Vesuvan Shapeshifter MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Shapeshifter
Abilities Morph
Power 0
Toughness 0

Key Takeaways

  1. Maximizes card advantage by cloning impactful creatures, maintaining board control with minimal card investment.
  2. Instant speed morphing grants unexpected blocks or abilities, keeping opponents uncertain and reactive.
  3. High adaptability ensures relevancy across fluctuating game metas, making it a versatile card in many blue decks.

Text of card

As Vesuvan Shapeshifter comes into play or is turned face up, you may choose another creature in play. 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


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Vesuvan Shapeshifter thrives in strategies that capitalize on card advantage. By copying the most impactful creatures on the battlefield, it can provide access to abilities or effects that would otherwise require additional card investments, maintaining a robust hand while controlling the board.

Resource Acceleration: When Vesuvan Shapeshifter becomes a copy of a creature with mana abilities or one that generates additional resources, it can significantly speed up your gameplay. This versatile card can transform into mana dorks or treasure token producers, effectively serving as a means to accelerate your resources and advance your board state more quickly.

Instant Speed: The Morph ability of Vesuvan Shapeshifter can be activated at instant speed, allowing for surprise blocks or interactions during your opponent’s turn. Pivotal in times when you need to adapt rapidly to the ever-changing battlefield, this card can become exactly what is needed at the exact moment, keeping opponents guessing and on their toes.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the limitations of the Vesuvan Shapeshifter is the card’s mechanic that requires discarding another card to leverage its ability to copy other creatures. This need can be particularly taxing when your hand is empty or when the quality of your remaining hand is crucial for subsequent turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Vesuvan Shapeshifter demands a specific combination of generic and blue mana to cast. This requirement makes the card a less flexible option for decks that aren’t heavily biased towards blue mana or that maintain a diverse mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost requiring three generic and two blue mana, the Shapeshifter comes with a higher mana cost in relation to other clone effects in the game. This higher cost can make it less appealing when quicker or cheaper alternatives could fit a deck’s strategy more efficiently.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Vesuvan Shapeshifter thrives in environments where adaptability is key. Its ability to clone the best creatures on the board at any given time means it can find a home in a multitude of blue-centric strategies, fulfilling different roles as needed.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects or powerful triggered abilities. By copying such creatures, Vesuvan Shapeshifter can repeatedly trigger those effects, providing players with opportunities to craft game-winning combinations.

Meta-Relevance: In a constantly shifting meta, a card that can adapt to counter prominent threats or become an unexpected ally is invaluable. Vesuvan Shapeshifter can mirror the latest powerhouse creatures, ensuring your deck remains competitive and reactive to the prevalent deck types of the time.


How to beat

Vesuvan Shapeshifter is a card that poses a unique challenge on the battlefield. As a creature that can copy others and even turn face down again, it’s seen in decks that capitalize on versatility and surprise. To effectively counter this shapeshifter, a player must be willing to adapt their strategy. Removal spells that can target a creature no matter what it becomes are crucial; think along the lines of cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile, which can dispatch a threat regardless of its copied abilities.

Graveyard disruption is also a strong tool against Vesuvan Shapeshifter. Since it might be using the graveyard as part of its morphing mechanic, incorporating cards like Scavenging Ooze or Relic of Progenitus can disrupt the strategy of a Vesuvan Shapeshifter-based deck. They can also limit the options of what it can clone, making your adversary’s plan much less effective.

Lastly, maintaining board control is key. By keeping your opponent’s board clear of powerful creatures or those with beneficial abilities to copy, the value of Vesuvan Shapeshifter is significantly diminished. Manage your resources efficiently, and the shapeshifter becomes much less of a threat in the long run.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’re intrigued by the multifaceted world of MTG, where strategy meets creativity, exploring the potential of Vesuvan Shapeshifter can enhance your decks with versatility and unexpected plays. Whether you’re driving towards a competitive edge or simply enjoying the dynamic gameplay, adapting to shifting battlefields is crucial. Vesuvan Shapeshifter promises to be a catalyst in your strategies, providing a harmonic blend of card advantage, resource acceleration, and instant battlefield adaptation. Dive deeper into the mechanics and strategic applications of this unique card on our platform, where you can refine your decks and outmaneuver your opponents with finesse.


Cards like Vesuvan Shapeshifter

Vesuvan Shapeshifter has etched a unique position in the realm of clone effects in Magic: The Gathering. Resonating with Clone, both cards have the ability to copy others. However, Vesuvan Shapeshifter steps up with its morph feature, which allows it to flip face up and become a copy of any creature on the battlefield at a moment’s notice. Unlike Clone, this can be done at instant speed, giving you flexibility during the game.

