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Manifest
(Manifest dread)
Keyword Action
Introduced Fate Reforged
Last used Alchemy: Duskmourn
Reminder Text Manifest card (Put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it's a creature card.)
Manifest dread card (Look at the top two cards of your library. Put one onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature and the other into your graveyard. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it’s a creature card.)
Storm Scale 6[1][2]
Statistics
29 manifest cards
{C} 10.3% {W} 17.2% {U} 20.7% {B} 17.2% {R} 6.9% {G} 17.2% {U/R} 3.4% {G/U} 3.4% {artifact symbol} 3.4%
34 manifest dread cards
{W} 5.9% {U} 26.5% {B} 5.9% {R} 5.9% {G} 38.2% {B/R} 2.9% {G/U} 8.8% {artifact symbol} 5.9%
Scryfall Search
keyword:"Manifest"
keyword:"Manifest dread"

Manifest is a keyword action introduced in Fate Reforged. When you manifest a card, you put it onto the battlefield face down.[3][4]

Description[ | ]

Fate Reforged manifest overlay card.

While face down, a manifested card is a 2/2 colorless creature with no name, no abilities, and no creature types.[5]

Unlike Morph, which is usually cast from your hand, manifested cards are usually played from the top of your library. Specific cards may manifest cards from either your hand, your Graveyard, or your opponent's library.

A manifested creature card may be turned face up for its mana cost.[6] If the creature can be turned face up, the morph, megamorph, or disguise cost can be paid instead. A manifested noncreature card can't be turned face up this way unless it already had morph.

In Tarkir, manifest represents Ugin's draconic magic from the plane's past, rooted in concealment and deception. It was designed to feel like a proto-morph mechanic.[7]

After Fate Reforged, Manifest was featured in Commander 2018, Modern Horizons[8] and Commander 2019. Ugin, the Ineffable of War of the Spark has a loyalty ability reminiscent of Manifest. Manifest also appeared as a one-off in the Streets of New Capenna Commander decks and Modern Horizons 3.

Cloak[ | ]

Because Morph was considered to be a bit weak for the Standard environment at the time of Murders at Karlov Manor and hence produced disguise, that set also introduced an upgraded coordinate mechanic called Cloak.[9][10]

Manifest Dread[ | ]

MTGA Manifest Dread

Arena icon for manifest dread.

Manifest dread is a variant of Manifest introduced in Duskmourn: House of Horror that plays into the set's graveyard-matters and Delirium subtheme.[11] On its own, it resembles Write into Being. To manifest dread, the controller looks at the top two cards of their library. They choose to manifest one of them (i.e. put it onto the battlefield face down as a colorless 2/2 creature with no name, no creature types, no abilities, and no mana cost that can be turned face up for its mana cost), and they put the other into their graveyard. Unlike conventional Manifest, it will always be from the library, while other Manifests may be from the graveyard, exile or hand.

It also is similar to Surveil in that the ability allows you to selectively choose cards from the top of your library to put into your graveyard to fuel related graveyard synergies such as delirium, with the added decision of figuring out which card to place as a 2/2 creature that you may turn face up later, knowing that your opponent has seen which card you didn't Manifest.

When "manifest dread" was created for Duskmourn cloak had not yet been designed for Murders at Karlov Manor.[12] Cloak didn’t happen until later in Karlov Manor set design. Manifest dread was done in Duskmourn vision design.[13][14]

Rules[ | ]

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (November 8, 2024—Magic: The Gathering Foundations)

Manifest
A keyword action that puts a card onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. See rule 701.34, “Manifest,” and rule 708, “Face-Down Spells and Permanents.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (November 8, 2024—Magic: The Gathering Foundations)

  • 701.34. Manifest
    • 701.34a To manifest a card, turn it face down. It becomes a 2/2 face-down creature card with no text, no name, no subtypes, and no mana cost. Put that card onto the battlefield face down. That permanent is a manifested permanent for as long as it remains face down. The effect defining its characteristics works while the card is face down and ends when it’s turned face up.
    • 701.34b Any time you have priority, you may turn a manifested permanent you control face up. This is a special action that doesn’t use the stack (see rule 116.2b). To do this, show all players that the card representing that permanent is a creature card and what that card’s mana cost is, pay that cost, then turn the permanent face up. The effect defining its characteristics while it was face down ends, and it regains its normal characteristics. (If the card representing that permanent isn’t a creature card or it doesn’t have a mana cost, it can’t be turned face up this way.)
    • 701.34c If a card with morph is manifested, its controller may turn that card face up using either the procedure described in rule 702.37e to turn a face-down permanent with morph face up or the procedure described above to turn a manifested permanent face up.
    • 701.34d If a card with disguise is manifested, its controller may turn that card face up using either the procedure described in rule 702.168d to turn a face-down permanent with disguise face up or the procedure described above to turn a manifested permanent face up.
    • 701.34e If an effect instructs a player to manifest multiple cards from their library, those cards are manifested one at a time.
    • 701.34f If an effect instructs a player to manifest a card and a rule or effect prohibits the face-down object from entering the battlefield, that card isn’t manifested. Its characteristics remain unmodified and it remains in its previous zone. If it was face up, it remains face up.
    • 701.34g If a manifested permanent that’s represented by an instant or sorcery card would turn face up, its controller reveals it and leaves it face down. Abilities that trigger whenever a permanent is turned face up won’t trigger.
    • 701.34h See rule 708, “Face-Down Spells and Permanents,” for more information.

