Modified is a status that a creature can have. It was introduced with Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, and most recently returned in the Spider-Man set. In this article, we’ll talk about everything you need to know about it, including:
- What is a modified creature?
- How does a creature become modified?
- Interactions with modified;
- and more!
There’s a bunch of things to discuss, so we better get to it.
How Does MTG Modified Work?
Your creature is modified, if it:
- is equipped;
- is enchanted by an Aura you control;
- has counters.
A creature doesn’t need to satisfy all three conditions. Just one is already enough for a creature to be modified.
Being modified doesn’t do anything on its own. Instead, some cards check whether you control a modified creature, or if a specific creature is modified.
Let’s take a look at a few examples to make things even clearer.
Examples
Here’s SP//dr, Piloted by Peni, an uncommon legendary creature from the Spider-Man set.
It’s a five mana 4/4 with vigilance that puts a +1/+1 counter on a creature when it enters.
The last ability draws you card whenever your modified creature deals combat damage to a player. This means that you’ll draw a card if you deal combat damage with a creature that’s equipped or enchanted with an Aura you control or has a +1/+1 counter.
As you can see, both abilities work well with one another. The first one puts a +1/+1 counter on a creature, making it modified, so it will be able to draw you cards.
Another example would be Chishiro, the Shattered Blade, which is an even better option for a modify-themed commander.
It creates 2/2 Spirits with menace whenever you put an Aura or Equipment in play. As you know, using those card types is a good way to get modified creatures. That plays well with the Chishiro’s second ability.
All of your modified creatures get +1/+1 counters on your end step. That counts each of your creatures that’s equipped, enchanted, or already has some counters.
Now you know, the basics of this mechanic. In the next section, we’ll cover some specific edge cases.
MTG Modified — FAQ
No, it doesn’t. Let’s say your opponent played a Pacifism on your Colossal Dreadmaw. This Dinosaur is not a modified creature because of that.
Yes, it does. If a creature has any kind of counters, it’s considered modified. So if your opponent used Fume Spitter to put a -1/-1 counter on your Colossal Dreadmaw, the Dinousaur is now considered a modified creature.
That depends on your deck. A lot of decks might have a way to get some incidental +1/+1 counters on creatures, so that’s one option. If your deck has Equipment synergies, that’s one possible way to get a modified creature. The same is true for Auras.
No, they don’t. While they do change the stats of your creatures, that still doesn’t meet any of the three requirements for a modified creature. (Having counters / Equipment / Aura.)
Yes, if a creature has a counter, it’s modified. The counters don’t necessarily need to be +1/+1 counters.
Do you have a question about the mechanic that we didn’t answer? Let us know in the comments below. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Flavor
To modify means to make partial or minor changes to something. Auras, counters, and Equipment certainly change creatures, so the flavor is pretty straightforward here. Although, there’s nothing minor about something like Eldrazi Conscription, even on a simple Squirrel.
MTG Modifiy – Interactions
There aren’t that many weird interactions with coven. Nevertheless, there are a couple of interesting ones.
Get Modified Creatures Instantly
It might be beneficial if you can get a modified creature out of nowhere, when your opponent isn’t expecting it. That can be most easily done by auras with flash, like Feral Invocation, or with instants that give counters, for example Dragonscale Boon.
However, if you’re building a deck around modify, and you play a lot of Equipment, you might consider Sigarda’s Aid, which gives all of your auras and Equipment flash.
Additionally, the first equip is free, which really helps with some high equip costs. (Looking at you, Colossus Hammer.)
MTG Modified on a Test Card
Here’s an interesting tidbit about MTG modify. The mechanic didn’t actually premiere in the new Kamigawa Set, but in the Mystery Booster, on a test card.
Louvaq has protection from modified creatures. However, in the reminder text, you’ll notice that modified creatures had different criteria. Any creature with changed power, toughness, or ability would be considered modified.
Since it was just a test card, it wasn’t an actual mechanic, so Wizards of the Coast had a lot of freedom in changing the modified ability. They might have done this for various reasons, but the most likely one is better clarity.
Conclusion
Anyway, that’s all about modified creatures. Hopefully, you now know how they work, and you’ll be able to use it to your advantage.
If you like the new mechanic, and the friendliest super-hero, you might want to order a Spider-Man Play booster box. There’s a high chance that you’ll get at least a few modified cards.
Until next time, have fun and may your creatures be modified in a beneficial way.
What about its interaction with Mutated Creatures?
There’s no special interaction. Mutated creature isn’t modified, unless it’s equipped, enchanted or has a +1/+1 counter.
It’s worth mentioning that Matt Tabak has stated that a creature isn’t considered modified if it’s enchanted by a card your opponent controls, and specifically uses Pacifism as an example as a non-interaction.
May want to update the article to reflect that.
Thanks for letting us know, the article is now updated with the correct information.
So would loyalty counters on Gideon count as a modification?
Yes, as long as Gideon is a creature, he’d be considered a modified creature, thanks to the loyalty counters.
Do equipment creatures count as modified? Or do they have to be reconfigured (attached to another creature) to count?
Equipment creatures count as modified if they are:
a) equipped with another equipment
b) enchanted by an aura you control
c) have a counter on them
They are not modified just because they are equipment creatures.
Furthermore, if they are attached to another creature, they aren’t creatures anymore, so they can’t count as modified creatures.
The Lion Sash, only counts itself once even though it’s an equipment with counters on it. (once reconfigured)?
I am trying to understand how i could have a flying counter on an equipment that is also a creature, but acting as a creature… I presume unless the permanent is a creature, i shouldn’t bother counting the ways I love it( or the ways in which it is modified?)
Yes, once a reconfigure card is equipped, it’s no longer a creature. As you said, if something isn’t a creature it doesn’t count as a modified creature, no matter if it has counters or is enchanted, and so on.
and what about glorious anthem, rally the ranks or intrepid adversary dose those cards make my creatures modified ?
No, these cards don’t give you creatures counters, so they don’t make them modified. One thing to note is that Intrepid Adversary can give itself a valor counter, so it can make itself modified.
Does giving something +1 / +1 until end of turn count as modified. Or maybe haste, or first strike till end of turn.
No, as that’s not a counter.
is stormseekers +1/+0 until end of of count as modified?
No, it doesn’t. It isn’t a counter / aura / equipment.
Is an enchantment creature like leafcrown dryad, played normally not for it’s bestow cost considered a modified creature?
No, it is not, as it’s not enchanted creature, but an enchantment creature.
So it’s not anything Ability? If a card gives another card Deathtouch or Haste or Double strike, that doesn’t count as Modified even though it’s *linguistically* modified from the base form?
Yes, that is correct. If a creature gets deathtouch with a card like Coat of Venom, it won’t count as a modified creature. However, if you put a deathtouch counter on a creature, with something like Void Beckoner, it’ll count as a modified creature it will now be a modified creature, as it has a counter.
This is just one of the many cases where Magic rules don’t do what you’d think they do if you’d just interpret them linguistically.