Power/Toughness switcher
| Switch | |
|---|---|
| Keyword Action | |
| Introduced | Legends |
| Last used | Modern Horizons 3 Commander |
| Reminder Text | No official reminder text |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
Power/Toughness switchers are effects or spells that switch the power and toughness of a creature.[1] This effect usually lasts until end of turn.[2]
Description
The original card that showed this effect was the black Transmutation from Legends. Nowadays, it is primary in blue and secondary in red.[3] It presents in two ways of either an instant as a trick, or a creature ability that affects itself, flipping a defensive statline into a fragile but powerful hitter. For the latter, it can be approximated by a +N/-N effect, and two cards have a base power and toughness setting ability to the same effect.
While generally either a combat or utility effect, this effect can combo off with effects that only reduce power, like Hydrosurge, to create a graveyard-sending removal effect. This can be seen as a color break for blue since its form of creature removal involves bouncing, freezing, or countering them. It also tends to be cheaper as each effect is individually weak. This combo of effects would be given a nod in Twisted Reflection, where black mana (a color that sends creatures to the graveyard as removal) is needed to give the blue spell both effects that will send creatures to the graveyard. Red's variation of this combo (switch a low-power creature and then burn it) is acceptable as its weaknesses are large symmetrical blockers, not wall-type blockers.
List
Creature
Target creature
References
- ↑ Magic Arcana (January 24, 2007). "Power/Toughness Switching". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-30.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 10, 2019). "Would it be possible for an enchantment to permanently switch power/toughness?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 5, 2017). "Mechanical Color Pie 2017". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.