Copy

Copy effects create or change one object into a copy of another. This kind of effect frequently targets creatures, and is sometimes referred to as "cloning" in that case. The mechanic was introduced in Alpha, on the cards <c>Clone</c> and <c>Vesuvan Doppelganger</c>.
The exact result of a copy effect is a common source of confusion. In most cases, a copy ignores any temporary changes to the object, and is created with only the printed qualities of the original, which are called the "copiable values".
==Description==
===Copying permanents===
Effects that copy permanents either cause a card to enter the battlefield as a copy, change an existing object into a copy, or create a token copy. Only the "copiable values" of an object are copied - essentially the attributes that would be printed on a card directly - not subsequent modifications such as counters, attached permanents, or spell effects.
====Permanently====
Copying permanents permanently is primary in blue, which has permanents that choose another permanent to copy for the rest of the game. Sometimes they allow new choices to be made to change what they're copying. Green can copy its own creatures. White can copy tokens. 
Blue is primary in copying enchantments. White is secondary, but copying enchantments isn't done often. Blue can also copy planeswalkers.
Effects that copy permanent spells result in tokens once the copy of the spell resolves. <c>Lithoform Engine</c> was the first card to feature the line "Copy target permanent spell" in the rules text (as opposed to "copy instant or sorcery spell"). The multicolored <c>Garth One-Eye</c> from Modern Horizons 2 can create copies of specific permanent spells that weren't part of the game (<c>Black Lotus</c> and <c>Shivan Dragon</c>). 
====Temporarily====
Copying permanents temporarily is primary in red and secondary in blue. Red has effects that temporarily cause one creature to copy another, usually until end of turn, as well as abilities that create token copies that are exiled at end of turn. Blue's cards in this category include straightforward targeted copies (<c>Shapesharer</c>), permanents that change into copies based on unpredictable conditions (<c>Renegade Doppelganger</c>), effects that cause all permanents of a certain type to copy another permanent of that type (<c>Masterful Replication</c>), and other unique effects.
===Copying spells===
Copying spells (usually templated as "Copy target instant or sorcery spell. You may choose new targets for the copy") is primary in both blue and red. This ability is mostly done outside of common. A second template was developed (when you cast your next instant or sorcery spell, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy) to work as a planeswalker loyalty ability (<c>Chandra, the Firebrand</c>), which was later printed as the first common spell copier (<c>Teach by Example</c>). These are not "tokens" as they do not require a permanent representation, but act similarly in some respects: they exist in the zone they are created in, don't have an associated card, and cease to exist once they leave that zone, usually by resolving.
Several spells specify copying a sorcery or instant "card", then allow a player to "cast the copy". In these cases, the only place the copy will actually exist is in the zone it was created in, and on the stack, but the player must go through the casting process as if casting the spell from the hand. The most obscure version is Epic, where the copy is directly put on the stack without casting and potentially without a visible source.
A small number of creatures have the ability to copy spells that target them, often with the copies targeting one or more other creatures.
A growing number of cards can copy permanent spells, which become tokens once the copy of the spell resolves. However, these copies are still spells until they leave the stack, and can therefore be countered, re-copied, or otherwise targeted just like other spells on the stack.
Two spells have the specific clause of "This spell can't be copied". <c>Display of Power</c> and <c>See Double</c> copy multiple spells at a time, potentially a second version of themselves, so the clause is added to avoid an easy infinite loop.
Once on the stack, a copy of a spell is similar to an ability: it's not represented by a physical marker, so players simply remember it's on the stack until it resolves or otherwise leaves the stack, at which point it ceases to exist. Under this logic, permanent spell copies would also disappear, but this was modified in Zendikar Rising to allow it to function. Casting decisions and actions such as payment of kicker costs, modal choices, spliced effects, and the value of are included in the copy.
Unlike with copies of permanents, no cards cause spells to become copies of completely different spells. However, there are special cases that come close:
*'s original printing ambiguously stated that it is "treated as" a copy of another spell, before receiving errata to function like other effects that create separate copies.
*<c>Ertai's Meddling</c> was printed without involving copies, but now functions by exiling a spell and later returning it to the stack as a copy of the original spell. This uses the mechanics of copying to restore all attributes and decisions of the spell as it was originally cast, despite leaving the stack for multiple turns. It is the only card that copies an object which had ceased to exist on a previous turn.
===Copying abilities===
Copying abilities was one of the last designs to be printed; <c>Rings of Brighthearth</c> was the first, copying activated abilities. The cards that could do so had to be phrased as to avoid suggesting that one could loop mana abilities for infinite mana - as mana abilities don't use the stack, copy effects cannot "locate" such an ability. <c>Strionic Resonator</c> was the first to do so for triggered abilities. An alternative template which avoids the word "copy" was developed in <c>Panharmonicon</c>, which is phrased as "triggers an additional time", which nonetheless results in two copies of a triggered ability.
