Double-faced card

Double-faced cards (DFCs) in Magic have a regular card frame on each side. A subcategory, meld cards, have only half a regular card on the card back.

History

Double-faced cards were introduced in the Innistrad block. In Innistrad there are 2 white, 3 blue, 2 black, 6 red and 7 green double-faced cards. In Dark Ascension there are 1 white, 1 blue, 2 black, 3 red, 3 green, 1 multicolored, and 2 artifact double-faced cards. All these cards featured the keyword action transform (turn it over so that its other face is up).

Double-faced cards returned in Magic Origins where one side featured a legendary creature, and the other side featureds its planeswalker incarnation. These were first exiled and then return transformed from the exile zone. In Magic Origins, there is only one double-faced card for each color.

Of course, double-faced cards returned again in Shadows over Innistrad. There are 5 white, 5 blue, 4 black, 7 red, 7 green, 1 multicolored, 3 artifact and 1 land double-faced cards. These had the transform mechanic again. New rules stipulated that the converted mana cost of the back face of a double-faced is based on the mana cost of the front face. Eldritch Moon introduced a twist with meld, a keyword action that changes the card with meld and a specific other card into one oversized card. That single card only exists on the backs of the two other cards. Whenever the melded card leaves the battlefield, both cards go, and they each turn front face up again. For gameplay purposes, these are NOT considered to be DFCs (see rule 711.1d below), though they occupy the DFC slot in a Shadows over Innistrad booster pack. There are 3 pairs of cards that can meld together: a white pair, a black pair, and a pair consisting of a red card and a land. There are also 15 regular DFCs in Eldritch Moon: 2 white, 3 blue, 1 black, 3 red, 4 green, 1 multicolored, and 1 artifact.

Since June 2017, double-faced cards are considered to be deciduous. Ten of them appeared in Ixalan - one of each color, and 5 artifacts - highlighting the tales and tools of discovery. Another seven double-faced cards appeared in Rivals of Ixalan, one of each color and 2 artifacts. Double-faced cards are going to be an infrequent thing. The short time between Shadows over Innistrad and Ixalan is not meant to be a precedent.

Description

Double-faced cards represented a radical change for the card back. Until their release, no legal card could have a different print on the back than the regular Magic card back.

Thematically, double-faced cards represent something that undergoes a major transformation, hence the keyword action. In the Innistrad sets, many are werewolves or fledgling vampires. In Magic Origins, they are planeswalkers whose spark is igniting. In Ixalan, they represent the journey into uncharted territory and the discovery of new locales.

Most double-faced cards (68 out of 103, not counting meld cards) are creatures that transform into other creatures, although there are exceptions:

• All five of the double-faced cards from Magic Origins are creatures that transform into planeswalkers.
• Garruk Relentless (Innistrad) and Arlinn Kord (Shadows over Innistrad) are planeswalkers that transform into other planeswalkers.
• Chalice of Life (Dark Ascension) and Neglected Heirloom (Shadows over Innistrad) are artifacts that transform into other artifacts.
• Elbrus, the Binding Blade (Dark Ascension) and Cryptolith Fragment (Eldritch Moon) are artifacts that transform into creatures.
• Thraben Gargoyle (Shadows over Innistrad) is an artifact creature that transforms into another artifact creature.
• Harvest Hand (Shadows over Innistrad) is an artifact creature that transforms into a non-creature artifact.
• Soul Seizer (Dark Ascension) and Accursed Witch (Shadows over Innistrad) are creatures that transform into enchantments.
• Autumnal Gloom and Skin Invasion (Shadows over Innistrad) are enchantments that transform into creatures.
• Startled Awake (Shadows over Innistrad) is a sorcery that transforms into a creature.
• Westvale Abbey (Shadows over Innistrad) is a land that transforms into a creature.
• Five of the ten double-faced cards from Ixalan are enchantments that transform into lands, as are five of the seven double-faced cards from Rivals of Ixalan.
• The other five double-faced cards from Ixalan are artifacts that transform into lands, as is one of the double-faced cards from Rivals of Ixalan.
• Golden Guardian (Rivals of Ixalan) is an artifact creature that transforms into a land.

Double-faced is a referable property for a card: Moonmist's reminder text refers to double-faced cards.

