Rule evolution

Rule 712.4b

Previously numbered 711.2b, 711.4b.

Earliest archived Rules release: 2011-09-30 · 7 wording revisions · 2 renumberings

  1. Added711.2bDetails
    While a double-faced permanent's back face is up, it has only the characteristics of its back face. The back face doesn't have a mana cost; it has the colors in its color indicator (see rule 202.2e).
  2. Wording changed711.2bDetails
    While a double-faced permanent's back face is up, it has only the characteristics of its back face. The back face doesn't have a mana cost; it has the colors in its color indicator (see rule 202.2e), if any.
  3. Renumbered711.2b → 711.4bDetails

    Previously
    7. Additional Rules
    711. Double-Faced Cards

    Then
    7. Additional Rules
    711. Double-Faced Cards

    While a double-faced permanent’s back face is up, it has only the characteristics of its back face. The back face doesn’t have a mana cost; it has the colors in its color indicator (see rule 202.2e), if any.
  4. Wording changed711.4bDetails
    While a double-faced permanent's back face is up, it has only the characteristics of its back face. The back face doesn't have a mana cost; it has the colors in its color indicator (see rule 202.2e), if any.However, its converted mana cost is calculated using the mana cost of its front face. This is a change from previous rules. If a permanent is copying the back face of a double-faced card (even if the card representing that copy is itself a double-faced card), the converted mana cost of that permanent is 0.
  5. Wording changed711.4bDetails
    While a double-faced permanent's back face is up, it has only the characteristics of its back face. However, its converted mana cost is calculated using the mana cost of its front face. This is a change from previous rules. If a permanent is copying the back face of a double-faced card (even if the card representing that copy is itself a double-faced card), the converted mana cost of that permanent is 0.
  6. Wording changed711.4bDetails
    While a transforming double-faced spell is on the stack or a transforming double-faced permanent's backhas faceits isfront face up, it has only the characteristics of its backfront face. However, its converted mana cost is calculated using the mana cost of its front face. If a permanent is copying the back face of a double-faced card (even if the card representing that copy is itself a double-faced card), the converted mana cost of that permanent is 0.
  7. Renumbered711.4b → 712.4bDetails

    Previously
    7. Additional Rules
    711. Double-Faced Cards

    Then
    7. Additional Rules
    712. Double-Faced Cards

    While a transforming double-faced spell is on the stack or a transforming double-faced permanent has its front face up, it has only the characteristics of its front face.
  8. Wording changed712.4bDetails
    WhileNormally, a transforming double-faced spell is on the stack or a transforming double-faced permanent has its front face up, itwhile on the stack and has only the characteristics of its front face. However, if an effect allows a player to cast a transforming double-faced card "transformed," the resulting spell will have its back face up and have only the characteristics of its back face. Its mana value is calculated using the mana cost of its front face. A copy of a transforming double-faced spell with its back face up has mana value 0.
  9. Wording changed712.4bDetails
    Normally, a transforming double-faced spell has its front face up while on the stack and has only the characteristics of its front face. However, if an effect allows a player to cast a transforming double-faced card "transformed" or "converted," the resulting spell will have its back face up and have only the characteristics of its back face. Its mana value is calculated using the mana cost of its front face. A copy of a transforming double-faced spell with its back face up has mana value 0.
  10. Wording changed712.4bDetails
    Normally, a transforming double-faced spell has its front face up while on the stack and has only the characteristics of its front face. The back faces of a meld pair are used only to determine the characteristics of the melded permanent that pair becomes on the battlefield. However, if an effect allows a player to cast a transforming double-faced card "transformed" or "converted," the resulting spell will have its back face up and have only the characteristics of its back face. If a rule or effect references the back face of a meld card when not part of a melded permanent on the battlefield, it fails to determine its characteristics, regardless of which parts of the melded permanent is represented on that card's back face.Its mana value is calculated using the mana cost of its front face. A copy of a transforming double-faced spell with its back face up has mana value 0.

Current in the latest available Rules
Unchanged since 2026-08-07.