Illusionary Presence MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Illusion |
| Abilities | Cumulative upkeep |
| Released | 1995-06-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Ice Age |
| Set code | ICE |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 76 |
| Frame | 1993 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Kaja Foglio |
Text of card
Cumulative Upkeep: o U During your upkeep, Illusionary Presence gains a landwalk ability of your choice until end of turn.
"We could feel the Shaman's power, as surely as we felt the storm." —Disa the Restless, journal entry
Cards like Illusionary Presence
Illusionary Presence joins the unique breed of evasive creatures within Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with creatures like Mistform Shrieker which also has the ability to change its creature type. However, Illusionary Presence offers a more constant form of evasion, as it does not require mana investment each turn to keep its ability active. Furthermore, Illusionary Presence’s capability to change land type each upkeep can be tactically used to bypass many common land-based restrictions.
Phantasmal Terrain is another card that manipulates land types, but it acts on the opposing lands rather than aiding the player’s own strategy. While not a creature, Phantasmal Terrain serves as a relevant comparison for the control aspect over land types. On the other side, we find Aquamorph Entity, which can also change its creature type at will. This adaptability is key in evasion as well, yet it trades the continuous effect for a power and toughness boost.
Playing with land types and creature abilities presents strategic depth in the game. Each card’s distinct spin on these mechanics provides players with novel ways to outmaneuver opponents, and Illusionary Presence does this with a unique blend of versatility and board presence.
Cards similar to Illusionary Presence by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Illusionary Presence can create a steady stream of virtual card advantage. Its ability to dodge removal by becoming the basic land type of your choice at the beginning of each upkeep means your opponents will often waste resources trying to deal with it ineffectively.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing resource acceleration in the traditional sense, the card’s unique land morphing ability can indirectly influence mana fixing, potentially aiding in the casting of spells requiring specific land types.
Instant Speed: Illusionary Presence doesn’t have an instant speed itself, but its ability to change land types can be strategically paired with instant speed spells. This coupling allows savvy players to leverage land type-dependent instants and abilities, keeping opponents off balance by altering the battlefield unpredictably with every turn cycle.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: With Illusionary Presence, you may find that you’re needing a card to maintain its slippery presence on the battlefield, a demand that whittles at your hand and strains your resources, especially when you’re striving for hand advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Deployment of this creature demands an exacting combination of mana, that blue splash isn’t always handy in every deck archetype. This can be restrictive, tethering your strategy to blue mana sources and possibly constraining your deck’s overall versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Three mana might not break the bank, but in the high-speed landscape of modern MTG play, where every mana point counts, Illusionary Presence’s cost may be too steep for the elusive advantage it provides, especially when there are myriad other creatures and spells vying for a slot in your deck with more immediate impact.
Reasons to Include Illusionary Presence in Your Collection
Versatility: Illusionary Presence serves as an adaptable threat in decks that capitalize on evasive creatures. Its ability to change its land type each turn can make it a tricky target for opponents to deal with, allowing it to fit well within strategies looking to exploit specific land types or benefit from variable attributes.
Combo Potential: Cards like Illusionary Presence can be integral to combos with land type matters cards, enabling diverse interactions that can catch an opponent off guard. Whether it’s enabling landwalk or working alongside cards that react to land types, its unique ability opens up a realm of creative deck-building options.
Meta-Relevance: As the MTG meta evolves, Illusionary Presence can become a mainstay in formats where players leverage the benefits of land types. The capacity to consistently present a threat that adapts to the ever-changing battlefield makes it a card worth considering in a variety of competitive environments.
How to beat
Illusionary Presence is a unique creature within the realm of MTG. This slippery creature is known for its ability to change the land type it is associated with during each upkeep, which can throw off an opponent’s strategy. Given its evasive nature, overcoming Illusionary Presence requires a strategic approach that targets its weaknesses rather than its strengths.
Targeted removal spells that don’t rely on the creature’s land type are an effective method to combat this elusive creature. Cards like Path to Exile or Doom Blade bypass the shifting land types and can remove Illusionary Presence from play. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation also ignore its land-morphing ability and can clear the field of multiple creatures at once, including Illusionary Presence.
Ultimately, while Illusionary Presence offers a complex and adaptive challenge on the battlefield, maintaining a versatile removal suite in your deck can neutralize this threat. Adaptability is key, and direct, unconditional removal options ensure that Illusionary Presence’s presence is nothing more than a temporary illusion.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Illusionary Presence MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age, 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 Illusionary Presence and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Illusionary Presence 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 Illusionary Presence card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2005-11-01 | Can only give landwalk of land sub-types that exist (so you can no longer give “Island of Wak-Wak walk”). |
| 2005-11-01 | Can’t give Snow landwalk, because Snow is supertype, not a subtype. |
| 2008-10-01 | Paying cumulative upkeep is always optional. If it’s not paid, the permanent with cumulative upkeep is sacrificed. Partial payments of the total cumulative upkeep cost can’t be made. For example, if a permanent with “cumulative upkeep ” has three age counters on it when its cumulative upkeep ability triggers, it gets another age counter and then its controller chooses to either pay or sacrifice the permanent. |