mafteechr's classroom: Transforming

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mafteechr

24 September 2011

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Double-Faced Cards and Transforming

This will be a quick article highlighting some of the new rules concerning double-faced cards and the transform mechanic, and addressing some questions that have been raised.

First, some very basic rules.

711.1. Each double-faced card has a Magic card face on each side rather than a Magic card face on one side and a Magic card back on the other. Each face may have abilities that allow the permanent to “transform,” or turn over to its other face. Tokens and cards with a Magic card back can’t transform. (See rule 701.25, “Transform.”)

711.1a A double-faced card’s front face is indicated by the sun symbol in its upper left corner.

711.1b A double-faced card’s back face is indicated by the moon symbol in its upper left corner.

711.1c While a double-faced card is in a public zone, each player may look at both faces.

711.1d If the back face of a double-sided card is a creature, the front face of that card will have the back face’s power and toughness printed in italicized gray text in the lower right of its text box. This is reminder text and has no effect on game play.

Now, some more finer details about each face of the card.

711.2. Each face of a double-faced card has its own set of characteristics.

711.2a In every zone other than the battlefield, and also on the battlefield with its front face up, a double-faced card has only the characteristics of its front face.

711.2b While a double-faced permanent’s back face is up, it has only the characteristics of its back face. The back face doesn’t have a mana cost; it has the colors in its color indicator (see rule 202.2e).

Some consequences of these rules include the converted mana cost of double-faced cards on the battlefield. If using Birthing Pod, a card with it’s back face up will have a converted mana cost of zero and can only fetch a creature with converted mana cost of one. Additionally, Ratchet Bomb can be used with zero counters on it to destroy all double-faced cards with their back face up.

711.8. If an effect instructs a player to name a card, the player may name either face of a double-faced card but not both.

This rule is important for cards such as Surgical Extraction. Note that with rule 711.2a above, you must name the front face of the card if the card is in any zone other than the battlefield.

One of the biggest troubles is cloning a double-faced cards.

711.3. Except for determining whether or not a permanent can transform, a spell, ability, or rule that needs information about a double-faced permanent sees only the information given by the face that’s currently up.

701.25a Only permanents represented by double-faced cards can transform. (See rule 711, “Double-Faced Cards.”) If a spell or ability instructs a player to transform any permanent that isn’t a double-faced card, nothing happens.

For example, if you cast Phyrexian Metamorph copying Thraben Sentry  ^Flip, it will only have the characteristics of the side face up, in this case, the front face. If another creature you control dies (which is the trigger for Thraben Sentry  ^Flip’s transform ability), then Phyrexian Metamorph will not transform, because it physically does not have two sides.

Another example, if you cast Phantasmal Image copying Thraben Militia  ^Flip, it will only have the characteristics of the side face up, in this case, the back face. Thus, the converted mana cost of Phantasmal Image will be zero.

Transforming is another concern for some players, whether or not it affects counters, equipment, and other objects.

711.7. When a double-faced permanent transforms, it doesn’t become a new object. Any effects that applied to that permanent will continue to apply to it after it transforms.

Thus, any triggered abilities for creatures or permanents entering the battlefield will not trigger. Additionally, any auras, equipment, counters, and damage marked on the permanent will remain on the permanent after transforming.

Here are a few rules concerning casting and resolving of double-faced cards.

711.4. If a double-faced card is cast as a spell, it’s put on the stack with its front face up. A double-faced card can’t be cast face down. See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”

711.5. A double-faced card enters the battlefield with its front face up.

To end this article, I will leave the remaining rules I have not touched on. Most of these will relate to older mechanics.

711.6. A double-faced permanent always has the status “face up” (see rule 110.6). Double-faced permanents can’t be turned face down. If a spell or ability tries to turn a double-faced permanent face down, nothing happens.

701.25c Although transforming a permanent uses the same physical action as turning a permanent face up or face down, they are different game actions. Abilities that trigger when a permanent is turned face down won’t trigger when that permanent transforms, and so on.