Rules

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 712. Double-Faced Cards
  • 712.1. A double-faced card has a Magic card face on one side and either a Magic card face or half of an oversized card face on the other. (It does not have a Magic card back.) There are three kinds of double-faced cards: transforming double-faced cards, modal double-faced cards, and meld cards.
  • 712.2. Transforming double-faced cards have a Magic card face on each side and include abilities on one or both of their faces that allow the card to either “transform” or “convert” (turn over to its other face) and/or allow the card to be cast or enter the battlefield “transformed” or “converted” (with its back face up).
    • 712.2a A transforming double-faced card’s front face is marked by a front-face symbol in its upper left corner. On cards printed starting with The Brothers’ War™ release, that symbol is a single white triangle pointed upward inside a black circle. Transforming double-faced cards printed in older sets have different front-face symbols. On Magic Origins™ and Core Set 2019 double-faced cards, the front-face symbol is a modified Planeswalker icon. On cards in the Innistrad® block, Shadows over Innistrad set, and Innistrad: Midnight Hunt set, as well as on Ulrich of the Krallenhorde in the Eldritch Moon™ set, the front-face symbol is a sun. On other Eldritch Moon double-faced cards, the front-face symbol is a full moon. On Ixalan® and Rivals of Ixalan™ cards, the front-face symbol is a compass rose. On Kamigawa®: Neon Dynasty double-faced cards, the front-face symbol is a closed fan.
    • 712.2b A transforming double-faced card’s back face is marked by a back-face symbol in its upper left or upper right corner. On cards printed starting with The Brothers’ War release, that symbol is a single white triangle pointed downward inside a black circle. Transforming double-faced cards printed in older sets have different front-face symbols. On Magic Origins and Core Set 2019 double-faced cards, the back-face symbol is a full Planeswalker icon. On cards in the Innistrad block, Shadows over Innistrad set, and Innistrad: Midnight Hunt set, as well as on Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha in the Eldritch Moon set, the back-face symbol is a crescent moon. On other Eldritch Moon double-faced cards, the back-face symbol is a stylized image of Emrakul. On Ixalan and Rivals of Ixalan cards, the back-face symbol is a land icon. On Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty double-faced cards, the back-face symbol is an open fan.
    • 712.2c The front face of a transforming double-faced card whose back face is a creature has the back face’s power and toughness printed in gray above the power and toughness box. This is reminder text and has no effect on game play.
  • 712.3. Modal double-faced cards have a Magic card face on each side. These faces are independent from one another.
    • 712.3a A modal double-faced card’s front face is marked by a front-face symbol in its upper left corner. The front-face symbol is a single black triangle inside a sideways teardrop.
    • 712.3b A modal double-faced card’s back face is marked by a back-face symbol in its upper left corner. The back-face symbol is two white triangles inside a sideways teardrop.
    • 712.3c Each face of a modal double-faced card includes a hint bar in the lower left corner with information about the opposite face. This is reminder text and has no effect on game play.
  • 712.4. Meld cards have a Magic card face on one side and half of an oversized card face on the other.
    • 712.4a One card in each meld pair has an ability that exiles both that object and its counterpart and melds them. To meld the two cards in a meld pair, put them onto the battlefield with their back faces up and combined (see rule 701.37, “Meld”). The resulting permanent is a single object represented by two cards.
    • 712.4b The back faces of a meld pair are used only to determine the characteristics of the melded permanent that pair becomes on the battlefield. If a rule or effect references the back face of a meld card when not part of a melded permanent on the battlefield, it fails to determine its characteristics, regardless of which parts of the melded permanent is represented on that card’s back face.
  • 712.5. There are six specific meld pairs.
    • 712.5a Midnight Scavengers and Graf Rats meld to form Chittering Host.
    • 712.5b Hanweir Garrison and Hanweir Battlements meld to form Hanweir, the Writhing Township.
    • 712.5c Bruna, the Fading Light and Gisela, the Broken Blade meld to form Brisela, Voice of Nightmares.
    • 712.5d Phyrexian Dragon Engine and Mishra, Claimed by Gix meld to form Mishra, Lost to Phyrexia.
    • 712.5e The Mightstone and Weakstone and Urza, Lord Protector meld to form Urza, Planeswalker.
    • 712.5f Argoth, Sanctum of Nature and Titania, Voice of Gaea meld to form Titania, Gaea Incarnate.
  • 712.6. Players who are allowed to look at a double-faced card may look at both sides of that card.
  • 712.7. Players must ensure that double-faced cards in hidden zones are indistinguishable from other cards in the same zone. To do this, the owner of a double-faced card may use completely opaque card sleeves and/or a substitute card (see rule 713). Sanctioned tournaments have additional rules for playing with double-faced cards. See rule 100.6.
  • 712.8. Each face of a transforming or modal double-faced card has its own set of characteristics. The front face of each meld card and the combined face formed by a meld pair each has its own set of characteristics.
    • 712.8a While a double-faced card is outside the game or in a zone other than the battlefield or stack, it has only the characteristics of its front face.
    • 712.8b A meld card on the stack has only the characteristics of its front face.
    • 712.8c Normally, a transforming double-faced spell has its front face up while on the stack and has only the characteristics of its front face. However, if an effect allows a player to cast a transforming double-faced card “transformed” or “converted,” the resulting spell will have its back face up and have only the characteristics of its back face. Its mana value is calculated using the mana cost of its front face.
    • 712.8d While a double-faced permanent has its front face up, it has only the characteristics of its front face.
    • 712.8e While a transforming double-faced permanent has its back face up, it has only the characteristics of its back face. However, its mana value is calculated using the mana cost of its front face. If a permanent is copying the back face of a transforming double-faced permanent (even if the object representing that copy is itself a double-faced permanent), the mana value of that permanent is 0. See rule 202.3b.
    • 712.8f While a modal double-faced spell is on the stack or a modal double-faced permanent is on the battlefield, it has only the characteristics of the face that’s up.
    • 712.8g While the two cards of a meld pair are on the battlefield as a melded permanent, the object represented by those cards has only the characteristics of the combined back face, and its mana value is the sum of the mana values of its front faces. If a permanent is copying a melded permanent, the mana value of the copy is 0. See rule 202.3c.
  • 712.9. Only transforming tokens and permanents represented by transforming double-faced cards can transform or convert. (See rule 701.28, “Transform,” and rule 701.50, “Convert.”) If a spell or ability instructs a player to transform or convert any permanent that isn’t a transforming token or isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card, nothing happens.

