The Stock List: Before we get to upgrades, let's look at the stock list and see what it's doing right and what could use improvement
It's hard to forgive." ILLUSTRATOR Bryan Konietzko LEGALITIES Standard Future Historic Timeless Gladiator Pioneer Modern Legacy Pauper Vintage Penny Commander Oathbreaker Standardbrawl Brawl Competitivebrawl Alchemy Paupercommander Duel Oldschool Premodern Predh Tlr LANGUAGES DE EN ES FR IT JP RULINGS 2025-10-02 Mana from firebending abilities isn't lost until you leave combat and go to your second main phase
The starter trio SIRs Blastoise ex and Venusaur ex and the Gen 1 Illustration Rares like Charmander IR and Squirtle IR also rank among the top pulls
Rhystic Study has no maintenance costs, so outside of removal, you'll hear "Will you pay the one?" for the rest of the game.
It has cumulative upkeep of 2 life, it doesn't tap for any kind of mana, you must sacrifice another land on its entering the battlefield, and you can't attack with any creatures
I could also see this as a sideboard option in a similar role that Otter Ral plays in Izzet decks