{4}, {T}: Each player who controls a permanent named Bonder's Ornament draws a card. Wizards of the Coast. If you control a commander, you can cast those spells for free. Nethroi, Apex of Death{2}{W}{B}{G}Legendary Creature Cat Nightmare Beast5/5Mutate {4}{g/w}{B}{B} (If you cast this spell for its mutate cost, put it over or under target non-Human creature you own. Brallin's middle ability gives it only one +1/+1 counter each time it resolves, no matter how many opponents are dealt damage. Zaxara, the Exemplary{1}{B}{G}{U}Legendary Creature Nightmare Hydra2/3Deathtouch{T}: Add two mana of any one color.Whenever you cast a spell with {X} in its mana cost, create a 0/0 green Hydra creature token, then put X +1/+1 counters on it. If the creature on top of your Mutate pile is a token, then the Mutated Creature is considered a Token. Shake up your Commander MTG removal suite! Good article, was having trouble figuring out the commander tax on mutate. That creature is free to block another creature or to not block at all. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may cast it once from outside the game. They mutate into the creature on top plus all abilities from under it. I think mutate is a little too complex for most players. If you do, Ravenous Gigantotherium deals no damage and is dealt no damage. Ravenous Gigantotherium{5}{G}{G}Creature Beast3/3Devour 3 (As this enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice any number of creatures. It's intended to make playing with the new cards more fun by clearing up the common misconceptions and confusion inevitably caused by new mechanics and interactions. If the target creature is an illegal target or if the token is no longer a creature when the token's granted ability tries to resolve, the ability doesn't resolve. Only creatures are Humans. Molten Echoes{2}{R}{R}EnchantmentAs Molten Echoes enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.Whenever a nontoken creature of the chosen type enters the battlefield under your control, create a token that's a copy of that creature. ", A spell cast with mutate becomes a mutating creature spell. Notably, it won't copy effects that made the target permanent become a creature. Frost Lynx's triggered ability can target a creature that's already tapped. text-decoration: none; Then each chosen creature receives its +1/+1 counters and becomes goaded. It has low power so it doesnt take up too much room but has a wide range of targets to destroy. Ikorias new mechanic mutate is full of promise for building compelling Commander decks. If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities. Once youve successfully mutated on a creature, all the effects will go on the stack and theyll resolve even if your opponent kills a creature afterwards. If you mutate onto Triton Fortune Hunter, youll get to draw a card. Mutate is a keyword ability that is featured in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths. This action doesn't use the stack. {R}: Target Shark gains trample until end of turn. Your opponents can still activate abilities during your turn. You can cast another permanent spell from your graveyard. Will I die if I lose enough life to kill me from an effect that also heals me? Frostveil Ambush can target a creature that's already tapped. Any "As [this creature] enters the battlefield" or "[This creature] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the copied creature will also work. A creature that's more than one of the five types gets +1/+1 only once from Kaheera's last ability. For example, you can't exile more than four cards from your graveyard to cast Ethereal Forager unless another effect raises its cost. If an effect copies an instant spell multiple times, Kalamax's last ability triggers that many times. This build does require you to play enchantments, but in Sultai colors you have no shortage of powerful ones that can be played in conjunction with your mutate creatures. If its power and toughness are written as */*+1, it's -2/1, and so on. There are a few Sagas that have CMC three or less, making them recastable. Put a +1/+1 counter on Pako for each noncreature card exiled this way. Skycat Sovereign{W}{U}Creature Elemental Cat1/1FlyingSkycat Sovereign gets +1/+1 for each other creature you control with flying. }. If it has an alternative cost, such as a mutate cost, you may cast it for that cost instead. Lavabrink Floodgates's reflexive triggered ability triggers and deals damage only if you sacrifice it while resolving its triggered ability. Mutate is at its most powerful when you really commit to it by going all-in on one creature. Primal Empathy{1}{G}{U}EnchantmentAt the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card if you control a creature with the greatest power among creatures on the battlefield. It doesn't wear off during the cleanup step, and it doesn't expire if Souvenir Snatcher leaves the battlefield. {X}{b/g}, {T}, Sacrifice another creature: Search your library for a creature card with converted mana cost X or less, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. For example, you can't, If a merged creature leaves the battlefield, one. )Flying, first strikeWhenever this creature mutates, you may cast target noncreature