Sublime Epiphany 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
Choose one or more — • Counter target spell. • Counter target activated or triggered ability. • Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. • Create a token that's a copy of target creature you control. • Target player draws a card.
Complete guide
Sublime Epiphany is a versatile blue instant that serves as the ultimate utility tool for any control mage. By allowing you to choose one or more of its five distinct modes, it can swing the momentum of a game entirely in your favor in a single turn.
What it Does
Sublime Epiphany is a 'modal' spell where you can select any number of its effects, provided you have legal targets for each. You can counter a spell, stop an activated or triggered ability, bounce a nonland permanent, clone one of your creatures, and draw a card. Note that you cannot choose the same mode twice, and it cannot target mana abilities.
How it Resolves Step by Step
When Sublime Epiphany resolves, you follow the instructions in the order they are printed on the card. First, any targeted spell is countered, followed by the countering of a targeted ability. Third, the targeted nonland permanent is returned to its owner's hand. Fourth, a token copy of your targeted creature is created. Finally, the targeted player draws a card. If a target becomes illegal before resolution, the other chosen modes still resolve as long as their targets remain valid.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is trying to counter a mana ability (like tapping a land for mana), which is not allowed. Additionally, remember that the token copy only mimics the 'copiable values' of a creature—it won't have the counters, Auras, or temporary stat buffs the original had. If you choose to bounce your own creature and copy it, the game uses the creature's last known information to create the token successfully.
When to Play It
Because it costs six mana, you want to maximize value by choosing as many modes as possible. It is best used during an opponent's turn to disrupt their most important spell and ability while simultaneously advancing your board state with a token and replacing the card in your hand.
Interaction examples
Force of Will
CopyIf your opponent casts Force of Will to stop your threat, you can cast Sublime Epiphany. You choose the first mode to counter Force of Will, the fourth mode to create a Copy token of a creature you already have, and the fifth mode to draw a card. The Force of Will is countered, you get a new creature, and you draw a card, all for one spell.
If an opponent targets your creature with Mystic Confluence to return it to your hand, you can respond with Sublime Epiphany. By choosing the third mode to return your own creature to your hand and the fourth mode to copy it, the creature safely returns to your hand, but you still create a Copy token based on what that creature looked like right before it left the battlefield.
If you cast Sublime Epiphany with only the last mode selected, you simply target yourself to draw a card. While less efficient than using all modes, this ensures the spell resolves even if no other targets are available on the battlefield or stack.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Sublime Epiphany
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Sublime Epiphany's second mode can't counter an activated or triggered mana ability. An activated mana ability is one that could add mana as it resolves, doesn't have a target, and isn't a loyalty ability. A triggered mana ability is one that could add mana as it resolves and triggers on an activated mana ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Triggered abilities use the word "when," "whenever," or "at." They're often written as "[Trigger condition], [effect]." Some keyword abilities (such as prowess) are triggered abilities and will have "when," "whenever," or "at" in their reminder text.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Activated abilities are written in the form "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keyword abilities (such as equip) are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder texts.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
The token copies exactly what is printed on the creature and nothing else (unless that creature is a token or is copying something else; see below). It doesn't copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras and/or Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that changed its power, toughness, types, color, and so on.
Card named in this ruling
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If any of the targets become illegal, the remaining targets are affected as appropriate.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
Sublime Epiphany's second mode counters only activated and triggered abilities already on the stack. It doesn't prevent abilities from being activated or from triggering later in the turn, and it has no effect on static abilities.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Abilities that create replacement effects, such as a permanent entering the battlefield tapped or with counters on it, can't be countered. Abilities that apply "as [this creature] enters the battlefield" are also replacement effects and can't be countered.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
If the copied creature has
in its mana cost, X is 0.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
You can't choose any one mode more than once.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
If the copied creature is itself a token, the token created by Sublime Epiphany copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that created it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any "As [this creature] enters the battlefield" or "[This creature] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the copied creature will also work.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
If you counter a delayed triggered ability that triggered at the beginning of the "next" occurrence of a specified step or phase, that ability won't trigger again the following time that phase or step occurs.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #13· Wizards of the Coast
If you choose more than one mode, you perform the modes in the order specified. For example, if you choose to counter target spell, return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand, and have target player draw a card, that permanent will be on the battlefield while that spell is countered (and may modify, affect, or trigger on that event) but will not be on the battlefield while that player draws a card.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #14· Wizards of the Coast
If you choose the third and fourth modes and target the same creature you control both times, you'll return it and then create a token that's a copy of it, using its copiable values as it last appeared on the battlefield. This is because the legality of targets is checked only as the spell begins to resolve, before any actions are performed.
