Duplicant Variance: Copy Any Creature, Unleash Varied Outcomes

In TCG ·

Duplicant card art from Commander Masters

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Copy, Counter, and Chaos: A Shapeshifter’s Playground

Magic players love variance—the hum of probability when a card’s fate hinges on a single decision. Duplicant embodies that thrill in colorless form. A six-mana artifact creature with a solid 2/4 body, it enters the battlefield as a blank canvas waiting for your imprint. The enchantment of Imprint isn’t about copying abilities outright; it’s about flexing the identity of this creature to match the last non-token creature you exiled to it. In practical terms, the card becomes a mirror—your board can shift from a hulking behemoth to a nimble flier or a chattering support creature, depending on what you exile. It’s a deliberately variance-driven design that rewards careful targeting and timing. 🧙‍♂️

That last clause—“As long as a card exiled with this creature is a creature card, this creature has the power, toughness, and creature types of the last creature card exiled with it. It's still a Shapeshifter.”—is where the magic truly lives. Duplicant doesn’t copy the entire text of the exiled card, and it doesn’t steal abilities per se; it simply swaps in the numerics and the kind of creature—the race, so to speak—while keeping its own imprint engine. The result is a dynamic, modular threat that can adapt to the flow of the game. It’s not just about raw power; often the creature type shift unlocks fresh interactions with tribal synergies, or even allies that care about the identity of your creatures. 🔥

How the imprint creates dynamic value

  • Adaptive power and toughness: Exile a card with a high power or toughness to buff Duplicant on the spot, turning a sturdy 2/4 into something more imposing. The last exiled card governs the numbers, so you can ride the math as the game swings. 💎
  • Creature-type flexibility: If you exile a creature from a tribal deck, Duplicant can temporarily adopt that tribe’s identity. This is especially potent in decks that reward specific creature types for aura or anthem effects. ⚔️
  • ETB and combat timing: Because Imprint only affects the body and type, you’re not layering new ETB triggers onto Duplicant. Instead, you’re orchestrating a shift in presence—the kind of change that forces opponents to re-evaluate blockers, removals, and board-state threats. 🎲
  • Token-awareness caveat: You may exile target non-token creatures only, so your copies won’t accidentally latch onto tokens that spawn heartbeat-level value later in a match. This keeps the effect predictable enough for skilled play, while still leaving plenty of room for surprise. 🎨

In practice, Duplicant shines in Commander where variance is a feature, not a bug. Imagine imprinting a colossal creature with menace just as a board clear looms, then updating the imprint as your needs shift mid-game. The result is a handheld wildcard—constantly redefining threat levels and board textures. It’s the kind of card that invites you to plan two or three moves ahead, while also reacting on the fly to what your foes draft into the battlefield. 🧙‍♂️

Strategic play patterns and deck-building notes

Because Duplicant’s big trick is the imprint, your deck will want to lean into creatures you’re happy to become for a turn or two. In Commander, you might exile a creature with redirection or protection abilities to make Duplicant a harder-to-remove threat, or you might copy a finisher in the late game to pivot into a different plan. The variance is real, and that makes it feel a little like playing with a shapeshifting ace up your sleeve. Imagine the look on your friends’ faces as your 2/4 token becomes a 9/9 monster or a legendary elder—depending on the imprint you choose. ⚔️

Because Duplicant is colorless, it slots neatly into a wide range of constructions—from stax and pillowfort builds to ramp-rich, creature-light strategies. It rewards you for thinking in terms of archetypes rather than pure power: what creature type would best support the rest of your deck if Duplicant suddenly became that creature on the battlefield? The answer often reveals a rich line of play you hadn’t considered before. 🧠

Art and design notes matter here too. The card’s illustration by Thomas M. Baxa captures a sense of malleable identity—classic for a shapeshifter—that resonates with players who love the art of Magic almost as much as the game itself. The card’s presence in Commander Masters—a set known for reprints and the reimagining of classic strategies—cements its place as a delightful, sometimes mischievous centerpiece for pinky-swears with your playgroup about who’s copying whom this turn. 🎨

From a collector’s perspective, Duplicant sits among rare colorless artifacts in Commander Masters, offering a stable but accessible entry point for players looking to experiment with imprint-based variance without breaking the bank. Its nonfoil, ready-for-tabletop presence makes it approachable for casual tables and competitive couch sessions alike. The thrill of watching your board morph, turn after turn, is exactly the kind of magic that keeps folks coming back for more. 💎

When you’re not drafting or gaming, you’re probably planning the perfect workspace for long, flavorful sessions. That’s where a high-quality mouse pad becomes more than a surface—it becomes a ritual. This is one of those small touches that makes your gaming setup feel legendary, whether you’re solving riddles on a map, one-shotting a foe, or simply savoring the art of every draw step. 🧙‍♂️🎲

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