Animate

An **animate** effect or spell turns a non-creature into a creature, most of the time for a certain amount of time. The mechanic was first introduced in *Alpha* with Animate Artifact and Animate Dead.

## Examples

### Animated Artifacts

Self-animating

* Angel's Tomb
* Cursed Mirror
* Dancing Sword
* Darksteel Brute
* Dire Mimic
* Ebony Fly
* Ensouled Scimitar
* Everythingamajig
* Eye of Malcator
* Fountain of Ichor
* Glint Hawk Idol
* Gruul War Plow
* Guardian Idol
* Haunted Plate Mail
* Jade Idol
* Jade Statue
* Levitating Statue
* Lifecraft Awakening
* Mimic
* Mirage Mirror
* Mirror of the Forebears
* Monument to Perfection
* Rusted Relic
* Sanguine Statuette
* Slumbering Tora
* Stuffed Bear
* Vehicles
* Xanthic Statue

*Chimeric* artifacts

* Chimeric Coils
* Chimeric Egg
* Chimeric Idol
* Chimeric Mass
* Chimeric Sphere
* Chimeric Staff

Keyrune megacycle from Return to Ravnica block

* Azorius Keyrune
* Boros Keyrune
* Dimir Keyrune
* Izzet Keyrune
* Golgari Keyrune
* Gruul Keyrune
* Orzhov Keyrune
* Rakdos Keyrune
* Selesnya Keyrune
* Simic Keyrune

Totem cycle from Time Spiral

* Chronatog Totem
* Foriysian Totem
* Phyrexian Totem
* Thunder Totem
* Weatherseed Totem

Monument cycle from Dragons of Tarkir

* Atarka Monument
* Dromoka Monument
* Kolaghan Monument
* Ojutai Monument
* Silumgar Monument

Animate others
Animating artifacts (target/all non-creature artifact(s) you control becomes an artifact creature) is primary in Blue and secondary in Green.

* Alloy Animist
* Animate Artifact
* Animating Faerie
* Armed and Armored (Vehicles)
* Bloodbat Summoner (Blood)
* Cyberdrive Awakener
* Ensoul Artifact
* Fluros of Myra's Marvels
* Ghirapur (becomes Vehicles)
* Karn's Touch
* Karn, Silver Golem
* Karn, the Great Creator
* Katsumasa, the Animator
* Kenku Artificer
* Lifecraft Awakening
* Majestic Metamorphosis
* March of the Machines
* Mech Hangar (Vehicles)
* A-Mightstone's Animation
* Mightstone's Animation
* Mizzium Transreliquat
* Mobilizer Mech (Vehicles)
* Peacewalker Colossus (Vehicles)
* Rise and Shine
* Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
* Skilled Animator
* Start Your Engines (Vehicles)
* Suit Up (Vehicles)
* Sydri, Galvanic Genius
* Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
* Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh
* Tezzeret, Cruel Machinist
* Tezzeret the Schemer
* Tezzeret the Seeker
* The Antiquities War
* The Blackstaff of Waterdeep
* Titania's Song
* Tough Cookie
* Toymaker
* True Polymorph
* Unctus's Retrofitter
* Vedalken Humiliator
* Vronos, Masked Inquisitor
* Workshop Elders
* Xenic Poltergeist
* Yotia Declares War

### Animated creature cards in the graveyard

This category is thin due to the inability of the rules engine to handle such effects - simple under-game actions, but messy to preserve the rules of card types. Effects of this type are unlikely to be printed going forward.

* Animate Dead
* Dance of the Dead
* Necromancy

### Animated Enchantments

Self-animating

* Answered Prayers
* Cacophony Unleashed
* Crystalline Resonance
* Daxos's Torment
* Halcyon Glaze
* Myth Realized
* Obscuring Aether
* Reptilian Reflection
* Riddleform
* Still Life
* Testament of Faith

Sleeping enchantments

* Hidden
	+ Hidden Ancients
	+ Hidden Gibbons
	+ Hidden Guerillas
	+ Hidden Herd
	+ Hidden Predators
	+ Hidden Spider
	+ Hidden Stag
* Lurking
	+ Lurking Evil
	+ Lurking Jackals
	+ Lurking Skirge
* Opal
	+ Opal Acrolith
	+ Opal Archangel
	+ Opal Avenger
	+ Opal Caryatid
	+ Opal Champion
	+ Opal Gargoyle
	+ Opal Guardian
	+ Opal Titan
* Veiled
	+ Veiled Apparition
	+ Veiled Crocodile
	+ Veiled Sentry
	+ Veiled Serpent
	+ Veil of Birds

Animate others
Animating enchantments (target/all non-aura enchantment(s) you control becomes an enchantment creature) is primary in White and secondary in Blue.

* Opalescence
* Starfield of Nyx
* Zur, Eternal Schemer

### Animated Instants and Sorceries

* Animate Spell
* Cloudform
* Formless Nurturing
* Illusionary Mask
* Lightform
* Primordial Mist
* Rageform

### Animated Lands

Land is the most popular card type to be animated. Green, as the color connected most closely to lands and creatures, is the color most likely to turn lands into creatures — usually still keeping them lands. The mechanic is secondary in red and tertiary in all other colors.

