Okay, so... ... ... It gives any monster Morph if you pay its actual summoning cost or more. Only instead of paying another cost to flip it again, it auto-flips if it does anything. That's a -lot- of text for such a practically basic effect. Or am I seriously missing something here?
A3Kitsune
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Compleatly re-written simply to ensure rules consistancy for face-down cards. This didn't give creatures Morph in the old days, that's a new working. And it's not a lot of text for the effect, it's about 2 to 2-and-a-half lines more then the effect needs.
And this is not a practically basic effect, it's a unique and complex effect that was even more unique and complex in it's original version.
hid@n
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
"If the creature that spell becomes as it resolves has not been turned face up and would assign or deal damage, be dealt damage, or become tapped, instead it's turned face up and assigns or deals damage, is dealt damage, or becomes tapped".... What? I don't understand this card. It's also total different than the original version. Wazgoingonmanh!
Mode
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
I agree that this is possibly the card with the weirdest (Oracle) wording in Magic.
To anyone who doesn't understand this card, it works something like this:
You pay a certain cost X equal (or higher) to the cmc of the creature card you want to put face down.
Now you basically have a common 2/2 Morph.
However, unlike regular Morphs, this one will turn face up far more easily - once it deals or is dealt damage, or if it becomes tapped.
I think the basic idea of this card was similar to the concept of regular Morphs from Onslaught that's more familiar to most players - this card should allow to trick your opponent by anonymizing your creature (therefore you can pay more than it would actually cost).
I can't think of any amazing surprise with the assert of creatures back then, though.
Well, the special and broken part about this card is the fact that it easily allows you to circumvent huge creature drawbacks, most notable triggered abilities that would normally resolve when the accordant fattie enters the battlefield - the aforementioned Phyrexian Dreadnought most notably for example.
If anyone now wonders why Stifle isn't banned then as well in Legacy should keep in mind that you don't have to sacrifice the Illusionary Mask once the creature gets turned up - you don't even have to tap it!
One Mask is enough to get multiple undercosted creatures out in one turn, and therefore it's only allowed in Vintage.
iamjohn
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
The MTGO does the orcale justice
X Mana: You may put a creature card with converted mana cost X or less from your hand onto the battlefield face down as a 0/1 creature. Put X mask counters on that creature. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery. The creature's controller may turn the creature face up any time he or she could cast an instant by removing all mask counters from it. This effect ends if the creature is turned face up.
GainsBanding
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
It's not that confusing. You use it to cast a creature (paying full normal casting cost) face down. Because Morph exists now, they've updated it so that face down creature is 2/2 like a morph creature (oracle had it as a 0/1 for a while). Then it turns face up whenever anything happens to it. But it's just not that good. You still cast the creature, so you can only do it on your turn at sorcery speed and it can still be countered. It does negate ETB effects, but since you still have to pay the actual casting cost, Phyrexian Dreadnought is the only stand-out creature to use with this.
However, weird interactions can happen and they obviously had to do a lot of rules wrangling to get this to work. It was like that from day 1. In Alpha, there was no answer for what happens if you cast a black creature face down with this and then it's targeted with terror. I guess that would be one of those "flip a coin if you can't figure out the rules" moments the original rule book mentioned.
Kirbster
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
I loved the old effect of the card - originally, the abilities of face-down creatures still occured even though your opponent never got to see what the card was. For instance, you could wipe out his hand with a facedown Scandlemonger before he ever knew he could retaliate. Better yet, a facedown Platinum Angel meant you could simply tell your opponent you didn't lose after he flattened you with a herd of creatures and he simply had to take your word for it. This was the only card where you could technically lie to your opponent about the state of the game and he had no way to check against it.
Moleland
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Hmm...
Am I right in assuming that this card allows a creature that couldn't legally attack face-up (IE: A creature with islandhome or defender for example) to be declared an attacker whilst 'morphed' and then 'unmorph' attacking as themselves?
I know it's been done before, but here is what the card does: You pay X where X is the exact casting cost (including colored mana) or more of a creature card in your hand (you can't pay less than that creature's casting cost, but you can pay more), then you cast that card face-down as a 2/2 creature. Then, as long as that creature is face down, if that creature would be tapped, dealt damage or if it would deal damage, the creature is turned face up.