===Duplicating cards===
Some digital cards conjure duplicates of other cards into the hand. These use the term "duplicate" rather than "copy" to demonstrate they follow different rules than copying: conjured cards have the attributes of a printed card, not the copiable values of an object as it exists in the current game state; they are also treated as non-token cards, so they continue to exist as they move between zones.
==Rules==
===Effect interactions===
Copy effects form layer 1, the lowest and earliest layer, in the layer system dictating the interaction of continuous effects. This ensures that the copiable values of an object are unchanged from the printed values at the moment that copy effects should apply. It also means that all non-copy effects are applied to the copied values rather than the printed values of the card. All together, it creates a metaphor that the copy was actually printed with the copied values, and then other effects made further modifications to that card just as they would to any other.
Copy effects last as long as their abilities declare, regardless of changes to the status of the card that became a copy. This creates confusing interactions with cards that transform or turn face up or down.
*A card that transforms but is also a copy of something, remains a copy of what it was before, even though it does change which face is turned up on the playing surface. Changing the card face has no actual effect on the object's values until the copy effect ends, since the copy effect supersedes either side of the printed card.
*On the other hand, characteristics applied by a card being face-down come after copy effects. Thus, a face-down creature that receives a copy effect will have its copied values superseded by the fact that it is still face down, and will keep whatever characteristics it got when it became face-down, typically a colorless 2/2 creature. However, if it ever turns face up while the copy effect is still active, it will take on the copied values at that time because the face-down characteristics cease to apply.
==Copiable values==
The copiable values of an object are its name, mana cost, color indicator, card type, subtype, supertype, rules text, power, toughness, and loyalty. These values are usually copied exactly as printed. However, copy effects do respect changes to those values resulting from other copy effects, face-down status, and some effects that set a creature's power or toughness. The last are only considered if they have the wording "as [the object] enters the battlefield" or "as [the object] is turned face up".
Additionally, for objects on the stack (that is, spells or effects that have not yet resolved), copies also copy any choices made while casting it, such as mode, targets, or additional or alternate costs that were paid. Many, but not all, effects that copy spells allow the controller of the copy to choose new targets for that copy.
===Information not copied===
Counters on the object being copied and objects attached to it, such as Auras or Equipment, are not copied, and neither are the effects granted by them. The effects of non-copy abilities are not copied, regardless of whether they are temporary or permanent as applied to the original card. For example, the effects of <c>Giant Growth</c>, <c>Glorious Anthem</c>, or <c>Sneak Attack</c> are not copied. The effects of <c>Veiled Serpent</c> or <c>Figure of Destiny</c> are not copied either, although the abilities themselves are copied.
The collective status of the original object is also not copied. Unless otherwise stated, the copy will be created untapped, unflipped, face-up, and phased-in.
Information not on the face of the card that is showing is also not copied. More technically, copy effects only use the attributes of the object at the time it's copied, not the full card representing the object.
*A copy effect can only copy whichever of the two faces of a double-faced card (DFC) is turned up at that time. A copy of a transforming DFC cannot transform unless its underlying card is also transforming DFC; confusingly, even if it does transform, it will still remain a copy of whichever face was first copied, not the opposite side. If the copy effect ends, it will then have the characteristics of the underlying card's transformed side, since it did indeed transform.
**For example, if an Incubator that has been temporarily copied to be a <c>Khenra Spellspear</c> transforms using the Spellspear's transform ability, it will remain a copy of the Spellspear and not its back face, <c>Gitaxian Spellstalker</c>. Once the copy effect lapses, however, the result will be an Incubator that has been transformed.
*Copies of melded creatures simply have the attributes of the melded creature on a single card or token.
*Copies of back faces of transforming DFCs or melded creatures did not copy the casting cost on the front face of those cards, so they have a mana value of zero.
*A copy effect "cannot see" the original attributes of a face-down card. Therefore a copy of such a creature will acquire the copiable values of the creature as it exists face down - typically a 2/2 colorless, costless, nameless, subtypeless creature - but it will be face up. Such a copy is unable to morph, and never acquires the face-up characteristics of the original creature, since they were not visible at the time the copy began.
==Copy tokens==
File:2XM Copy.jpg|Double Masters copy token "of a permanent"
File:VOW Copy.jpg|Crimson Vow copy token "of something else"
;Test cards
==See also==
*Double team
==References==
Category:Miscellaneous mechanics