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Comprehensive Rules
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700General701Keyword Actions702Keyword Abilities703Turn-Based Actions704State-Based Actions705Flipping a Coin706Rolling a Die707Copying Objects708Face-Down Spells and Permanents709Split Cards710Flip Cards711Leveler Cards712Double-Faced Cards713Substitute Cards714Saga Cards715Adventurer Cards716Class Cards717Attraction Cards718Prototype Cards719Case Cards720Omen Cards721Station Cards722Preparation Cards723Controlling Another Player724Ending Turns and Phases725The Monarch726The Initiative727Restarting the Game728Rad Counters729Subgames730Merging with Permanents731Day and Night732Taking Shortcuts733Handling Illegal Actions
712. Double-Faced Cards
712.1
A double-faced card has a Magic card face on one side and either a Magic card face or half of an oversized card face on the other. (It does not have a Magic card back.) There are three kinds of double-faced cards: nonmodal double-faced cards (previously called “transforming double-faced cards”), modal double-faced cards, and meld cards.
712.10
If a spell or ability instructs a player to transform or convert a permanent, and the face that permanent would transform or convert into is an instant or sorcery card face, or is a double-faced token that was created with an instant or sorcery face, nothing happens.
712.11
A double-faced spell is cast with its front face up by default. See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”
712.12
A player playing a modal double-faced card or a copy of a modal double-faced card as a land chooses one of its faces that’s a land before putting it onto the battlefield. It enters the battlefield with that face up. See rule 305, “Lands.”
712.13
By default, a resolving double-faced spell that becomes a permanent is put onto the battlefield with the same face up that was face up on the stack.
712.14
A double-faced card put onto the battlefield from a zone other than the stack enters the battlefield with its front face up by default.
712.15
If an effect allows a player to cast a double-faced card as a face-down creature spell, or if a double-faced card enters the battlefield face down, it will have the characteristics given to it by the rule or effect that caused it to be face down. That card remains hidden, using a face-down substitute card (see rule 713) and/or opaque sleeves. See rule 708, “Face-Down Spells and Permanents.”
712.16
Melded permanents and other double-faced permanents can’t be turned face down. If a spell or ability tries to turn a double-faced permanent face down, nothing happens and that effect doesn’t change any of its characteristics or their copiable values.
712.17
A double-faced card that is exiled face down remains hidden, using a face-down substitute card and/or opaque sleeves. See rule 713, “Substitute Cards.”
712.18
When a double-faced permanent transforms or converts, it doesn’t become a new object. Any effects that applied to that permanent will continue to apply to it.
712.19
If an effect instructs a player to choose a card name, the player may choose the name of either face of a double-faced card but not both. The player may choose the name of the combined back face of a meld pair.
712.2
Nonmodal double-faced cards have a Magic card face on each side and include abilities on one or both of their faces that allow the card to either “transform” or “convert” (turn over to its other face) and/or allow the card to be cast or enter the battlefield “transformed” or “converted” (with its back face up).
712.20
If a double-faced card would have an “As [this permanent] transforms . . .” ability after it transforms or converts, that ability is applied while that permanent is transforming or converting, not afterward.
712.21
If a melded permanent leaves the battlefield, one permanent leaves the battlefield and two cards are put into the appropriate zone.
712.3
Modal double-faced cards have a Magic card face on each side
712.4
Meld cards have a Magic card face on one side and half of an oversized card face on the other.
712.5
There are seven specific meld pairs.
712.6
Players who are allowed to look at a double-faced card may look at both sides of that card.
712.7
Players must ensure that double-faced cards in hidden zones are indistinguishable from other cards in the same zone. To do this, the owner of a double-faced card may use completely opaque card sleeves and/or a substitute card (see rule 713). Sanctioned tournaments have additional rules for playing with double-faced cards. See rule 100.6.
712.8
Each face of a double-faced card that isn’t a meld card has its own set of characteristics. The front face of each meld card and the combined face formed by a meld pair each has its own set of characteristics.
712.9
Only permanents represented by double-faced tokens and double-faced cards that are not meld cards can transform or convert. (See rule 701.27, “Transform,” and rule 701.28, “Convert.”) If a spell or ability instructs a player to transform or convert any permanent that isn’t represented by a double-faced token or a double-faced card, nothing happens.