I honestly think Cipher would have been a hard mechanic to balance, because it can experience such a wide range of results. On one end, your creature may get killed and you're immediately 2-for-1'd, or maybe you don't have a creature that can get damage through, or maybe you don't have a creature to encode at all. On the other hand, you can sometimes get two uses the turn these Cipher cards are cast, and you can continually squeeze value from that one card as long as a relevant creature is out. Cards like this are a good example of how Cipher could potentially get crazy out of hand in limited, even if the mechanic as a whole seems expensive and slow.
marmaris74
★★☆☆☆ (2.4/5.0)(7 votes)
@Superllama12
"Statistically, if I play enough Limited events, I will eventually open four Biovisionarys and four of these. And it will be glorious"
Well, not really. Firstly, I don't know what Limited Event you are playing where you get to open 8 packs. But even if you did a sealed tournament where you get 8 packs, with the odds of a particular rare at 2/121 per pack, you'd have a ((2/121)^8)(8!/4!4!) or (2.246...)x(10)^(-10) chance of getting 4 of both rares. That means you'd have to do 10 billion tournaments and you'd still have this happen less than three times on average. Since nowhere near this many packs are printed, and you would have nowhere near enough time to finish this many tournaments, we can correctly say that even if you play enough Limited events, you will not eventually open four Biovisionarys and four of these. Though it would have been glorious.
lethal_coffee
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(5 votes)
I think there is an obvious pairing for a standard cipher deck: Goblin Electromancer and Cryptghast
Repeatedly reduce the cost of these ridiculous cipher spells and quickly overwhelm your opponent.
handoflazav_414
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(4 votes)
GASP!!!! OMIGAWD!!! Cypher + unblockable = Attack Of The Clones! Yes, a Star Wars reference. Also he looks like Embo from the clone wars season two.
Yozuk
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I have a soft spot for clone cards. And this one is no exception. I am going to use this. I don't know what deck yet but it will be used.
EmptyMirage
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Artorias of the Abyss.
Cipher on this card is going to make some interesting things happen in EDH.
Purplerooster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Conveniently cost one more to cast than Thragtusk.
blindthrall
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This must go on Adenophage. Say hello to giant bug world!
oxyopian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
if you use Stolen Identity to make a copy of a creature that has a cipher already on it- let's say 'last thoughts'- does the cipher also get copied?
cotf1692
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@oxyopion No, its just making a clone of the creature, not the things "attached" to it. Same reason it wouldn't copy counters or enchantments and such.
As for the actual card, played correctly its essentially a double clone one turn, and even more if you don't get stopped! I love it.
pedrodyl
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
One of the more abusable Cipher cards. 4/5
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I won my first game at the prerelease just by casting this on Daring Skyjek, one of 4 cards I was splashing white for in my Dimir deck. I encoded this card onto Metropolis Sprite. Every flier counts in limited, right?
Alas, it's a targeted effect, so you can't get rid of the various hexproof creatures out there unless you just happen to have a Glaring Spotlight in play.
Pyrotango
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I feel like people are forgetting Guttersnipe in general when they write off Cipher. Just get an invisible stalker (or Dimir keyrune) and a guttersnipe out by turn 6. Cast this on guttersnipe (2 damage), attach to invisible stalker. Swing with invisible stalker, clone guttersnipe again (4 damage) totaling 7 damage on turn 6. It is free from then on and you can start spamming cheap instants getting a new guttersnipe each turn. Not to mention getting multiple out before you get stolen identity or ciphering multiple stolen identities. Im not saying you should plan your deck around this card but surviving till then shouldnt be too hard with a couple fog banks or not to mention talrand.
Note: I started playing this game a couple of months ago. So im not 100% sure you can have more than 4 of one type of card on the battlefield. Input? This just sounds like too much tabletop fun :)
Mode
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I have some problems grasping this card's flavor in regards of the artifact copy: How exactly are you supposed to steal an artifact's identity?
It doesn't mind if there's another inanimate object getting confused with it; there's no reputation that could be destroyed. You don't even have to worry that the product might get regarded worse than it is because of the plagiarized artifact - seeing how it comes as a perfect duplicate, it won't come with any flaws. So it won't disappoint any of its users - at least not by more than the original.
azure_drake222222
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(5 votes)
Nobody has a comment with over 3.5 stars?