    Example: A Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of Wildblood Pack (the back face of a transforming double-faced card). The Clone will be a copy of the Wildblood Pack. Because the Clone is itself not a transforming double-faced card, it can’t transform.

    Example: A player casts Cytoshape, causing a Kruin Outlaw (the front face of a transforming double-faced card) to become a copy of Elite Vanguard (a 2/1 Human Soldier creature) until end of turn. The player then casts Moonmist, which reads, in part, “Transform all Humans.” Because the copy of Elite Vanguard is a transforming double-faced card, it will transform. The resulting permanent will have its back face up, but it will still be a copy of Elite Vanguard that turn.

    Example: A player controls Blackbloom Rogue, a Human Rogue that’s the front face of a modal double-faced card. They cast Moonmist. Blackbloom Rogue doesn’t transform.

  • 712.10. If a spell or ability instructs a player to transform or convert a permanent, and the face that permanent would transform or convert into is represented by an instant or sorcery card face, or is a transforming token that was created with an instant or sorcery face, nothing happens.
  • 712.11. A double-faced spell is cast with its front face up by default. See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”
    • 712.11a If a transforming double-faced card or a copy of a transforming double-faced card is cast as a spell “transformed” or “converted,” it’s put on the stack with its back face up.
    • 712.11b A player casting a modal double-faced card or a copy of a modal double-faced card as a spell chooses which face they are casting before putting it onto the stack.
    • 712.11c Only the face that will be face up on the stack is evaluated to determine if it can be cast. Only that face is considered to be put onto the stack.
    • 712.11d If an ability of a transforming double-faced card’s front face allows it to be cast “transformed” or “converted,” that ability is also considered when evaluating that spell to determine if it can be cast. This is an exception to 712.11c.
  • 712.12. A player playing a modal double-faced card or a copy of a modal double-faced card as a land chooses one of its faces that’s a land before putting it onto the battlefield. It enters the battlefield with that face up. See rule 305, “Lands.”
  • 712.13. By default, a resolving double-faced spell that becomes a permanent is put onto the battlefield with the same face up that was face up on the stack.
    • 712.13a Some abilities may cause a transforming double-faced spell with its front face up on the stack to enter the battlefield transformed or converted. If the back face of the card that represents that spell is an instant or sorcery card, or that spell is a copy of a double-faced card created with an instant or sorcery back face, it doesn’t enter the battlefield, and is instead put into its owner’s graveyard.

      Example: A player controls both Mycosynth Lattice and March of the Machines, the combined effects of which make all permanents artifact creatures in addition to their other types. They also control a Clone on the battlefield that is a copy of Bird Admirer, a creature with daybound. It is currently night, but that permanent can’t transform because it isn’t represented by a double-faced card. Its controller casts Mystic Reflection targeting it, then casts Invasion of Kylem, a Siege battle whose back face is a sorcery. Because Invasion of Kylem is entering the battlefield as a creature, Mystic Reflection’s replacement effect applies to it and it tries to enter the battlefield as a copy of Bird Admirer. Since it is night, the daybound ability would normally cause it to enter with its back face up. However, since its back face is a sorcery, it is instead put into its owner’s graveyard.

