Dack's Duplicate MTG Card


Copying powerful creatures creates immediate board impact and can disrupt opponents’ unique advantages. By mimicking ramp creatures, it indirectly accelerates resource availability, a subtle yet crucial advantage. Its specific mana requirements may limit flexibility in decks not aligned with its blue and red identity.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Shapeshifter
Power 0
Toughness 0

Text of card

You may have Dack's Duplicate enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield except it gains haste and dethrone. (Whenever it attacks the player with the most life or tied for most life, put a +1/+1 counter on it.)


Cards like Dack's Duplicate

Dack’s Duplicate offers players a unique gameplay experience in Magic: The Gathering with its combination of dexterity, copying, and haste. It mirrors the functionality found in cards like Clone, which also grant the ability to enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature already present. However, Dack’s Duplicate distinguishes itself by incorporating haste, enabling immediate action as opposed to Clone’s more passive approach.

Cards like Clever Impersonator take the mimicry further, being able to copy any nonland permanent, not just creatures, which offers broader utility across various game scenarios. Yet, this versatility doesn’t come with the haste advantage that Dack’s Duplicate provides. Then you have Stunt Double, which can be cast as a flash, giving it an edge in surprise tactics, although, like Clone, it doesn’t have the innate haste of Dack’s Duplicate.

Assessing the intricate nuances between these cards reveals that Dack’s Duplicate is especially potent in decks that benefit from swift, aggressive strategies, setting it apart within the clone capabilities in Magic: The Gathering. Its blend of immediate impact and copycat flexibility makes it a valuable, multifaceted choice for dynamic play.

Clone - MTG Card versions
Clever Impersonator - MTG Card versions
Stunt Double - MTG Card versions
Clone - MTG Card versions
Clever Impersonator - MTG Card versions
Stunt Double - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Dack's Duplicate by color, type and mana cost

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Emberwilde Caliph - MTG Card versions
Elemental Expressionist - MTG Card versions
Torrent Sculptor // Flamethrower Sonata - MTG Card versions
Galazeth Prismari - MTG Card versions
Zaffai, Thunder Conductor - MTG Card versions
Torch Drake - MTG Card versions
Steamcore Weird - MTG Card versions
Tibor and Lumia - MTG Card versions
Petrahydrox - MTG Card versions
Shrewd Hatchling - MTG Card versions
Noggle Bridgebreaker - MTG Card versions
Fluxcharger - MTG Card versions
Stormchaser Chimera - MTG Card versions
Scaldkin - MTG Card versions
Reclusive Artificer - MTG Card versions
Mizzix of the Izmagnus - MTG Card versions
Mercurial Geists - MTG Card versions
Marauding Looter - MTG Card versions
Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain - MTG Card versions
Crackling Drake - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Dack’s Duplicate, you effectively garner a duplicate of the best creature on the battlefield. This not only enhances your board presence but also denies your opponent the uniqueness of their creature’s effect, tipping the scales in your favor and solidifying your grip on the game’s momentum.

Resource Acceleration: While Dack’s Duplicate doesn’t produce mana or treasure tokens itself, its potential to copy mana dorks or other creatures with ramp abilities offers a stealthy route to resource acceleration. This can prove invaluable in matches where developing your mana base quicker than the opponent can set you up for a victorious endgame.

Instant Speed: Although the Duplicate doesn’t operate at instant speed, its haste ability ensures immediate impact on the board. You can sway combat scenarios or utilize activated abilities without the usual summoning sickness delay, offering a surprising and swift shift in board dynamics that can catch opponents off-guard.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dack’s Duplicate has no such requirement, thus maintaining your hand size.

Specific Mana Cost: Being a blue and red card, Dack’s Duplicate requires both colors of mana. This necessity can make it less versatile compared to cards with generic mana costs, particularly in multicolored decks looking to manage their mana base efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing four mana, with two specific colors, Dack’s Duplicate may come off as quite expensive, particularly when considering other creatures in MTG with impactful enter-the-battlefield effects. Its mana cost might not always align with the tempo of more aggressive decks, potentially slowing down your game plan.


Reasons to Include Dack’s Duplicate in Your Collection

Versatility: Dack’s Duplicate is a clone card with a twist – it not only copies the best creature on the battlefield, but it also gains haste and dethrone, allowing for immediate and potentially game-changing impacts.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to copy enters-the-battlefield effects or powerful static abilities gives it significant potential to synergize with a wide array of strategies, making it a potent combo piece in the right deck.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, so does the value of a flexible copy effect. Dack’s Duplicate thrives in metagames filled with powerful creatures, allowing you to stay on par with or even overtake the most dominant threats.