Smoke_Stack
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
All of the cipher cards just scream Invisible Stalker
DJCHiLL813
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
I'm buying a playset of these now so that when Dragon's Maze comes along, I can
NEVER MIND IT'S A SECRET
armenta541
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Played a Chancellor of the Spires card, and used Stolen Identity from my friends graveyard to copy Chancellor of the Spires. If I'm correct, this creates an infinite combo, right? If I continue to copy Chancellor of the Spires with the same card, and choose NOT to use the Cipher ability. My friend has more years of experience playing over me, so don't want to argue this any further unless I know I'm correct. Thanks.
Doc_Maynot
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This on an unblockable+doubling season While Microsynth lattice is on the field. So much fun to mess with.
animalkid314
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I created a tri-color (blue/black/ green) deck with him in it. It gives ME nightmares- simply having my CorpseJack Menace my Master Biomancer while cyphering it onto my Elusive krasis stacks up. I kept cyphering my Master Biomancer, making so anytime anyone entered the field, they kept getting stronger and stronger with all the effects piling up (In hindsight Corpsejack menace may have been a better idea but i won anyway) and as I was getting copies from my Growing Ranks it was the scariest thing I have ever seen.
Sonserf369
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Probably the only cipher card that is very well worth its cost.
djflo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Playing EDH the other day, a friend played this on my Sun Titan and proceeded to cause a huge amount of trouble. That's probably not even the best thing you can do with it.
In slower formats, a truly ridiculous card in any deck where you'll consistently have a creature (otherwise just run Phyrexian Metamorph. Or run them together!!)
ChuqKnoriz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is perfect for the Dimir Mill deck. Cipher it to an Invisible Stalker and start copying your Consuming Abberation. Every time you attack, your opponents will mill multiple lands. Throw in a Realmwright and a Crypt Ghast or three and your Mind Grind will finish them off in no time.
XSignia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Stolen Identity + Tormented Soul Copy Staff of Nin Insane draw power, and you can tap each copy to deal 1 damage to your opponent (or have enough Staff clones to tap in order to destroy a bulked-up Primordial Hydra just for the lulz) Now just throw in Crypt Ghast and copy it a few times so that you can actually have enough mana to play all those cards you are drawing...
Arachibutyrophobia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
cipher an unblockable creature, then put breath of fury on a different creature. play mass hysteria. attack infinitely.
Oh, my. This one, plus Aurelia, the Warleader, the new June 2013 legend rule, and you get infinite attacks.
Hyperviper
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ciphering this onto my Deathcult Rogue so I can constantly make copies of either Consuming Aberration or Dinrova Horror is frighteningly effective. The mana cost is high enough to make you think twice about using it but for what it does, its well worth the cost.
i run this with in my nivmagus cipher deck and it is the most ridiculous card when it hits. repeatable cloning is not to be underestimated.
SwiftSpirits
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Since no one ever thinks of flying anymore, I combo this with Jelenn Sphinx, Council of the Absolute, and Lavinia of the Tenth XD Once I have 5 or 6 of them copied, their (Jelenn Sphinxes's) effects stack for immense damage... But this is only a standard deck idea using M14 and Return to Ravnica blocks.
Svartben
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wait... creature or artifact? Why haven't I seen that before? :P
ThisisSakon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Turns out to be really good with triggering Heroic in the new standard. I knew there was a reason DJCHiLL813 picked up that playset...
GingerGiant
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Want infinite attack steps? You need this, Aurelia, and a creature that can't be blocked. Step 1: Encode Stolen Identity onto the evasive creature. Step 2: Attack with the creature and Aurelia. Step 3: Deal combat damage. Step 4: Copy Aurelia. The new Legendary rules require you to sacrifice identical Legendary permanents until only one remains. Choose the fresh Aurelia Token to survive. Remind your opponent that the token hasn't attacked yet this turn. Step 5: Go to Step 2.
Superllama12
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Statistically, if I play enough Limited events, I will eventually open four Biovisionarys and four of these. And it will be glorious
@marmaris74: Here, "enough" means "an arbitrarily large number". And I can still pull eight rares from a total of six packs if I pull two foil rares. It'll make it even harder to achieve, but still possible with an infinite number of events
Drewskithelegend
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The artifact copy refers to the Dimir's role as the counterfeiters of Ravnica, they later sell these goods to be sold in markets and alleys. "Big boi, you buy girded rotus, make you more potent, give most energie, 2 dorra"
As for the card, it is very unique and can be incredibly powerful if used correctly. The {u}{u} makes it a little intensive, but not so much that one couldn't splash blue for it. Get out an Invisible stalker or True-Name Nemesis and go to town.
