Color indicator

The color indicator (, , , , ) is a characteristic of an object. It is printed to the left of the type line directly below the illustration. It consists of a circular symbol filled in with typically one but sometimes more colors. A color indicator is usually found on cards without a mana cost that however has to convey color information.

History

The color indicator was introduced with Innistrad to define the colors of the back faces of double-faced cards without resorting to characteristic-defining abilities. With the following Oracle update, some cards (such as Crimson Kobolds and Evermind) received errata, removing a characteristic-defining ability defining the card's color, and receiving a color indicator instead. This produced some functional changes, such as Crimson Kobolds being affected by Muraganda Petroglyphs, and players being unable to splice Evermind onto Arcane spells to change the original spell's color.

Multicolored color indicators

Multicolored color indicators exist usually when the backside of a DFC is multicolored, which is a narrow intersection of mechanical design. Sets from Innistrad previously held the collective greatest number of these, but March of the Machine's multicolored Battles and Phyrexian transformations put thirty-three in one set, with multiple full complements of color-pairs. Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar is unique in that the name length prevents having a conventional mana cost, making it the only single-faced card with a multicolor indicator.

Three-color indicators are rarer, as designing enough three-color cards is already difficult: there are three Premier set cards with a tricolored indicator. Incidentally, all are legendary creatures. Outside of that, the Transformers Universes Beyond product has four cards having tricolored indicators that are colored more by character rather than by mechanical purpose. The first two cards printed with three-color indicators, Nicol Bolas, the Arisen and Grimlock, Ferocious King, had their color indicators oriented with the center color of the triplet in the bottom left segment; and rather than and , respectively. Starting with Transformers, all three-color indicators have been oriented with the center color of the triplet in the top center segment.

Two-colored

• Werewolf-based ()
  • Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon
  • Arlinn, the Moon's Fury
  • Lord of the Ulvenwald
  • Ravager of the Fells
  • Savage Packmate
  • Tovolar, the Midnight Scourge
  • Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha
• Rare/Mythic Sieges
  • Ephara, Ever-Sheltering ()
  • Teferi Akosa of Zhalfir ()
  • The Broken Sky ()
• Disturb-based ()
  • Brinebound Gift
  • Dennick, Pious Apparition
  • Departed Soulkeeper
  • Dorothea's Retribution
• Transformers
  • Arcee, Acrobatic Coupe ()
  • Blaster, Morale Booster ()
  • Cyclonus, Cybertronian Fighter ()
  • Flamewar, Streetwise Operative ()
  • Goldbug, Scrappy Scout ()
• Melded cards
  • Mishra, Lost to Phyrexia ()
  • Urza, Planeswalker ()
• Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar ()
• Edgar Markov's Coffin ()
• Garruk, the Veil-Cursed ()
• Hades, Sorceror of Eld ()
• Krothuss, Lord of the Deep ()
• Master's Manufactory ()
• Olag, Ludevic's Hubris ()
• Vessel of the All-Consuming ()

Allied color cycles
Rare Phyrexians	Heliod, the Warped Eclipse	Rona, Tolarian Obliterator	Ayara, Furnace Queen	Etali, Primal Sickness	Burnished Dunestomper
Common Phyrexians	Order of the Alabaster Host	Gitaxian Mindstinger	Glistening Goremonger	Plated Kilnbeast	Polukranos, Engine of Ruin
Uncommon Sieges	Vertex Paladin	Lazotep Convert	Ashen Reaper	Turga Clliffcharger	Bloomwielder Dryads
Enemy color cycles
Uncommon Phyrexians	Seraph of New Phyrexia	Compleated Conjurer	Blightsower Thallid	Phyrexian Skyflayer	Chrome Host Hulk
	Hideous Fleshwheeler	Gitaxian Spellstalker	Malady Invoker	Furnace-Blessed Conqueror	Skyclave Invader
Uncommon Sieges	Holy Frazzle-Cannon	Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship	Winnowing Forces	Valor's Reach Tag Team	Gargantuan Slabhorn
MH3 Flip-walkers	Sorin, Ravenous Neonate	Ral, Leyline Prodigy	Grist, the Plague Swarm	Ajani, Nacatl Avenger	Tamiyo, Seasoned Scholar

Three-colored

• Nicol Bolas, the Arisen ()
• Roar of the Fifth People ()
• The Golden-Gear Colossus ()
• Transformers
  • Grimlock, Ferocious King (, Acorn)
  • Megatron, Destructive Force ()
  • Optimus Prime, Autobot Leader ()
  • Soundwave, Superior Captain ()
  • Ultra Magnus, Armored Carrier ()

Five-colored

For a while, Transguild Courier featured a five-colored indicator in Gatherer but was never printed with it. When a five-colored indicator was considered for Sphinx of the Guildpact, no version was deemed suitable for printing. This resulted in the use five-colored indicators to be abandoned in favor of characteristic-defining abilities, and a similar oracle update for Transguild Courier.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (February 7, 2025—Aetherdrift)

Color Indicator

A characteristic of an object. See rule 105, “Colors,” and rule 204, “Color Indicator.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (February 7, 2025—Aetherdrift)

• 204. Color Indicator
  • 204.1. The color indicator is printed to the left of the type line directly below the illustration. It consists of a circular symbol filled in with one or more colors. A color indicator is usually found on nonland cards without a mana cost.
  • 204.2. An object with a color indicator is each color denoted by that color indicator.