card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard without paying its mana cost. Then move any number of counters from among creatures you control onto that creature. If {W}{U} was spent to cast this spell, until your next turn, those permanents can't attack or block and their activated abilities can't be activated. Tapping an attacking creature doesn't remove it from combat. If you Mutate a Non-Legendary Creature on top of a Legendary Creature, then the mutated creature will be considered non-Legendary. Verge Rangers{2}{W}Creature Human Scout3/3First strikeYou may look at the top card of your library any time.As long as an opponent controls more lands than you, you may play lands from the top of your library. If it's a legal target but the token is no longer on the battlefield when the ability resolves, the target creature won't deal or be dealt damage. When a mutated creature with undying dies, all the creatures in the pile come back separately and they all get +1/+1 counters. But if your mutated creature is flickered and returned to the battlefield then all of your mutations come back as their own creature rather than as the pseudo-aura they once were. Startling Development{1}{U}InstantUntil end of turn, target creature becomes a blue Serpent with base power and toughness 4/4.Cycling {1} ({1}, Discard this card: Draw a card.). The additional mana Kinnan produces won't have any restrictions or riders. )Whenever enchanted creature attacks, you create a Treasure token. Slitherwisp{U}{B}{B}Creature Elemental Nightmare3/2FlashWhenever you cast another spell that has flash, you draw a card and each opponent loses 1 life. Then you lose 3 life for each soul counter on Netherborn Altar. If an effect copies the Mythos spell, no mana was spent to cast the copy, so the copy won't receive the bonus. This allows Ramos, Dragon Engine to grow to giant numbers and gain the fantastic abilities of creatures as it can be mutated onto. Mutate is a keyword that was introduced in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths and somewhat resembles auras or the bestow mechanic from Theros. (You and planeswalkers you control can't be targeted, dealt damage, or enchanted by anything controlled by that player.). If it's blocking, instead put two +1/+1 counters on it.Cycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Draw a card.). The mutant creature also retains both creatures abilities, so it still has reach, trample, and protection from multicolored. Since mutate's downside is getting hurt by removal, this allows you to recycle your best mutate cards to activate their effects all over again. Its owner must pay for each time it was previously cast from the command zone; this is an additional cost. Certain variants may have other minimums. Heres a step-by-step guide on how to successfully mutate one card onto another on MTG Arena: 1. Excess damage caused by a spell or ability is similar to how combat damage from a creature with trample is handled. Creatures with Mutate can be cast as normal, or they can be combined with non-humans for an alternate cost. They aren't legal for play in the Standard, Pioneer, or Modern formats. Yes, mutate can be countered. The target opponent chooses which of their creatures receives a deathtouch counter. If my commander is on the top of the pile I'm pretty sure the pile will be my commander (and will be able to deal commander damages) but that happen if it's not on the top? The activation cost is unaffected if it already costs one or zero mana (such as the activation cost of Zirda's last ability). One goes on top, one on bottomyour choice. Next: Magic: The Gathering - The Strongest Alternate Win Conditions In Commander Format. The Human's new base power and toughness are set to Exuberant Wolfbear's actual power and toughness, not just its base power and toughness. (Mutating onto the creature won't give it new abilities. Commanders begin the game in the Command Zone. MTG Mutate Rules and Interactions Explained, How to Improve Your Commander Deck: 5 Useful Tips, LotR MTG Set: Tales of Middle-Earth Spoilers & Information, Lord of the Rings Commander Decks & Decklists, March of the Machine Commander 2023 Decks & Decklists. Facet Reader{1}{U}Creature Human Wizard1/2{1}, {T}: Draw a card, then discard a card. Timing permissions based on a card's type are ignored. Lets take a look at some of the more crazy ones. Do you think its worth bringing back, or dare I say making the mechanic evergreen? Mutate Mutate Theme Mutate color combinations Simic 438 decks Sultai 3271 decks Temur 1150 decks Witch-Maw59 decks Five-Color2154 decks Popular tribes for Mutate Beasts 13 decks This theme is based on the Mutate ability. Notably, opponents can't try to change whether you control a creature with menace. Because Corpse Churn doesn't target the creature card in your graveyard, you may choose one of the three cards you put there from your library. You may draw one card each time the ability resolves, no matter how much damage was dealt. Players can cast spells and activate abilities after the triggered ability resolves but before the spell that caused it to trigger does. )LifelinkDuring each of your turns, you may cast one permanent spell with converted mana cost 2 or less from your graveyard. Cast the spell for