Reality Shift - Borderless (CMM)

Reality Shift
Casting Cost: {1}{U}
Card Type: Instant

Card Text:
Exile target creature. Its controller manifests the top card of their library. (That player puts the top card of their library onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. If it's a creature card, it can be turned face up any time for its mana cost.)

Artist: Warren Mahy

Reality Shift serves as a prime example of blue's approach to control and subterfuge in the game of Magic: The Gathering. At the modest cost of {1}{U}, it doesn't simply counter or bounce a creature, but rather exiles it, bypassing indestructible and other forms of protection.

Yet, in true blue fashion, it's not just about removal but also manipulation. The opponent gets a manifestation of the top card of their library. This 2/2 creature could be anything, even a potentially more dangerous threat than what was removed. Or it could be a harmless non-creature card, effectively trapped in a state of limbo as a creature until it leaves the battlefield. The uncertainty and potential for surprise embodies blue's core philosophy of knowledge, unpredictability, and keeping one's opponents off balance.

Warren Mahy's artwork, while not described here, likely depicts the disorienting and mysterious nature of the spell's effect. The art might showcase a creature being torn from reality, replaced by an inscrutable, face-down card. The visuals play on the theme of transformation and the unknown, mirroring the card's mechanics and flavor.

This card offers layers of strategy, making players think twice about which creature to exile and when, as the replacement could be worse. It's a gamble, and in the world of Magic, taking such risks can lead to glorious victories or unexpected defeats.