"Are you a victim of identity theft? Have you been subject to forgery fraud?
The Lyev column of the Azorius Senate and Vizkopa Bank are working together to ensure that you, the common civilian, need no longer worry about fabrications of identity or property thanks to AzOrSafe, our insurance program designed to protect you and your valuable possessions. Our Azorius patrols will keep an active profile by watching you every hour of the day to verify your identity, and Orzhov's secure banking system will ensure that no-one has access to your valued possessions.
Contact your nearest Azorius office or Orzhov bank to register for AzOrSafe now!"
If you cast this targetting Phage, The Untouchable with Hivemind out and no other creatures on the battlefield, everyone will lose simultaneously. Of course, you could then counter your own copy of Stolen Identity with say, Force Spike....
Seriously so many uses for this and the cipher just puts it over the top.
Comments (45)
"Statistically, if I play enough Limited events, I will eventually open four Biovisionarys and four of these. And it will be glorious"
Well, not really.
Firstly, I don't know what Limited Event you are playing where you get to open 8 packs. But even if you did a sealed tournament where you get 8 packs, with the odds of a particular rare at 2/121 per pack, you'd have a ((2/121)^8)(8!/4!4!) or (2.246...)x(10)^(-10) chance of getting 4 of both rares. That means you'd have to do 10 billion tournaments and you'd still have this happen less than three times on average.
Since nowhere near this many packs are printed, and you would have nowhere near enough time to finish this many tournaments, we can correctly say that even if you play enough Limited events, you will not eventually open four Biovisionarys and four of these.
Though it would have been glorious.
Repeatedly reduce the cost of these ridiculous cipher spells and quickly overwhelm your opponent.
Yes, a Star Wars reference.
Also he looks like Embo from the clone wars season two.
Cipher on this card is going to make some interesting things happen in EDH.
No, its just making a clone of the creature, not the things "attached" to it. Same reason it wouldn't copy counters or enchantments and such.
As for the actual card, played correctly its essentially a double clone one turn, and even more if you don't get stopped! I love it.
By the way, smarties: You can encode the token.
Note: I started playing this game a couple of months ago. So im not 100% sure you can have more than 4 of one type of card on the battlefield. Input? This just sounds like too much tabletop fun :)
How exactly are you supposed to steal an artifact's identity?
It doesn't mind if there's another inanimate object getting confused with it; there's no reputation that could be destroyed.
You don't even have to worry that the product might get regarded worse than it is because of the plagiarized artifact - seeing how it comes as a perfect duplicate, it won't come with any flaws.
So it won't disappoint any of its users - at least not by more than the original.
NEVER MIND
IT'S A SECRET
In slower formats, a truly ridiculous card in any deck where you'll consistently have a creature (otherwise just run Phyrexian Metamorph. Or run them together!!)
Copy Staff of Nin
Insane draw power, and you can tap each copy to deal 1 damage to your opponent (or have enough Staff clones to tap in order to destroy a bulked-up Primordial Hydra just for the lulz)
Now just throw in Crypt Ghast and copy it a few times so that you can actually have enough mana to play all those cards you are drawing...
3.5/5
Why haven't I seen that before? :P
@marmaris74: Here, "enough" means "an arbitrarily large number". And I can still pull eight rares from a total of six packs if I pull two foil rares. It'll make it even harder to achieve, but still possible with an infinite number of events
As for the card, it is very unique and can be incredibly powerful if used correctly. The {u}{u} makes it a little intensive, but not so much that one couldn't splash blue for it. Get out an Invisible stalker or True-Name Nemesis and go to town.
The Lyev column of the Azorius Senate and Vizkopa Bank are working together to ensure that you, the common civilian, need no longer worry about fabrications of identity or property thanks to AzOrSafe, our insurance program designed to protect you and your valuable possessions. Our Azorius patrols will keep an active profile by watching you every hour of the day to verify your identity, and Orzhov's secure banking system will ensure that no-one has access to your valued possessions.
Contact your nearest Azorius office or Orzhov bank to register for AzOrSafe now!"
Aurelia.
Seriously so many uses for this and the cipher just puts it over the top.