacts or equipment, you can slow down their pace, giving you the upper hand and accelerating your own path to victory.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Rust at instant speed provides remarkable flexibility. It allows you to respond reactively to your opponent’s actions, removing their assets during their turn before they can receive the benefits, or simply use it end of their turn to maximize efficiency of your own turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Rust necessitates discarding another card to play, which can be particularly taxing on your hand size. This could lead to a situation where you must sacrifice valuable resources you might need later in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Rust comes with a requirement for a specific type of mana, which could restrict its playability to decks that are synchronized with its color identity. This limitation could discourage players from including it in more versatile or multi-colored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Considering the abilities and effects Rust offers, the mana cost is on the higher side when contrasted with other options available. Players might find alternatives that provide similar or better outcomes for a lower or more flexible mana investment, making Rust a less appealing choice.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Rust provides a flexible answer to many permanent types, able to remove artifacts or enchantments that could stand in the way of your strategy.

Combo Potential: It synergizes well with artifact-heavy playstyles, unlocking the capability to disrupt opponents or facilitate your own combo finishes with precise timing.

Meta-Relevance: With a shifting meta that frequently sees artifact and enchantment-based strategies, having Rust in your arsenal ensures you have the tools to adapt and overcome common threats.

How to beat

The Rust card can pose a unique threat to artifact-heavy strategies in Magic: The Gathering. This card, with its ability to target and destroy artifacts, can be disruptive to players who rely on those pieces significantly. Devising a plan to counteract Rust is crucial to maintaining your board’s integrity and ensuring your strategies remain unhindered.

One of the most straightforward methods to overcome the hindrance of Rust is by diversifying your asset types. Rather than putting all your eggs in the artifact basket, consider incorporating a well-balanced mix of creatures, enchantments, and instants. This reduces Rust’s potential impact and forces your opponent to make more challenging choices. Having enchantment-based artifact protection such as Indomitable Archangel or having ready counterspells like Counterspell or Negate to prevent Rust from resolving can also help fortify your position.

Playing around Rust also means being mindful of when to deploy your key artifacts. Observing your opponent’s mana and waiting for the opportune moment when they’re tapped out or when their shields are down could be critical. Ultimately, knowledge of the game, prediction of your opponent’s moves, and crafting a well-rounded deck are key tactics in overcoming the challenges Rust brings to the table.

Cards like Rust

Rust is a unique piece in the puzzle of artifact interaction within Magic: The Gathering. When considering its function, one might draw parallels with cards like Shatter, which also serves as a means to destroy artifacts. What makes Rust stand out is its delayed trigger, effectively removing an artifact from the game only at the beginning of the next turn’s upkeep, providing a slight window for opponents to respond or benefit from the artifact’s last moments.

Another similar tool in a magic player’s arsenal is Oxidize, which offers the benefit of instant artifact destruction without the chance for an opponent to make a final use of their card. Rust’s delayed effect, however, could work strategically with your own game plan, giving you the ability to plan around the artifact’s demise. Then there’s Creeping Corrosion, which sweeps away all artifacts in one fell swoop. The broader impact of Creeping Corrosion compared to the pinpoint precision of Rust caters to a more aggressive game strategy against artifact-heavy decks.

Rust’s subtle delayed timing may not have the immediate impact of some alternatives, but it presents a layer of strategy and foresight that could be advantageous in the right situation, making it a worthy consideration for decks that benefit from controlled artifact removal.

Cards similar to Rust by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rust MTG card by a specific set like Legends, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Rust and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rust has restrictions

Format	Legality
Oldschool	Legal
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Rust card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2004-10-04	Can’t be used on mana abilities because they don’t use the stack. They’ve already resolved by the time you get priority.
2016-06-08	Activated abilities contain a colon. They’re generally written “ -ost: -ffect].” Some keywords are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text.