scryr is a lightweight wrapper around Scryfall, an amazing (and free!) Magic: The Gathering API. With scryr you can ingest card data as tidy data frames, allowing for frictionless integration with tidyverse pipelines.
Currently there are 2 main endpoints: cards and sets. The other 4 endpoints (bulk_data, catalogs, rulings, and symbols) are mostly auxiliary to the main ones.
# Start scryr and helpers
library(dplyr)
library(scryr)This endpoints is, by far, the most complex. Make sure to read scry_cards()’ full documentation before diving in! For the curious, more relevant information about cards can be found in vignette("syntax") (Query Syntax) and vignette("layouts") (Layouts and Faces).
The most important function here is scry_cards(). It returns a data frame of card data given a query:
# Legendary vampires
vampires <- scry_cards("t:vampire t:legend")
# There are many, many columns
print(vampires)
#> # A tibble: 48 × 70
#> id name set lang colors color_identity mana_cost cmc oracle_text
#> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <list> <list> <chr> <dbl> <chr>
#> 1 913dd… Anje … c19 en <chr … <chr [2]> {1}{B}{R} 3 "Haste\n{T},…
#> 2 1bfac… Anje,… vow en <chr … <chr [2]> {2}{B}{R} 4 "Whenever An…
#> 3 b8630… Anowo… voc en <chr … <chr [1]> {3}{B}{B} 5 "At the begi…
#> 4 bca84… Anowo… znc en <chr … <chr [2]> {2}{U}{B} 4 "Other Rogue…
#> 5 e811f… Arvad… dom en <chr … <chr [2]> {3}{W}{B} 5 "Deathtouch,…
#> 6 213ad… Ascen… hop en <chr … <chr [1]> {4}{B}{B} 6 "Flying (Thi…
#> 7 e5fb4… Baron… me1 en <chr … <chr [1]> {5}{B}{B… 8 "Flying\nWhe…
#> 8 487e8… Crova… tpr en <chr … <chr [1]> {2}{B}{B} 4 "Crovax the …
#> 9 2c58c… Drana… c17 en <chr … <chr [1]> {3}{B}{B} 5 "Flying\n{X}…
#> 10 31d0c… Drana… jmp en <chr … <chr [1]> {1}{B}{B} 3 "Flying, fir…
#> # … with 38 more rows, and 61 more variables: power <chr>, toughness <chr>,
#> # type_line <chr>, edhrec_rank <int>, keywords <list>, layout <chr>,
#> # legalities <list>, oversized <lgl>, reserved <lgl>, oracle_id <chr>,
#> # mtgo_id <int>, multiverse_ids <list>, tcgplayer_id <int>,
#> # cardmarket_id <int>, uri <chr>, scryfall_uri <chr>, rulings_uri <chr>,
#> # prints_search_uri <chr>, artist <chr>, artist_ids <list>, booster <lgl>,
#> # border_color <chr>, card_back_id <chr>, collector_number <chr>, …Note that many columns are list-columns with deeply nested information inside. This is a result of Scryfall’s data model and is the reason why scryr needs tibbles to work. But don’t be alarmed! It’s all pretty consistent.
# Get Anje's related cards
vampires %>%
filter(name == "Anje, Maid of Dishonor") %>%
pull(all_parts)
#> [[1]]
#> # A tibble: 2 × 6
#> object id component name type_line uri
#> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr>
#> 1 related_card 1bfac4ab-97… combo_pie… Anje, M… Legendary Cr… https://api.scryf…
#> 2 related_card a6f374bc-cd… token Blood Token Artifa… https://api.scryf…
# Get Anje's color identity
vampires %>%
filter(name == "Anje Falkenrath") %>%
pull(color_identity)
#> [[1]]
#> [1] "B" "R"There are also “singular” functions, that is, functions that return one card instead of many. They are scry_card() and its siblings, all of them methods that find a card given some sort of identifier.
# Using an ID
scry_card("913dd06f-ed2f-4128-9c9d-9cd0d8a55425")$name
#> [1] "Anje Falkenrath"
# Using a name
scry_card_name("Anje Falkenrath")$name
#> [1] "Anje Falkenrath"
# Using a collector number and a set
scry_card_number(37, "c19")$name
#> [1] "Anje Falkenrath"
# Just get a random vampire commander
scry_card_random("t:vampire t:legend")$name
#> [1] "Rayami, First of the Fallen"If you’re unsure of exactly what card you’re looking for, don’t worry. Scryfall also has an endpoint that tries to autocomplete the name of a card and scryr makes it available so that you don’t have to ever leave R to look for a card.
# There she is
autocomplete_name("falken")[12]
#> [1] "Anje Falkenrath"The other main endpoint retrieves information about sets. There are also many list-columns but, again, they are all handled consistently; following in the footsteps of cards, sets also has a “plural” function and a “singular” function. Note that scry_cards() is the only “plural” method that can filter results with its q argument.
