First printed in Khans of Tarkir (2014)
All 8 prints
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Marvel Universe (MAR) #8, 2025
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Through the Omenpaths Bonus Sheet (OMB) #8, 2025 (digital)
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Secret Lair Drop (SLD) #1429, 2025
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The List (PLST) #KTK-34, 2024
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Explorer Anthology 2 (EA2) #9, 2022 (digital)
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Commander 2019 (C19) #82, 2019
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Khans of Tarkir (KTK) #34, 2014
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Khans of Tarkir Promos (PKTK) #34p, 2014
Creature — Shapeshifter
You may have this creature enter as a copy of any nonland permanent on the battlefield.
"Our own selves are the greatest obstacles to enlightenment."
—Narset, khan of the Jeskai
0/0
- Illustrated by
- Slawomir Maniak
Legality
- Legal in
- Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Historic, Timeless, Penny Dreadful, Gladiator, Commander, Duel Commander, Oathbreaker, Brawl, Competitive Brawl
- Not legal in
- Standard, Pauper, Future Standard, Alchemy, Premodern, Old School 93/94, Pauper Commander, PreDH, Tiny Leaders, Standard Brawl
Rulings (10)
- If the chosen permanent is a token, Clever Impersonator copies the original characteristics of that token as defined by the effect that put that token onto the battlefield. Clever Impersonator is not a token.
- You can choose not to copy anything. In that case, Clever Impersonator enters the battlefield as a 0/0 creature, and it's put into the graveyard immediately (unless something is raising its toughness above 0).
- If Clever Impersonator enters the battlefield at the same time as another permanent, it can't become a copy of that permanent. You may choose only a nonland permanent that's already on the battlefield.
- Remember that if you control more than one legendary permanent with the same name, you'll choose one to remain on the battlefield and put the rest into their owner's graveyard.
- If the chosen permanent is a copy of something else (for example, if the chosen permanent is another Clever Impersonator), then your Clever Impersonator enters the battlefield as whatever the chosen permanent copied.
- Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the chosen permanent will trigger when Clever Impersonator enters the battlefield. Any "as [this permanent] enters the battlefield" or "[this permanent] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the chosen permanent will also work.
- You choose which nonland permanent Clever Impersonator will copy, if any, as it enters the battlefield. This doesn't target that nonland permanent.
- If the chosen permanent has
in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0. - If Clever Impersonator enters the battlefield as a copy of a planeswalker, it will enter the battlefield with a number of loyalty counters on it equal to the loyalty printed in the lower right corner of the planeswalker card. It won't copy the number of loyalty counters on the original planeswalker.
- Clever Impersonator copies exactly what is printed on the chosen permanent (unless that permanent is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn't copy whether that permanent is tapped or untapped, whether that permanent has any counters on it or any Auras and/or Equipment attached to it, and it doesn't copy any non-copy effects that have changed that permanent's power, toughness, types, color, abilities, or so on.
Prices
MTGO price: 0.02 TIX, the cheapest non-foil print (average sell price on GoatBots, 31 Oct 2026).
In Limited on MTG Arena
Win rates in Arena drafts and sealed, retrieved from 17Lands (CC BY 4.0).
| Set | GIH WR | vs set | IWD | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khans of Tarkir (KTK), Premier Draft | 52.6% | -1.6 | +2.2 | 1345 |
- GIH WR
- win rate of the games in which the card was in the opening hand or drawn
- vs set
- points above or below the average win rate of all decks in the set
- IWD
- improvement when drawn: GIH WR minus the win rate when the card stayed in the library
- Games
- games in which the card was seen
Combos
114 combos, the most popular first:
- Near-infinite colored mana, Infinite draw triggers for all players…: Clever Impersonator + Faerie Mastermind + Smothering Tithe
- Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB: Clever Impersonator + Felidar Guardian
- Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB…: Clever Impersonator + Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker (+ 1 other requirement)
- Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB…: Clever Impersonator + Gyruda, Doom of Depths + Mortuary
- Infinite creature LTB, Infinite creature ETB…: Clever Impersonator + Princess Yue + Wormfang Newt
- Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB…: Altar of the Brood + Clever Impersonator + Felidar Guardian
- Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB: Clever Impersonator + Sharuum the Hegemon
- Infinite death triggers, Infinite creature ETB…: Astral Dragon + Clever Impersonator + Necromancy
- Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB…: Clever Impersonator + Princess Yue + Wormfang Turtle
- Infinite creature ETB, Infinite creature LTB…: Astral Dragon + Clever Impersonator + Princess Yue
