The Storm Scale is a list created by legendary MTG designer Mark Rosewater that depicts how likely a specific MTG mechanic is to make a return. While some mechanics, like Flying or Menace, are essentially guaranteed to appear in any set, other mechanics can be rather harmful to Magic’s ecosystem. Take Dredge, for example. The Dredge mechanic can create broken interactions that supersede many different designs in a set, especially in formats like Standard. As a result, Dredge has a Storm Scale rating of 10, the highest possible, meaning it is unlikely to return in a future set.
As you may have noticed, the Storm Scale was named after a controversial mechanic. Storm is one of the most powerful MTG mechanics to grace the game. Creating a copy of the Storming spell for each card cast previously in the turn, Storm can turn even the most innocent-looking spells into game-ending monstrosities. This mechanic gives rise to un-interactive combo decks that take incredibly long turns. Many players find this kind of gameplay unenjoyable. As a result, as you may expect, Storm has a Storm Scale rating of 10.
Despite this, Storm has been appearing surprisingly often in Standard-legal MTG sets recently. Ral, Crackling Wit, for instance, featured Storm, although it was made incredibly difficult to access. Thankfully, Ral didn’t end up causing problems, but now a Tarkir: Dragonstorm card just has plain-old Storm on it! This caused MTG players to ask Rosewater some questions.
Storm is Back! Why?
Stormscale Scion is one of the most exciting Tarkir: Dragonstorm cards to be spoiled so far. Ironically, it even has Stormscale in its name. Any Dragon deck capable of even getting a few Storm triggers from this card will want to use it. A Dragon lord that can create extra copies of itself on the stack is bound to get out of hand with some setup.
That being said, Stormscale Scion’s expensive mana value certainly holds it back. There aren’t a lot of ways to get your Storm count up in Standard without spending resources, so Stormscale Scion might not be able to impact the board early enough to make a big splash. The card does, however, combo very well with Mox Jasper.
Stormscale Scion’s potential aside, Storm has now made a full-blown return to the Standard format, and it could cause some serious trouble. Now that the mechanic has made a return, does that affect its placement on the Storm Scale? Many MTG players were eager to figure out if Storm would become a recurring theme in upcoming sets.
What Happens to the Storm Scale?
According to Mark Rosewater, Stormscale Scion doesn’t actually impact the Storm Scale at all. The Storm Scale, notably, measures how likely a mechanic is to return as a core mechanic in a future set. Storm is not a core mechanic in Tarkir: Dragonstorm.
Instead, Stormscale Scion is an example of a single cameo mechanic. This refers to a mechanic that appears on a card in an MTG set but is not a central focus of the set in general. In other words, even though Stormscale Scion has Storm, there aren’t a larger amount of Tarkir: Dragonstorm cards that have Storm. To be considered for the Storm Scale, the mechanic needs to be a core part of the set.
"Single cameo cards are a very different animal than a mechanic returning as a core part of a set’s structure."Mark Rosewater
Notably, the Storm Scale was made before the existence of cameo mechanics graced Magic: The Gathering. This means that cases like Stormscale Scion weren’t even considered when the Storm Scale was created.
Will Storm Ever Return as a Core Mechanic?
How likely is Storm to appear as a core mechanic in a future MTG set? Well, the Storm Scale has its name for a reason. Storm maintains the highest Storm Scale rating possible: a 10. This means that Storm is among the least likely mechanics to appear as a core mechanic in an MTG set.
Honestly, this is probably for the better. While Storm hasn’t traditionally been problematic on expensive MTG cards, that story changes for cheap ones. Cheap Storm cards like Grapeshot, Weather the Storm, and others do make appearances in multiple older MTG formats. Cards like these could seriously upset Standard and are very difficult to balance.
Notably, the Storm Scale only cares about sets that are Standard legal. This means that, while Storm returning as a core mechanic in a future tentpole set is incredibly unlikely, it’s perfectly viable for a reappearance in a potential Modern Horizons 4. That said, Wizards of the Coast stated that most of their future sets would be Standard or Eternal legal, but they reserved the right to make exceptions.
So, while we may never see Storm return as a core mechanic in a Standard set with new cards, it’s never impossible. I wouldn’t get my hopes up, but players who enjoy Storming off can continue to do so with its cameo appearances.