K.5 - Changing a Permanent's Type


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K.5.1- If a spell or ability changes a permanent's type, it replaces all previous and current permanent types. The spell or ability may list permanent types which remain. For example, Stalking Stones says that it remains a land when it changes into a creature. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 214.4/4a]

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K.5.2- If a spell or ability changes a permanent's type, none of the abilities of the permanent are changed unless the effect says they do. [WotC Rules Team 1999/03/18] The only time abilities are changed implicitly is changing a land's subtype to a basic land type. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]

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K.5.3- If a spell or ability changes a permanent's type, this does not remove any counters, any damage, or any effects on that permanent. They remain even if they are meaningless to the new type. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 214.4]

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K.5.4- Spells and abilities that change a permanent's type change the permanent's initial characteristics, not its current ones. This is subtle, but it means that a type changing effect will not override an effect that modifies a characteristic. For example, if an artifact had the ability "{2}: This permanent is a 3/2 artifact creature" and the ability was used, its initial power/toughness would be 3/2. If later an ability "target creature is 0/2" was used, the value would change to 0/2. At this point, playing the artifact's ability again will not have any additional effect because it will replace the initial 3/2 and it will not override the more recent effect. [CompRules 2000/07/23 - 214.5] This rule also applies to changing a permanent's subtype. [DeLaney 2000/01/13]

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K.5.5- Changing a permanent's type does not change its color. For example, changing an artifact into a creature will not give the artifact a color, and changing a green creature into an artifact will not remove its color. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]

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K.5.6- Changing a permanent's type does not count as having a permanent of the new type "come into play". The permanent was already in play, it just changed types. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03] For example, if you animate an artifact so it is now an artifact creature, it does not trigger abilities that trigger on a creature coming into play.

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K.5.7- Changing a permanent's type does not change the card's type. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 214.4] If you change an artifact card to a creature, the card is still just an artifact card and not a creature card, even though the permanent is now just a creature.

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K.5.Ruling.1- The most common type change is to change a land or artifact into a creature. This is commonly referred to as "animating" the land or artifact. These changes usually leave the permanent being both a land and a creature or both an artifact and a creature. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]

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K.5.Ruling.2- When a permanent is changed into a creature, it is a creature in all ways. For example, the permanent cannot be tapped for an ability if it was not controlled since the start of its controller's most recent turn (see Rule G.37). [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]

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K.5.Ruling.3- When a permanent is changed into a creature, it does not have a creature type at all unless the spell or ability specifies one. For example, the Forests animated by Living Lands have no creature type. [WotC Rules Team 1997/06/01]

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K.5.Ruling.4- When a permanent is changed into a creature, the power and toughness specified in the spell or ability are considered the permanent's initial power and toughness. See Rule K.5.4. [WotC Rules Team 1998/02/01]

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K.5.Ruling.5- If an effect re-animates an already animated land or artifact, the effects changes the initial power/toughness of the creature and not the current power/toughness of the creature. [WotC Rules Team 1998/02/01] Thus, a Mishra's Factory with a -1/-1 counter cannot override the counter no matter how many times its animating ability is used.

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K.5.Ruling.6- If an effect re-animates an already animated land or artifact and the effect gives abilities to the creature, the abilities listed become the initial abilities of the creature. [WotC Rules Team 1998/03/01] For example, if the animating effect says the creature becomes a "1/1 creature with Flying", Flying is considered an initial ability.

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K.5.Ruling.7- When a permanent stops being a creature, any counters, effects, and damage on it remain on it until they would normally be removed (if ever). If the counters or effects make no sense when applied to a non-creature, then they do not do anything. But if the land or artifact returns to being a creature, they may take effect again. [WotC Rules Team 1995/09/22] For example, a +1/+1 counter from Dwarven Weaponsmith would remain, the effect of Giant Growth will wear off at end of turn, and damage will be removed at end of turn.

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K.5.Ruling.8- When a permanent stops being a creature, any enchant creatures on it are put into their owner's graveyards. See Rule K.12.4. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]

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Note- See Rule K.11.8 for changing a permanent's creature type.

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Note- See Rule K.16.4 - Rule K.16.6 for changing a permanent's land type.

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