Skinshifter MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Human Shaman |
| Released | 2011-07-15 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Magic 2012 |
| Set code | M12 |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 195 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Matt Stewart |
Key Takeaways
- Adaptive shapeshifting ability of Skinshifter creates significant combat and strategic advantages during gameplay.
- Optimal in creature-focused decks; specific mana cost impacts deck construction and mana curve considerations.
- Works well with creature-type synergy, offering a valuable asset for various meta strategies and board states.
Text of card
: Choose one — Until end of turn, Skinshifter becomes a 4/4 Rhino and gains trample; or until end of turn, Skinshifter becomes a 2/2 Bird and gains flying; or until end of turn, Skinshifter becomes a 0/8 Plant. Activate this ability only once each turn.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Skinshifter can be a key player in securing card advantage through its versatility on the battlefield. This shapeshifting creature adapts to circumstances, potentially countering opponents’ strategies by transforming into the most strategically beneficial form.
Resource Acceleration: Although Skinshifter itself does not directly accelerate resources, its ability to become a 4/4 Rhino with trample or a 0/8 Plant with defender can be a cost-effective way to manage threats or defend, freeing up mana for other uses.
Instant Speed: Skinshifter’s transformation happens at instant speed, allowing reactive play that adjusts to the unfolding round. This can lead to surprising shifts in power and toughness that disrupt your adversary’s combat calculations or their removal spell targeting.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although Skinshifter itself doesn’t require you to discard a card, keep in mind that maintaining a card like this on the field could lead to a situation where you’re compelled to discard other cards to react to the flow of the game, potentially depleting your hand when you need it most.
Specific Mana Cost: Skinshifter requires both green mana and a commitment to a creature-heavy strategy to fully capitalize on its abilities. This specific mana cost can influence your deck construction and limit the flexibility of including this card in multi-color decks that may not have the necessary mana ramping to support it efficiently.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although a one mana investment for a potentially powerful transforming creature seems appealing, Skinshifter’s cost to activate its ability each turn can add up, especially if you’re also trying to play other cards. This could restrict your options in crucial moments of the game, where the available mana could otherwise be spent on more impactful spells or creatures that offer immediate effects without additional costs.
Reasons to Include Skinshifter in Your Collection
Versatility: Skinshifter boasts a unique ability to become different creature types, such as a Rhino with trample or a Bird with flying. This allows it to adapt to various board states, making it a flexible addition to numerous deck archetypes.
Combo Potential: With its shape-shifting nature, Skinshifter works well with decks that trigger off creature-type synergies and can exploit its changeling-like qualities to maximize combo interactions.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that values adaptability and threat diversity, Skinshifter can be a key player. It can dodge removal specific to certain creature types or become the best blocker or attacker needed at any moment.
How to Beat Skinshifter
Overcoming the shapeshifting prowess of Skinshifter in the world of Magic: The Gathering hinges on understanding its versatility. This unique creature can transform into several powerful forms at instant speed, making it a formidable foe. Each form, however, presents an opportunity for countering tactics. Since Skinshifter’s ability to adapt is anchored to the mana you can spend, keeping your opponent’s mana tapped out with cards like Frost Breath or countering their spells with strategic use of Mana Leak can limit how often and how effectively Skinshifter can shape-shift.
Additionally, removal spells that don’t target a specific creature type can prove highly effective. Skinshifter’s strength lies in its adaptability, so using cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile, can bypass its ability to dodge certain conditions by changing forms. It’s also worth considering that despite its variable nature, Skinshifter’s stats don’t protect it from all threats. Capitalizing on its weakness when it’s not in its hexproof or indestructible form, especially in the pre or post-combat main phases, could be key to taking it down.
Timing plays a crucial role in every match-up. Keeping removal or control spells at the ready for the precise moment before the shapeshifting ability is activated will serve you well against Skinshifter, rendering it a much less threatening presence on the battlefield.
Cards like Skinshifter
Skinshifter is a versatile creature card in MTG, bringing dynamic battlefield adaptability. It stands out because of its ability to become a 4/4 Rhino with trample, a 2/2 Bird with flying, or a 0/8 Plant until end of turn. Looking at similar cards, we can compare it to Chameleon Colossus. Though Chameleon Colossus doesn’t offer the range of transformations, it compensates with a protection from black and the power-doubling ability for {2}{G}{G}.
Another card worth mentioning is Ainok Survivalist, which shares the shapeshifting theme with its Megamorph ability, allowing it to evolve from a 2/1 to a 3/2 and destroy an enchantment or artifact upon flipping. While it lacks the multiple forms of Skinshifter, it provides direct interaction with the opponent’s game plan. Mirror Entity is also a relative, as it can turn all your creatures into any power and toughness up to the mana you spend, offering a swarm adaptation on the battlefield that Skinshifter cannot replicate alone.
In the realm of flexible MTG creatures, Skinshifter competes admirably for a place in many decks that favor reactive and transformative creature strategies. Although constrained by its single-target nature, its low-cost activation makes it a viable and unpredictable threat at any stage of the game.
Cards similar to Skinshifter by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Skinshifter MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2012, 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 Skinshifter and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Skinshifter has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Skinshifter card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2011-09-22 | No matter which mode you choose, Skinshifter will cease to have any creature types it previously had. If you activate its ability choosing the first mode, it will become only a Rhino; it’s no longer a Human or a Shaman. |
| 2011-09-22 | No matter which mode you choose, Skinshifter will retain any other card types it may have. For example, if an effect causes Skinshifter to be an artifact in addition to its other types and you activate its ability choosing the first mode, it will be both an artifact and a Rhino creature. |
| 2011-09-22 | Skinshifter’s ability doesn’t affect its copiable values. Creatures that enter the battlefield as a copy of Skinshifter will enter as 1/1 Human Shaman creatures. |
| 2011-09-22 | Skinshifter’s ability doesn’t cause it to lose any other abilities it may have. |
| 2011-09-22 | You can activate Skinshifter’s ability during any player’s turn, but only once on each turn. |
| 2011-09-22 | You choose the ability’s mode when you activate it. |
