Flip card

Flip cards are two cards in one. When something is triggered, the card is flipped and becomes the "other" part of the card.

History

Flip cards were featured in the Kamigawa block and are easily recognizable by their unique card frame. . The Champions of Kamigawa set contained ten characters that became "heroes", Betrayers of Kamigawa five characters that became spirits and Saviors of Kamigawa five monks that became enchantments.

Now that double-faced cards exist, R&D has no plans to do any more flip cards.

Rules

You ignore the information on the bottom half of the card until the creature in play "flips" when certain heroic conditions are met. When you flip a hero, you turn it upside down and play with the other half of the card. All of the flipped versions are legendary and have powerful abilities.

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

• 710. Flip Cards
  • 710.1. Flip cards have a two-part card frame on a single card. The text that appears right side up on the card defines the card’s normal characteristics. Additional alternative characteristics appear upside down on the card. The back of a flip card is the normal Magic card back.
    • 710.1a The top half of a flip card contains the card’s normal name, text box, type line, power, and toughness. The text box usually contains an ability that causes the permanent to “flip” if certain conditions are met.
    • 710.1b The bottom half of a flip card contains an alternative name, text box, type line, power, and toughness. These characteristics are used only if the permanent is on the battlefield and only if the permanent is flipped.
    • 710.1c A flip card’s color and mana cost don’t change if the permanent is flipped. Also, any changes to it by external effects will still apply.
  • 710.2. In every zone other than the battlefield, and also on the battlefield before the permanent flips, a flip card has only the normal characteristics of the card. Once a permanent is flipped, its normal name, text box, type line, power, and toughness don’t apply and the alternative versions of those characteristics apply instead.

    Example: Akki Lavarunner is a nonlegendary creature that flips into a legendary creature named Tok-Tok, Volcano Born. An effect that says “Search your library for a legendary card” can’t find this flip card. An effect that says “Legendary creatures get +2/+2” doesn’t affect Akki Lavarunner, but it does affect Tok-Tok.

  • 710.3. You must ensure that it’s clear at all times whether a permanent you control is flipped or not, both when it’s untapped and when it’s tapped. Common methods for distinguishing between flipped and unflipped permanents include using coins or dice to mark flipped objects.
  • 710.4. Flipping a permanent is a one-way process. Once a permanent is flipped, it’s impossible for it to become unflipped. However, if a flipped permanent leaves the battlefield, it retains no memory of its status. See rule 110.5.
  • 710.5. If an effect instructs a player to choose a card name and the player wants to choose a flip card’s alternative name, the player may do so.

Rulings

• Only the characteristics name, type, subtype, supertype, rules text, abilities, power, and toughness are affected by flipping a permanent. The mana cost and expansion symbol are printed on only one side each but apply to the permanent regardless of whether it has been flipped.
• When you flip a permanent, any counters or other effects remain on it. So if a creature with 1/1 printed on the normal side and 2/3 printed on the flipped side has a +1/+1 counter on it, it changes from a 2/3 to a 3/4.
• Flipping a flip permanent a second time has no effect. To "flip" a permanent means to change it from the top half to the bottom half, not to change it from one side to the other.
• When one of the Champions of Kamigawa flip creatures flips, it becomes legendary. If more than one legendary permanents with the same name and the same controller are in play at the same time, its controller chooses one of them and put all the other in their owners' graveyards.
• If you're asked to name a card, you can name either side of a flip card. However, the card only has its normal name unless it's in play and has flipped.
• If you copy a flipped permanent, you get the normal, unflipped version. That copy may flip later if certain conditions are met.

List of flip cards

All flip cards are from the Kamigawa block.

