Shifty Doppelganger MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Shapeshifter |
| Released | 2001-10-01 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Odyssey |
| Set code | ODY |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 101 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Greg Staples |
Text of card
o3o U, Remove Shifty Doppelganger from the game: Put a creature card from your hand into play. That creature gains haste until end of turn. At end of turn, sacrifice that creature. If you do, return Shifty Doppelganger to play.
Cards like Shifty Doppelganger
Shifty Doppelganger offers a unique twist within the realm of creature manipulation spells in Magic: The Gathering. It bears resemblance to the mechanics found in cards like Clone, which creates a copy of any creature on the battlefield. Where Shifty Doppelganger differs is its ability to not just copy, but temporarily exile itself and return as a copy of a creature card from your hand, potentially bringing larger creatures into play earlier than you could otherwise.
Alongside Shifty Doppelganger, effects like Quicksilver Gargantuan share the concept of copying creatures, yet the Gargantuan always enters as a 7/7, regardless of the original creature’s size. This is in contrast to the Doppelganger’s exact copy mechanism. Similarly, the card Stunt Double can be cast as a flash, offering the copying effect at instant speed but lacks the sneakiness of Shifty Doppelganger’s temporary exile and surprise element.
While exploring this corner of the card pool, Shifty Doppelganger allows for strategic deck building by leveraging its potential to cheat mana costs of heavy hitters. Agile in nature, it affords players the chance to pivot their field presence dynamically, distinguishing it from its counterparts with its unpredictability and adaptability.
Cards similar to Shifty Doppelganger by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Shifty Doppelganger offers strategic depth by letting players leverage their graveyard as an extension of their hand. By exiling a creature card from your graveyard, you can bring in a new threat directly onto the battlefield, potentially outvaluing your opponent’s plays with unexpected tricks or powerful creatures that circumvent traditional casting costs.
Resource Acceleration: By utilising the Shifty Doppelganger’s ability, players can effectively bypass mana costs for high-cost creatures. This accelerates the resource game by allowing you to deploy heavy hitters earlier than normal, catching opponents off-guard and rapidly shifting the pace of the match in your favor.
Instant Speed: The capability to activate Shifty Doppelganger at instant speed provides immense strategic advantages in gameplay. React during your opponent’s turn to disrupt their strategies or maximize your own, transforming the Doppelganger into a creature that’s perfectly suited to the situation, whether it’s for blocking, surprising combat tricks, or in response to an opponent’s removal spell.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: When activating Shifty Doppelganger’s ability, you’re required to discard a creature card. This can be a significant drawback, especially when your hand is already sparse or each creature card you possess is vital to your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Shifty Doppelganger demands both generic and blue mana to cast. This specificity requires a commitment to blue mana-producing lands or sources in your deck, potentially restricting deck-building flexibility and hindering its inclusion in multi-color decks that are not heavily blue.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost to not only cast Shifty Doppelganger but also to activate its ability is notably steep. You spend three mana to put it on the battlefield and another two plus discarding a creature to utilize its effect. There are alternate cards in the same mana range that can offer more immediate impact without the additional resource investment.
Reasons to Include Shifty Doppelganger in Your Collection
Versatility: Shifty Doppelganger offers dynamic gameplay as it enables you to cheat out creatures from your hand directly onto the battlefield. This can be exceptionally powerful in decks that want to bypass high mana costs or surprise opponents with unexpected threats.
Combo Potential: This card is a combo enabler. With the right creature in hand, you can create game-winning interactions on the spot. It’s known to synergize with enter-the-battlefield effects or creatures with powerful abilities that can turn the tide of the game in your favor.
Meta-Relevance: In formats where the battlefield can change at a moment’s notice, Shifty Doppelganger has its place. Being able to respond to the evolving meta by swapping creatures in and out ensures your deck remains resilient and adaptable to a variety of situations.
How to beat
Shifty Doppelganger is an elusive creature card, a true trickster in the realm of Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to cheat creatures into play can swing the game unexpectedly, leaving opponents scrambling. To keep this doppelganger in check, leverage removal spells or abilities that can target and exile it before it activates its ability. Utilizing instant-speed interactions ensures that the doppelganger’s controller has less room for mischievous plays.
Counterspells should be on standby to disrupt the key spells that aim to resurrect powerful creatures through the doppelganger’s ability. In addition, graveyard hate cards are an extremely effective method to stifle Shifty Doppelganger tactics, by removing potential creature targets from the game altogether. Deny the resources it needs to thrive and your strategy will prevail against this shapeshifting adversary.
Focusing on these strategies can transform the game, shutting down the devious plans of a Shifty Doppelganger before they unfold. Always be prepared for its sudden shifts and have an answer ready—your opponent’s surprise could then turn into your advantage.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Shifty Doppelganger MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Shifty Doppelganger and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- 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 Shifty Doppelganger has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Shifty Doppelganger card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | If the creature is not still on the battlefield at beginning of the End step, then you do not return this card to the battlefield. |
| 2008-08-01 | This card has received errata such that putting a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield is now optional. This means you no longer need a third-party to verify that you don’t have any creature cards in your hand if you don’t put something onto the battlefield. |