The purpose of this card is solely to confuse the snot out of your opponents: you can pay overprice for your creatures and bluff that you're playing some kind of bomb, and since your opponent can't tell your creatures apart from one another, they might end up casting a Doom Blade targeting a face-down Llanowar Elves thinking that they're hitting one of your fatties. Also, as far as I know, there isn't a rule that prevents you from moving your cards around on the table (or even shuffling them and laying them out on the table again). As such, you could shuffle your face-down cards and then lay them down on the table again. If your opponent figured out that you just cast a really good creature, he/she is going to have a hard time finding the right target for his/her removal spells until you've turned that creature face up (they certainly wouldn't want to risk hitting the wrong target). Even better is when that creature has shroud or hexproof to protect it from removal once it's actually turned face up.
Do remember that you (and only you) are allowed to look at face-down cards that you control that are on the battlefield, so you'll always be able to know which creature you're attacking or blocking with when that time comes. Mind you, this usually doesn't apply to cards that remove cards from the game face-down, or cards that put cards face-down underneath them, unless those cards state that you're allowed to look at them.
This card is a blast to play in casual, but I recommend reading the rulings on the details-page if you're interested in trying it out before you do - it can answer a lot of your questions before you need to ask them.
My only complaint is that this card is so expensive to get a hold of, but other than that, this is a straight 5/5, just for the amount of fun it can generate, especially in multiplayer or perhaps even EDH if that's your thing.
EDIT: @Moleland: You would be correct in that assumption. As with morph, Illusionary Mask allows creatures that otherwise wouldn't be able to legally attack (defenders and creatures with other abilities that would render them unable to attack) to attack, meaning that you could technically have a Sunweb attack your opponent on your 5th turn without ramping. Mind you, your face-down creature would still be unable to attack if it is affected by some external effect that renders it unable to attack (Pacifism, Blazing Archon or Moat (unless you have somehow given your face-down creature flying) etc.).
divine_exodus
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
"You can summon a creature face down so opponent doesn't know what it is."
Always a great way to start off the text box.
theAzaZeL
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just remember when playing this card, your opponent can counter every creature played by the Mask with a free Chalice of the Void.
Wizpal
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So... If I use a Innistrad double-faced cards... do my creature has free transform for 0? =D Nope. Chuck Testa =(
@ Kirbster - for the first couple printings of Sindbad, players had to rely on the honor system for that one too, because when you drew a card, you didn't have to show it to your opponent to prove it was a land in order to keep it. We always played that you had to show the card, though, to put that issue to rest.
Xineombine
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
SURPRISE DREADNOUGHT!!!
Demonic_Professor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
WTF is this. I think this gets the reward for the most confusing card ever. Weirder than Zur's Weirding. For that alone, this should be a 5/5.
Masters_Edition
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Rulings: "You actually cast the card face-down." What did somebody say, "Hey, judge, over here, one sec. Thanks. Could you please tell me if this is a joke?"
WILLOW-THE-WHAT
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Use this card with Doppelganger. Copy any Creature and switch whenever you want :) Requires you to be completely honest, what a great broken, weird, lovely card. I think I will keep mine forever :)
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The main effect of this is it can be used to ignore ETB effects that would hurt you - like Phyrexian Dreadnought or Hunted Horror's effects.
Earthdawn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why did they need to add the sorcery speed clause? :(
Megadog
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"X Mana: You may put a creature card with converted mana cost X or less from your hand onto the battlefield face down as a 0/1 creature. Put X mask counters on that creature. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery. The creature's controller may turn the creature face up any time he or she could cast an instant by removing all mask counters from it. This effect ends if the creature is turned face up."
That is such a functional change. While the power and toughness were never defined on the original card, and are still up for debate due to global -x/-x effects and stuff like fling, the card clearly requires you to pay it's casting cost, not it's mana cost. Furthermore, the mask counters are pointless and the face down creature can perform ulterior operations while 'morphed'. It can attack and block and deal damage, which further deviates from how this card operates. This summation is a way the card could have been done, but by no means does it do the cards ability justice.