  • 712.14. A double-faced card put onto the battlefield from a zone other than the stack enters the battlefield with its front face up by default.
    • 712.14a If a spell or ability puts a transforming double-faced card onto the battlefield “transformed” or “converted,” it enters the battlefield with its back face up. If a player is instructed to put a card that isn’t a transforming double-faced card onto the battlefield transformed or converted, that card stays in its current zone.
    • 712.14b If a player is instructed to put a modal double-faced card onto the battlefield and its front face isn’t a permanent card, the card stays in its current zone.
    • 712.14c If a meld card is being melded with its counterpart, those cards enter the battlefield as a single permanent with their back faces up.
  • 712.15. If an effect allows a player to cast a double-faced card as a face-down creature spell, or if a double-faced card enters the battlefield face down, it will have the characteristics given to it by the rule or effect that caused it to be face down. That card remains hidden, using a face-down substitute card (see rule 713) and/or opaque sleeves. See rule 708, “Face-Down Spells and Permanents.”
    • 712.15a While face down, a transforming double-faced permanent can’t transform or convert. If it’s turned face up, it will have its front face up.
  • 712.16. Melded permanents and other 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.
  • 712.17. A double-faced card that is exiled face down remains hidden, using a face-down substitute card and/or opaque sleeves. See rule 713, “Substitute Cards.”
  • 712.18. When a transforming double-faced permanent transforms or converts, it doesn’t become a new object. Any effects that applied to that permanent will continue to apply to it.

    Example: An effect gives Village Ironsmith (the front face of a transforming double-faced card) +2/+2 until end of turn and then Village Ironsmith transforms into Ironfang. Ironfang will continue to get +2/+2 until end of turn.

  • 712.19. If an effect instructs a player to choose a card name, the player may choose the name of either face of a transforming or modal double-faced card but not both. Similarly, they may choose either the name of a front face of a meld card or the combined back face of a meld pair.
  • 712.20. If a transforming double-faced card would have an “As [this permanent] transforms . . .” ability after it transforms or converts, that ability is applied while that permanent is transforming or converting, not afterward.
  • 712.21. If a melded permanent leaves the battlefield, one permanent leaves the battlefield and two cards are put into the appropriate zone.

    Example: Chittering Host, a melded permanent, dies. An ability that triggers “whenever a creature dies” triggers once. An ability that triggers “whenever a card is put into a graveyard from anywhere” triggers twice.

    • 712.21a If a melded permanent is put into its owner’s graveyard or library, that player may arrange the two cards in any order. If it’s put into its owner’s library, that player doesn’t reveal the order.
    • 712.21b If a player exiles a melded permanent, that player determines the relative timestamp order of the two cards at that time. This is an exception to the procedure described in rule 613.7m.

      Example: Duplicant is a card with the abilities “When Duplicant enters the battlefield, you may exile target nontoken creature” and “As long as a card exiled with Duplicant is a creature card, Duplicant has the power, toughness, and creature types of the last creature card exiled with Duplicant. It’s still a Shapeshifter.” As Duplicant’s first ability exiles Chittering Host, a melded permanent, Duplicant’s controller chooses whether the last creature card exiled is Midnight Scavengers or Graf Rats.

    • 712.21c If an effect can find the new object that a melded permanent becomes as it leaves the battlefield, it finds both cards. (See rule 400.7.) If that effect causes actions to be taken upon those cards, the same actions are taken upon each of them.

      Example: Otherworldly Journey is an instant that reads “Exile target creature. At the beginning of the next end step, return that card to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1/+1 counter on it.” A player casts Otherworldly Journey targeting Chittering Host, a melded permanent. Chittering Host is exiled. At the beginning of the next end step, Midnight Scavengers and Graf Rats are both returned to the battlefield, each with a +1/+1 counter on it.

      Example: False Demise is an Aura with the ability “When enchanted creature dies, return that card to the battlefield under your control.” A Chittering Host enchanted by False Demise dies. The triggered ability returns both Midnight Scavengers and Graf Rats to the battlefield.

      Example: Mimic Vat is an artifact that reads, in part, “Whenever a nontoken creature dies, you may exile that card.” A Chittering Host dies. As Mimic Vat’s triggered ability resolves, its controller makes a single choice and both cards that represented Chittering Host are either exiled or not.

