Magic mechanic
Transform & Double-Faced Cards
Cards with two faces that change during the game.
How it works
Double-faced cards have a front and a back, and the back is not hidden like a normal card back. During the game, a trigger can transform the card so that the other face becomes active.
They were introduced in Innistrad to suit the theme: a human by day that turns into a werewolf at night, or a student who becomes something else. Because the back of the card is not a normal card back, official events use special rules for how these cards are sleeved and tracked.
Delver of Secrets is the most famous example, a small human wizard that can transform into a flying creature.
In practice
An example in play
Take Delver of Secrets. It enters as a small human wizard, the kind of creature you might overlook. Your opponent sees it and relaxes. Then a trigger happens during the game, the card flips to its other face, and the same permanent is now a larger flying creature.
Nothing new was cast. No second card came in. The card you already had on the table simply became something else. That is the unusual part of double-faced cards, and it is why they fit a gothic-horror setting so well: the quiet student and the monster are the same person.
For the player, the interesting question is timing. A transforming card rewards you for setting up the condition and then waiting for it to pay off. For the opponent, it means a small creature can never be trusted completely. Look at what it could become before you decide how to deal with it.
The idea arrived with Innistrad, where every flip told a piece of the story. The creature's new face also gains flying, so the evasion rules apply the moment it changes.
Common mistakes
- Treating the back as a normal card back. It is not hidden like one. That is why official events use special rules for how these cards are sleeved and tracked.
- Forgetting which face is active. Keep the card oriented so both players can see the face that is currently in play.
- Counting it as two cards. A double-faced card is one card. It changes faces, and it does not split.
- Ignoring the flip when you block. A creature that becomes a flyer mid-game changes who can block it.
Questions readers ask
Can I put a double-faced card in a normal sleeve?
Casual tables are usually relaxed, but official events have their own rules. Ask the organizer, and read the official rules from Wizards of the Coast for the exact answer.
Is Delver rare?
It is a Common. Our rarity guide explains what the label means. This site does not give prices.
Why does the card look so different on each side?
Each face tells a different part of one creature's story, and that is the design goal for the mechanic.
Cards that show this mechanic
More mechanics in this game
- Mana & the Five Colors The resource system and the color pie behind every deck.
- Flying A creature that can only be blocked by creatures with flying or reach.
- Flash Casting a creature or spell at instant speed.
- Flashback Casting spells again from the graveyard.
- Evoke Paying a smaller cost for a one-time effect.
- Dash Casting a creature with haste, then returning it to hand.
- Instants & the Stack How spells can be cast in response to each other.
Last reviewed October 29, 2026. This page explains the idea in general terms and is not an official rules reference.