Metamorphic Alteration MTG Card
2018-07-13 - Number 60
2018-07-13 - Number 60s
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Text of card
Enchant creature As Metamorphic Alteration enters the battlefield, choose a creature. Enchanted creature is a copy of the chosen creature.
Cards like Metamorphic Alteration
Metamorphic Alteration finds its place in Magic: The Gathering as an enchantment with a unique twist on creature control. Sharing a conceptual space with cards like Clone and Copy Artifact, Metamorphic Alteration offers the ability to turn any creature into a copy of another, a feature not many enchantments can claim. Clone, for instance, enters the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the field but is itself a creature. Conversely, Copy Artifact copies an artifact while staying an enchantment. Metamorphic Alteration bridges the gap by enchanting a creature and then completely overwriting its identity.
Then there’s Mirror Image, a direct competitor in the creature-copying department. Unlike Metamorphic Alteration, Mirror Image is a creature that enters the battlefield as a copy of a creature you already control, restricting its versatility. Though it’s similarly costed, Metamorphic Alteration soars in flexibility, allowing players to target any creature in play, friend or foe. This can be a strategic move to disrupt an opponent’s strategy or enhance one’s own board position.
Essentially, when examining the power and adaptability of creature-mimicking spells in the game, Metamorphic Alteration asserts its value with its dual ability to clone the best on the board or to turn an opponent’s threat into something far less menacing.
Cards similar to Metamorphic Alteration by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Metamorphic Alteration. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Dimir Combo | Explorer | The Pizza Box Open: Explorer | |
| UB | Pioneer | Pioneer Challenge 64 2024-03-17 | |
| Dimir Vampires | Pioneer | Dimir Vampires | Pioneer Challenge 64 2024-03-23 |
| Grixis Midrange | Pioneer | Grixis Midrange | Pioneer Challenge 64 2023-11-17 |
| Archfiend Alteration | Pioneer | Grixis Midrange | Sat. 9:30 AM U.S. Regional Championship - Dreamhack Atlanta 2023 |
| Four-color Combo | Gladiator | Gladiator Team Unified League | |
| Dimir Midrange | Pioneer | Dimir Midrange | Pioneer League 2023-12-17 |
| WUBR | Pioneer | Pioneer Preliminary 2024-02-01 | |
| Decklist | Free form | 0() | |
| Rakdos Midrange | Pioneer | Grixis Midrange | Sat. 9:30 AM U.S. Regional Championship - Dreamhack Atlanta 2023 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Metamorphic Alteration can turn any creature into a copy of a more powerful creature on the board, potentially providing you with an additional threat without having to draw and play another card.
Resource Acceleration: This spell can be a form of indirect resource acceleration by copying creatures with abilities that generate mana or provide other cost-reducing benefits.
Instant Speed: The enchantment’s ability to be cast at instant speed offers strategic flexibility, allowing you to adapt reactively during your opponent’s turn or after they’ve committed to their plays.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Metamorphic Alteration doesn’t have a discard requirement, players need to be aware of the potential card disadvantage when using it. Sacrificing a creature as the enchantment’s target can often equate to a two-for-one loss against removal.
Specific Mana Cost: Metamorphic Alteration requires both blue mana and another colorless mana, which might restrict its inclusion to decks that can reliably produce the necessary blue sources or that are predominantly blue.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two mana including one blue, Metamorphic Alteration might be costly for what it does. There are times when a two-mana investment to turn a creature into a copy of another might not yield the immediate board impact necessary, especially if that copied creature doesn’t possess entered-the-battlefield abilities.
Reasons to Include Metamorphic Alteration in Your Collection
Versatility: Metamorphic Alteration shines with its ability to adapt to various gameplay situations, turning any creature into a copy of another, either bolstering your battlefield presence or disrupting your opponent’s strategies.
Combo Potential: This enchantment can be the linchpin in numerous combos, potentially unlocking powerhouse synergies by copying creatures with impactful enter-the-battlefield effects or potent static abilities.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment filled with key creatures that dictate the pace of the game, Metamorphic Alteration offers a tool to turn the tide, enabling you to match or neutralize those threats effectively.
How to beat
Metamorphic Alteration offers a unique twist to creature dynamics on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This enchantment allows players to essentially clone any creature on the field by turning another creature into a copy of it, except it still remains an enchantment. To navigate against this card, one must consider its flexibility – it can turn a weak creature into a powerhouse or neutralize a significant threat by transforming it into a benign creature.
Removing the enchantment itself is a straightforward tactic. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant can effortlessly deal with Metamorphic Alteration, restoring the creature back to its original form. Another approach is targeting the creature you think might be copied with spot removal or counterspells before Metamorphic Alteration resolves. This preemptive strategy ensures that even if Metamorphic Alteration is cast, it does not have a target or it loses its value immediately.
The key is to stay adaptive and to have answers for enchantments in your deck, be it through direct removal, bounce spells, or less common methods like using cards that grant hexproof to your own creatures. By keeping your deck versatile, you ensure that Metamorphic Alteration doesn’t become a roadblock to your victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Metamorphic Alteration MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2019 and Core Set 2019 Promos, 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 Metamorphic Alteration and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Metamorphic Alteration Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-07-13 and 2018-07-13. Illustrated by Livia Prima.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-07-13 | Core Set 2019 | M19 | 60 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Livia Prima | |
| 2 | 2018-07-13 | Core Set 2019 Promos | PM19 | 60s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Livia Prima |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Metamorphic Alteration has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Metamorphic Alteration card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-07-13 | If Metamorphic Alteration somehow enters the battlefield at the same time as another creature, it can’t have the enchanted creature become a copy of that creature. You may choose only a creature that’s already on the battlefield. |
| 2018-07-13 | If the chosen creature is a token, Metamorphic Alteration copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that put the token onto the battlefield. The enchanted creature doesn’t become a token in this case. |
| 2018-07-13 | If the chosen creature is copying something else (for example, if the chosen creature is enchanted by another Metamorphic Alteration), then the enchanted creature becomes a copy of whatever the chosen creature copied. |
| 2018-07-13 | If the chosen creature isn’t normally a creature (for example, if the chosen creature is an animated Treetop Village), the enchanted creature becomes a copy of that noncreature permanent. This causes Metamorphic Alteration to be illegally attached, and it’s put into its owner’s graveyard. The previously enchanted creature returns to being itself. |
| 2018-07-13 | Metamorphic Alteration can cause a creature to become a copy of itself. This generally has no effect, but if that creature has a pair of linked abilities, the new abilities it has from the copy effect aren’t linked to the abilities it had before. |
| 2018-07-13 | Metamorphic Alteration copies exactly what is printed on the chosen creature (unless that creature is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn’t copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it as any counters on it or any Auras and Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, or so on. |
| 2018-07-13 | The characteristics that will be copied are determined as Metamorphic Alteration’s effect first begins to apply. If the copiable values of the chosen creature change later, or if that creature leaves the battlefield, the enchanted creature’s characteristics are unaffected. |
| 2018-07-13 | The copiable values granted by Metamorphic Alteration are locked in as the creature is chosen. The enchanted creature won’t change if the chosen creature’s copiable values change. |
| 2018-07-13 | The enchanted creature will be a copy of the chosen creature as it dies, so any “when this creature dies” abilities it gains from the copy effect will trigger. Any “when this creature dies” abilities it normally has will not trigger. |
| 2018-07-13 | You can choose only a creature on the battlefield. |