Ichthyomorphosis MTG Card

Ichthyomorphosis provides card advantage by neutralizing threats without card loss. It indirectly slows opponents, aiding in strategic resource development. Playing at instant-speed offers tactical surprise, disrupting enemy plans.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	2020-01-24
Set symbol
Set name	Theros Beyond Death
Set code	THB
Number	51
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Campbell White

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature loses all abilities and is a blue Fish with base power and toughness 0/1.

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Cards like Ichthyomorphosis

Ichthyomorphosis is an intriguing enchantment in the world of Magic: The Gathering, with the unique ability to turn a formidable creature into a harmless fish. This card bears resemblance to spells like Deep Freeze, which similarly incapacitates a target creature by changing its base power and toughness. Yet, Ichthyomorphosis stands out as it leaves the creature with a base attack and defense of 0/1, slightly lesser than Deep Freeze’s 0/4.

Another card in the mix is Lignify, which turns the creature into a Treefolk with no abilities and a 0/4 base. The distinct difference lies in the retention of toughness, potentially needing more effort to remove the affected creature. Kasmina’s Transmutation is also comparable, providing the same base stats alteration as Ichthyomorphosis but costing only two mana. The selection of these transformative enchantments can significantly alter the course of the game, with Ichthyomorphosis offering a balance between cost and control effectiveness.

Evaluating each card’s impact and utility, Ichthyomorphosis holds its own as a viable control option in blue decks, effectively neutralizing threats while maintaining an accessible casting cost.

Kasmina's Transmutation - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ichthyomorphosis lets you neutralize a major threat on the battlefield without losing a card from your hand. By turning a problematic creature into a powerless fish, you effectively remove an opponent’s asset while maintaining your own card count.

Resource Acceleration: While Ichthyomorphosis itself does not directly accelerate resources, it can indirectly influence the pace of the game. By diminishing an opponent’s creature, you slow down their strategy and buy time to develop your resources and board presence more effectively.

Instant Speed: Despite being an enchantment, Ichthyomorphosis exerts influence at a critical moment during the course of play, akin to instant-speed effects. By using it during your opponent’s turn, you can catch them off-guard, disrupting their combat calculations or other immediate plans.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Ichthyomorphosis doesn’t make you discard, it can be seen as a form of discarding resources due to its specific and potentially burdensome mana needs combined with the effect that might not always align with your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring a combination of blue mana, Ichthyomorphosis can be restrictive, and is not always conveniently castable for decks that are not heavily invested in blue mana sources or that are operating on a tight color mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of three mana to turn a creature into a 0/1 with no abilities, there may be more cost-efficient alternatives for neutralizing enemy creatures that provide additional benefits or are less mana-intensive, allowing for greater flexibility in gameplay.

Reasons to Include Ichthyomorphosis in Your Collection

Versatility: Ichthyomorphosis is a unique blue enchantment that can turn any formidable threat on the battlefield into a harmless fish. Its ability to neutralize nearly any creature makes it a flexible inclusion in decks that might struggle with large, problematic creatures.

Combo Potential: This enchantment pairs well with bounce or flicker strategies, allowing you to reset the enchantment onto a new target, or to synergize with cards that benefit from targeting. It can be a key piece in controlling the board while setting up for a winning combo.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where creature-heavy decks are prevalent, Ichthyomorphosis shines by efficiently dealing with the most common threats. Its presence in your collection ensures that you have a ready answer to many decks you might face, making it a meta-relevant choice for your arsenal.

How to beat

Ichthyomorphosis is an intriguing enchantment in Magic the Gathering that can turn the tide of a game by effectively neutralizing a major threat on the board. It transforms a formidable creature into a powerless 0/1 fish with no abilities, essentially removing any offensive or defensive utilities that creature offered. However, there are ways to circumvent this debilitating enchantment.

One strategy is to employ enchantment removal spells, such as Naturalize or Disenchant, that can directly destroy Ichthyomorphosis, thereby restoring your creature to its original form. Artifacts such as Nevinyrral’s Disk can also be used to cleanse the board of all enchantments, along with other types of permanents. Additionally, bouncing the afflicted creature back to your hand with spells like Unsummon will allow you to replay it without the encumbrance of Ichthyomorphosis.

In essence, while Ichthyomorphosis can be a temporary setback, a well-prepared player with the right removal spells or bounce effects can easily overcome this enchantment, returning their powerful creatures back to the battlefield to resume their dominance in the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ichthyomorphosis MTG card by a specific set like Theros Beyond Death, 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 Ichthyomorphosis and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ichthyomorphosis has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2020-01-24	Because damage remains marked on a creature until the damage is removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to a creature may become lethal if Ichthyomorphosis becomes attached to it during that turn.
2020-01-24	Effects that modify a creature’s power and/or toughness will apply to the creature no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for any counters that change its power and/or toughness.
2020-01-24	Ichthyomorphosis may enchant a permanent that is only temporarily a creature, such as a Vehicle. If this happens, Ichthyomorphosis will be put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action once the creature stops being a creature.
2020-01-24	Ichthyomorphosis overwrites all colors and creature types the enchanted creature has. It’s just a blue Fish. The creature keeps any supertypes (such as legendary) it has, as well as any other card types it has (such as enchantment).
2020-01-24	Ichthyomorphosis overwrites all previous effects that set the creature’s base power and toughness to specific values. Any power- or toughness-setting effects that start to apply after Ichthyomorphosis becomes attached to a creature will overwrite this effect.
2020-01-24	If the affected creature gains an ability after Ichthyomorphosis becomes attached to it, it will keep that ability.