Four-faced

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Four-faced
Keyword Ability
Type Activated
Introduced Mystery Booster
Last used Mystery Booster
Reminder Text Four-faced (Whenever this becomes tapped, move it to the next stage, or to stage 1 if it’s at stage 4.)
Statistics
1 card
{U} 100%
Scryfall Search
fulloracle:"Four-faced"

Four-faced is a keyword ability featured on a test card in the Mystery Booster set.[1] A four-sided creature has four stages with different characteristics, and advances through stages whenever it is tapped. It is inspired by Double-faced cards, but has elements of the Level up mechanic and Sagas in the way it moves through multiple stages.

It is unclear from the test card how a four-faced creature would be configured on an actual card. The test card uses a layout very similar to the Level up mechanic, which ironically had been met with mixed reactions due to the layout.[2][3] A few months before Mystery Booster was released, Mark Rosewater speculated that something similar to "triple-faced cards" found in the Duel Masters trading card game would eventually be done in Magic, but not soon.[4]

Example

Example

Loopy Lobster {2}{U}
Creature — Lobster
?/?
Four-faced (Whenever this becomes tapped, move it to the next stage, or to stage 1 if it’s at stage 4.)
Stage 1 — (1/4)
Stage 2 — (4/1) Evolve
Stage 3 — (2/4) {U}: Loopy Lobster gets +1/-1 until end of turn.
Stage 4 — (4/4) Vigilance. {T}: Draw two cards.

Rulings

  • A permanent with four-faced starts at stage 1.
  • If Loopy Lobster somehow enters the battlefield tapped, it will still be at stage 1.
  • If an object becomes a copy of a permanent with four-faced, that object remains at the stage it was. If it wasn't at a stage, it's at stage 1.
  • A creature card with four-faced that isn't on the battlefield is a 0/0 creature.
  • Activating Loopy Lobster's stage 3 ability creates an effect that lasts even if it moves to stage 4 during that turn.

References

  1. Eli Shiffrin (November 11, 2019). "Mystery Booster Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Mark Rosewater (September 07, 2015). "How was Level Up received?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  3. Mark Rosewater (September 07, 2015). "Do you think that the mechanic has any chance of returning?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  4. Mark Rosewater (February 02, 2019). "What are your thoughts on the triple-faced cards...". Blogatog. Tumblr.