    • 712.21d If multiple replacement effects could be applied to the event of a melded permanent leaving the battlefield or being put into the new zone, applying one of those replacement effects to one of the two cards affects both cards. If the melded permanent is a commander, it may be exempt from this rule; see rules 903.9b–c.

      Example: Leyline of the Void is an enchantment that reads, in part, “If a card would be put into an opponent’s graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead.” Wheel of Sun and Moon is an Aura with enchant player and the ability “If a card would be put into enchanted player’s graveyard from anywhere, instead that card is revealed and put on the bottom of its owner’s library.” If the controller of Chittering Host is affected by both cards’ effects, that player chooses one effect to apply to the event and Midnight Scavengers and Graf Rats are both moved to the appropriate zone.

    • 712.21e If an effect needs to know the number of objects that changed zones, a melded permanent among those objects counts as one object that moved. If the effect needs to know the number of cards that changed zones, that melded permanent counts as two cards that moved.

Playing with double-faced cards

The Innistrad block double-faced cards have an icon next to the name representing a sun Template:Transformation or a moon Template:Transformation. The front of the card is called the day side and has a regular card frame, a mana cost, and the sun symbol. The back or "night" side has the moon symbol and a slightly altered frame similar to planeshifted cards with a darker text box and white text for the card type, name, and (for creatures) power/toughness.

With the Magic Origins rules update, the sun and moon symbols lost their meaning; the front of the card is now defined by the appearance of the mana cost. The set also introduced two new symbols for the five double-faced cards in its set: The rising run Template:Transformation for the front side and the planeswalker symbol Template:Transformation for the back side.

Creatures from Eldritch Moon that transform in colorless Eldrazi have a Template:Transformation for the front side and an Template:Transformation for the back side, showing this creature has joined Emrakul's brood. This is symbolizing one transformation step further from that shown in Innistrad, Dark Ascension, and Shadows over Innistrad

Double-faced cards Ixalan highlights the tales and tools of discovery. The front face is recognized by the icon of a compass rose. Lands on the backface are marked by the land icon last seen in Future Sight

Double-sided cards enter the battlefield with their front ("day") side up. To switch between the two card faces, the keyword action transform is used. When a permanent transforms, all counters, Auras, and Equipment stay on the card, and the card neither enters nor leaves the battlefield. The Magic Orgins double-faced cards are creatures on one face and planeswalkers on the other; rather than simply transform, they are instead exiled and then returned to the battlefield transformed, so that they enter the battlefield as planeswalkers and receive the appropriate number of loyalty counters.

To be allowed to play with double-sided cards, the player must either have opaque sleeves for all his cards through which no detail of the cards is visible, or use a checklist card to substitute for each double-faced card in the deck. Each set with double-faced cards has a checklist card in some of its booster packs. Checklist cards have the regular Magic card back and list the name and mana cost of all double-faced cards from the set. The player must mark which double-faced card the checklist card is meant to represent on the checklist card, in a manner not visible from the the back of the card. The checklist card is shuffled into the deck while the actual double-faced card is kept outside the game.

Card rulings

• Double-faced cards can not be turned face down with cards such as Ixidron. When a double-faced card is instructed to be turned face-down, nothing happens. Similarly, if a non-double-faced card is instructed to transform, nothing happens.
• If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can't transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up.
• When a double-sided card is copied, e.g. with a card like Clone, only the characteristics of the face that is currently visible upon copying are copied. Such copies cannot transform, either.
• If a card is not in play, the only information relevant and viewable for other cards is the front side of the card.
• The color identity of the card includes either face.
• With the exception of Professional REL events (Starting from Pro Tour Shadows over Innistrad) that are pre-sleeved, During booster drafts, double-faced cards are revealed to all players all times until the next pick that card was picked by any player. They are allowed to reveal the card in either side, however.
  • For Professional REL events after Ixalan, unless WotC decided the set should be pre-sleeved (determined by number and the opening frequency of double-faced card of the set), all player must reveal their Double-faced card opened in their pack (if any) before the draft begins as well for sets involving double-faced cards.
  • Magic Online's draft events involving double-faced cards are no different to draft events having no double faced card regardless of event type and set involved.
• Transforming a permanent into a land isn't the same as playing a land. Treasure Cove doesn't enter the battlefield, and it doesn't count as your land play for the turn.

See also

• Checklist cards
• Double-faced tokens
• Meld
• Meld cards
• Transform

External links

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