# Get all sets
scry_sets()
#> # A tibble: 721 × 19
#> id code name tcgplayer_id uri scryfall_uri search_uri released_at
#> <chr> <chr> <chr> <int> <chr> <chr> <chr> <date>
#> 1 b314f… unf Unfin… 2958 https:… https://scr… https://ap… 2022-12-31
#> 2 a6012… tunf Unfin… NA https:… https://scr… https://ap… 2022-12-31
#> 3 b11b2… pw22 Wizar… NA https:… https://scr… https://ap… 2022-03-05
#> 4 59a20… neo Kamig… 2965 https:… https://scr… https://ap… 2022-02-18
#> 5 8bb11… tneo Kamig… NA https:… https://scr… https://ap… 2022-02-18
#> 6 5bd03… tnec Neon … NA https:… https://scr… https://ap… 2022-02-18
#> 7 5b4d9… nec Neon … NA https:… https://scr… https://ap… 2022-02-18
#> 8 78a7f… cc2 Comma… 2905 https:… https://scr… https://ap… 2022-01-28
#> 9 5c163… dbl Innis… 2942 https:… https://scr… https://ap… 2022-01-28
#> 10 8a673… y22 Alche… NA https:… https://scr… https://ap… 2021-12-09
#> # … with 711 more rows, and 11 more variables: set_type <chr>,
#> # card_count <int>, digital <lgl>, nonfoil_only <lgl>, foil_only <lgl>,
#> # icon_svg_uri <chr>, parent_set_code <chr>, mtgo_code <chr>,
#> # arena_code <chr>, block_code <chr>, block <chr>
# Get a single set with an ID
scry_set("vow")
#> # A tibble: 1 × 19
#> id code name mtgo_code arena_code tcgplayer_id uri scryfall_uri
#> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr> <int> <chr> <chr>
#> 1 8144b6… vow Innist… vow vow 2862 https:/… https://scry…
#> # … with 11 more variables: search_uri <chr>, released_at <date>,
#> # set_type <chr>, card_count <int>, printed_size <int>, digital <lgl>,
#> # nonfoil_only <lgl>, foil_only <lgl>, block_code <chr>, block <chr>,
#> # icon_svg_uri <chr>All other endpoints return way less information than the two above. Here is a short demonstration of what else you can do with the rest of scryr:
# Get information from a catalog
head(scry_catalog("keyword-actions"))
#> [1] "Meld" "Bolster" "Clash" "Fateseal" "Manifest"
#> [6] "Monstrosity"
# Get rulings for a card
scry_ruling("913dd06f-ed2f-4128-9c9d-9cd0d8a55425")
#> # A tibble: 1 × 4
#> oracle_id source published_at comment
#> <chr> <chr> <date> <chr>
#> 1 4dab6a96-4376-4aea-983d-406167993214 wotc 2019-08-23 If you discard a car…
# Get information about symbols
scry_symbols()
#> # A tibble: 34 × 11
#> symbol colors cmc loose_variant english gatherer_alterna… transposable
#> <chr> <list> <dbl> <chr> <chr> <list> <lgl>
#> 1 {X} <NULL> 0 X X generic m… <chr [2]> FALSE
#> 2 {Y} <NULL> 0 Y Y generic m… <NULL> FALSE
#> 3 {Z} <NULL> 0 Z Z generic m… <NULL> FALSE
#> 4 {0} <NULL> 0 0 zero mana <chr [1]> FALSE
#> 5 {½} <NULL> 0.5 ½ one-half ge… <chr [1]> FALSE
#> 6 {1} <NULL> 1 1 one generic… <chr [1]> FALSE
#> 7 {2} <NULL> 2 2 two generic… <chr [1]> FALSE
#> 8 {3} <NULL> 3 3 three gener… <chr [1]> FALSE
#> 9 {4} <NULL> 4 4 four generi… <chr [1]> FALSE
#> 10 {5} <NULL> 5 5 five generi… <chr [1]> FALSE
#> # … with 24 more rows, and 4 more variables: represents_mana <lgl>,
#> # appears_in_mana_costs <lgl>, funny <lgl>, svg_uri <chr>
# Parse mana costs
parse_cost("2g2")$cost
#> [1] "{4}{G}"
# Get names of bulk files
scry_bulk_files()$name
#> [1] "Oracle Cards" "Unique Artwork" "Default Cards" "All Cards"
#> [5] "Rulings"
# Download (and parse) bulk rulings
scry_bulk_file("Rulings")
#> # A tibble: 44,484 × 4
#> oracle_id source published_at comment
#> <chr> <chr> <date> <chr>
#> 1 0004ebd0-dfd6-4276-b4a6-de0003e94237 wotc 2004-10-04 If there are two of…
#> 2 0007c283-5b7a-4c00-9ca1-b455c8dff8c3 wotc 2019-08-23 The “commander tax”…
#> 3 0007c283-5b7a-4c00-9ca1-b455c8dff8c3 wotc 2019-08-23 Certain cards in ot…
#> 4 0007c283-5b7a-4c00-9ca1-b455c8dff8c3 wotc 2019-08-23 If your commander i…
#> 5 000e5d65-96c3-498b-bd01-72b1a1991850 wotc 2004-10-04 The target loses ju…
#> 6 0012bc78-e69d-4a67-a302-e5fe0dfd4407 wotc 2019-05-03 A land normally has…
#> 7 00187de2-bc48-4137-97d8-a9a0fafc76c1 wotc 2019-01-25 You can always acti…
#> 8 00187de2-bc48-4137-97d8-a9a0fafc76c1 wotc 2019-01-25 Pteramander’s activ…
#> 9 00187de2-bc48-4137-97d8-a9a0fafc76c1 wotc 2019-01-25 If a creature someh…
#> 10 001c6369-df13-427d-89df-718d5c09f382 wotc 2009-05-01 Vedalken Heretic’s …
#> # … with 44,474 more rows