Shifting Loyalties MTG Card


Enables creature or planeswalker exchanges, impacting battlefield control significantly. Instant speed usage can disrupt opponent plans or optimize your own turn. Trade-off includes discarding and a specific mana cost, weighing its use.
Shifting Loyalties - Fate Reforged
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Released2015-01-23
Set symbol
Set nameFate Reforged
Set codeFRF
Number51
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byJames Ryman

Text of card

Exchange control of two target permanents that share a card type. (Artifact, creature, enchantment, land, and planeswalker are card types.)

"Show the enemy the true path, and the spirit will yearn to follow it." —Houn, Jeskai elder


Cards like Shifting Loyalties

Shifting Loyalties is an intriguing option for players looking to expand their control over the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. Not unlike other exchange cards such as Cultural Exchange, Shifting Loyalties allows players to swap creatures, but it brings its unique twist by having the trade tethered to a specific condition – controlling the game’s largest creature. Cultural Exchange doesn’t concern itself with creature size, offering a more immediate and sometimes less restricted swap.

Then, there’s Confusion in the Ranks, another card in the creature swap conversation. This enchantment creates continual opportunities to exchange creatures as they come onto the battlefield, becoming a repeating factor unlike the one-time effect of Shifting Loyalties. But it’s also a double-edged sword, affecting you with each subsequent creature your opponents play. Swap Meet is another comparison point; it’s less expensive and provides a similar exchange but lacks the permanent control over the swap that Shifting Loyalties offers, with its creatures reverting control at the next end step.

In essence, Shifting Loyalties holds a specific strategic position in the myriad of exchange cards available in Magic: The Gathering. Its unique conditional exchange mechanism requires a bit more setup but can result in more substantial control shifts when timed correctly.

Cultural Exchange - MTG Card versions
Confusion in the Ranks - MTG Card versions
Cultural Exchange - MTG Card versions
Confusion in the Ranks - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Shifting Loyalties by color, type and mana cost

Amnesia - MTG Card versions
Cultural Exchange - MTG Card versions
Echo of Eons - MTG Card versions
Cosmic Epiphany - MTG Card versions
Mind's Desire - MTG Card versions
Rise from the Tides - MTG Card versions
Cut Your Losses - MTG Card versions
Time Spiral - MTG Card versions
Inspiring Refrain - MTG Card versions
Flow of Ideas - MTG Card versions
Tunnel Vision - MTG Card versions
Govern the Guildless - MTG Card versions
Reality Strobe - MTG Card versions
Mass Polymorph - MTG Card versions
Mindculling - MTG Card versions
Stolen Identity - MTG Card versions
Spelltwine - MTG Card versions
Rise of Eagles - MTG Card versions
Interpret the Signs - MTG Card versions
Upheaval - MTG Card versions
Amnesia - MTG Card versions
Cultural Exchange - MTG Card versions
Echo of Eons - MTG Card versions
Cosmic Epiphany - MTG Card versions
Mind's Desire - MTG Card versions
Rise from the Tides - MTG Card versions
Cut Your Losses - MTG Card versions
Time Spiral - MTG Card versions
Inspiring Refrain - MTG Card versions
Flow of Ideas - MTG Card versions
Tunnel Vision - MTG Card versions
Govern the Guildless - MTG Card versions
Reality Strobe - MTG Card versions
Mass Polymorph - MTG Card versions
Mindculling - MTG Card versions
Stolen Identity - MTG Card versions
Spelltwine - MTG Card versions
Rise of Eagles - MTG Card versions
Interpret the Signs - MTG Card versions
Upheaval - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Shifting Loyalties offers unique strategic opportunities by enabling players to exchange control of two target creatures or planeswalkers, which can be pivotal in shifting the balance of card presence on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: This card allows you to exploit the value of temporary or expendable creatures by trading them for more valuable assets from your opponent, essentially accelerating your access to more impactful resources.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Shifting Loyalties at instant speed provides a significant tactical edge. You can disrupt an opponent’s strategy during their turn, or wait for the most opportune moment to alter the field without sacrificing the initiative on your own turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Shifting Loyalties comes with the steep price of discarding another nonland card from your hand. This requirement means you potentially lose grip on two valuable cards, one to the graveyard and another to the exchange, which can be particularly detrimental in a game where every resource counts.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise mana combination to be cast—two blue and four other mana. This specialized requirement can be restrictive and often doesn’t align well with multicolored decks that might struggle to generate the necessary blue mana consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of six mana, Shifting Loyalties is on the pricier side, especially when you evaluate the immediate impact it has on the game. There are alternative cards with lower mana costs and similar, if not more immediate, board effects that are more mana-efficient and offer players more flexibility in their gameplay.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Shifting Loyalties is not just another aura card; it can become a game-changer in various deck types. Its ability to exchange control of two target creatures can be used tactically in both casual and competitive matches, providing players with flexibility and creative control over the battlefield.

Combo Potential: This card offers intriguing combo potential in decks that capitalize on enter-the-battlefield effects or sacrifice mechanics. Players can exploit the exchange ability to disrupt opponent strategies or enhance their own by choosing the right moment and targets for Shifting Loyalties.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-shifting MTG meta, Shifting Loyalties can become particularly relevant in formats where controlling opponent’s resources is a path to victory. Its ability to influence the board state aligns with a meta that favors tactical over raw power plays.


How to beat

Shifting Loyalties is an intriguing blue enchantment card in Magic: The Gathering which swaps control of two target nonland permanents. Facing this card can be a challenging puzzle as it disrupts conventional board states and can shift the tides in your opponent’s favor. To effectively counteract Shifting Loyalties, a pivotal strategy is to limit the options available to your opponent by controlling the board with removal spells or counterspells like Negate or Disallow to stop the loyalty shift before it even starts. Additionally, maintaining a board state with fewer high-value targets can dampen the impact of such exchange effects.

It’s essential not to overextend by placing too many valuable creatures or artifacts on the board if you suspect your opponent holds this card in their hand. Having instant-speed interaction or playing around cards that offer hexproof to your own permanents can also help protect against unwanted exchanges. Lastly, using abilities that sacrifice your own permanents in response to Shifting Loyalties being cast can leave your opponent without a valid exchange target, turning their potential game-changing play into a wasted card. By staying vigilant and having a contingency plan, you can keep your most treasured permanents safely under your control.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shifting Loyalties MTG card by a specific set like Fate Reforged, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Shifting Loyalties and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Shifting Loyalties has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Shifting Loyalties card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2014-11-24 Either target can have card types the other does not, as long as they share at least one card type. For example, you could target a creature and an artifact creature.
2014-11-24 Gaining control of an Aura or Equipment doesn’t cause it to move, though gaining control of an Equipment will allow you to activate its equip ability later to attach it to a creature you control.
2014-11-24 If another spell or ability allows you to change the targets of Shifting Loyalties (or perhaps copy it and choose new targets for the copy), you can change the targets only such that the final set of targets is still legal. For example, if Shifting Loyalties targets a creature you control and a creature an opponent controls, you couldn’t change just the second target to a noncreature permanent controlled by that player. You could, however, change just the second target to a creature controlled by a different opponent. The two new targets can share a different card type than the two original targets did.
2014-11-24 If one of the target permanents is an illegal target when Shifting Loyalties resolves, the exchange won’t happen. If both permanents are illegal targets (perhaps because they no longer share a card type), Shifting Loyalties won’t resolve.
2014-11-24 If the same player controls both permanents when Shifting Loyalties resolves, nothing happens.
2014-11-24 You don’t have to control either target permanent.