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Formless Genesis

two generic manaone green manaKindred Sorcery — Shapeshifter

Card text

Changeling (This card is every creature type.)

Create an X/X colorless Shapeshifter creature token with changeling and deathtouch, where X is the number of land cards in your graveyard.

Retrace (You may cast this card from your graveyard by discarding a land card in addition to paying its other costs.)

Showing Edge of Eternities Commander#96

Price

0.31 $

16 printings · up to 0.40 $

Daily estimate from Scryfall, not a shop quote.

Formless Genesis rulings

  • Changeling is a characteristic-defining ability. It functions in all zones.

  • The subtype Shapeshifter that appears on the type line is mostly there to reinforce the flavor. A spell or token with changeling is just as much an Elf, a Dwarf, a Sliver, a Goat, a Coward, and a Zombie as it is a Shapeshifter.

  • When a retrace spell you cast from your graveyard resolves, fails to resolve, or is countered, it's put back into your graveyard. You may use the retrace ability to cast it again.

  • Casting a card by using its retrace ability works just like casting any other spell, with two exceptions: You're casting it from your graveyard rather than your hand, and you must discard a land card in addition to any other costs.

  • The value of X is determined only once, as Formless Genesis resolves. The token's power and toughness won't change if the number of land cards in your graveyard later changes.

  • A retrace card cast from your graveyard follows the normal timing rules for its card type.

  • If the active player casts a spell that has retrace, that player may cast that card again after it resolves, before another player can remove the card from the graveyard. The active player has priority after the spell resolves, so they can immediately cast a new spell. Since casting a card with retrace from the graveyard moves that card onto the stack, no one else would have the chance to affect it while it's still in the graveyard.

Formless Genesis keyword rules

Retrace Rule 702.81

Retrace is a static ability that functions while the card with retrace is in a player’s graveyard. “Retrace” means “You may cast this card from your graveyard by discarding a land card as an additional cost to cast it.” Casting a spell using its retrace ability follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules and –h.

Changeling Rule 702.73

Changeling is a characteristic-defining ability. “Changeling” means “This object is every creature type.” This ability works everywhere, even outside the game. See rule .

Formless Genesis format legality

Constructed

  • StandardNot legal
  • PioneerNot legal
  • ModernNot legal
  • Future StandardNot legal

Eternal

  • LegacyLegal
  • VintageLegal
  • PauperNot legal
  • PremodernNot legal
  • Old SchoolNot legal
  • Penny DreadfulNot legal

Commander

  • CommanderLegal
  • OathbreakerLegal
  • Pauper CommanderNot legal
  • Duel CommanderLegal
  • PreDHNot legal

Arena & online

  • HistoricNot legal
  • TimelessNot legal
  • AlchemyNot legal
  • GladiatorNot legal
  • BrawlNot legal
  • Standard BrawlNot legal
  • Competitive BrawlNot legal

Other

  • TLRLegal

All printings of Formless Genesis 16

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Card data

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