Rust Tick
Artifact Creature — Insect
You may choose not to untap this creature during your untap step.
, 
: Tap target artifact. It doesn't untap during its controller's untap step for as long as this creature remains tapped.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Scars of Mirrodin
- Price
- $0.18
- EDHREC rank
- #25511
Rust Tick locks down one artifact or creature indefinitely as long as it stays tapped — a repeatable, colorless freeze effect that requires active resources to maintain. The catch is that you're paying one mana every upkeep to keep the lock running, which makes it a liability in fast games but a genuine nuisance in slower, grindier ones.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Rust Tick finds its most defensible home — longer games give the tap-lock time to matter, and artifact-heavy pods mean targets are rarely scarce. In Legacy and Vintage it's strictly outclassed by cheaper, unconditional removal and sees no competitive play. Modern has enough efficient interaction that spending a mana per turn to freeze one permanent is too slow to be relevant. Rust Tick is a colorless option, which occasionally matters for decks with strict color constraints, but that's a narrow justification at best.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.18 bulk tier
At $0.18, Rust Tick is deep bulk — you're paying for cardboard, not scarcity. It's unlikely to appreciate given its narrow role and the abundance of better removal at similar price points.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.