Escaped Shapeshifter

Creature — Shapeshifter 3/4, 3UU (5)

As long as an opponent controls a creature with flying not named Escaped Shapeshifter, Escaped Shapeshifter has flying. The same is true for first strike, trample, and protection from any color.

Illus. Douglas Shuler

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 10/4/2004: In a multiplayer game, it works if any opponent controls creatures with the appropriate abilities.

• Official Reprint Policy (This card is on the reserved list)

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander

Jwari Shapeshifter

Creature — Shapeshifter Ally 0/0, 1U (2)

You may have Jwari Shapeshifter enter the battlefield as a copy of any Ally creature on the battlefield.

"The best expedition would be an entire team of me."

Illus. Kev Walker

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 3/1/2010: Jwari Shapeshifter copies exactly what was printed on the original creature and nothing more (unless that creature is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn't copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, or so on.
• 3/1/2010: If the chosen creature is copying something else (for example, if the chosen creature is another Jwari Shapeshifter), then your Jwari Shapeshifter enters the battlefield as whatever the chosen creature copied.
• 3/1/2010: If the chosen creature is a token, your Jwari Shapeshifter copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that put the token onto the battlefield. Your Jwari Shapeshifter is not a token.
• 3/1/2010: Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when Jwari Shapeshifter enters the battlefield.
• 3/1/2010: You can choose not to copy anything. In that case, Jwari Shapeshifter enters the battlefield as a 0/0 creature, and is probably put into the graveyard immediately.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Riptide Shapeshifter

Creature — Shapeshifter 3/3, 3UU (5)

{2}{U}{U}, Sacrifice Riptide Shapeshifter: Choose a creature type. Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a creature card of that type. Put that card onto the battlefield and shuffle the rest into your library.

Illus. Arnie Swekel

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander

Shapeshifter

Artifact Creature — Shapeshifter */7-*, 6 (6)

As Shapeshifter enters the battlefield, choose a number between 0 and 7.

At the beginning of your upkeep, you may choose a number between 0 and 7.

Shapeshifter's power is equal to the last chosen number and its toughness is equal to 7 minus that number.

Illus. Adrian Smith

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 8/1/2008: The ability that sets its power and toughness is a characteristic-defining ability. This means it applies before any other effects that modify power and/or toughness.
• 8/1/2008: The ability that lets you choose a new number is a triggered ability that triggers only once each upkeep.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander

Shapeshifter's Marrow

Enchantment, 2UU (4)

At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, that player reveals the top card of his or her library. If it's a creature card, the player puts the card into his or her graveyard and Shapeshifter's Marrow becomes a copy of that card. (If it does, it loses this ability.)

Illus. Chippy

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 5/1/2007: If the revealed card isn't a creature card, it stays on top of that player's library. Shapeshifter's Marrow remains an enchantment.
• 5/1/2007: If the revealed card is a creature card, Shapeshifter's Marrow becomes a copy of that card permanently. It's no longer an enchantment.
• 5/1/2007: In a Two-Headed Giant game, this ability triggers separately for each player at the start of the opposing team's turn. If the first ability to resolve reveals a creature card, Shapeshifter's Marrow becomes a creature. If the second ability to resolve also reveals a creature card, the ex-Shapeshifter's Marrow then becomes a copy of that creature.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Unstable Shapeshifter

Creature — Shapeshifter 0/1, 3U (4)

Whenever another creature enters the battlefield, Unstable Shapeshifter becomes a copy of that creature and gains this ability.

"In a world of untruths, the living lie rules."
—Oracle en-Vec

Illus. Terese Nielsen

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 10/4/2004: The copy effect is not targeted.
• 10/4/2004: If a creature enters the battlefield that has some characteristic or ability set when it enters the battlefield, the copy does not get to make that choice (because it is not entering the battlefield). All values are zero and all checks for choices consider the choice not to have been made.
• 10/4/2004: If the creature has power/toughness that is continuously recalculated, so does this copy of it.
• 10/4/2004: When it changes "shape" to a new creature, any "enters the battlefield" abilities of the creature do not trigger.
• 8/1/2008: The ability is granted as part of the copy effect, which means it will be removed by any effects that would remove abilities regardless of when the effect was created.
• 8/1/2008: If an Unstable Shapeshifter is on the battlefield when another Unstable Shapeshifter enters the battlefield, the first one gets the second one's triggered ability, so will copy the next creature that enters the battlefield twice. It will only do so the next time a creature enters the battlefield, because the second "becomes a copy" effect to resolve will erase the extra triggered ability.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander

Vesuvan Shapeshifter

Creature — Shapeshifter 0/0, 3UU (5)

As Vesuvan Shapeshifter enters the battlefield or is turned face up, you may choose another creature on the battlefield. If you do, until Vesuvan Shapeshifter is turned face down, it becomes a copy of that creature and gains "At the beginning of your upkeep, you may turn this creature face down."

