Double-faced card



Double-faced cards (DFCs) in Magic have a regular card frame on each side, and no card back. The similar meld cards have only half a regular card on the card back.

History
Double-faced cards were introduced in the Innistrad block. All these cards featured the keyword action transform (turn it over so that its other face is up).

Double-faced cards returned in Magic Origins where one side featured a legendary creature, and the other side features its planeswalker incarnation. These "flipwalkers" were first exiled and then returned transformed from the exile zone. In Magic Origins, there was only one double-faced card for each color.

Double-faced cards returned again in Shadows over Innistrad. These had the transform mechanic again. New rules stipulated that the converted mana cost of the back face of a double-faced is based on the mana cost of the front face. Eldritch Moon introduced a twist with meld, a keyword action that changes the card with meld and a specific other card into one oversized card. That single card only exists on the backs of the two other cards. Whenever the melded card leaves the battlefield, both cards go, and they each turn front face up again. For gameplay purposes, these are NOT considered to be DFCs (see rule 711.1d below), though they occupy the DFC slot in a Shadows over Innistrad booster pack. There are 3 pairs of cards that can meld together: a white pair, a black pair, and a pair consisting of a red card and a land. There were also 15 regular DFCs in Eldritch Moon.

Since June 2017, double-faced cards are considered to be deciduous. Ten of them appeared in Ixalan - one of each color, and five artifacts - highlighting the tales and tools of discovery. Another seven double-faced cards appeared in Rivals of Ixalan, one of each enemy color pair and 2 artifacts. Double-faced cards were now an infrequent thing. The short time between Shadows over Innistrad and Ixalan was not meant to be a precedent.

A single double-faced card, Nicol Bolas, the Ravager was printed in Core Set 2019.

R&D came to realize that there was a lot more of design space to be explored in double-faced cards.

Zendikar Rising introduced Modal Double-faced cards (MDFCs). While the original Double-faced cards were inspired by the Hasbro Duel Masters game, MDFCs were inspired by split cards.

Transforming double-faced cards
Transforming double-faced cards (TDFCs ) represented a radical change for the card back. Until their release, no legal card could have a different print on the back than the regular Magic card back.

Thematically, these double-faced cards represent something that undergoes a major transformation, hence the keyword action. This is expressed in different ways, depending on the setting.

In Innistrad sets, many are werewolves, fledgling vampires, or other creatures undergoing horrifying transformations. Nearly all of the cards are creatures that transform into other creatures, although there are exceptions:
 * and are planeswalkers that transform into other planeswalkers.
 * and are artifacts that transform into other artifacts.
 * and are artifacts that transform into creatures.
 * is an artifact creature that transforms into another artifact creature.
 * is an artifact creature that transforms into a non-creature artifact.
 * and are creatures that transform into enchantments.
 * and are enchantments that transform into creatures.
 * is a sorcery that transforms into a creature.
 * is a land that transforms into a creature.

In Magic Origins and Core Set 2019, they are planeswalkers whose spark is igniting, represented by creatures that transform into planeswalkers. Magic Origins features a cycle of mono-color planeswalkers, while Core Set 2019 features a single planeswalker; Nicol Bolas, the Ravager.

In Ixalan sets, they represent the journey into uncharted territory and the discovery of new locales. Enchantments and artifacts represent a tool or event along the journey and transform into a land that represents the destination. Ixalan features a cycle of mono-color enchantments and five artifacts, while Rivals of Ixalan features a cycle of enemy-color enchantments, an artifact, and an artifact creature.

Double-faced is a referable property for a card: Moonmist's reminder text refers to double-faced cards.

Modal double-faced cards
Modal double-faced cards (MDFCs ) were introduced in Zendikar Rising.

Like previously released double-faced cards, modal double-faced cards have two card faces, one on each side of the card. But these cards don't transform. When you play a modal double-faced card, you choose which face you're playing. The front side of the card has a single triangle in the upper left-hand corner. The backside has two triangles and a different card frame with white font.

Modal double-faced cards fit in the same design space as split cards, but the latter can only be instants and sorceries. This means MDFCs tend to have at least one side be permanent. Technically, there could be an MDFC with two instants and/or sorceries with text that couldn’t fit on a split card.

Zendikar Rising also introduced "helper card"s, a substitute card for the actual double-faced card when playing without opaque sleeves. When playing with opaque sleeves, the helper cards are optional.

The MDFC's of Zendikar Rising all feature lands on their backside. The non-Pathway land MDFC's of Kaldheim all feature legendary God creatures on their front side, and the back is a legendary non-land permanent. The MDFC's of Strixhaven: School of Mages all feature enemy color combinations except one that is colorless.