its mutate cost. Can You Sacrifice One Card from a Merged Creature? This is different from effects that say "If you do . Until next time, stay safe and stay healthy! You choose whether the additional copy is put onto the stack before or after the original copy. Quartzwood Crasher's second ability includes damage dealt by Quartzwood Crasher itself as long as it still has trample. If the target creature you control has deathtouch, 1 damage from it is lethal. If a merged creature leaves the battlefield, one object leaves the battlefield and each card is put into the appropriate zone. This lets you ensure you'll be able to keep casting it without having to pay the tax for recasting if it dies. Similarly, if a mutated creature is bounced to your hand, then all of the creatures that have mutated with that creature will also be returned to your hand. (Zero is even. Your email address will not be published. (It attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than you if able. Trynn's ability checks only whether you declared an attacking creature during the turn. Players can't take actions in between the time you make this choice and the time that creature has a +1/+1 counter. The control-change effect of Souvenir Snatcher lasts indefinitely. Once that happens, the value of X won't change later in the turn even if Huntmaster Liger mutates again, although in that case the creatures will receive a second, larger +X/+X in addition to the one generated by the ability's earlier resolution. The reflexive triggered ability will still trigger if you discard a nonland card. If the greatest power among creatures on the battlefield is shared by a creature you control and a creature you don't control, you draw a card. For example, a cycling cost of {2} would become {1}, and one of {1}{R} would become {R}. You must pay the costs to cast that spell. You don't exile card to find one that shares all of its types, and you can't choose to keep going to find a different one of those types. You may look at and play those cards even if Mindleecher leaves the battlefield. An ability that triggers "whenever this creature mutates" triggers whether the ability came from the mutating creature spell or from the creature that the mutating creature spell merged with. They mutate into the creature on top plus all abilities from under it. The Commander variant requires exactly one hundred cards, so Yorion can never be your chosen companion in a Commander game. A creature with 0 power isn't destroyed unless it has at least 1 damage marked on it. {1}{G}: Return target Human you control to its owner's hand. As a mutating creature spell resolves, instead of entering the battlefield, it merges with its target into one creature. Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won't trigger. Im pretty happy that Mardu is becoming playable outside of Kaalia of the Vast. If the copied card has an ability that defines its power or toughness, that ability isn't copied. The Comprehensive Rules also say: text that refers to the object its on by name means just that particular object and not any other objects with that name. Quartzwood Crasher{2}{R}{R}{G}Creature Dinosaur Beast6/6TrampleWhenever one or more creatures you control with trample deal combat damage to a player, create an X/X green Dinosaur Beast creature token with trample, where X is the amount of damage those creatures dealt to that player. It gains haste until your next turn. To make it short and sweet: if your commander is in a mutated pile, that pile is your commander. You can play lands this way only if you have remaining land plays available for the turn. Artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, planeswalker, and sorcery are card types. If more than one non-Human creature you control attacks, Winota's ability triggers separately for each of them. But were here to talk about other things to do with it. .decklist-database-area{ If {R}{G} was spent to cast this spell, instead create a token that's a copy of that permanent, except the token has "When this permanent enters the battlefield, if it's a creature, it fights up to one target creature you don't control.". Effects that reduce the generic mana cost of a spell (such as that of Pollywog Symbiote) can't reduce that spell's colored mana requirements. Vitality Hunter{3}{W}Creature Nightmare3/4Lifelink{X}{W}{W}: Monstrosity X. In the end, the very low mutate cost appealed to me. Call of the Death-Dweller{2}{B}SorceryReturn up to two target creature cards with total converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. In a multiplayer game, it does expire if you leave the game. Several cards appearing in these decks let you rile up a creature, whipping it into a frenzied attack in some other player's direction. You check once for each keyword. Put your choice of a vigilance counter, a reach counter, or a trample counter on it.2: When you cast your next creature spell this turn, search your library for a creature card with lesser converted mana cost, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Hopefully you now have a clear understanding of how Mutate works, and how to use it to your advantage in game. } Vulpikeet | Illustration by Leesha Hannigan. There's no point at which players can target it before it has gained the appropriate protection abilities. You can't assign some damage to one blocker then skip other blockers. Sheldon Menery gets you up to speed and shares the fun from two recent games. A Commander deck must contain exactly 100 cards, including the Commander. Manascape Refractor{3}ArtifactManascape Refractor enters the battlefield tapped.Manascape Refractor has all activated abilities of all lands on the battlefield.You may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to pay the activation costs of Manascape Refractor's abilities. 2. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. flex: 1 1 350px; Creatures that player controls can still attack you or planeswalkers you control, but the damage they would deal will be prevented. If you exile your entire library without exiling a card that shares a card type, you put the library back in a random order and continue. Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. {3}, {T}: Draw a card. Effects may put cards from other zones onto the battlefield under an opponent's control. Dom Harvey joined the legions of Rakdos Evoke players in Modern and found immediate rewards. Vulpikeet{3}{W}Creature Fox Bird2/3Mutate {2}{W} (If you cast this spell for its mutate cost, put it over or under target non-Human creature you own. You gain 2 life when Essence Symbiote's ability resolves, even if you can't put a +1/+1 counter on the mutated creature (most likely because it's left the battlefield). Do the other, previous effects go back? Mythos of Snapdax{2}{W}{W}SorceryEach player chooses an artifact, a creature, an enchantment, and a planeswalker from among the nonland permanents they control, then sacrifices the rest. Solid Footing's last ability doesn't change the enchanted creature's power; it changes only the amount of combat damage that creature assigns. Mutating on a creature doesnt effect its status as modified / non-modified. Keruga, the Macrosage{3}{g/u}{g/u}Legendary Creature Dinosaur Hippo5/4Companion Your starting deck contains only cards with converted mana cost 3 or greater and land cards. Click on a non-human creature you own to target it with the mutate creature. The two target permanents don't have to share a type, which can result in some counters on permanents that would not occur normally, such as loyalty counters on creatures or +1/+1 counters on lands. The Commander's Quarters is your Magic the Gathering source that helps you Command Your Budget! Whenever it mutates, it can deal four damage to a creature or planeswalker, and you gain four life. Gust of Wind{3}{U}SorceryThis spell costs {2} less to cast if you control a creature with flying.Return target nonland permanent you don't control to its owner's hand.Draw a card. But if you just throw it in with no additional support, its just some creature that stacks onto a token or something. Cunning Nightbonder{u/b}{u/b}Creature Human Rogue2/2FlashSpells with flash you cast cost {1} less to cast and can't be countered. Gavi, Nest Warden{2}{U}{R}{W}Legendary Creature Human Shaman2/5You may pay {0} rather than pay the cycling cost of the first card you cycle each turn.Whenever you draw your second card each turn, create a 2/2 red and white Dinosaur Cat creature token. In a Two-Headed Giant game, Blisterspit Gremlin's first ability causes the opposing team to lose 2 life. It's not mutated at this point, and it also doesn't count as a commander (since commanderness isn't copiable). (It attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than you if able. A mana ability produces mana as part of its effect. Each target must be assigned at least 1 damage. Go to Magic.Wizards.com/Formats for a complete list of formats and their permitted card sets and banned lists. For spells with {X} in their mana costs, use the value chosen for X to determine the spell's converted mana cost. If Lavabrink Venturer somehow has no choice made for its ability, its last ability grants it no protection abilities. There are many powerful mutate commanders, some of which have mutate themselves to help support the strategy. Once a player has chosen not to reveal a companion, that player can't change their mind. As a mutating creature spell resolves, instead of entering the battlefield, it merges with its target into one creature. If youre playing a Sultai deck, King Macar, the Gold-Cursed is the one youll want. However, this new mutant creature will share the abilities of both creatures, as. If there are fewer than X permanent cards in your library, you exile your entire library and put the permanent cards in it onto the battlefield. If you leave the game, any spells or permanents you control from Mindleecher are exiled, and any cards remaining in exile remain face down indefinitely. Create X 1/1 white Human Soldier creature tokens, where X is the number of creatures those opponents control. Is it possible to create a concave light. Because damage remains marked on a creature until the damage is removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to Fiend Artisan may become lethal if creature cards leave your graveyard during that turn. display: flex; When that spell or ability resolves, your spell won't be countered, but any additional effects of the countering spell or ability will still happen.