JarieSuicune
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love how it's this, when simplified:
Choose a Creature card in your hand. Pay the creature's Casting Cost, and cast it face down as a 2/2 colorless creature. --IGNORE ALL ENTERS THE BATTLEFIELD EFFECTS ON THAT CREATURE-- (or any others it has; it doesn't have them... yet) If it would tap, take damage, assign damage, or deal damage, flip it face-up then have it tap, take damage, assign damage, or deal damage as normal (flipping does not go on the chain nor does it start one, it merely happens).
Your opponent doesn't know that you just played Phage the Untouchable. Your opponent doesn't know that you just played Phyrexian Dreadnought. Your opponent doesn't know that you just played (name an awesome but mid-cost card). They don't know anything about what you played, and it cost you NO EXTRA MANA (beyond playing this card) to do so.
Sob... now if I could just GET me one of them...
CogMonocle
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@GrimjawxRULES Correct, except for the bit about shuffling around. You can't shuffle around creatures to confuse your opponents, as opponents are always aware of what objects are what, the battlefield being a public zone. If you cast a morph creature face down on turns 3 through 5, your oppponent knows which creature was played on what turn, no matter what. So you can't shuffle them to mess with your opponents.
car2n
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I tried to read what this card says and I went horribly cross-eyed.
Lazrbeams
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Feels yu-gi-oh in here.
Arazeal
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
can someone clarify? I would think this would be in the errata but it isn't. if someone were to , say clone a facedown biovisionary, would the clone reveal what the card is? would it be a 2/2 token? note that the tules say that it becomes face up when it would "assign or deal damage, be dealt damage, or become tapped," no restrictions about being targeted for a copy.
so expensive... and all I wanted was a magic deck that played like yu gi oh!
amberbock
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Clone and other copy creatures are horrible with this card as without the come into play effect they are 0/0 creatures the moment you try to do anything with them.
GrimjawxRULES: Legally you are required to keep track of the costs of the creatures that you play including color type. You can not shuffle the cards to confuse your opponent to what they are as that would be a clear attempt at cheating.
Comments (35)
Me no understand...
And this is not a practically basic effect, it's a unique and complex effect that was even more unique and complex in it's original version.
To anyone who doesn't understand this card, it works something like this:
You pay a certain cost X equal (or higher) to the cmc of the creature card you want to put face down.
Now you basically have a common 2/2 Morph.
However, unlike regular Morphs, this one will turn face up far more easily - once it deals or is dealt damage, or if it becomes tapped.
I think the basic idea of this card was similar to the concept of regular Morphs from Onslaught that's more familiar to most players - this card should allow to trick your opponent by anonymizing your creature (therefore you can pay more than it would actually cost).
I can't think of any amazing surprise with the assert of creatures back then, though.
Well, the special and broken part about this card is the fact that it easily allows you to circumvent huge creature drawbacks, most notable triggered abilities that would normally resolve when the accordant fattie enters the battlefield - the aforementioned Phyrexian Dreadnought most notably for example.
If anyone now wonders why Stifle isn't banned then as well in Legacy should keep in mind that you don't have to sacrifice the Illusionary Mask once the creature gets turned up - you don't even have to tap it!
One Mask is enough to get multiple undercosted creatures out in one turn, and therefore it's only allowed in Vintage.
X Mana: You may put a creature card with converted mana cost X or less from your hand onto the battlefield face down as a 0/1 creature. Put X mask counters on that creature. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery. The creature's controller may turn the creature face up any time he or she could cast an instant by removing all mask counters from it. This effect ends if the creature is turned face up.
However, weird interactions can happen and they obviously had to do a lot of rules wrangling to get this to work. It was like that from day 1. In Alpha, there was no answer for what happens if you cast a black creature face down with this and then it's targeted with terror. I guess that would be one of those "flip a coin if you can't figure out the rules" moments the original rule book mentioned.
Am I right in assuming that this card allows a creature that couldn't legally attack face-up (IE: A creature with islandhome or defender for example) to be declared an attacker whilst 'morphed' and then 'unmorph' attacking as themselves?
The rulings don't say, so I'd assume so...
