Color indicator
| Color Indicator | |
|---|---|
| Mechanic | |
| Introduced | Innistrad |
| Last used | Final Fantasy |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
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.[1] This usage makes up a large proportion of cards with color indicators. 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. At the time, the single-faced cards that required this were cards like the Manaless Suspend cycle from Time Spiral and Dryad Arbor and the Pact cycle from Future Sight. 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.
Augment in Unstable was a series of mechanically uncastable cards, necessitating color indicators.
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 her name's 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 four 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 (
)
- Rare/Mythic Sieges
- Disturb-based (
)
- Transformers
- Melded cards
- Final Fantasy
- Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar (
) - Garruk, the Veil-Cursed (
) - Edgar Markov's Coffin (
) - Krothuss, Lord of the Deep (
) - Olag, Ludevic's Hubris ()
- Vessel of the All-Consuming ()
- Master's Manufactory ()
Three-colored
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.[2][3]
Rules
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (September 19, 2025—Marvel's Spider-Man)
- Color Indicator
- A characteristic of an object. See rule 105, “Colors,” and rule 204, “Color Indicator.”
From the Comprehensive Rules (September 19, 2025—Marvel's Spider-Man)
- 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.
References
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (August 28, 2011). "Double-Faced Card Rules". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2019-08-11.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 15, 2019). "Why isnt there a 5 color color indicator on...". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Eli Shiffrin (January 22, 2019). "Ravnica Allegiance Oracle Changes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2019-01-24.
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