Morph {1}{U} (You may cast this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)

Illus. Quinton Hoover

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 9/25/2006: Essentially, each time Vesuvan Shapeshifter turns face up, it's a copy of a new creature. During your upkeep, you may turn it face down in preparation to copy something else.
• 9/25/2006: If Vesuvan Shapeshifter is cast face up, it behaves like Clone except that it gives itself a triggered ability.
• 9/25/2006: If Vesuvan Shapeshifter is turned face up, the process of turning face up includes (optionally) choosing another creature on the battlefield. You'll pay {1}{U} (not the morph cost, if any, of the new creature), then Vesuvan Shapeshifter will turn face up as a copy of that creature, plus the triggered ability it gives itself. It won't turn face up as a Vesuvan Shapeshifter and then change. If the copied creature has a "when this creature is turned face up" ability, it will trigger for Vesuvan Shapeshifter.
• 9/25/2006: When Vesuvan Shapeshifter is turned face down, its copy effect wears off. While it's face down, it's a face-down Vesuvan Shapeshifter that can be turned face up for a morph cost of {1}{U}.
• 9/25/2006: If another creature copies Vesuvan Shapeshifter while it's face up, the new creature will become a copy of whatever Vesuvan Shapeshifter is copying and gain the "you may turn this creature face down" ability. It won't gain morph {1}{U}. If that creature is then turned face down, its copy effect will continue and it'll be a face-down version of whatever it's copying. If the creature it's copying has morph, it can be turned face up. If the creature it's copying doesn't have morph, it's stuck face down forever unless some other effect (like Break Open) turns it face up again.
• 9/25/2006: If Vesuvan Shapeshifter copies a face-down creature, it becomes a face-up 2/2 colorless nameless creature with no abilities other than the one it gives itself.
• 9/25/2006: When Vesuvan Shapeshifter copies a creature that has echo, the echo ability will trigger at the beginning of your upkeep if Vesuvan Shapeshifter came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep. If you've controlled Vesuvan Shapeshifter since your last upkeep (regardless of whether it had echo then), the echo ability won't trigger.
• 9/25/2006: Turning Vesuvan Shapeshifter face down during your upkeep doesn't prevent you from needing to pay applicable upkeep costs such as echo.
• 9/25/2006: If you don't or can't choose another creature on the battlefield for Vesuvan Shapeshifter to copy, it doesn't get the triggered ability that turns it face down. It's just a 0/0 creature with morph {1}{U}.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern

Volrath's Shapeshifter

Creature — Shapeshifter 0/1, 1UU (3)

As long as the top card of your graveyard is a creature card, Volrath's Shapeshifter has the full text of that card and has the text "{2}: Discard a card." (Volrath's Shapeshifter has that card's name, mana cost, color, types, abilities, power, and toughness.)

{2}: Discard a card.

Illus. Ron Spencer

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 10/4/2004: If the top card in the graveyard has any other undefined characteristics, then those characteristics are not acquired and the shapeshifter uses the characteristic from its own card.
• 10/4/2004: If the top card in your graveyard is a creature card, this card uses the listed characteristics, including color and any other types. But, this card keeps the granted ability in addition to those from the card being copied.
• 10/4/2004: When it changes forms, any "enters the battlefield" abilities of the card it "copies" do not trigger.
• 10/4/2004: A copy of a Volrath's Shapeshifter will have the shapeshifting ability.
• 10/4/2004: If the top card in your graveyard isn't a creature card (meaning a card with the type Creature, which may or may not have other types such as Artifact or Enchantment), then it's just a 0/1 blue creature. Older cards of type Summon are also Creature cards.
• 8/1/2008: The ability that sets its characteristics is a text-changing effect.

• Official Reprint Policy (This card is on the reserved list)

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander