Disguise in MTG: Rules, History, and Best Cards

Last updated on January 27, 2025

Doppelgang | Illustration by Chris Rallis

Murders at Karlov Manor is a murder-mystery themed MTG set, and it brings with it a bunch of mechanics that are based around that theme. One of the best-flavored ones is disguise, a play on a fan-favorite mechanic, morph!

What riddles does disguise present us with, though? Let’s investigate together….

How Does Disguise Work?

Aurelia's Vindicator | Illustration by Victor Adame Minguez

To disguise, you pay to play that card face down as a 2/2 creature with ward 2. Aside from the ward protection, it operates the same way as morph and the card can be turn face up at any time for it's disguise cost.

Ward tacked on to morph makes it more powerful for modern-day power levels. For example, Experiment Twelve bides its time as a 2/2, then you pay the disguise cost of and bump its stats to 4/4 and you get the rest of the abilities on Experiment Twelve, turning into an 8/8 with trample. The old Onslaught Ironfist Crusher can surprise people on defense and block several creatures, but never had ward.

If you’ve not played with morph cards before, each disguise card has a disguise cost. While face-down, the card has no name and no creature types. The action of turning it face up at any time by playing its disguise cost. is not classified as casting it or transforming it.

You may look at face-down cards you control at any time. However, you can’t look at face-down cards your opponents control, and you don’t get to see what your opponent is playing face-down when they cast it.

The History of Disguise in MTG

Disguise first appeared in Murders at Karlov Manor in February of 2024, and it has a few Alchemy: Murders at Karlov Manor cards along with three Assassin's Creed cards. There were also 4 cards with disguise in the Murders at Karlov Manor Commander precon Deadly Disguise.

When Can You Disguise?

You can cast a card with disguise face-down for mana at any time you could normally cast a creature spell.

When Can You Activate a Face-Down Disguised Creature?

You can activate a disguise on a face-down creature at any time you have priority, providing there’s not an effect preventing you from doing so, like the ability on Karlov Watchdog.

How Does Disguise Work With the Stack?

When you cast a disguise creature, you can do it at any time you’d normally be able to cast a creature spell, as it’s simply a different way to cast it. It uses the stack like any other spell, and it your opponent can respond to it (or you can if you hold priority).

However, turning a disguise card face up for its disguise cost is different. This is a special action that doesn’t use the stack, and therefore can’t be responded to in any way.

Is Disguise an Activated Ability?

Disguise isn’t an activated ability. When turning a card face-up for its disguise cost, it’s classed as a special action.

Can You Flip a Disguised Creature the Same Turn It Entered?

Yes, there’s nothing stopping you from casting a creature face-down, then turning it face-up in the same turn.

Can You Respond to Disguise in MTG?

No, you may not respond to disguise abilities that turn a card face up. You'll need to wait until you get priority or some other effect or spell goes on the stack.

Can You Stifle Disguise?

No, Stifle can’t target turning the disguised creature face-up, as this isn’t an activated ability or triggered ability.

Note, you can counter the initial casting of the face-down card with something like Essence Scatter.

Does Flipping a Disguised Creature Count as Entering the Battlefield?

No, turning a disguised creature face-up doesn’t count as it entering the battlefield.

Do Disguised Creatures Have Summoning Sickness?

Yes, when you cast a disguised creature face-down, it has summoning sickness.

What About After You Turn Them Face Up?

If you turn a face-down creature that has lost its summoning sickness face-up, it doesn’t get summoning sickness again, and you can attack with it immediately. It only retains summoning sickness if you turn a disguised creature face-up during the same turn you cast it.

Do You Have to Reveal a Disguised Creature if It Dies?

Yes, you need to reveal all face-down creatures when they die or are exiled. You also need to do this if it’s returned to hand with a bounce effect like Unsummon, or if it moves to any other zone at all from the battlefield. Similarly, you need to reveal a face-down spell from the stack if it changes zones (like if it’s returned to your hand with Remand).

What if You Flicker a Disguised Creature?

If you flicker a face-down creature, it returns to the battlefield face-up. This isn’t classed as turning the card face-up, so any effects that occur when this happens don’t trigger.

Disguise vs. Cloak

Cloaked cards are identical to disguised cards when face-down. The difference between the two abilities is that cloak is an ability that can be applied to any card, not just those with disguise on them. You can turn a cloaked creature face-up by paying its mana cost.