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (November 8, 2024—Magic: The Gathering Foundations)

Manifest Dread
A keyword action that puts one of the top two cards of your library onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. See rule 701.60, “Manifest Dread,” rule 701.34, “Manifest,” and rule 708, “Face-Down Spells and Permanents.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (November 8, 2024—Magic: The Gathering Foundations)

  • 701.60. Manifest Dread
    • 701.60a “Manifest dread” means “Look at the top two cards of your library. Manifest one of them, then put the rest into your graveyard.” See rule 701.34, “Manifest.”
    • 701.60b An ability that triggers whenever a player manifests dread triggers after the process described in rule 701.60a is complete, even if some or all of those actions were impossible.

Rulings[ | ]

New Capenna manifest overlay card.
  • You may put an overlay card on a manifested creature while it's on the battlefield. The overlay is just a reminder. You don't have to use it if you don't want to, and it doesn't change how face-down creatures function.
  • Any time you have priority, you can turn a manifested creature face up if it's a creature card. You do this by revealing what its mana cost is and paying that cost.
  • As soon as the card is face up, it has its normal characteristics.
  • If you manifest a noncreature card, it can't be turned face up this way.
  • If you happen to manifest a card with morph, you can turn it face up either by paying its mana cost (if it's a creature card) or by paying its morph cost.
  • Turning a face-down creature face up doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to.
  • If the face-down creature has any counters on it, those remain on the face-up creature. It's not a new creature, and it doesn't enter the battlefield just by turning face up. Any Auras or Equipment attached to the manifested creature remain attached to it after it turns face up.
  • A few older cards turn a face-down creature face up. If you manifest an instant or sorcery card, and one of these older cards tries to turn it face up, reveal the card and it stays on the battlefield face down.
  • The rules for double-faced cards were changed slightly to account for the possibility that they are manifested. 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. A double-faced card on the battlefield still can't be turned face down.
Manifest dread
  • To manifest dread, look at the top two cards of your library. Manifest one (by putting it onto the battlefield face down) and put the other into your graveyard. The card you put onto the battlefield becomes a 2/2 face-down creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It's colorless and has a mana value of 0. Other effects that apply to the permanent can still grant it any characteristics it doesn't have or change the characteristics it does have.
  • Any time you have priority, you can turn a manifested permanent you control face up by revealing that it's a creature card (ignoring any copy effects or type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to.
  • If a manifested creature would have disguise or morph if it were face up, you may also turn it face up by paying its disguise or morph cost, as appropriate.
  • Unlike a face-down creature that was cast using a disguise or morph ability, a manifested creature may still be turned face up after it loses its abilities if it's a creature card.
  • 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.
  • If your library contains only one card when you manifest dread, you'll look at that card and put it onto the battlefield face down. You won't have the option to put it into your graveyard instead. If your library contains no cards when you manifest dread, you won't do anything.
  • Some cards in the Duskmourn release have abilities that trigger "whenever you manifest dread." In circumstances where you are instructed to manifest dread but can't perform some or all of the steps of manifesting dread (probably because your library has one or fewer cards in it), these abilities will still trigger.

Card that interacts with manifested cards[ | ]

Examples[ | ]

Example 1

Soul Summons {1}{W}
Sorcery
Manifest the top card of your library. (Put it on the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it's a creature card.)

Example 2

Innocuous Rat {1}{B}
Creature — Rat
1/1
When Innocuous Rat dies, manifest dread. (Look at the top two cards of your library. Put one onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature and the other into your graveyard. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it's a creature card.)

Example 3

Manifest Dread {1}{G}
Sorcery
Manifest dread. (Look at the top two cards of your library. Put one onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature and the other into your graveyard. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it’s a creature card.)

Trivia[ | ]

See also[ | ]

References[ | ]

  1. Mark Rosewater (February 29, 2016). "Storm Scale: Khans of Tarkir Block". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Mark Rosewater (2022-12-18). "what are the odds on manifest ever coming back?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  3. Wizards of the Coast (January 14, 2015). "Fate Reforged Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. Mark Rosewater (February 9, 2015). "Manifest Destiny". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. Matt Tabak (December 29, 2014). "Mechanics of Fate Reforged". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. Sam Stoddard (February 13, 2015). "Developing Manifest". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. Mark Rosewater (December 29, 2014). "Whims of Fate Reforged, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. Matt Tabak (May 31, 2019). "Modern Horizons Mechanics". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. Mark Rosewater (January 16, 2024). "Getting Away with Murders at Karlov Manor, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. Mark Rosewater (February 8, 2024). "What was the reason to not use morph and manifest anyway?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  11. Matt Tabak (August 31, 2024). "Duskmourn: House of Horror Mechanics". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  12. Mark Rosewater (September 1, 2024). "How come Manifest Dread uses the classic manifest instead of the new cloak action word from MKM?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  13. Mark Rosewater (September 1, 2024). "Did some set swaps happen? What does that relative timeline even look like?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  14. Mark Rosewater (September 9, 2024). "Top of the Duskmourning, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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