Card named in this ruling
- #15· Wizards of the Coast
If the copied creature is copying something else, the token enters the battlefield as whatever that creature is copying.
Card named in this ruling
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Dualcaster Mage + Sublime Epiphany
- 1Cast Sublime Epiphany by paying its mana cost, targeting a creature you control.
- 2Holding priority, cast Dualcaster Mage by paying
. - 3When Dualcaster Mage enters the battlefield, it triggers, copying Sublime Epiphany, targeting Dualcaster Mage.
- 4Resolve the copy of Sublime Epiphany, creating a token copy of Dualcaster Mage.
- 5Repeat from step 3.
Naru Meha, Master Wizard + Sublime Epiphany
- 1Cast Sublime Epiphany by paying its mana cost, targeting a creature you control.
- 2Holding priority, cast Naru Meha either from your hand or from the command zone by paying
plus commander tax, if applicable. - 3When Naru Meha enters the battlefield, it triggers, copying Sublime Epiphany, targeting Naru Meha.
- 4Resolve the copy of Sublime Epiphany, creating a token copy of Naru Meha.
- 5Put either Naru Meha into your graveyard due to the legend rule.
- 6Repeat from step 3.
Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer + Combat Celebrant + Sublime Epiphany
- 1Cast Sublime Epiphany by paying
, creating a token copy of Combat Celebrant. - 2At the beginning of your combat phase, Brudiclad triggers, creating a 2/1 Phyrexian Myr creature token, then choosing to have all tokens you control become copies of the Combat Celebrant token.
- 3Declare one of the Combat Celebrant copy as an attacker, choosing to exert it as it attacks.
- 4The Combat Celebrant copy triggers, untapping all other creatures you control and causing you to get an additional combat phase after this one.
- 5Repeat from step 2.
Scholar of the Ages + Turnabout + Sublime Epiphany
- 1Activate all mana producing lands you control by tapping them, adding at least
. - 2Cast Turnabout by paying , untapping all lands you control.
- 3Cast Sublime Epiphany by paying , creating a token copy of Scholar of the Ages.
- 4The Scholar of the Ages token enters the battlefield, returning Turnabout and Sublime Epiphany from your graveyard to your hand.
- 5Repeat.
- 6You may also select any of Sublime Epiphany's other modes.
Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer + Timestream Navigator + Sublime Epiphany
- 1Cast Sublime Epiphany by paying , creating a token copy of Timestream Navigator.
- 2At the beginning of your combat phase, Brudiclad triggers, creating a 2/1 Phyrexian Myr creature token, then choosing to have all tokens you control become copies of the Timestream Navigator token.
- 3Activate Timestream Navigator by paying and tapping it and putting it onto the bottom of your library, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 4Move to your next turn.
- 5Repeat from step 2.
Mirror-Mad Phantasm + Sublime Epiphany
- 1Cast Sublime Epiphany by paying its mana cost, creating a token copy of Mirror-Mad Phantasm.
- 2Activate the Mirror-Mad Phantasm token by paying , shuffling the token into your library and milling your entire library due to it not having a card named Mirror-Mad Phantasm in it.
Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer + Port Razer + Sublime Epiphany
- 1Cast Sublime Epiphany by paying , creating a token copy of Port Razer.
- 2Move to your combat phase.
- 3Brudiclad triggers, creating a 2/1 Phyrexian Myr artifact creature token and causing all creature tokens you control to become a copy of the Port Razer token.
- 4Deal combat damage with any Port Razer token.
- 5The Port Razer token triggers, causing you to untap all creatures you control and to get an additional combat phase after this one.
- 6Repeat from step 2.
Specimen Collector + Sublime Epiphany + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Cast Sublime Epiphany by paying , creating a token copy of Specimen Collector.
- 2The Specimen Collector token enters the battlefield, creating a 1/1 Squirrel and a 0/3 Crab creature token.
- 3Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the nontoken Specimen Collector, adding
. - 4Specimen Collector dies, creating a token copy of the Specimen Collector token.
- 5Repeat from step 2.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Sublime Epiphany
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