Search

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

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Identity Thief will still be a copy of the creature during the next end step when the exiled card returns. If it has an ability that triggers at the beginning of the end step, that ability will trigger for Identity Thief and not for the returned creature.

Noncopy effects that have already applied to Identity Thief will continue to apply to it. For example, if Woodcutter's Grit gave Identity Thief +3/+3 and hexproof earlier in the turn, Identity Thief will still have those bonuses after copying a creature.

This effect can cause Identity Thief to stop being a creature. For example, if you target an animated Gideon Jura (a planeswalker with a loyalty ability that turns him into a creature), only the printed wording will be copied; the “becomes a creature” effect won't. Identity Thief will become a noncreature Gideon with no loyalty, be removed from combat, and then be put into its owner's graveyard.

Auras attached to the exiled creature will be put into their owners' graveyards. Any Equipment will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled permanent will cease to exist.

If the targeted creature has an ability that triggers when it attacks, it'll be too late for it to trigger once Identity Thief has that ability. The same is true if another object has an ability that triggers when a creature with certain characteristics attacks and Identity Thief doesn't have those characteristics until after it becomes a copy.

This effect can cause Identity Thief to become a copy of a creature that can't normally attack, such as Lupine Prototype or a creature with defender. In these cases, it remains attacking.

If the targeted creature is a double-faced or melded permanent, Identity Thief copies the face shown. Because Identity Thief is not a double-faced card or meld card, it won't be able to transform or meld. If it copies a melded permanent or the back face of a double-faced card, its mana value will be 0. Exiled double-faced cards and exiled meld cards will return with their front faces up.

If the targeted creature is itself copying a permanent, Identity Thief will become whatever it's copying, as modified by that copy effect. For example, if you target a Hamlet Captain that has become a copy of Permeating Mass, Identity Thief will become a Permeating Mass.

Identity Thief copies the printed values of the targeted creature, plus any copy effects that have been applied to that creature. It won't copy other effects that have changed the targeted creature's power, toughness, types, color, or so on. It also won't copy counters on the targeted creature.