Cytoshape MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Instant
Released	2006-05-05
Set symbol
Set name	Dissension
Set code	DIS
Number	108
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Alan Pollack

Key Takeaways

Cytoshape can transform creatures at instant speed, providing surprise tactics and flexible gameplay.
Though powerful, its specific mana cost and situational nature require strategic deck building.
The card’s transformative ability makes it a worthwhile addition in creature-centric metas.

Text of card

Choose a nonlegendary creature in play. Target creature becomes a copy of that creature until end of turn.

"Though highly effective at reshaping flesh, these specially bred cytoplasts leave the subject reeking of omnibian mucus." —Simic research notes

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cytoshape provides strategic flexibility by transforming one creature into a copy of another until the end of turn. This can be used to turn a less useful creature on your board into a more advantageous one, potentially swinging the board state in your favor without losing a card in the process.

Resource Acceleration: Although Cytoshape itself does not directly accelerate resources, its ability to copy a creature with a powerful tap or enters the battlefield ability can effectively double the value you get from those effects, which can serve as indirect resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: Cytoshape’s instant speed allows savvy players to adjust to dynamic game states, creating surprise blockers, enhancing their offensive, or even disrupting enemy synergies during the heat of battle.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Cytoshape doesn’t necessitate the discarding of cards, which aligns with its potential for strategic plays without sacrificing hand advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Cytoshape requires a mix of both generic and blue and green mana, which may limit its integration to decks that can reliably produce both colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Its three mana cost may be steep considering it’s a situational card, and there are alternative shape-shifting or creature control options at lower casting costs that could be more versatile in a fast-paced game.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Cytoshape stands out due to its ability to adapt to multiple game situations. Whether you’re enhancing your own creatures or disrupting your opponent’s strategy, this card offers dynamic options during gameplay.

Combo Potential: With its unique effect, Cytoshape can create powerful synergies with cards that have enter-the-battlefield abilities or those that rely on creature types, unlocking combo possibilities that can swiftly turn the tides of a match.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based decks are prevalent, Cytoshape’s transformative ability can be a game-changer. It allows players to manipulate the battlefield in their favor, potentially neutralizing threats or maximizing the utility of creatures at a critical moment.

How to beat

Cytoshape is a unique and adaptable blue and green instant card that allows players to temporarily transform a creature into another target creature until the end of the turn. The strategic implications of this spell can surprise opponents and alter the tide of a game. Notably, Cytoshape does not cause a creature to lose its enchantments or equipment, which can turn any unassuming creature into a formidable threat.

To effectively counteract Cytoshape, it’s crucial to have creature removals or counterspells at the ready. Instant-speed removal like Path to Exile or Doom Blade can eliminate the transformed creature before it deals damage. Counterspells such as Negate or Mana Leak can prevent Cytoshape from resolving, keeping the battlefield status quo. Another strategy involves minimizing the number of potential targets for Cytoshape by controlling creature density. This constraint can reduce the impact of Cytoshape, as it relies on both a creature on the board and a desirable target in play to mimic.

In sum, defeating a card like Cytoshape demands foresight and preparedness. Having the right mix of reactive spells and strategic play is essential to outmaneuver opponents wielding this versatile card.

Cards like Cytoshape

Cytoshape stands out for its uniqueness in the realm of transformational effects in Magic: The Gathering. It offers a temporary creature-shifting feature, inviting comparisons with cards like Polymorphous Rush, which also alters creatures, but operates by replicating a chosen creature amongst many. Cytoshape differs as it targets a single creature and morphs it based on another currently on the battlefield.

Mystic Genesis is another related card that combines creature creation with a counter spell, yet it lacks Cytoshape’s targeted flexibility. Cytoshape carves its niche by allowing players to strategically adapt to the ever-changing battlefields, rather than strictly adding creatures. Synthetic Destiny is an instant offering a mass transformation by swapping non-token creatures with those from the library. This card leans more towards overhauling the entire board presence rather than fine-tuning it as Cytoshape does.

To summarize, Cytoshape provides an element of control and adaptability that is less about broad-strokes of change and more about insightful plays and opportunities for tactical creature enhancement or deception on MTG’s battlefield which could sway the outcomes dramatically.

Cards similar to Cytoshape by color, type and mana cost

Mutational Advantage - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cytoshape MTG card by a specific set like Dissension, 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 Cytoshape and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cytoshape has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2006-05-01	A creature may become a copy of itself this way. This generally won’t have any visible effect.
2006-05-01	At the end of the turn, the creature reverts to what it was before. If two Cytoshapes affect the same creature on the same turn, they’ll both wear off at the same time.
2006-05-01	Effects that have already applied to the target creature will continue to apply to it. For example, if Giant Growth had given it +3/+3 earlier in the turn, then Cytoshape makes it a copy of Grizzly Bears, it will be a 5/5 Grizzly Bears.
2006-05-01	If the creature becomes a copy of a face-down creature, it will become a 2/2 creature with no name, creature type, abilities, mana cost, or color. It will not become face-down and thus can’t be turned face up.
2006-05-01	If the creature copies a creature that’s copying a creature, it will become whatever the chosen creature is copying.
2006-05-01	Only the creature that’s becoming a copy is targeted. The creature that it will copy isn’t chosen until Cytoshape resolves.
2006-05-01	The creature copies the printed values of the chosen creature, plus any copy effects that have been applied to it. It won’t copy counters on that creature. It won’t copy effects that have changed the creature’s power, toughness, types, color, or so on.
2006-05-01	This effect can cause the target to stop being a creature. For example, if it becomes a copy of an animated Blinkmoth Nexus, the printed wording will be copied and it will become an unanimated Blinkmoth Nexus.