Ixidron: Everything Face Down

Judge Level 2

All creatures become 2/2s with nothing — but only one of them ever comes back up.

Cards involved

Step / 4

The great flipper

You control a face-up Willbender and Grizzly Bears. Your opponent casts Ixidron: as it enters, all other face-up creatures are turned face down.

Rules: 708

What happens?

Both are face down now.

What are they — and who ever comes back up?

Pick an answer to continue.

Face-down creatures are 2/2s with no name, types, abilities or mana cost (chapter 708). Turning face up is only possible as a special action via MORPH costs — the Bears have none and stay face down until an effect flips them or they leave the battlefield.

Rules: 708

What that means in practice

Your Willbender may be turned face up anytime you have priority for 1U (special action, no stack) — redirect trigger included. The Bears are an anonymous 2/2 indefinitely.

Rules: 708 116.2b

116.2bTurning a face-down creature face up is a special action. A player can take this action any time they have priority. See rule 708, “Face-Down Spells and Permanents.”

Judge details

When a face-down card leaves the battlefield, it's revealed to all players. And: face-down creatures aren't "morphs" — they're simply face-down permanents; where they came from doesn't matter for their values.

Rules: 708

Stack

Ixidron

Turns all other face-up creatures face down

Willbender

Your morph creature — face up on the battlefield

Grizzly Bears

Your perfectly ordinary Bears

The stack is empty.

Battlefield

Ixidron
Willbender
Grizzly Bears