Judge's Den: The Third Layer

Judge's Den continues this week with the third layer. This is the Text Changing layer. It is not the most often used layer, but it does often lead to a fair amount of confusion when it is used. If you have not read the previous layers articles here at Wizardden.com, you can find the links below.

There are seven layers in total, each with it's own article link here:

Copy Layer

Control Layer

Text Layer

Type Layer

Color Layer

Ability Layer

Power/ Toughness Layer

This layer is not often used. Most examples of these type of effects see very little play. With one exception, all of these effects change the color mentioned or land subtype used in a spell or ability. The one exception being Artificial Evolution which changes each time a creature type is used. As long as you don't over think these effects or attempt to stretch their effects beyond reason, these are not too difficult. This examples should sum text changing effects up quite well.

2W, T, Sacrifice a green creature, a white creature, and a blue creature: Search your library for a card named Empyrial Archangel and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

If we use Glamerdye to change each instance of "white" to "blue" then Angel's Herald now looks like this.

2W, T, Sacrifice a green creature, a blue creature, and a blue creature: Search your library for a card named Empyrial Archangel and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

Notice this did not change the activation cost. Each text changing effect is quite clear about about what exactly it changes. These effects will not change names either. If our example was named White Herald, Glamerdye would not change it to Blue Herald.

These effects are rarely used, but as long at you follow the oracle text of the cards in question then they are easy enough to figure out. Oracle text can easily be found on wizards gatherer page. Thank you for joining us here at Wizardden.com and look forward to the next issue of Judge's Den on the fourth layer.