How to beat

Dack’s Duplicate thrives in MTG by offering a clever twist on traditional clone effects. Its core strength lies in its ability to copy any creature on the battlefield and gain haste, which means it can swing into action immediately. However, its dethrone ability is where strategy comes into play. This ability encourages attacking the player with the most life to boost the Duplicate’s power.

To outmaneuver Dack’s Duplicate, prioritize removing the original creature it is copying, which could make the Duplicate less of a threat. Utilize removal spells that can target any creature, not just your opponent’s. Board sweepers or sacrifice effects can also neutralize the Duplicate’s advantage. Additionally, since Dack’s Duplicate can be a game-changer in multiplayer formats, be mindful of the political implications—sometimes who you choose to attack can be as important as how you defend against duplicates on the board.

Overall, staying ahead of your opponent’s plays and keeping versatile removal in hand are key in nullifying the impact of Dack’s Duplicate. Keep control of the board state and be strategic with your life total; surrendering the throne may sometimes be your best defense against the power of dethrone.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dack’s Duplicate may not be your deck’s linchpin but within certain strategies, it shines with potential. Its ability to copy creatures and add immediate combat pressure is a tactical asset not to be overlooked. It’s pivotal in games where agility and adaptability can turn the tide of battle. Embrace the strategic possibilities – whether enhancing your ramp, leveraging powerful creature abilities, or cleverly navigating multiplayer dynamics. Continue enhancing your MTG knowledge and collection, and consider Dack’s Duplicate for that surprise element in your repertoire. Dive deeper with us to understand how it can redefine your gameplay and bring you closer to victory.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dack's Duplicate MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy and Vintage Masters, 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 Dack's Duplicate and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dack's Duplicate Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2014-06-06 and 2022-07-08. Illustrated by Karl Kopinski.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-06-06ConspiracyCNS 432003NormalBlackKarl Kopinski
22014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 2482015NormalBlackKarl Kopinski
32022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 4832015NormalBlackKarl Kopinski
42022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 1982015NormalBlackKarl Kopinski

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dack's Duplicate has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PennyLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2014-05-29 Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when Dack’s Duplicate enters the battlefield. Any “as
-his creature] enters the battlefield” or “
-his creature] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the chosen creature will also work.
2014-05-29 Dack’s Duplicate 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), except it will have haste and dethrone. 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, and so on.
2014-05-29 Dethrone doesn’t trigger if the creature attacks a planeswalker, even if its controller has the most life.
2014-05-29 Haste and dethrone are part of the copiable values of Dack’s Duplicate. If another creature enters the battlefield as or becomes a copy of Dack’s Duplicate, it will copy whatever Dack’s Duplicate is copying and have haste and dethrone.
2014-05-29 If Dack’s Duplicate somehow enters the battlefield at the same time as another creature, Dack’s Duplicate can’t become a copy of that creature. You may choose only a creature that’s already on the battlefield.
2014-05-29 If the chosen creature is a token, Dack’s Duplicate copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that put the token onto the battlefield. Dack’s Duplicate is not a token, even when copying one.
2014-05-29 If the chosen creature is copying something else (for example, if the chosen creature is another Dack’s Duplicate), then Dack’s Duplicate enters the battlefield as whatever the chosen creature is copying. It will have haste and dethrone.
2014-05-29 If the copied creature has in its mana cost (such as Grenzo, Dungeon Warden), X is considered to be 0.
2014-05-29 In a Two-Headed Giant game, dethrone will trigger if the creature attacks either player on the team with the most life or tied for the most life.
2014-05-29 Once dethrone triggers, it doesn’t matter what happens to the players’ life totals before the ability resolves. You’ll put a +1/+1 counter on the creature even if the defending player doesn’t have the most life as the ability resolves.
2014-05-29 The +1/+1 counter is put on the creature before blockers are declared.
2014-05-29 The ability of Dack’s Duplicate doesn’t target the creature.
2014-05-29 You can choose to not copy anything. In that case, Dack’s Duplicate enters the battlefield as a 0/0 Shapeshifter creature, and will probably die almost immediately, when state-based actions are next performed.