* Ambush Commander (Forests)
* Animate Land
* Anthousa, Setessan Hero
* Argothian Uprooting
* Avalanche Caller
* Awaken the Ancient
* Awakener Druid
* Awakening of Vitu-Ghazi
* Balduvian Conjurer
* Balduvian Frostwaker
* Clan Guildmage
* Corrupted Zendikon
* Crackling Emergence
* Crusher Zendikon
* Cyclone Sire
* Destiny Spinner
* Druid Class
* A-Druid Class
* Elemental Uprising
* Elvish Branchbender (Forest)
* Embodiment of Fury
* Embodiment of Insight
* Emergent Sequence
* Genju of the Cedars
* Genju of the Falls
* Genju of the Fens
* Genju of the Fields
* Genju of the Realm
* Genju of the Spires
* Guardian Zendikon
* Harmonious Emergence
* Hunting Wilds
* Hydroform
* Ignition Team
* Jolrael, Empress of Beasts
* Jolrael, Voice of Zhalfir
* Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
* Kamahl, Heart of Krosa
* Kamahl's Will
* Kormus Bell (Swamps)
* Koth of the Hammer (Mountain)
* Liege of the Tangle
* Life
* Life and Limb (Forests)
* Lifespark Spellbomb
* Living Lands (Forests)
* Living Plane
* Living Terrain
* A-Llanowar Loamspeaker
* Llanowar Loamspeaker
* Mishra's Groundbreaker
* Natural Affinity
* Natural Emergence
* Nature's Revolt
* Nissa, Sage Animist
* Nissa of Shadowed Boughs
* Nissa, Steward of Elements
* Nissa, Vital Force
* Nissa, Who Shakes the World
* Nissa, Worldwaker
* Nissa's Zendikon
* Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper
* Obuun, Mul Daya Ancestor
* Primal Adversary
* Quirion Druid
* Rampaging Growth
* Rebuild the City
* Roaring Earth
* Rude Awakening
* Siege of Towers (Mountain)
* Silvanus's Invoker
* Soilshaper
* Skarrg Guildmage
* Spike Tiller
* Sylvan Awakening
* A-Tatyova, Steward of Tides
* Tatyova, Steward of Tides
* Tawnos's Tinkering
* Thelonite Druid (Forests)
* Titania, Gaea Incarnate
* Vastwood Animist
* Vastwood Zendikon
* Vengeant Earth
* Verdant Touch
* Vivify
* Waker of the Wilds
* Wakeroot Elemental
* Wall of Resurgence
* Wind Zendikon
* Woodcaller Automaton
* Woodwraith Corrupter
* Wrenn and Realmbreaker

All cards with Awaken

* Boiling Earth
* Clutch of Currents
* Coastal Discovery
* Earthen Arms
* Encircling Fissure
* Mire's Malice
* Ondu Rising
* Part the Waterveil
* Planar Outburst
* Rising Miasma
* Roil Spout
* Ruinous Path
* Rush of Ice
* Scatter to the Winds
* Sheer Drop

If the land is self-animating, it is called a manland.

### Animated Planeswalkers

* Arlinn, the Moon's Fury
* Grand Master of Flowers
* Luxior, Giada's Gift
* Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
	+ Sarkhan The Masterless can animate all planeswalkers of his controller.
* Spark Rupture
* Sparkshaper Visionary
* Oko, the Trickster

#### Gideon Juras

The main design direction of Gideon is his ability to become a creature.

* Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
* Gideon, Battle-Forged
* Gideon Blackblade
* Gideon, Champion of Justice
* Gideon Jura
* Gideon, Martial Paragon
* Gideon of the Trials
* Gideon, the Oathsworn

## Variants

* Wakestone Gargoyle and Warmonger's Chariot allows creatures with defender to attack; thus Animate Wall and Rolling Stones only allows Wall to attack.
* Licids and Bronzehide Lion turn themselves into enchantments.
* Suit Up turns a creature or Vehicle into an artifact creature. Majestic Metamorphosis does the same for any artifact.
* Captain Rex Nebula turns a nonland into a Vehicle.

### "Enchantment-ize"

Some spells or effects turn non-enchantments into enchantments.

* Enchantmentize
* Kami of Transmutation
* One With the Stars
* Soul Sculptor

### "Artifact-ize"

Some spells or effects turn non-artifacts into artifacts.

* Applied Aeronautics (Contraption)
* Argent Mutation
* Ashnod's Transmogrant
* Auto-Key (Contraption)
* Kami of Transmutation
* In Too Deep
* Liquimetal Coating
* Liquimetal Torque
* Memnarch
* Minimus Containment
* Mycosynth Lattice
* Myr Landshaper
* Neurok Transmuter
* Optical Optimizer (Contraption)
* Phyrexian Scriptures
* Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
* Silverskin Armor
* Swift Reconfiguration
* Thran Forge
* Transmogrifying Licid
* Tread Mill (Contraption)
* True Polymorph
* Xathrid Gorgon

### "*Magic*-ize"

Some spells or effects turn non-game objects into *Magic: The Gathering* game objects.

* Animate Object
* Pippa, Duchess of Dice

## References

1. ↑ Magic Arcana (June 17, 2004). "The animating principle". *magicthegathering.com*. Wizards of the Coast.
2. ↑ ***a*** ***b*** Mark Rosewater (October 18, 2021). "Mechanical Color Pie 2021". *magicthegathering.com*. Wizards of the Coast.
3. ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 5, 2017). "Mechanical Color Pie 2017". *magicthegathering.com*. Wizards of the Coast.
4. ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 18, 2021). "Mechanical Color Pie 2021 Changes". *magicthegathering.com*. Wizards of the Coast.
5. ↑ Mark Rosewater (November 27, 2017). "*Unstable* Scraps, Part 1". *magicthegathering.com*. Wizards of the Coast.