Rules
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Playing with double-faced cards
The Innistrad block double-faced cards have an icon next to the name representing a sun or a moon. The front of the card is called the "day" side and has a regular card frame, a mana cost, and the sun symbol. The back or "night" side has the moon symbol and a slightly altered frame similar to planeshifted cards with a darker text box and white text for the card type, name, and (for creatures) power and toughness.

With the Magic Origins rules update, the sun and moon symbols lost their meaning; the front of the card was then defined by the appearance of the mana cost. The set also introduced two new symbols for the five double-faced cards in its set: The rising sun for the front-side and the planeswalker symbol  for the back-side.

With the release of Shadows over Innistrad, the symbols in the upper-left corner regained their rules meaning, due to a single card (Westvale Abbey), which was the front face but still lacked a mana cost.

Creatures from Eldritch Moon that transform into colorless Eldrazi have a the aforementioned eldritch moon for the front side and Emrakul  for the back side, showing this creature has joined Emrakul's brood. This is symbolizing one transformation step further from that shown in Innistrad, Dark Ascension, and Shadows over Innistrad.

Double-faced cards from Ixalan and Rivals of Ixalan highlight the tales and tools of discovery. The front face is recognized by the icon of a compass rose. Lands on the backface are marked by the land icon last seen in Future Sight.

Double-sided cards enter the battlefield with their front side up. To switch between the two card faces, the keyword action transform is used. When a permanent transforms, all counters, Auras, and Equipment stay on the card, and the card neither enters nor leaves the battlefield. However, some cards transform by changing zones:
 * The six creatures that transform into planeswalkers are exiled and returned to the battlefield transformed. This ensures that they enter the battlefield with the appropriate amount of loyalty counters.
 * Conqueror's Galleon is also exiled and returned to the battlefield transformed. If it had transformed normally, it would retain the ability "This permanent becomes an artifact creature until end of turn." gained from Crew, and thus become a 0/0 artifact creature and died as a state-based action.
 * Accursed Witch, Golden Guardian, Harvest Hand, and Loyal Cathar</c> have triggered abilities which return them to the battlefield transformed when they die.
 * Skin Invasion</c> and Journey to Eternity</c> have triggered abilities that return them to the battlefield transformed when the creature they enchant dies.
 * Startled Awake</c> has an ability that can be activated from the graveyard, which puts it onto the battlefield transformed.

To be allowed to play with double-sided cards, the player must either have opaque sleeves for all their cards through which no detail of the cards is visible or use a checklist card or helper card to substitute for each double-faced card in the deck. Each set with double-faced cards has a checklist card in some of its booster packs. Checklist cards have the regular Magic card back and list the name and mana cost of all double-faced cards from the set. The player must mark which double-faced card the checklist card is meant to represent on the checklist card, in a manner not visible from the back of the card. The checklist card is shuffled into the deck while the actual double-faced card is kept outside the game.

Card rulings

 * Double-faced cards can not be turned face down with cards such as Ixidron</c>. When a double-faced card is instructed to be turned face-down, nothing happens. Similarly, if a non-double-faced card is instructed to transform, nothing happens.
 * If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can't transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up.
 * When a double-sided card is copied, e.g. with a card like Clone</c>, only the characteristics of the face that is currently visible upon copying are copied. Such copies cannot transform, either.
 * If a card is not in play, the only information relevant and viewable for other cards is the front side of the card.
 * The color identity of the card includes both faces.
 * With the exception of Professional REL events (starting from Pro Tour Shadows over Innistrad) that are pre-sleeved, during booster drafts, double-faced cards are revealed to all players at all times until the next pick that card was picked by any player. They are allowed to reveal the card on either side, however.
 * For Professional REL events after Ixalan, unless WotC decided the set should be pre-sleeved (determined by the number and the opening frequency of double-faced card of the set), all player must reveal their double-faced card opened in their pack (if any) before the draft begins as well for sets involving double-faced cards.
 * Magic Online's draft events involving double-faced cards are no different to draft events having no double-faced card regardless of event type and set involved.
 * Transforming a permanent into a land card isn't the same as playing a land. Treasure Cove</c> doesn't enter the battlefield, and it doesn't count as your land play for the turn.

Triple-faced cards
The non-legal Heroes of the Realm card Optimus Prime, Inspiring Leader</c> is a three-sided card usable in both Magic the Gathering and Transformers TCG games. The card is hinged in the center and folds in half. Transformers TCG uses this tech for Combiners and Triple-changer characters. The technology has also been used in the Hasbro Duel Masters game.