Unnatural Selection MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Released	2001-06-04
Set symbol
Set name	Apocalypse
Set code	APC
Number	32
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Kev Walker

Key Takeaways

Unnatural Selection offers a distinct form of card advantage by altering creature types to sway the game.
Capable of instant speed execution, it adds surprise tactics and flexibility in player strategies.
While powerful, it demands blue mana and card discards, potentially impacting hand resources.

Text of card

o1: Choose a creature type other than Wall. Target creature's type becomes that type until end of turn.

What nature makes, magic can modify.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Unnatural Selection gives players the power to control creature types on the battlefield, turning this function into a clever form of card advantage. This adaptability can transform the tide of a match, especially in games where creature types are pivotal to a deck’s strategy.

Resource Acceleration: Although Unnatural Selection doesn’t directly accelerate resources like a mana ramp card, it can indirectly expedite your victory condition. By manipulating creature types, you can activate or enhance tribe-specific synergies and effects much quicker, giving you an operational advantage over your opponent.

Instant Speed: The strength of Unnatural Selection also lies in its ability to work at instant speed. This provides players with the flexibility to alter creature types mid-combat or in response to an opponent’s spells, allowing for surprise maneuvers and strategic depth in gameplay that could shift the momentum in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Unnatural Selection allows you to change creature types, it doesn’t come without its drawbacks. Each activation requires not only mana but also discarding cards, which might deplete your hand quicker than you’d prefer, especially in a game where maintaining card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Unnatural Selection’s activation cost demands blue mana, which can restrict its inclusion to blue-centered or multicolored decks. Decks running on a tight mana base may find it challenging to consistently meet this color-specific necessity for optimal play.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost that is not insignificant, Unnatural Selection competes with other cards in its mana range. Players might find that at this cost, other cards could provide a more immediate impact on the game or offer more versatile solutions to in-game problems.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Unnatural Selection offers a chameleon-like ability to change creature types at will, making it a perfect addition to decks that capitalize on tribal synergies or need to manipulate creature types for strategic advantages.

Combo Potential: This card presents numerous combo opportunities with other cards that trigger based on creature types, such as those that generate extra effects when a certain tribe is present on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: With ever-evolving decks, Unnatural Selection gains importance as it can disrupt your opponent’s tribal strategy or enhance your own, ensuring its prevalence in a variety of meta scenarios.

How to beat

Unnatural Selection is a uniquely powerful card in MTG that allows players to change creature types at will. This capability makes it a potent tool in decks that capitalize on specific creature synergies and tribal bonuses. The card’s flexibility can often catch opponents off guard, transforming the battlefield dynamics with a single activation. However, there are several strategies to effectively nullify its impact on the game.

Firstly, consider using instant-speed removal or counterspells to disrupt the timing of your opponent’s creature type changes. This can prevent them from benefiting from tribal bonuses when they most need them. Artifact removal spells are also highly effective, as they can destroy Unnatural Selection outright, directly attacking the source of your opponent’s advantage. Furthermore, board wipes can reset the playing field, rendering the creature type changes irrelevant. Lastly, placing emphasis on non-creature strategies diminishes the relevance of Unnatural Selection, shifting the focus of the game away from its strengths.

By anticipating the ways in which Unnatural Selection can be leveraged and preparing your deck with answers to this tricky card, you can maintain control of the game and negate a potentially game-altering threat. Understanding how to dismantle its usage is key to overcoming an opponent who relies on creature-based strategies.

Cards like Unnatural Selection

Unnatural Selection stands out within the transformative enchantments in Magic: The Gathering. Similar to cards like Xenograft, Unnatural Selection enables players to change the creature type of their creatures, but it does so at an even faster pace. With Xenograft, the effect is static, altering the creature types in play to a chosen type. This can be very impactful, but it lacks the tactical flexibility of Unnatural Selection.

Another comparable card is Amoeboid Changeling. This creature card can, once each turn and at the cost of one blue mana, switch any creature’s type to all creature types until end of turn. While it allows for a similar level of strategic adjustment as Unnatural Selection, it is constrained by the summoning sickness rule and its status as a creature, making it more vulnerable to removal.

In assessing these options, Unnatural Selection offers unprecedented control in creature type manipulation, providing MTG players the ability to adjust their strategy on the fly. This can be game-changing, particularly in tribal decks where creature types can trigger various effects. This enchantment’s continual use ability without tapping makes it a unique tool in a player’s arsenal.

Cards similar to Unnatural Selection by color, type and mana cost

Homarid Spawning Bed - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Unnatural Selection MTG card by a specific set like Apocalypse, 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 Unnatural Selection and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Unnatural Selection has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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