Situations may arise where cards like Phyrexian Metamorph seem more advantageous. Metamorph can clone not only creatures but also artifacts, and it can be played using either mana or 2 life, offering variability. Then there’s Clever Impersonator, another worthwhile matchup in this discussion. It extends beyond creatures and artifacts, allowing you to copy any nonland permanent. Though it doesn’t boast the morph ability of Vesuvan Shapeshifter, the scope of its copying power can’t be ignored.

To wrap up, while each of these cards offers diverse strategic advantages, Vesuvan Shapeshifter excels with its morph ability, catapulting it to a favored position for players who value adaptability and the element of surprise on the battlefield.

Clone - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Metamorph - MTG Card versions
Clever Impersonator - MTG Card versions
Clone - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Phyrexian Metamorph - New Phyrexia Promos (PNPH)
Clever Impersonator - Khans of Tarkir Promos (PKTK)

Cards similar to Vesuvan Shapeshifter by color, type and mana cost

Vesuvan Doppelganger - MTG Card versions
Water Elemental - MTG Card versions
Air Elemental - MTG Card versions
Sandbar Crocodile - MTG Card versions
Pirate Ship - MTG Card versions
Segovian Leviathan - MTG Card versions
Sun Ce, Young Conquerer - MTG Card versions
Mawcor - MTG Card versions
Timin, Youthful Geist - MTG Card versions
Geology Enthusiast - MTG Card versions
Coastal Hornclaw - MTG Card versions
Meloku the Clouded Mirror - MTG Card versions
Azami, Lady of Scrolls - MTG Card versions
Cloudhoof Kirin - MTG Card versions
Drelnoch - MTG Card versions
Adarkar Windform - MTG Card versions
Infiltrator il-Kor - MTG Card versions
Mulldrifter - MTG Card versions
Chasm Drake - MTG Card versions
Belltower Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Vesuvan Doppelganger - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Water Elemental - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Air Elemental - Core Set 2020 (M20)
Sandbar Crocodile - Media Inserts (PMEI)
Pirate Ship - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Segovian Leviathan - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Sun Ce, Young Conquerer - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Mawcor - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Timin, Youthful Geist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Geology Enthusiast - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Coastal Hornclaw - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Meloku the Clouded Mirror - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Azami, Lady of Scrolls - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Cloudhoof Kirin - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Drelnoch - Coldsnap (CSP)
Adarkar Windform - Coldsnap (CSP)
Infiltrator il-Kor - Future Sight (FUT)
Mulldrifter - The List (PLST)
Chasm Drake - Magic 2012 (M12)
Belltower Sphinx - Magic 2012 (M12)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vesuvan Shapeshifter MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Masters 25, 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 Vesuvan Shapeshifter and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Vesuvan Shapeshifter Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12006-10-06Time SpiralTSP 902003normalblackQuinton Hoover
22018-03-16Masters 25A25 772015normalblackQuinton Hoover
32019-08-23Commander 2019C19 1012015normalblackRalph Horsley
42021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 972015normalblackQuinton Hoover

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vesuvan Shapeshifter has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-03-19 Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger if Vesuvan Shapeshifter is entering the battlefield. Any “As
-his creature] enters the battlefield” or “
-his creature] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the copied creature will also work. If a Vesuvan Shapeshifter becomes a copy of a creature after it’s already on the battlefield, these abilities won’t apply as Vesuvan Shapeshifter becomes a copy since it’s not entering the battlefield; instead, any “As
-his creature] is turned face up” or “When
-his creature] is turned face up” abilities will apply.
2021-03-19 If a copied creature has in its mana cost, X is 0.
2021-03-19 If a copied creature is a token that isn’t a copy of something else, Vesuvan Shapeshifter copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that created it. Vesuvan Shapeshifter isn’t a token in this case.
2021-03-19 If a copied creature is copying something else, Vesuvan Shapeshifter uses the copiable values of that creature. In most cases, Vesuvan Shapeshifter will copy whatever that creature is copying.
2021-03-19 If something copies Vesuvan Shapeshifter, the new copy will also have the triggered ability to turn it face down. However, once face-down, it won’t have Vesuvan Shapeshifter’s morph ability, so it can’t be turned face up unless whatever it’s copying also has a morph ability.
2021-03-19 Vesuvan Shapeshifter copies exactly what is printed on the creature it’s copying and nothing else (unless it’s copying a creature that’s copying something else or that’s a token; see below). It doesn’t copy whether a creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras and/or Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that changed its power, toughness, types, color, and so on. Most notably, if it copies a creature that’s not normally a creature, it won’t be a creature.

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