• From Champions of Kamigawa
  • Bushi Tenderfoot/Kenzo the Hardhearted Uncommon. When a creature dealt damage by 1/1 Bushi Tenderfoot dies that turn, Bushi Tenderfoot becomes Kenzo the Hardhearted, a 3/4 Legendary Samurai with Double strike and Bushido 2.
  • Kitsune Mystic/Autumn-Tail, Kitsune Sage Rare. when 2/3 Mystic is enchanted with 2 creature enchantments, at end of turn it becomes Autumn-Tail, a 4/5 legendary Fox Wizard, with : Move target creature enchantment to another creature.
  • Student of Elements/Tobita, Master of Winds Uncommon. When 1/1 Student has flying, it flips into 3/3 Tobita, a Legendary Human Wizard with Creatures you control have flying.
  • Jushi Apprentice/Tomoya the Revealer Rare. The 1/2 Apprentice has ,: Draw a card. If you have 9 or more cards in hand, flip Jushi Apprentice. When flipped, it becomes Tomoya, a 2/3 legendary Human Wizard with ,: Draw X cards, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
  • Nezumi Graverobber/Nighteyes the Desecrator Uncommon. The 2/1 Graverobber has : Exile target card in an opponent's graveyard. If no cards are in that graveyard, flip Nezumi Graverobber. It flips into 4/2 Nighteyes, a legendary Rat Wizard with : Put target creature card in a graveyard into play under your control.
  • Nezumi Shortfang/Stabwhisker the Odious Rare. 1/1 Shortfang has ,: Target opponent discards a card. Then if that player has no cards in hand, flip Nezumi Shortfang." It becomes Stabwhisker, a 3/3 legendary Rat Shaman with At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, that player loses 1 life for each card fewer than three in his or her hand.
  • Initiate of Blood/Goka the Unjust Uncommon. 2/2 Initiate has : Initiate of Blood deals 1 damage to target creature that was dealt damage this turn. When that creature is put into a graveyard this turn, flip Initiate of Blood. It becomes Goka the Unjust, a 4/4 legendary Ogre Shaman with : Goka the Unjust deals 4 damage to target creature that was dealt damage this turn.
  • Akki Lavarunner/Tok-Tok, Volcano Born Rare. The 1/1 Akki Lavarunner has haste and When Akki Lavarunner deals damage to an opponent, flip Akki Lavarunner. It becomes 2/2 Tok-Tok, a legendary Goblin Shaman with Protection from red and If a red source would deal damage to a player, it deals that much damage plus 1 to that player instead.
  • Orochi Eggwatcher/Shidako, Broodmistress Uncommon. The 1/1 Eggwatcher has ,: Put a 1/1 green Snake creature into play. If you have ten or more creatures, flip Orochi Eggwatcher. It flips into Shidako, a 2/2 legendary Snake Shaman with , Sacrifice a creature: Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
  • Budoka Gardener/Dokai, Weaver of Life Rare. The 2/1 Gardener has : You may put a land card from your hand into play. If you control ten or more lands, flip Budoka Gardener. It becomes Dokai, a 3/3 legendary Human Monk with , : Put an X/X green Elemental creature token in to play, where X is the number of lands you control.
• From Betrayers of Kamigawa

All of these cards are based on playing two spirit or arcane spells, which gives the card two "ki" counters and allows them to flip into a legendary Spirit creature at end of turn. The ki counters may then be removed from the flipped creature for an effect. The flip cards in this block are all uncommons that cost MM (where M represents a colored mana), and start as 2/2 creatures.

• • Faithful Squire/Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty Uncommon. Faithful Squire is a 2/2 Human Soldier. Kaiso is a 3/4 legendary spirit with flying and Remove a ki counter: prevent all damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn.
  • Callow Jushi/Jaraku the Interloper Uncommon. Callow Jushi is a 2/2 Human Wizard. Jaraku is a 3/4 legendary spirit with Remove a ki counter: Counter target spell unless its controller pays .
  • Hired Muscle/Scarmaker Uncommon. Hired Muscle is a 2/2 Human Warrior. Scarmaker is a 4/4 legendary spirit with Remove a ki counter: Target creature gains fear until end of turn.
  • Cunning Bandit/Azamuki, Treachery Incarnate Uncommon. Cunning Bandit is a 2/2 Human Warrior. Azamuki is a 5/2 legendary spirit with Remove a ki counter: Gain control of target creature until end of turn.
  • Budoka Pupil/Ichiga, Who Topples Oaks Uncommon. Budoka Pupil is a 2/2 Human Monk. Ichiga is a 4/3 legendary spirit with Remove a ki counter: Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.

• From Saviors of Kamigawa

All of these flip cards are rares that start as legendary Monk creatures with a flip trigger. When flipped, they become Legendary enchantments with a somewhat-related static ability.

• • Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant/Rune-Tail's Essence. Rare. Rune-Tail is a 2/2 legendary Fox Monk that flips when you have 30 or more life. Rune-Tail's Essence is a legendary enchantment with Prevent all damage that would be dealt to creatures you control.
  • Erayo, Soratami Ascendant/Erayo's Essence. Rare. Erayo is a 1/1 legendary Moonfolk Monk with flying that flips when the fourth spell of a turn is played. Erayo's Essence is a legendary enchantment with Counter the first spell played by each opponent each turn.
  • Kuon, Ogre Ascendant/Kuon's Essence. Rare. Kuon is a 2/4 legendary Ogre Monk which flips at the end of any turn in which three creatures were put into graveyards from play. Kuon's Essence is a legendary enchantment which requires each player to sacrifice a creature at the beginning of his or her upkeep.
  • Homura, Human Ascendant/Homura's Essence. Rare. Homura is a 4/4 legendary Human Monk which can't block. When Homura is put into a graveyard from play, it returns to play as Homura's Essence, a legendary enchantment with Creatures you control get +2/+2, flying, and gain ": This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn."
  • Sasaya, Orochi Ascendant/Sasaya's Essence. Rare. Sasaya is a 2/3 legendary Snake Monk which flips when you reveal your hand containing seven or more lands. Sasaya's Essence is a legendary enchantment with Whenever a land you control is tapped for mana, for each other land you control with the same name, add one mana to your mana pool of any type that land produced.