Identity Thief 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
Whenever this creature attacks, you may exile another target nontoken creature. If you do, this creature becomes a copy of that creature until end of turn. Return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
How it works : Identity Thief
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If the targeted creature has an ability that triggers when it attacks, it'll be too late for it to trigger once Identity Thief has that ability. The same is true if another object has an ability that triggers when a creature with certain characteristics attacks and Identity Thief doesn't have those characteristics until after it becomes a copy.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Identity Thief copies the printed values of the targeted creature, plus any copy effects that have been applied to that creature. It won't copy other effects that have changed the targeted creature's power, toughness, types, color, or so on. It also won't copy counters on the targeted creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If the targeted creature is a double-faced or melded permanent, Identity Thief copies the face shown. Because Identity Thief is not a double-faced card or meld card, it won't be able to transform or meld. If it copies a melded permanent or the back face of a double-faced card, its mana value will be 0. Exiled double-faced cards and exiled meld cards will return with their front faces up.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If the targeted creature is itself copying a permanent, Identity Thief will become whatever it's copying, as modified by that copy effect. For example, if you target a Hamlet Captain that has become a copy of Permeating Mass, Identity Thief will become a Permeating Mass.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
This effect can cause Identity Thief to stop being a creature. For example, if you target an animated Gideon Jura (a planeswalker with a loyalty ability that turns him into a creature), only the printed wording will be copied; the “becomes a creature” effect won't. Identity Thief will become a noncreature Gideon with no loyalty, be removed from combat, and then be put into its owner's graveyard.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
This effect can cause Identity Thief to become a copy of a creature that can't normally attack, such as Lupine Prototype or a creature with defender. In these cases, it remains attacking.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Noncopy effects that have already applied to Identity Thief will continue to apply to it. For example, if Woodcutter's Grit gave Identity Thief +3/+3 and hexproof earlier in the turn, Identity Thief will still have those bonuses after copying a creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
Identity Thief will still be a copy of the creature during the next end step when the exiled card returns. If it has an ability that triggers at the beginning of the end step, that ability will trigger for Identity Thief and not for the returned creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
Auras attached to the exiled creature will be put into their owners' graveyards. Any Equipment 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.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Medomai the Ageless + Identity Thief + Helm of the Host
- 1Move to combat.
- 2Helm of the Host will trigger and create a copy of Identity Thief.
- 3Attack with the Identity Thief token, triggering it and exiling Medomai the Ageless until end of turn.
- 4the Identity Thief token will deal combat damage as a copy of Medomai the Ageless, granting you an extra turn.
- 5At the end of the turn, Medomai the Ageless returns to the battlefield.
- 6Sacrifice the token.
- 7Repeat for infinite turns.
Medomai the Ageless + Sakashima of a Thousand Faces + Identity Thief
- 1Declare Identity Thief as an attacker.
- 2Identity Thief triggers, exiling Medomai and causing Identity Thief to become a copy of Medomai until end of turn.
- 3Deal combat damage to an opponent using Identity Thief.
- 4Identity Thief triggers, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 5At the beginning of your end step, Identity Thief triggers, returning Medomai from exile to the battlefield.
- 6During your cleanup step, Identity Thief stops being a copy of Medomai.
- 7Repeat each turn.
Medomai the Ageless + Identity Thief + Mirror Box
- 1Declare Identity Thief as an attacker.
- 2Identity Thief triggers, exiling Medomai and causing Identity Thief to become a copy of Medomai until end of turn.
- 3Deal combat damage to an opponent using Identity Thief.
- 4Identity Thief triggers, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 5At the beginning of your end step, Identity Thief triggers, returning Medomai from exile to the battlefield.
- 6During your cleanup step, Identity Thief stops being a copy of Medomai.
- 7Repeat each turn.
Medomai the Ageless + Identity Thief + Deadeye Navigator
- 1Declare Identity Thief as an attacker.
- 2Identity Thief triggers, exiling Medomai and causing Identity Thief to become a copy of Medomai until end of turn.
- 3Deal combat damage to an opponent using Identity Thief.
- 4Identity Thief triggers, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 5At the beginning of your end step, Identity Thief triggers.
- 6Holding priority, activate Identity Thief by paying
, blinking it. - 7Identity Thief enters the battlefield, triggering Deadeye Navigator's soulbond ability, repairing Identity Thief and Deadeye Navigator.
- 8Resolve the Identity Thief trigger, returning Medomai from exile to the battlefield.
Medomai the Ageless + Identity Thief + Crystal Shard
- 1Declare Identity Thief as an attacker.
- 2Identity Thief triggers, exiling Medomai the Ageless, becoming a copy of it until end of turn and Return Medomai from exile to the battlefield at end of turn.
- 3Deal combat damage with Identity Thief, causing you to take an additional turn after this one.
- 4Activate Crystal Shard by paying and tapping it, returning Identity Thief from the battlefield to your hand.
- 5Cast Identity Thief by paying
. - 6At the beginning of your end step, Identity Thief triggers, returning Medomai from exile to the battlefield.
- 7Pass the turn.
- 8Repeat.
Medomai the Ageless + Identity Thief + Mirror Gallery
- 1Declare Identity Thief as an attacker.
- 2Identity Thief triggers, exiling Medomai the Ageless, becoming a copy of it until end of turn and Return Medomai from exile to the battlefield at end of turn.
- 3Deal combat damage with Identity Thief, causing you to take an additional turn after this one.
- 4At the beginning of your end step, Identity Thief triggers, returning Medomai from exile to the battlefield.
- 5Pass the turn.
- 6Repeat.
Medomai the Ageless + Identity Thief + Eldrazi Displacer
- 1Declare Identity Thief as an attacker.
- 2Identity Thief triggers, exiling Medomai and causing Identity Thief to become a copy of Medomai until end of turn.
- 3Deal combat damage to an opponent using Identity Thief.
- 4Identity Thief triggers, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 5At the beginning of your end step, Identity Thief triggers.
- 6Holding priority, activate Eldrazi Displacer by paying
, blinking Identity Thief. - 7Resolve the Identity Thief trigger, returning Medomai from exile to the battlefield.
- 8Repeat each turn.
Medomai the Ageless + Identity Thief + Mimic Vat
- 1Pay
and tap Mimic Vat to create a copy of Identity Thief with haste. - 2Attack with the Identity Thief token, triggering it and exiling Medomai the Ageless until end of turn.
- 3the Identity Thief token will deal combat damage as a copy of Medomai the Ageless, granting you an extra turn.
- 4At the end of the turn, Medomai the Ageless returns to the battlefield.
- 5Sacrifice the token.
- 6Repeat for infinite turns.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Identity Thief
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.