In a world where rules text and flavor collide, there’s no better guide to the madness than the Merc with a Mouth himself—Deadpool. This article dives deep (and sideways) into the mechanics behind everyone’s favorite fourth-wall-breaking anti-hero as he enters the Magic: The Gathering universe in all his unpredictable glory. From swap effects to clone shenanigans and loyalty-laden chaos, this breakdown explores the wild interactions that come to life when Wade Wilson decides to play by his own rules—literally.
Chuanjie “CJ” Seow walks us through how the Legendary Mutant Mercenary rewires the everything, bends the rules, and makes the game a whole lot weirder (and way more fun).
“Oh, I’m gonna spell it out for you.” – Deadpool XOXO
- 701.10h One card (Exchange of Words) instructs a player to exchange the text boxes of two creatures. This creates a text-changing effect (see rule 612, “Text-Changing Effects”). In such an exchange, the rules text of each permanent becomes the previous rules text of the other.
- 613.1c Layer 3: Text-changing effects are applied. See rule 612, “Text-Changing Effects.”
That is all CHIMICHANGAS! …. You guys can insert me into 701.10h XOXO
Deadpool’s “swap” ability is a replacement effect that operates on layer 3. We will get back to our beloved Layer system again when explaining the interactions with other cards. So let’s get on to the interactions as explained by the one with a DD-214 shall we?
Scenarios
Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe
Deadpool’s “swap” text box ability is a replacement effect as per 701.10h. The swap takes place during resolution and before entering. If you decide to swap with Tivit, Seller of Secrets or Orcish Bowmasters, nobody will know which you choose until the Merc with a Mouth enters. You also get the ETB triggered ability when Deadpool enters.
If you can’t laugh at yourself, I will.
If you choose a Clever Impersonator to swap text boxes that is actually copying something else, Deadpool will have the text box of whatever Clever Impersonator is copying.
How about a 3/1 Sakashima of a Thousand Faces that is not copying anything? Deadpool will have all 3 abilities of Sakashima so the Merc with a Mouth can copy something else when entering.
Talk to the hand, cause the face is pissed.
What if we made clones of Deadpool? Do we get Ladypool, BabyPool, Dogpool & etc? CR707.2. Other effects (including type-changing and text-changing effects), status, counters, and stickers are not copied.
We apply Copy Layer 1 then Text Change Layer 3. Wade Wilson copies will enter play swapping text boxes again. The copies of Deadpool will copy the printed text box. They still copy the Legendary supertype of Wade Wilson, unless it is Helm of the Host and shenanigans, but you still get to text swap before the SBA checks for the Legend rule.
Bad Deadpool… Good Deadpool!
What if Wade has flash and decide to do a switch-a-roo with these creature-walkers? Deadpool will gain all the abilities in the text box but not the Planeswalker type! Hence the Merc with a Mouth is not going to be placed in the graveyard when SBA are checked.
PS: You still need the loyalty counters to pay for abilities that have a cost of removing loyalty counters.
Psst.. If I do a switch-a-roo with Kaito, Bane of Nightmares, give me a loyalty counter so I can be a ninja on yer turn will ya?
Well, that’s just lazy writing >_>
If Deadpool swaps with a creature land like Inkmoth Nexus, Wade can turn into a 1/1 Phyrexian Blinkmoth artifact creature with flying and infect until end of turn. Deadpool is still a creature.
Wadaya mean Deadpool still a creature?! Remember Inkmoth’s creature activation ability has the “It’s still a land.”?
CR 201.5. Text that refers to the object it’s on by name means just that particular object and not any other objects with that name, regardless of any name changes caused by game effects. In Deadpool terms, when a card refers to itself by name, it only means “this object”.
Your crazy matches my crazy, BIG TIME!
Characteristic Defining Abilities, in Layer 7a, also get switched over by Deadpool! Tarmogoyf gets to be a lowly 0/1 with Deadpool’s glorious text box.
Faeburrow Elder will unfortunately not have its CDA and be placed into the graveyard once SBA is check as it is a 0/0 creature.
This is what happens when you give an existential crisis a corporeal form!
What if Deadpool swapped text boxes with a DFC creature?! Deadpool gains the textbox of just the current face since Tovolar doesn’t have the characteristics of its other face. CR 712.8a / 712.8e
Deadpool can gain the Daybound or Nightbound ability. However, since he still has only one face, he can’t transform (CR 712.9) and he ignores any effect that instructs him to transform.
Tovolar with Deadpool’s text box no longer has Daybound or Nightbound, but some other effect like Moonmist can still transform it. If Tovolar does transform, then his textbox doesn’t change, because it’s still the same permanent with the same text-changing effect on it.
Special thanks to Monsuporn Lauhaphand, Steven Zwanger
, and Seth Arar
for generously lending their time and expertise in reviewing this piece. Their insights were essential in balancing both the rule intricacies and the thematic mayhem Deadpool brings to the battlefield.
Time to break the fourth wall—and maybe a few rules. Let’s get started.
DAS ALL FOLKS! LET’S HAVE SOME CHIMICHANGAS!
That’s it from us. Remember to stay safe and stay awesome.
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