Pine Walker 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
Morph(You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for
. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.) Whenever this creature or another creature you control is turned face up, untap that creature.
Complete guide
Pine Walker is a powerful Elemental that rewards you for utilizing the secrets of the Morph mechanic. By turning your hidden threats face up, you gain the tactical advantage of refreshing your creatures for combat or utility.
What It Does
Pine Walker has the Morph ability, allowing it to be cast as a face-down 2/2 creature for {3}. Its unique triggered ability states that whenever it or another creature you control is turned face up, that creature is untapped immediately. This turns your Morph costs into a dual-purpose investment of power and positioning.
How It Resolves
Turning a creature face up is a special action that does not use the stack. Once you pay the Morph cost and reveal the card, Pine Walker's ability triggers. This trigger goes on the stack and, when it resolves, the permanent that was just turned face up becomes untapped. Note that the permanent must still be a creature after turning face up for this ability to trigger.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is assuming that turning a card face up triggers 'enters the battlefield' abilities; it does not, as the permanent was already on the battlefield. Additionally, you cannot 'mix up' your face-down cards to confuse your opponent. Each face-down creature must be clearly identifiable by the order it was played.
When to Play It
Pine Walker is best utilized in decks featuring multiple Morph creatures. It serves as an excellent defensive tool, allowing you to attack with a face-down creature and then turn it face up during your opponent's turn to untap it and provide a surprise blocker.
Interaction examples
You control a face-down Pine Walker. You attack with it, and it becomes tapped. During your opponent's turn, you pay {4}{G} to turn it face up. Because it turned face up, its own ability triggers and untaps it, allowing you to block an incoming attacker.
Roaming ThroneWith Pine Walker on the battlefield, you play Roaming Throne and choose 'Elemental'. Later, you turn a face-down Elemental creature face up. Pine Walker's ability triggers. Because Roaming Throne is an Elemental and Pine Walker is an Elemental, Roaming Throne causes the untap ability to trigger an additional time. While two untap triggers on the same creature are usually redundant, it ensures the creature is ready for action even if an opponent tries to tap it in response to the first trigger.
Solemn SimulacrumIf you manage to manifest Solemn Simulacrum face down (a 2/2 creature) while Pine Walker is out, and then turn it face up, Pine Walker will trigger and untap the Simulacrum. However, you do not get to search for a land because the Simulacrum did not 'enter' the battlefield; it was already there.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Pine Walker
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If a face-down creature other than Pine Walker is turned face up and the resulting permanent isn't a creature, Pine Walker's last ability won't trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Morph lets you cast a card face down by paying
, and lets you turn the face-down permanent face up any time you have priority by paying its morph cost.Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
The face-down spell has no mana cost and has a mana value of 0. When you cast a face-down spell, put it on the stack face down so no other player knows what it is, and pay
. This is an alternative cost.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
When the spell resolves, it enters the battlefield as a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It's colorless and has a mana value of 0. Other effects that apply to the creature can still grant it any of these characteristics.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Any time you have priority, you may turn the face-down creature face up by revealing what its morph cost is and paying that cost. This is a special action. It doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. Only a face-down permanent can be turned face up this way; a face-down spell cannot.
Card named in this ruling
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it's turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn't cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren't affected.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
At any time, you can look at a face-down spell or permanent you control. You can't look at face-down spells or permanents you don't control unless an effect instructs you to do so.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You're not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield in order to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for doing this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
If a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends.
No other card is named in this ruling.
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Meta decks with Pine Walker
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