Transform in MTG: Rules, History, and Best Cards

Last updated on September 11, 2025

Growing Rites of Itlimoc & Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun | Illustration by Grzegorz Rutkowski

The transform mechanic was absolutely ground-breaking when it was first introduced. It’s still popular and flavorful these days, but we’ve also started seeing a little more of it used in new and interesting ways to fit the sets it appears in.

How does transform work, and how has it been implemented over the years? Which are the best transform cards? If you're not interested, perhaps I can change your mind!

How Does Transform Work?

Delver of Secrets | Illustration by Matt Stewart

Transform cards have two sides to them, and you generally play a transform card on its front face. When a certain condition is met, the card “transforms” into its reverse side, and you physically turn the card over.

The mana cost is on the front side of transforming cards.

Transforming cards have a symbol in the upper bar of the card indicating that they can transform. This symbol is sometimes different depending on the set and the exact type of transform mechanic the card has. Some transform cards can toggle back and forth between their front and back side, while most start on their front side, transform under certain conditions, and stay that way until they leave the battlefield.

Flame Channeler looks at your spells to see if it will transform. Many cards in Innistrad: Midnight Sun use daybound and nightbound to see if they transform like on Brutal Cathar / Moonrage Brute.

Spider-Man has the first cards with the option to cast either side like a modal dual face card, and still have the ability to transform. So you could cast Amazing Spider-Man directly from your hand, or cast and transform Peter Parker later.

The History of Transform in MTG

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Transform first came out in the fan-favorite Innistrad set in 2011, partly to represent the population of the plane turning into the monsters that the horror-inspired world was home to. It was included in that set and the second set of that block, Dark Ascension. But it was left out of the final set of the block, Avacyn Restored, over fears that players wouldn’t want to play the mechanic in Limited over a full year if they didn’t like it to begin with.

Since then the idea of transform has been iterated upon in a handful of sets. Magic: Origins brought the “flipwalkers,” creatures that transformed into planeswalkers to represent their sparks igniting and got a reprise in Modern Horizons 3. The Ixalan block has a set of artifacts and enchantments that transform into lands. Transform was also included in Neon Dynasty and our returns to Innistrad.

Transform was prominent in March of the Machine to show ordinary creatures turning into Phyrexians. The Transformers tie-in from The Brothers' War featured the “convert” mechanic, which is functionally identical to transform, but had to be used for some convoluted legal reasons. Transform shows up in Avatar: The Last Airbender, and in a big way in Final Fantasy that incorporated sidequests and summons

Despite the increased frequency of seeing transform, it’s still not considered an evergreen mechanic. It’s specifically avoided in Commander precons because these products currently never include double-faced cards for logistical reasons.

How Do Transform Lands Work?

Ixalan and Rivals of Ixalan had a set of artifacts and enchantments that transformed into special lands when a condition was met. These work like any other transforming card: when they transform you flip them over and they’re now represented by their back side.

Note that playing one of these cards or transforming it into the land side doesn’t count as playing a land for a turn.

Is Transform a Triggered Ability?

Transform is usually part of another triggered ability or activated ability. For example, Delver of Secrets has a triggered ability occurring when you reveal an instant or sorcery from the top of your library while Bloodline Keeper has an activated ability with a cost to transform it (in this case, paying a black mana).

Some transformations take place as a state-based action and can't be responded to, as we see with daybound/nightbound werewolves. For example, if the conditions are met for Fearful Villager to transform, it will simply become Fearsome Werewolf at the start of the next turn. That action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to.

Can You Respond to Transform?

Yes, in most cases. Transform is an ability that usually uses the stack, regardless of whether it’s an activated or triggered ability. You can respond to it by playing instant-speed effects. Notable, daybound/nightbound werewolves do not transform as the result of an activated/triggered ability, and their transformations at the start of a turn cannot be responded to.

When Can You Transform?

When you can transform a card depends on the card itself. If you can meet the conditions for the transform to occur, you can transform the card.

Can You Transform at Instant Speed?

Some cards can transform at instant speed. Generally you can transform a card if you can meet the condition to transform it. For example, Concealing Curtains mentions in its rules text that you can only activate its transform ability as a sorcery, so you can’t transform it at an instant speed. Ulvenwald Captive, however, can be transformed at instant speed by activating its ability.

Does Transform Count as Entering the Battlefield?

When a card transforms it doesn’t usually count as entering the battlefield. But some cards say that you exile the card and return it to the battlefield transformed, like Jace, Vryn's Prodigy. In this case it counts as entering the battlefield when it comes back.

Do Transforming Cards Have Summoning Sickness?

No, transforming doesn’t give a card summoning sickness, unless the card left the battlefield and re-entered. If it transforms when it already has summoning sickness, it still has summoning sickness.

Does Transforming a Card Untap It?

No, transforming a card doesn’t untap it unless the transform rules text specifically says it does, like on Foreboding Statue. However, a transforming card like Treasure Map does not state that it untaps after transforming, so Treasure Cove will still be tapped after flipping over.

Does Transforming a Creature Remove It From Combat?

No, transforming a creature doesn’t remove it from combat, unless it’s exiled and then brought back like with the flipwalkers.

