Wild Shape MTG Card

Wild Shape - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)

Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
2021-07-23 - Number 212

Wild Shape - Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate (HBG)

Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate (HBG)
2022-07-07 - Number 228

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant

Key Takeaways

Generates in-game benefits by morphing creatures to fit multiple roles, reducing the need for additional spells.
Enhances tactical play through its instant speed, adding a layer of unpredictability that keeps opponents on edge.
Demands careful deck construction considering its specific mana costs and potential tempo impacts on gameplay.

Text of card

Choose one. Until end of turn, target creature you control has that base power and toughness, becomes that creature type, and gains that ability. • 1/3 Turtle with hexproof. • 1/5 Spider with reach. • 3/3 Elephant with trample.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wild Shape provides a multipurpose benefit by shifting a creature into one of several forms, effectively bypassing the need for multiple cards to grant different abilities or power-ups. It can offer a way to protect a key creature or to surprise an opponent with a strategic shift, making it a versatile addition to your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Though Wild Shape itself does not directly produce additional resources, its flexible nature helps maintain your momentum on the battlefield. By turning a creature into a form with Trample or Hexproof, for example, you can continue to apply pressure without investing in additional spells for those effects, thereby indirectly conserving resources for other tactical plays.

Instant Speed: The instant speed timing of Wild Shape provides a layer of unpredictability and protection. It can be cast in response to removal spells, during combat to alter the outcome, or simply to adapt to the rapidly changing state of the game. This responsiveness is a key tactical advantage, allowing for reactive as well as proactive plays.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Wild Shape demands a card to be discarded for its cycling ability, which can be detrimental when you’re holding important cards you can’t afford to lose or have an empty hand.

Specific Mana Cost: This card not only requires green mana but also demands an exact combination for its varying effects. This can hinder flexibility in decks that run multiple colors or lack the means to generate the right mana when needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its cost hinging at three mana for a one-shot effect and considering the tempo of the game, Wild Shape may fall behind other creature buff options that provide longer-lasting benefits or have additional upsides for a similar or lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include Wild Shape in Your Collection

Versatility: Wild Shape shines with its ability to adapt to any situation on the battlefield. Whether you need a flying blocker or a trample finisher, this card can morph your creatures to fit the role, making it a tactical addition to your deck.

Combo Potential: The transmutation properties of Wild Shape can trigger myriad abilities across creature types. This card can suddenly turn a simple creature into a powerhouse with the right synergies, unlocking powerful interactions and combos within your deck.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the current gameplay environment often shifts between aggressive and control strategies, Wild Shape offers a swift and flexible answer to various threats, keeping your creatures versatile and ready to adapt to evolving meta trends.

How to beat

Wild Shape brings versatility to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering with its instant-speed transformation abilities. At a glance, the card might seem unassuming, yet it allows for tactical plays that can surprise an opponent. Its strength lies in the choice it provides, offering three distinct creature types to adapt to the flow of the match.

When facing Wild Shape, your strategy should focus on flexibility. The card’s instant nature means your opponent can respond to your actions with unexpected transformations, potentially saving their creature or turning the tide of combat. Smart plays involve waiting out your opponent’s mana before committing to removals or combat tricks. Utilizing spells that can neutralize abilities or opting for board wipes that circumvent Wild Shape’s protections is also effective.

Adaptation is your greatest weapon against Wild Shape. Understand the possible outcomes and have answers ready. Being proactive about when and how you play your cards will negate the advantages Wild Shape provides to an opponent. Keep control of the board, and you’ll undermine the utility that makes Wild Shape a thorny card to play against.

Cards like Wild Shape

Wild Shape stands out in the realm of instant-speed spells that offer creature versatility. Much like Giant Growth, Wild Shape can be a game-changer during combat, but it takes the concept further by allowing a creature to transform into one of three options, each with its unique advantages. Whereas Giant Growth solely boosts a creature’s power and toughness, Wild Shape adds tactical diversity.

Comparably, Snakeform is another spell that changes a creature’s characteristics, setting its power and toughness to 1/1 and stripping it of all abilities. However, it also draws a card, which Wild Shape does not. But where Wild Shape shines is in its flexibility and the surprise element it can bring during combat or in response to removal.

Within Magic: The Gathering, spells like Wild Shape play a crucial role in shielding creatures from threats or enabling unexpected combat victories. It carves a niche for itself by providing players the ability to adapt to the evolving battlefield, a trait not commonly found in similar transformative spells.

Cards similar to Wild Shape by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wild Shape MTG card by a specific set like Adventures in the Forgotten Realms and Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Wild Shape and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wild Shape Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2022-07-07. Illustrated by Sam Guay.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2021-07-23	Adventures in the Forgotten Realms	AFR		212	2015	Normal	Black	Sam Guay
2	2022-07-07	Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate	HBG		228	2015	Normal	Black	Sam Guay

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wild Shape has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Commander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Wild Shape card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2021-07-23	Both the target creature and the mode are chosen on announcement. You can't choose a different form if something changes in response to the spell.
2021-07-23	The creature loses all other creature types, but it retains its abilities. Wild Shape will overwrite any previous effects that set the creature's power and toughness to specific numbers. Effects that otherwise modify the target creature's power and toughness will still apply no matter when they took effect. The same is true for +1/+1 counters.