Psychic Impetus is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and is goaded. (It attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than you if able.) Whenever enchanted creature attacks, you scry 2.
Complete guide
Psychic Impetus is a versatile Blue Aura that turns an opponent's creature into a relentless threat while fueling your own strategy. By goading the enchanted creature, you force your opponents to fight each other while you reap the benefits of foresight. It is the perfect tool for political maneuvering in multiplayer games.
What It Does
Psychic Impetus provides three distinct effects. First, it grants the enchanted creature a +2/+2 stat boost. Second, it applies the Goad keyword, forcing the creature to attack each combat if able and to attack a player other than you if possible. Finally, it features a triggered ability that allows you—the controller of the Aura—to scry 2 whenever that creature attacks.
Resolving the Goad Trigger
Goading creates a requirement for the creature to attack during its controller's declare attackers step. If the creature is untapped and able to attack, its controller must choose an opponent other than you to attack. If there are no other players available (such as in a one-on-one game or if only you and the controller remain), the creature must still attack you if able. Note that being goaded is not an ability the creature 'has'; even if the creature loses all abilities, the requirement from the Aura still persists.
Common Mistakes
A frequent point of confusion is who gets to scry. The ability 'Whenever enchanted creature attacks, you scry 2' refers to the controller of Psychic Impetus, not the controller of the creature. Additionally, goading does not force a player to pay costs. If an effect prevents a creature from attacking unless a cost is paid, the controller is not required to pay that cost to satisfy the goad requirement.
When to Play It
This Aura is best played on an opponent's creature that has high toughness or evasion, ensuring it survives combat to trigger the scry ability multiple times. It is also an effective defensive tool to remove a problematic attacker from your doorstep, redirecting that damage toward your other opponents.
Interaction examples
PropagandaIf you control Propaganda and enchant an opponent's creature with Psychic Impetus, the creature is goaded. In a multiplayer game, the creature must attack a player other than you. If you are the only other player left, the creature's controller is not forced to pay the {2} mana required by Propaganda. If they choose not to pay, the creature simply does not attack you, as the goad requirement cannot be met.
Rhystic StudyWith Rhystic Study on the battlefield, you are already taxing your opponents' spells. By enchanting their best creature with Psychic Impetus, you force them to attack. Every time they do, you scry 2, allowing you to filter your deck to find more control pieces like Rhystic Study or protection spells to maintain your lead.
If you enchant an opponent's creature and it is currently their turn, they must check if the creature can attack. If the creature has summoning sickness and does not have haste, the goad effect does nothing that turn. However, once the creature is able to attack, they must declare it as an attacker against one of your other opponents. The moment they do, you look at the top two cards of your library and choose to put them on the top or bottom.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Psychic Impetus
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If, during a player's declare attackers step, a creature that player controls that's been goaded is tapped, is affected by a spell or ability that says it can't attack, or hasn't been under that player's control continuously since the turn began (and doesn't have haste), then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having a creature attack a player, its controller isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack that player.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If the creature doesn't meet any of the above exceptions and can attack, it must attack a player other than the controller of the spell or ability that goaded it if able. If the creature can't attack any of those players but could otherwise attack, it must attack a planeswalker an opponent controls, a battle an opponent controls, or a player who goaded it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Being goaded isn't an ability the creature has. Once it's been goaded, it must attack as detailed above even if it loses all abilities.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Attacking with a goaded creature doesn't cause it to stop being goaded. If there is an additional combat phase that turn, or if another player gains control of it before it stops being goaded, it must attack again if able.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature you control has been goaded by multiple opponents, it must attack one of your opponents that hasn't goaded it, as that fulfills the maximum number of goad requirements. If a creature you control has been goaded by each of your opponents, the creature must attack an opponent (rather than a planeswalker or battle), but you choose which opponent it attacks.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
Psychic Impetus causes you to scry 2, not the attacking creature's controller.
No other card is named in this ruling.
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Meta decks with Psychic Impetus
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