MTG Copilot
← Back to search
Richard Garfield, Ph.D.

Richard Garfield, Ph.D.

Legendary Creature — Human Designer

rare

You may play cards as though they were other cards of your choice with the same mana cost. You can't choose the same card twice. (Mana cost includes color.)

2/2

$0.34 ✦ $0.69View on Scryfall →

Semantic Tags

Permanentmechanical

A card or token on the battlefield. See rule 110, “Permanents.”

Format Legality

commandernot legal
oathbreakernot legal
modernnot legal
pioneernot legal
standardnot legal
legacynot legal
vintagenot legal
paupernot legal
historicnot legal
explorernot legal
alchemynot legal

Price history

Loading price history…

Printings (5)

SetRarityTCGplayerCard KingdomCardmarket
The List (Unfinity Foil Edition)#17rare···
30th Anniversary Misc Promos#1★rare···
Unsanctioned#26rare···
Unhinged#44★rare···
Unhinged#44rare···

Related Rules

106.5

If an ability would produce one or more mana of an undefined type, it produces no mana instead.

106.7

Some abilities produce mana based on the type of mana another permanent or permanents “could produce.” The type of mana a permanent could produce at any time includes any type of mana that an ability of that permanent would produce if the ability were to resolve at that time, taking into account any applicable replacement effects in any possible order. Ignore whether any costs of the ability could or could not be paid. If that permanent wouldn’t produce any mana under these conditions, or no type of mana can be defined this way, there’s no type of mana it could produce.

106.12

To “tap [a permanent] for mana” is to activate a mana ability of that permanent that includes the {T} symbol in its activation cost. See rule 605, “Mana Abilities.”

106.12a

An ability that triggers whenever a permanent “is tapped for mana” or is tapped for mana of a specified type triggers whenever such a mana ability resolves and produces mana or the specified type of mana.

106.12b

A replacement effect that applies if a permanent “is tapped for mana” or tapped for mana of a specific type and/or amount modifies the mana production event while such an ability is resolving and producing mana or the specified type and/or amount of mana.

107.3m

If an object’s enters-the-battlefield triggered ability or replacement effect refers to X, and the spell that became that object as it resolved had a value of X chosen for any of its costs, the value of X for that ability is the same as the value of X for that spell, although the value of X for that permanent is 0. This is an exception to rule 107.3i.

107.5

The tap symbol is {T}. The tap symbol in an activation cost means “Tap this permanent.” A permanent that’s already tapped can’t be tapped again to pay the cost. A creature’s activated ability with the tap symbol in its activation cost can’t be activated unless the creature has been under its controller’s control continuously since their most recent turn began. See rule 302.6.

107.6

The untap symbol is {Q}. The untap symbol in an activation cost means “Untap this permanent.” A permanent that’s already untapped can’t be untapped again to pay the cost. A creature’s activated ability with the untap symbol in its activation cost can’t be activated unless the creature has been under its controller’s control continuously since their most recent turn began. See rule 302.6.

Rulings

2020-02-29

By default, you are limited to cards legal in the format you’re playing. If you’re playing Draft or Sealed Deck, you can name any card available in the format you’re playing. If you’re playing with Unsanctioned decks, anything goes. Discuss with your playgroup if you’d prefer to modify or eliminate these limitations.

2020-02-29

Playing cards as though they were other cards is optional.

2020-02-29

Richard Garfield, Ph.D. essentially makes you play a variant of the Magic game called “Mental Magic.” Here’s how the game works. Whenever you cast a spell, you reveal the card to all players and choose any other card (see below for the cards that you can use) that has that card’s mana cost. (Note that color very much does matter.) That spell can then be cast as though it was the chosen card. You aren’t allowed to choose the same card twice.

2020-02-29

The same is true if Richard Garfield, Ph.D. changes controllers. If you play a Savannah Lions as Swords to Plowshares, then an opponent gains control of Richard Garfield, Ph.D., that player can then do the same.

2020-02-29

If more than one player controls a Richard Garfield, Ph.D., the cards one player plays has no effect on the other players. For example, each player could play Savannah Lions as a Swords to Plowshares this way.

2020-02-29

Each Richard tracks its own list of played cards. If one leaves the battlefield and another enters, cards previously played under the first Richard are available once again.