Understanding Supplant Form's Power and Toughness Ratios

In TCG ·

Supplant Form card art by Adam Paquette from Fate Reforged

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Power and Toughness Ratios in a Blue Instant

In the mind-bending world of MTG, power and toughness aren’t just numbers on a creature card; they’re a language you speak to shape the battlefield. When you sling a blue instant like Supplant Form, you’re not simply removing a threat—you’re retooling the board’s tempo by introducing a copy with its own hard-won ratio of power to toughness. This nuanced dance between removal, tempo, and token synthesis is where blue’s methodical poetry shines 🧙‍♂️🔥.

At its core, Supplant Form is a bold two-step puzzle in a single spell. For a cost of four mana and two blue mana, you Return target creature to its owner's hand, and you create a token that’s a copy of that very creature. The practical upshot? You yank a threat off the board, while instantly replacing it with a new creature that shares the target’s current power and toughness. If that target was a 5/5 with buffs or a 2/2 that’s lately grown due to a +1/+1 counter, the token copies that snapshot. The artful trick is realizing that your token’s strength is a mirror of the moment—before the original wandered back to hand—or any future buffs applied to that creature won’t magically ripple into the token’s stat line. This interplay is the heart of the “ratio” conversation 🧩🎲.

“Ice can be shaped to any form, even the whisper of a memory.” —Mytha, Temur shaman.

A quick refresher on power and toughness in practice

Power and toughness are more than cosmetic numbers; they determine who can block whom, and how much damage gets dealt in combat. When you copy a creature, you’re effectively snapshotting its stat line at the moment of copying. If that creature is a formidable creature with a high P/T, you net a comparable token—one you can swing with while the original is tucked away in an opponent’s hand. If the creature is a small civ, the token reflects that modest threat too. This makes Supplant Form a flexible tempo tool rather than a one-note removal spell. The real value emerges when you build around the idea of “ratio control”—how you balance the numbers you’re pulling with the threats you’re leaving behind 🧙‍♂️⚔️.

Blue’s strengths aren’t just about board presence; they’re about knowledge, timing, and the ability to steer games toward your terms. Supplant Form embodies that: you’re forcing your opponent to respond to a two-for-one exchange—the original creature returns to hand, and you replace it with a copy that can threaten immediately or defend crucial turns. The mana investment is steep, but the payoff can be a clean tempo swing, especially against aggressive starts or midrange threats that would otherwise pressure your life total. In formats where resource management matters, that ratio between what you remove and what you keep—your “board value per mana” ratio—defines outcomes 🧙‍♂️💎.

Strategic angles and deckbuilding notes

  • Choose targets wisely: The benefit hinges on the chosen creature’s current power/toughness. Target a threat whose P/T you want to mirror in a timely token, or pick a creature with a relevant drawback you’re prepared to exploit right away.
  • Token timing matters: The moment you exile the original, the token steps in. If you’re leveraging ETB triggers or attack-based synergies, plan to squeeze value from the token before your opponent stabilizes.
  • Buffs and quirks: The token copies the target’s stat line as it exists at the moment of copying. If the creature has +1/+1 counters, a temporary buff, or a static modifier, the token can reflect that snapshot. But remember, auras that were attached to the original usually don’t transfer to the token; the token is a separate creature with its own stored stats.
  • Synergies and constraints: In a deck that appreciates cloning or duplication—think of clone-like effects, or design space around redirection and duplication—the token’s P/T can be a springboard for offensive or defensive plays. Supplant Form doesn’t copy enchantments, but it can enable dramatic tempo swings when you pair it with counterspells, bounce effects, or ways to recast creatures you’ve disrupted.
  • Format considerations: Fate Reforged provided several blue tools like this instant that reward patient play. In formats where tempo and resource management matter, Supplant Form can shine by layering multiple planes of attack. Its flexibility makes it a surprising pick in Modern or Legacy play, where one well-timed copy can tilt the battlefield in your favor ⚔️.

Visually, the card’s art by Adam Paquette captures a clean, crystalline chill that mirrors the spell’s icy logic—an emblem of the set’s Temur-fused aesthetic. The flavor text hints at memory and form, reinforcing the idea that in magic, what you copy is also what you remember about a moment on the battlefield. The card’s rarity (rare) and its FRF (Fate Reforged) roots anchor it in a period when Blue’s tempo and card advantage themes were being reimagined. Collectors value not just the functionality but the memory of a time capsule card that showcases a clever use of copies and tempo in a single instant 🧊🎨.

For players curious about practical edges, imagine a midrange matchup where your opponent is trying to push through a series of threats. You counter a key attacker and leave behind a copy that threatens to swing next turn. If your opponent hesitates, the ratio advantage compounds—the token’s P/T is no longer a simple number; it’s a mirror that forces decisions and reshapes the battle lines. It’s a microcosm of blue’s philosophy: control, choice, and the art of turning a costly removal into a lasting, tangible threat 💎🔥.

Product note and tasty cross-promo

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