Illithid Harvester // Plant Tadpoles 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
Ceremorphosis — When this creature enters, turn any number of target tapped nontoken creatures face down. They're 2/2 Horror creatures. Tap X target creatures. They don't untap during their controllers' next untap steps. (Then exile this card. You may cast the creature later from exile.)
Complete guide
Illithid Harvester is a versatile blue Horror from Battle for Baldur's Gate that provides both crowd control and permanent transformation. By utilizing its Adventure side, Plant Tadpoles, you can neutralize threats temporarily before bringing the Harvester down to change them into 2/2 Horrors forever.
What it does
Illithid Harvester is a split card featuring an Adventure. The Sorcery side, Plant Tadpoles, taps X target creatures and keeps them from untapping during their controller's next untap step. Once this resolves, the card is exiled 'on an adventure'. The Creature side, Illithid Harvester, has the Ceremorphosis ability, which triggers when it enters the battlefield. This ability allows you to turn any number of target tapped nontoken creatures face down, effectively stripping them of their abilities and turning them into generic 2/2 Horror creatures.
How it resolves step by step
First, you cast Plant Tadpoles for {X}{U}{U}. Upon resolution, the chosen creatures are tapped and the card is moved to the exile zone. From exile, you may later cast Illithid Harvester for {4}{U}. When it enters the battlefield, the Ceremorphosis ability triggers. You choose your targets—these must be tapped and cannot be tokens or double-faced cards. As the ability resolves, those creatures are flipped face down. They lose all previous characteristics and become 2/2 Horrors. Importantly, because this set lacks ways to turn them back up, they will remain 2/2 Horrors unless an external card effect specifically flips them face up.
Common mistakes
A frequent error is attempting to turn tokens or double-faced cards face down; the rules explicitly state these cannot be turned face down, so they are illegal targets for Ceremorphosis. Another mistake involves tracking: once a card is face down, you cannot shuffle or hide its identity to confuse opponents. Furthermore, if you cast the Harvester side directly from your hand without casting the Adventure first, you do not get the tapping effect, but the Ceremorphosis trigger still happens as long as there are tapped nontoken creatures to target.
When to play it
This card is most effective when your opponent has high-value creatures with powerful static or triggered abilities. By tapping them down with Plant Tadpoles, you buy time. Once you follow up with the Harvester, those threats are permanently reduced to simple 2/2 blockers. It is also an excellent tool in 'blink' decks, as re-entering the battlefield allows the Harvester to trigger Ceremorphosis repeatedly, slowly converting the entire board into your personal Horror hive.
Interaction examples
Illithid Harvester // Plant Tadpoles
Solemn SimulacrumYour opponent controls a Solemn Simulacrum. You cast Plant Tadpoles where X=1, targeting the Golem. It taps and will not untap next turn. On your next turn, you cast Illithid Harvester from exile. Its Ceremorphosis ability triggers, targeting the tapped Solemn Simulacrum. The Simulacrum is turned face down, becoming a 2/2 Horror with no abilities. It will no longer allow the opponent to draw a card when it dies because it has lost that text.
Roaming ThroneYou have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Horror' chosen as the creature type. When Illithid Harvester enters the battlefield, its Ceremorphosis ability triggers. Roaming Throne sees this and causes the ability to trigger a second time. This allows you to target two different sets of tapped nontoken creatures, potentially clearing the board of enemy abilities in one fell swoop.
On an AdventureWhen you cast Plant Tadpoles, it goes to the stack. Once it resolves, instead of going to the graveyard, the rules for Adventure cards (represented by the 'On an Adventure' placeholder) move it to exile. While in exile this way, you may cast the Illithid Harvester creature side. If the spell is countered, however, it goes to the graveyard and you cannot cast the creature later.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Illithid Harvester // Plant Tadpoles
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Once the permanents are face down, no player may mix them up on the battlefield or otherwise try to hide or disguise which card is which.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Players may look at face-down permanents they control at any time.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Illithid Harvester's triggered ability can't turn double-faced cards face down.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, its owner must reveal it to all players.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature enters the battlefield as a copy of a face-down creature or if a token is created that's a copy of one, that copy has the same characteristics as the face-down creature (in this case, a 2/2 Horror creature with no other characteristics), even though the copy is face up.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
The Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate set includes no way to turn these cards face up. If an effect from cards outside of this set does turn one face up, the effect causing it to be a 2/2 Horror creature ends.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Altar of Bhaal is an artifact card whose mana value is 2.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
You must still follow any relevant timing rules for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #13· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy from exile.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #14· Wizards of the Coast
An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #15· Wizards of the Coast
If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #16· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #17· Wizards of the Coast
Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure.
No other card is named in this ruling.
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