Disguise vs. Morph

Disguised and morphed are almost identical, except a face-down creature that has been disguised has ward 2, whereas morph creatures are just vanilla 2/2s. Both Printlifter Ooze and Hooded Hydra grow after they're turned face up.

Disguise vs. Manifest

Manifested cards are vanilla 2/2s, just like morphed creatures. They don’t have ward 2, unlike disguised or cloaked cards. You can only turn a manifested creature face-up for its mana cost.

Disguise vs Megamorph

Megamorph cards are identical to morph cards when face-down. This means that they don’t have the ward 2 ability, which is on disguised cards. The only difference between morphed cards and megamorphed cards is that when a creature with megamorph is turned up for its megamorph cost, it gains a +1/+1 counter.

Do All Disguise Creatures Cost Five Mana or More to Turn Over?

No, the disguise cost is a knob the designers can turn and tweak as needed and has a wide range. Take the low one to turn face up Pyrotechnic Performer and compare it to the 6 you pay for Rakish Scoundrel.

Ruthless Ripper is a neat one from Khans of Tarkir that can morph face up without mana, so it makes sense the design of disguise keeps room to grow.

Does Commander Tax Apply When I Disguise Cast?

Yes, commander tax applies if your Bayek of Siwa has already been removed, and you want to disguise it from the command zone. So with one mark of commander tax, Bayek of Siwa can be hard cast for or disguised for .

Gallery and List of Disguise Cards

• Alley Assailant
• Arno Dorian
• Aurelia's Vindicator
• Aveline de Grandpré
• Basilica Stalker
• Bayek of Siwa
• Bolrac-Clan Basher
• Branch of Vitu-Ghazi
• Bubble Smuggler
• Concealed Weapon
• Concert Kaboomist
• Coveted Falcon
• Crowd-Control Warden
• Culvert Ambusher
• Defenestrated Phantom
• Dog Walker
• Essence of Antiquity
• Exit Specialist
• Faerie Snoop
• Flourishing Bloom-Kin
• Forum Familiar
• Fugitive Codebreaker
• Gadget Technician
• Granite Witness
• Greenbelt Radical
• Hunted Bonebrute
• Lumbering Laundry
• Mistway Spy
• Museum Nightwatch
• Nervous Gardener
• Nightdrinker Moroii
• Offender at Large
• Pyrotechnic Performer
• Rakish Scoundrel
• Rampaging Ursaguana
• Riftburst Hellion
• Roalesk, Prime Specimen
• Sanguine Savior
• Shady Informant
• Sleuth Instructor
• Undercover Crocodelf
• Unyielding Gatekeeper
• Vengeful Creeper

Best Disguise Cards

Looking back to morph, there wasn’t a huge amount played from those cards, and the addition of ward 2 isn’t much of a bonus on your 3 mana 2/2. That said, there are some cards which see a bit of play.

#5. Unyielding Gatekeeper

Unyielding Gatekeeper is a super interesting card, and it’s somewhat a Skyclave Apparition lookalike with an option to flicker one of your permanents.

#4. Boltbender

Boltbender encourages the best kind of mischief when the stack is right, turn removal and pumps in your favor, and chances are they won't see this coming from your untapped .

#3. Aurelia’s Vindicator

First up is a big mythic with disguise, Aurelia's Vindicator. This is quite a flying body on the front side, with a turn face-up ability that can really swing a game. You pay 4 additional mana to exile the first creature (or creature card), and exiling more on top of that is a trivial cost. I like turning face up on turn 6 or 7, exiling two blockers and getting in for 4 lifelinking damage. It’s just a question of whether you can survive that long!

#2. Bayek of Siwa

Bayek of Siwa has substantial stats for a double striker and tough to beat in combat. The assassin can really rack up the kills if you flip it face up with a few other historic attackers. Djeru and Hazoret and Tori D'Avenant, Fury Rider are especially good at getting value from your attack.

#1. Hunted Bonebrute

Hunted Bonebrute is a high-powered skeleton that can surprise kill out of nowhere. As long as it stays on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, it won't cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger.

Wrap Up

Essence of Antiquity | Illustration by Caio Monteiro

Morph was a super-popular mechanic with players who played with it, particularly in Limited formats. Many players love that it returned more powerful with disguise!

What do you think of disguise? Is it a fun puzzle, or do you think it’s a bit of a flop with modern Magic design? I’d love to hear your thoughts on it on the comments or the Draftsim Discord, and if you’d like to see more of disguise in future.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this deep-dive on this tricksy mechanic. Can’t wait to see you again in the next article!