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Mental Misstep

{U/P}

Instant

NPHNew Phyrexia#38uncommon
Banned in ModernBanned in Legacy

"Your first mistake was thinking I would let you live long enough to make a second." —Sarnvax, Gitaxian sective

Finishes
Nonfoil · Foil
Border
black
Frame
2003
Pull rate
about 2 per booster–1 in 1067
Illustrator
Erica Yang
Found in
Avacyn Restored Event Deck Humanitys Vengeance · New Phyrexia MTGO Redemption · 3 more
Printings9EDHREC rank#460
CommanderLegalModernBannedStandardNot legal
Format legality

Constructed

StandardNot legal
PioneerNot legal
ModernBanned
LegacyBanned
VintageRestricted
PauperNot legal

Commander

CommanderLegal
Pauper CommanderNot legal
Duel CommanderLegal
PreDHLegal
OathbreakerLegal
Tiny LeadersLegal

Arena

AlchemyNot legal
HistoricNot legal
TimelessNot legal
BrawlNot legal
Standard BrawlNot legal
Competitive BrawlNot legal
GladiatorNot legal

Other

PremodernNot legal
Old SchoolNot legal
Penny DreadfulNot legal
Future StandardNot legal
({U/P} can be paid with either {U} or 2 life.) Counter target spell with mana value 1.
Plays as:
CounterspellLife Outlet
Market · per finishspark updated 17m ago · prices as of 2026-08-30
Nonfoil-5.0%
$8.62
$6.48 low$1.68 gapTCGplayer
Foil+3.4%
$168.75
$159.90 low$69.90 gapTCGplayer
Cheapest playable copy$6.19· across 9 printings· view the cheapest printing ›

Rulings

7 · latest Jun 1, 2011
  • WotCJun 1, 2011

    A card with Phyrexian mana symbols in its mana cost is each color that appears in that mana cost, regardless of how that cost may have been paid.

  • WotCJun 1, 2011

    As you cast a spell or activate an activated ability with one or more Phyrexian mana symbols in its cost, you choose how to pay for each Phyrexian mana symbol at the same time you would choose modes or choose a value for X.

  • WotCJun 1, 2011

    Each Phyrexian mana symbol in a spell's mana cost contributes 1 to that spell's mana value. For example, Mental Misstep's mana value is 1, regardless of how its cost was paid.

  • WotCJun 1, 2011

    If a spell has {X} in its mana cost, X is considered to be the value chosen for it while that spell is on the stack.

  • WotCJun 1, 2011

    If you're at 1 life or less, you can't pay 2 life.

  • WotCJun 1, 2011

    Phyrexian mana is not a new color. Players can't produce Phyrexian mana.

  • WotCJun 1, 2011

    To calculate the mana value of a card with Phyrexian mana symbols in its cost, count each Phyrexian mana symbol as 1.