Cloudshift is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Exile target creature you control, then return that card to the battlefield under your control.
Complete guide
Cloudshift is a powerful white instant that allows you to temporarily remove a creature from existence only to bring it back immediately. This 'flicker' effect is a versatile tool for protecting your board and re-triggering powerful enters-the-battlefield abilities. By manipulating the stack, you can turn a certain defeat into a strategic advantage for just one mana.
What It Does
Cloudshift targets a creature you control and moves it through two zones in one resolution: first to the exile zone, and then immediately back to the battlefield under your control. Because the game views the returning card as a brand-new object, it loses all previous associations, including damage, counters, or being the target of pending spells. Crucially, if you had borrowed a creature from an opponent, Cloudshift returns it to the battlefield under your control permanently.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, you cast Cloudshift and choose a legal target creature you control. Upon resolution, the creature is moved to exile; at this moment, any Auras attached to it fall into the graveyard and Equipment becomes unattached. Second, the card returns to the battlefield immediately. If the creature has an 'enters the battlefield' ability, that ability triggers now. The creature is considered a new object, so it will have summoning sickness unless it has haste, even if it was on the battlefield since the start of the turn.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is trying to save a creature token with Cloudshift. If a token is exiled, it ceases to exist as a state-based action and cannot return to the battlefield. Additionally, remember that while Cloudshift saves a creature from targeted spells, it does not protect against non-targeting board wipes like Akroma's Vengeance if those resolve after the creature has returned. Finally, any counters, such as +1/+1 or loyalty counters, are lost forever once the creature is exiled.
When to Play It
The best time to cast Cloudshift is in response to your opponent's removal spells. By 'flickering' your creature, you cause their spell to lose its target and fizzle. It is also highly effective during the declare blockers step: you can block an incoming attacker and then Cloudshift your creature. The attacker remains 'blocked' and deals no damage to you, while your creature returns safely to the battlefield, ready to be used again.
Interaction examples
Swords to PlowsharesIf your opponent casts Swords to Plowshares targeting your creature, you can cast Cloudshift in response. Cloudshift resolves first, exiling and returning your creature. When Swords to Plowshares tries to resolve, its original target is gone. The 'new' version of the creature is not the same object, so Swords to Plowshares fails to resolve (fizzles), and your opponent does not gain life.
Path to ExileWhen an opponent targets your creature with Path to Exile, casting Cloudshift 'resets' your creature. The Path to Exile will have no legal target when it attempts to resolve. This prevents your creature from being permanently exiled and prevents the opponent from forcing you to search for a basic land, as the entire spell fails to resolve.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Cloudshift
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
The returned card won't be the target of any spells or abilities that targeted it before. Any spells that don't target, such as Akroma's Vengeance, will still affect it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Once the exiled permanent returns, it's considered a new object with no relation to the object that it was. Auras attached to the exiled permanent will be put into their owners' graveyards. Equipment attached to the exiled permanent will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled permanent will cease to exist.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won't return to the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
When an effect returns the exiled card "under your control," you control it indefinitely after that. In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, any creatures you control from Cloudshift's effect are exiled.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Preston, the Vanisher + Felidar Guardian + Cloudshift
- 1Cast Cloudshift by paying its mana cost, blinking Felidar Guardian.
- 2Felidar Guardian and Preston trigger.
- 3Resolve the Felidar Guardian trigger, blinking another permanent you control.
- 4Resolve the Preston trigger, creating a token copy of Felidar Guardian that is a 0/1 Illusion.
- 5When the Felidar Guardian token enters the battlefield, it triggers, blinking the nontoken Felidar Guardian.
- 6Repeat from step 2.
Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward + Restoration Angel + Cloudshift
- 1Cast Abdel Adrian from the command zone by paying
and command tax, if applicable. - 2Abdel Adrian enters the battlefield, exiling Restoration Angel and creating a 1/1 Soldier creature token.
- 3Cast Cloudshift by paying , blinking Abdel Adrian.
- 4Abdel Adrian leaves and enters the battlefield, causing Restoration Angel to return to the battlefield from exile, and triggering Abdel Adrian and Restoration Angel's enters-the-battlefield ability.
