The newest Magic: The Gathering expansion set is the Kaldheim expansion, and early previews introduced players to a dazzling, frosty world of Viking raiders, auroras, a cunning tribe of shadowy Elves, and far more. In the middle of all this is the Shapeshifter tribe, a race of strange green-blue masked creatures from the snowy woods.
The Shapeshifters can be anything or anyone, and they can fit right into other tribal decks, benefitting from the tribal effects of green Elves or blue Giants. But even alone, these Shapeshifters have distinct gameplay flavor, and the new previews are really helping this tribe come together.
One of the flashier new Shapeshifters introduced in the newest Kaldheim set is Moritte of the Frost, a legendary Snow creature that costs {2}GUU for a 0/0 with Changeling. Sure enough, this creature is a blank slate that may enter the battlefield copying any other permanent its controller has, though it retains its legendary status and its Snow type. If that permanent was a creature, Moritte will enter the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters and keep its Changeling ability. "Clone" cards have existed since the Alpha set back in the summer of 1993, and even now, many years later, the Clone idea is exciting and useful, and Moritte proves that this concept is still fresh and creative in the game. If need be, Moritte can become a powerful enchantment or even an Equipment card, but of course, its true power comes from imitating creatures. Moritte will get two +1/+1 counters to make itself bigger, providing payoff for the rather demanding mana cost. If Moritte imitates an Elf, those two counters ensure that the player gets their mana's worth.
Littjara Kinseekers is less splashy, but it's still a useful addition to the tribe. It's a decent blocker, and if the player has enough creatures of the same type as each other, the Kinseekers will get a +1/+1 counter on it and scry 1. In a dedicated Shapeshifter deck, getting the +1/+1 counter and scry should be easy. Then there's Guardian Gladewalker, a 1/1 for {1}G that can put a +1/+1 counter on a target creature, either itself or another creature. It can turn itself into a "bear," a 2/2 for {1}G, but ideally, the Guardian will put that counter on another creature to push it over the edge and allow it to dominate the battlefield. That can turn the tide of a game of booster draft Limited, at least for a few turns, and Guardian Gladewalker can serve as a chump blocker once its +1/+1 delivery is done.
With these new cards joining the Shapeshifter tribe, this tribe is beginning to get some real definition, with some trends emerging. Shapeshifters in the Kaldheim set, despite not using all five colors like their Lorwyn counterparts, can use many different abilities to make their tribe flexible. Already, a strong +1/+1 counter theme has emerged, which is a typical mechanical theme for green-blue (Simic) decks, along with midrange mana ramp effects and large, flashy counterspells fueled by that mana ramp (only the simic could pull off a four-drop counterspell). Kaldheim's Shapeshifters have only modest base power/toughness, but all those counters can pump them up as the player sees fit, and that makes all the difference. Even instants and sorceries in this set, such as Blizzard Brawl and Snakeskin Veil, contribute to this (and have other good effects to offer).
The Shapeshifters also seem to have an affinity for the Snow card type. While all five colors of Kaldheim have access to the Snow type, blue and green seem especially invested in this card type, and some green cards such as Faceless Haven, Blizzard Brawl, Boreal Outrider and Sculptor of Winter all care deeply about Snow. Changelings often use Snow mana directly, and even if they don't, then other green cards such as Boreal Outrider can be slotted into a Shapeshifter deck and benefit from cards like Maskwood Nexus to join the tribe formally.
Lastly, the Shapeshifters made sure to include traditional green effects, such as wiping out enemy artifacts and enchantments (see Masked Vandal) and playing creatures from the top of the library with Realmwalker. Reflections of Littjara, meanwhile, represents blue mana's love of copying spells, and this can quickly fill up the board state with Shapeshifters.
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