Escaped Shapeshifter MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Shapeshifter
Released	1997-10-14
Set symbol
Set name	Tempest
Set code	TMP
Power	3
Toughness	4
Number	62
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Douglas Shuler

Key Takeaways

Escaped Shapeshifter excels in versatility, cloning abilities, and potentially doubling creature impact on the board.
Its ability to instantaneously adapt offers tactical advantages and resource acceleration for decks.
Demands careful play, as its higher mana cost and color specificity can influence deck building and strategy.

Text of card

As long as your opponent controls any creatures with flying, Escaped Shapeshifter gains flying. The same is true for first strike, trample, and protection from any color.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Escaped Shapeshifter brings a dynamic edge to the battlefield. As a shapeshifter, its ability to emulate other creatures on the board means it can offer the same, if not more, utility than another creature card you control. This adaptability can effectively double the impact of your most advantageous creature’s abilities or features, keeping you a step ahead in card utilization.

Resource Acceleration: The transformative nature of Escaped Shapeshifter can act as a form of tactical acceleration. By assuming the abilities of key creatures—such as those that offer ramp or mana generation—it facilitates faster access to your deck’s resources without needing to commit multiple cards for the same effect.

Instant Speed: The real beauty of Escaped Shapeshifter lies in its reactive capability. Its instant-speed-like ability to become a copy of any creature on the board when targeted allows for sudden and surprising shifts in board state, making it a formidable wildcard during the heat of the match. This flexibility ensures you’re always prepared to adapt to new threats or opportunities as they arise.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Escaped Shapeshifter’s ability can be a downside in gameplay where maintaining card advantage is crucial. Discarding a card can hinder your hand strength, especially if your deck is not built to utilize the graveyard or does not have ample draw power.

Specific Mana Cost: This particular shapeshifter demands a specific set of mana colors to cast, which could be challenging in multicolored decks. Deck flexibility can be compromised, especially in formats where mana consistency is paramount for performance.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that sits on the higher end of the curve, the Escaped Shapeshifter’s mana expenditure may not always align with its in-game impact. Players might opt for lower-cost creatures or spells that offer immediate board presence or effects.

Reasons to Include Escaped Shapeshifter in Your Collection

Versatility: Escaped Shapeshifter is a unique card that can adapt to different board states by assuming the abilities of the latest creature on the battlefield. This ability to morph allows it to slot into varied deck builds and respond dynamically to changing gameplay.

Combo Potential: Whether it’s taking on beneficial traits from your creatures or those of your opponent, Escaped Shapeshifter can create powerful combinations. You can strategize to make it a key component in your tactical plays, opening up several synergies within your deck.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to mimic and use the abilities of the most recently cast creature, Escaped Shapeshifter can be incredibly effective against popular decks in the meta. This card’s reactive nature might just give you the edge you need to outmaneuver opponents and their expected tactics.

How to Beat

The Escaped Shapeshifter emerges as a unique challenge within the rich tapestry of MTG. Dynamic by nature, this creature adapts and mirrors the strongest creatures on the battlefield. To surpass this versatile adversary, a keen understanding of its strengths and weaknesses becomes paramount. Timing is your ally; deploying removal spells when the shapeshifter is in a state of transition, without any copy to imitate, leaves it vulnerable. Counter magic plays a key role as well, enabling you to stifle the shapeshifter’s transformative ability before it takes effect.

Strategic deck choices can also tilt the odds in your favor. Including exile-based removal, such as Path to Exile, bypasses the shapeshifter’s copying mechanism and answers it definitively. Cards that can change a creature’s base characteristics, like Amoeboid Changeling, can also catch your opponent off guard and diminish the potency of the Escaped Shapeshifter’s adaptive nature.

Beyond individual spells, maintain a modest board presence and apply continuous pressure. This approach can put the opponent in a reactive stance, limiting the efficacy of cards like the Escaped Shapeshifter. Ultimately, success hinges on proactive strategies and smart plays to ensure this elusive creature doesn’t escape your grasp.

Cards like Escaped Shapeshifter

Escaped Shapeshifter is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering, bearing a distinct ability that allows it to adopt the characteristics of opponent’s creatures. A similar card that comes to mind is Clone, which can enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the field. The flexibility that Clone offers is unmatched, but the Escaped Shapeshifter has the advantageous trait of changing identities multiple times throughout the game.

Mirror Image also shares similar qualities, as it can copy a creature you control. However, unlike the Escaped Shapeshifter, once Mirror Image has chosen a form, it remains static, unable to adapt to the ever-evolving board state. Another parallel can be drawn with the card Evil Twin, which not only copies a creature but also brings the potential for creature removal, a feature the Escaped Shapeshifter lacks.

Assessing the field of shapeshifters and copy creatures in MTG, though many offer initial copying abilities, Escaped Shapeshifter’s ongoing adaptability positions it uniquely within the game. Its reactive nature could be a game-changer in dynamic match-ups, setting it apart from its once-only copy counterparts.

Cards similar to Escaped Shapeshifter by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Escaped Shapeshifter MTG card by a specific set like Tempest, 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 Escaped Shapeshifter and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Escaped Shapeshifter 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 Escaped Shapeshifter card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.