Does Transforming a Creature Erase Damage?

No, transforming a creature doesn’t remove the damage assigned to it unless the transform trigger specifies that the card is exiled then returned to the battlefield transformed.

Do Transforming Cards Lose Counters?

No, counters of any kind stay on a transformed card. If the card is exiled first, the counters are reset.

Do Transformed Cards Have a Mana Value or Count for Devotion?

Yes, a transformed card has the same mana value as the front face. However, it has no mana cost. Stalking Vampire, for example, has a mana value of 4 because the front face (Screeching Bat) has a mana cost of . However, Stalking Vampire does not have the cost, so it contributes nothing to your devotion to black, for example, unless it's on the front face.

Note that if you copy a transformed card, the copy won’t have a mana cost or a mana value.

Is Transform the Same as Turning a Card Face Up or Down?

No, transforming a card isn’t the same as turning it face up or face down. If an effect specifies you to turn a card face up or down, like what happens with a morph card, this doesn’t transform a transform card.

What if a Card Tells You to Transform a Single-Sided Card?

If an effect tells you to transform a single-sided card, nothing happens and the effect “fizzles.”

Which Side Does a Transforming DFC Enter the Battlefield On?

A transforming DFC enters the battlefield with its front face up unless another ability specifies otherwise. For example, activating the ability on Startled Awake will cause Persistent Nightmare to enter on the back face, but you can't play Persistent Nightmare from your hand.

Can You Cast the Back Side of a Transforming DFC?

No, you can only cast the front side of a transforming card this way. Double-faced cards that can be cast on either side are MDFCs, or modal double-faced cards, which don't use the transform mechanic.

Can You Transform a Copy?

Token copies of double-faced permanents are also considered double-faced permanents and can transform the same way the object they copied can. This is not true of non-token Clone variants, which do not have a second face and cannot transform, even if they copy a transforming permanents.

Note that copying a DFC on its back face will result in the copy entering on that same face.

Do Enchantments Stay on Creatures that Transform?

Yes, auras generally stay on a creature when it transforms. But if the card is exiled as part of its transform ability then any enchantments “fall off.” Also, if it transforms into a permanent type that the aura cannot enchant, the aura “falls off” the permanent.

Does Equipment Stay on Creatures that Transform?

Yes, unless the transforming card is exiled as part of its transform ability. This works like enchantments and the equipment “falls off.”

How Do You Transform into Werewolves?

Werewolves have a specific mechanic to transform them, or rather they have two separate mechanics with the advent of daybound/nightbound in Midnight Hunt.

Originally all werewolves had the text “At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform this card” on the front side and “At the beginning of each upkeep, if a player cast two or more spells last turn, transform this card” on the back. If you’re running werewolves you probably want some instant-speed effects to allow you to skip casting spells on your turn but still spend mana on your opponents’. A creature like Duskwatch Recruiter with a good mana sink ability is also very useful in a werewolf deck.

This mechanic was very much liked, and there are a lot of werewolf fans. The problem was that it’s very easy for your opponent to undo all your hard work by casting two spells on their turn. WotC tried to address this with an updated werewolf mechanic in Midnight Hunt and Crimson Vow through daybound/nightbound. Werewolf cards printed in these sets used this mechanic, which controls which face of all werewolves are active with this ability.

For daybound/nightbound you need to start tracking the state of day and night when a card that cares about it enters the battlefield. Generally it starts as day, then if the active player doesn’t cast a spell it becomes night at the beginning of the next upkeep. If it’s night and the active player casts two spells on their own turn then it becomes day at the beginning of the next turn’s upkeep.

Daybound/nightbound controls which face of a card is active, but it also controls which face is active when those cards enter the battlefield. It has no affect on any werewolves without the daybound/nightbound text.

Do New Werewolves Transform?

Yes. When it transitions between day and night the new werewolves with daybound/nightbound technically transform into their other face.

Transforming DFCs vs. Modal DFCs

Transforming dual-faced cards were the only kind of DFC that existed for a long time. And then modal DFCs were introduced with Zendikar Rising. The main difference between the two is that, while transforming DFCs mostly need to be played with the front face up, modal DFCs can be played as either side of the card. Avatar: The Last Airbender showcases Aang's ability to transform into and out of the avatar state. MDFCs and MDFC lands typically do not “transform” to the other side, though Spider-Man introduced cards that can be played on either side and have the capability to transform.

Does Teysa Karlov Cause an Ojer Card to Transform Twice?

No, it does not cause two transforms, an additional trigger will find no card in the graveyard. Here’s an example: You control Teysa Karlov and Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation. Your opponent trades their Colossal Dreadmaw with Ojer Taq to kill each other in combat, its death trigger will bring the god back as Temple of Civilization, and the additional trigger from Teysa Karlov will do nothing because Ojer Taq is no longer in the graveyard.

What Is the Difference Between Transform and Convert in MTG?

The convert ability functions just like transform, so much so that if an ability triggers whenever a permanent transforms, it’ll also trigger when a permanent converts. Convert is exclusive to cards from the Transformers mini-set and will likely never be used outside of another Transformers crossover.

