WotC Quietly Reverses Rules Decision on Double Sided Cards

A.L. Walser less then minute ago MTG News

Last updated on October 26, 2026

Urza, Planeswalker (The Brothers’ War) - art by Ryan Pancoast

Every so often, Wizards tweaks the rules of the game to better align with the mechanical identity they want cards to have, often to close out confusing corner cases. The Mystery Booster Commander Edition rules bulletin include a critical change to a very small number of cards: Cards that can combine with another card via meld no longer count as double-faced cards.

This change is actually the reversal of a previous change made in 2023. When Eldritch Moon released and introduced the meld mechanic in 2016, meld cards weren’t considered double-faced cards like other transforming cards. Wizards changed this in 2023 with the release of March of the Machine, concerned that the distinction between transforming cards and meld cards was confusing, plus they introduced cards that cared about double-faced cards.

The big change between now and thing was the introduction of modal double-faced cards that could transform, which removed many distinctions between modal double-faced cards and non-modal double faced cards (previously transforming double-faced cards) while making meld cards the estranged member of the family. Thus, for additional clarity, the 2023 change is being reverted and meld cards will be unique in the comprehensive rules rather than a subcategory of double-faced cards.

What Are Meld Cards?

Magic currently has 14 meld pairs, which means a total of seven cards that can be created by combining two cards into a single cards:

Fang, Fearless I'Cie Vanille, Cheerful I'Cie

Melding a card is pretty simple. One or the two cards in each meld card has an ability that melds both permanents: If you meet a condition (which might be an attack trigger or paying mana or just going to your upkeep) and control both paired cards, you can exile them, then meld them into their backside, which means flipping them over and slotting them together. The melded card counts as a single permanent with the types and colors specified on it. If it leaves play, both meld cards go to the new zone.

Will This Change How You Meld Cards?

No! This rules distinction doesn’t include any functional changes to meld cards. The change only affects cards that interact with double-faced cards. Your Bruna, the Fading Light Commander deck is exactly as effective as it has ever been.

What Cards Are Affected?

Approximately four cards in Magic reference double-faced cards, two of which are double-faced themselves:

Of these, Overgrown Pest and Invasion of Pyrulea are practically useless as Limited-focused card designs from March of the Machine. Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is more practical, though there aren’t any meld cards with relevant card types.

The only real loser here is Tetzin, Gnome Champion / The Golden-Gear Colossus, a very niche artifact commander. With a Jeskai color identity, it’s well suited to running the meld pair of The Mightstone and Weakstone and Urza, Lord Protector. While The Golden-Gear Colossus couldn’t transform them, The Mightstone and Weakstone counted as a double-faced artifact for the front trigger, and no longer does. Given that the main loss comes to a commander with fewer than 5,000 decks on EDHREC, it’s safe to say this is a very small change. But, with the promise of more battles on the horizon, it may become more relevant in coming months.

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A.L. Walser

A. L. Walser - also known as nissaflamecaller online - has been playing Magic since 2009 and the release of the original Zendikar set. An avid drafter with a bit of a Vorthos streak, his favorite aspect of playing Magic comes from the act of building a deck from nothing.