I know it's been done before, but here is what the card does:
You pay X where X is the exact casting cost (including colored mana) or more of a creature card in your hand (you can't pay less than that creature's casting cost, but you can pay more), then you cast that card face-down as a 2/2 creature. Then, as long as that creature is face down, if that creature would be tapped, dealt damage or if it would deal damage, the creature is turned face up.
The purpose of this card is solely to confuse the snot out of your opponents: you can pay overprice for your creatures and bluff that you're playing some kind of bomb, and since your opponent can't tell your creatures apart from one another, they might end up casting a Doom Blade targeting a face-down Llanowar Elves thinking that they're hitting one of your fatties.
Also, as far as I know, there isn't a rule that prevents you from moving your cards around on the table (or even shuffling them and laying them out on the table again). As such, you could shuffle your face-down cards and then lay them down on the table again. If your opponent figured out that you just cast a really good creature, he/she is going to have a hard time finding the right target for his/her removal spells until you've turned that creature face up (they certainly wouldn't want to risk hitting the wrong target). Even better is when that creature has shroud or hexproof to protect it from removal once it's actually turned face up.
Do remember that you (and only you) are allowed to look at face-down cards that you control that are on the battlefield, so you'll always be able to know which creature you're attacking or blocking with when that time comes.
Mind you, this usually doesn't apply to cards that remove cards from the game face-down, or cards that put cards face-down underneath them, unless those cards state that you're allowed to look at them.
This card is a blast to play in casual, but I recommend reading the rulings on the details-page if you're interested in trying it out before you do - it can answer a lot of your questions before you need to ask them.
My only complaint is that this card is so expensive to get a hold of, but other than that, this is a straight 5/5, just for the amount of fun it can generate, especially in multiplayer or perhaps even EDH if that's your thing.
EDIT: @Moleland: You would be correct in that assumption. As with morph, Illusionary Mask allows creatures that otherwise wouldn't be able to legally attack (defenders and creatures with other abilities that would render them unable to attack) to attack, meaning that you could technically have a Sunweb attack your opponent on your 5th turn without ramping.
Mind you, your face-down creature would still be unable to attack if it is affected by some external effect that renders it unable to attack (Pacifism, Blazing Archon or Moat (unless you have somehow given your face-down creature flying) etc.).
Always a great way to start off the text box.
Nope. Chuck Testa =(
I think I will keep mine forever :)
That is such a functional change. While the power and toughness were never defined on the original card, and are still up for debate due to global -x/-x effects and stuff like fling, the card clearly requires you to pay it's casting cost, not it's mana cost. Furthermore, the mask counters are pointless and the face down creature can perform ulterior operations while 'morphed'. It can attack and block and deal damage, which further deviates from how this card operates. This summation is a way the card could have been done, but by no means does it do the cards ability justice.
Choose a Creature card in your hand.
Pay the creature's Casting Cost, and cast it face down as a 2/2 colorless creature.
--IGNORE ALL ENTERS THE BATTLEFIELD EFFECTS ON THAT CREATURE-- (or any others it has; it doesn't have them... yet)
If it would tap, take damage, assign damage, or deal damage, flip it face-up then have it tap, take damage, assign damage, or deal damage as normal (flipping does not go on the chain nor does it start one, it merely happens).
Your opponent doesn't know that you just played Phage the Untouchable.
Your opponent doesn't know that you just played Phyrexian Dreadnought.
Your opponent doesn't know that you just played (name an awesome but mid-cost card).
They don't know anything about what you played, and it cost you NO EXTRA MANA (beyond playing this card) to do so.
Sob... now if I could just GET me one of them...
Correct, except for the bit about shuffling around. You can't shuffle around creatures to confuse your opponents, as opponents are always aware of what objects are what, the battlefield being a public zone. If you cast a morph creature face down on turns 3 through 5, your oppponent knows which creature was played on what turn, no matter what. So you can't shuffle them to mess with your opponents.
so expensive... and all I wanted was a magic deck that played like yu gi oh!
GrimjawxRULES: Legally you are required to keep track of the costs of the creatures that you play including color type. You can not shuffle the cards to confuse your opponent to what they are as that would be a clear attempt at cheating.