Can Tokens Transform?

Tokens that are double-faced permanents or copies of double-faced permanents can transform. This wasn't always the case, but the rules were updated to allow this after Incubator tokens were introduced in March of the Machine.

If you create a token copy of a transforming permanent, that token enters on whatever face the original was on, and has the corresponding front or back sides. If something causes it to transform, it will do so if possible. Note that cards that exile themselves and return to play transformed don't work so well with tokens, since the token will cease to exist as soon as it enters the exile zone.

Can I Transform Incubator Tokens at Instant Speed?

Yes, the activated ability to transform incubator tokens can be activated anytime you could cast an instant.

What are My Options to Sleeve Transforming Cards?

Ixalan's checklist card includes a box to check on the left, the card name, and the mana cost, and should be just as sleeved as the rest of your deck.

It is great that you want to sleeve your transforming cards! Here are a few options:

• Leave the physical card outside the game and use a labeled substitute card for while the card must remain hidden in your library or face down
• Sleeve your deck with fully opaque backs like Dragon Shield Matte sleeves. The worst part of this one is that you're physically handling your card every time you want to check the card, play with it, and reset it.
• Double sleeve your entire deck with inner sleeves and opaque sleeves, and you'll still need to slide out the inner sleeved card as needed. For this, side-loading inner sleeves are ideal.

Best Transform Cards

Transform cards see play in a variety of formats, but some see more play than others. Here are my top transform cards of all time.

#8. Westvale Abbey / Ormendahl, Profane Prince

Westvale Abbey has a black color identity so it can't be played in every deck, but Ormendahl, Profane Prince is certainly worth going after in decks that can play it.

This does a bit of everything. It makes creatures, although it’s expensive, and it can transform into a powerful beater that can end games for a relatively paltry cost. Being attached to a land means it doesn’t cost too much to include in your deck if you’re not running too many colors.

#7. Delver of Secrets / Insectile Aberration

One of the few creatures that regularly sees play in Legacy, Delver of Secrets even has a whole deck named after it. It sees inconsistent play in Pioneer, but it still sees some and has a reputation as one of the most powerful 1-drops in Magic.

#6. Search for Azcanta / Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin

A powerful value engine, Search for Azcanta was an auto-include in grindy decks during its time in Standard.

It’s been off and on in Pioneer, but it has also seen a lot of play in Commander. Powerful card selection and the draws are very desirable in blue decks, no matter the format!

#5. The God Cycle from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan

These grade A creatures represent their color well and death does not beat them. Destroying them turns them into a land which can transform back into the creature side for paying 3 mana and meeting a small condition.

#4. Etali, Primal Conqueror / Etali, Primal Sickness

Etali, Primal Conqueror is one of the few transform cards on this list where you could completely erase the back half of the card and still be happy playing it. Etali, Primal Sickness does a fun Blightsteel Colossus impression, but you're usually playing this for the explosion of value on the front face. It's a 5-for-1 in any 4-player game, and ushered in a new age of broken 7-drops for Commander.

#3. Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy / Jace, Telepath Unbound

Jace, Vryn's Prodigy is notorious for being a $100 card in Standard when it was legal there. It’s nowhere near that high price anymore, but it maintains a reputation and its fans jump at any opportunity to include it in a deck. It’s ridiculously easy to flip this into its walker side in graveyard-based decks.

#2. Growing Rites of Itlimoc / Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun

Gaea's Cradle may be on the Reserved List, but that doesn’t mean that WotC won’t try to make something that works in the same way.

Growing Rites of Itlimoc is pretty much just that, on the back side at least. Getting it there is pretty trivial and this has the potential to be incredibly powerful. If you want to run Cradle then you also want to run creatures.

#1. Ajani, Nacatl Pariah / Ajani, Nacatl Avenger

You didn't think we were getting through a “Best-of” list without a Modern Horizons 3 card, did you? Honestly, most of the flipwalkers from MH3 are semi-broken, but Ajani, Nacatl Pariah is just unreasonable. It starts off fantastic with no other work needed (compare the something like Resolute Reinforcements), but Ajani, Nacatl Avenger is just absurd if it flips early enough in a game. You don't need to lean into cats here at all, but suffice to say the more whiskers amongst your creatures, to more ridiculous Ajani gets.

Decklist: Tovolar Transform in Commander

Tovolar, Dire Overlord | Illustration by Chris Rahn

If you want to build a deck based around transform then there’s really one best direction that you can go, and that’s werewolves.

The old and new werewolf mechanics may not work perfectly together, but Tovolar, Dire Overlord is a banger of a commander. It also helps tie things together, transforming both old and new werewolves at the same time.

Tetzin, Gnome Champion offers a cool alternative EDH deck that focuses specifically on transforming artifacts.

Flipping Out

Ormendahl, Profane Prince | Illustration by Min Yum

Transform is definitely a popular mechanic, and one I’m sure will return in a set on the release schedule. No doubt about it, if for no other reason than Wizards wants to include more text on cards!

What do you like or dislike about transform? What do you want to see from the mechanic in the future? Feel free to comment down below or let us know over on the Draftsim Twitter.

Catch you on the flip side!

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