- 5Resolve Abdel Adrian's enters-the-battlefield ability, exiling Restoration Angel and creating a 1/1 Soldier creature token.
- 6Resolve Restoration Angel's enters-the-battlefield ability, blinking Abdel Adrian.
- 7Repeat from step 4.
Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward + Felidar Guardian + Cloudshift
- 1Cast Abdel Adrian from the command zone by paying and command tax, if applicable.
- 2Abdel Adrian enters the battlefield, exiling Felidar Guardian and creating a 1/1 Soldier creature token.
- 3Cast Cloudshift by paying , blinking Abdel Adrian.
- 4Abdel Adrian leaves and enters the battlefield, causing Felidar Guardian to return to the battlefield from exile, and triggering Abdel Adrian and Felidar Guardian's enters-the-battlefield ability.
- 5Resolve Abdel Adrian's enters-the-battlefield ability, exiling Felidar Guardian and creating a 1/1 Soldier creature token.
- 6Resolve Felidar Guardian's enters-the-battlefield ability, blinking Abdel Adrian.
- 7Repeat from step 4.
Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward + Archaeomancer + Cloudshift
- 1Cast Cloudshift by paying its mana cost, blinking Abdel Adrian.
- 2Abdel Adrian leaves the battlefield, returning Archaeomancer and all other cards that were exiled with it to the battlefield.
- 3Abdel Adrian and Archaeomancer trigger.
- 4Resolve the Archaeomancer trigger, returning Cloudshift from your graveyard to your hand.
- 5Holding priority, activate any number of nonland permanents you control by tapping them, adding at least enough mana to cast Cloudshift.
- 6Resolve the Abdel Adrian trigger, exiling Archaeomancer and the mana-producing permanents until Abdel Adrian leaves the battlefield, and creating a 1/1 Soldier creature token for each permanent exiled this way.
- 7Repeat.
Dualcaster Mage + Cloudshift
- 1Cast Cloudshift by paying its mana cost.
- 2Holding priority, cast Dualcaster Mage by paying its mana cost.
- 3When Dualcaster Mage enters, it triggers, copying Cloudshift, with the copy targeting Dualcaster Mage.
- 4Resolve the copy of Cloudshift, blinking Dualcaster Mage.
- 5Repeat from step 3.
Glorious Protector + Felidar Guardian + Cloudshift
- 1Cast Cloudshift by paying , blinking Glorious Protector.
- 2Felidar Guardian returns from exile to the battlefield without using the stack due to Glorious Protector leaving the battlefield.
- 3When Glorious Protector and Felidar Guardian enter the battlefield, they each trigger.
- 4Resolve Glorious Protector's trigger, exiling Felidar Guardian and any number of other non-Angel creatures you control until Guardian Protector leaves the battlefield.
- 5Resolve Felidar's trigger, blinking Glorious Protector.
- 6Repeat from step 2.
Preston, the Vanisher + Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward + Fiend Hunter + Cloudshift
- 1Cast Cloudshift by paying , blinking Fiend Hunter.
- 2When Fiend Hunter enters the battlefield, its first ability and Preston trigger.
- 3Resolve the Fiend Hunter trigger, exiling Abdel Adrian.
- 4Resolve the Preston trigger, creating a copy of Fiend Hunter that is a 0/1 Illusion.
- 5When the token Fiend Hunter enters the battlefield, its first ability triggers, exiling the nontoken Fiend Hunter until the token Fiend Hunter leaves the battlefield.
- 6When the nontoken Fiend Hunter leaves the battlefield, its second ability triggers, returning Abdel Adrian from exile to the battlefield.
- 7When Abdel Adrian enters the battlefield, it and Preston trigger.
- 8Resolve the Preston trigger, creating a token copy of Abdel Adrian that is a 0/1 Illusion.
Naru Meha, Master Wizard + Cloudshift
- 1Cast Cloudshift by paying its mana cost.
- 2Holding priority, cast Naru Meha by paying its mana cost.
- 3When Naru Meha enters, it triggers, copying Cloudshift, with the copy targeting Naru Meha.
- 4Resolve the copy of Cloudshift, blinking Naru Meha.
- 5Repeat from step 3.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Cloudshift
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.