Polymorph

Polymorph is a slang term used by Magic R&D to describe the following effect: "{Remove} target creature. Its controller reveals cards from the top of his or her library until they reveal a creature card. That player puts that card onto the battlefield." This effect is named after the card Polymorph from Mirage.

Description

The effect is currently primary in red and secondary in blue. For a long time, this ability was a blue thing. When R&D was looking for more places to expand red, they decided to slice up the polymorph pie. Blue gets transformations where the outcome is known and red gets them where it is not. The idea being that blue only wants to transform something when they know what they're going to get, whereas red is willing to take a risk. Red will also do large chaotic effects where many things change all at once.

Another related effect that is in between this and Transformation is when the target is replaced with a token. This effect is primary in blue, secondary in white, and has appeared four times in green, even though the original card (Beast Within) has been a oft-cited break}.

List of polymorph effects

Creatures

• Blessed Reincarnation - opponent's creatures
• Divergent Transformation
• Fireflux Squad
• Indomitable Creativity - destroy
• Jalira, Master Polymorphist - sacrificed, only reveals nonlegendaries
• Lukka, Coppercoat Outcast - guarantees higher cost
• Mass Polymorph
• Polymorph - destroys
• Proteus Staff - puts on bottom
• Shifting Shadow - destroy, recurring Aura effect
• Synthetic Destiny - time-delay
• Transmogrify

Artifacts

• Indomitable Creativity - destroy
• Shape Anew - sacrificed

Permanents

• Dreamshaper Shaman - sacrificed, nonland
• Reality Scramble - put on bottom, shared card type
• Reweave - sacrificed, shared card type

Instants/Sorceries

• Spellshape - countered on the stack