Formless Genesis

Card text

Changeling (This card is every creature type.)

Create an X/X colorless Shapeshifter creature token with changeling and deathtouch, where X is the number of land cards in your graveyard.

Retrace (You may cast this card from your graveyard by discarding a land card in addition to paying its other costs.)

Market price

Latest aggregated market price for the normal finish of this printing: $0.27 (as of 2026-11-03).

The figure covers this printing only; other printings carry their own price on their own page.

Format legality

Legality of Formless Genesis by format. Formats in which it is not legal are not listed.

Other printings of Formless Genesis

Formless Genesis has been printed in 2 sets. The other printings are listed newest first, with the rarity and release year of each.

Official rulings

Seven official rulings apply to Formless Genesis, newest first.

• 2024-09-20 A retrace card cast from your graveyard follows the normal timing rules for its card type.
• 2024-09-20 The subtype Shapeshifter that appears on the type line is mostly there to reinforce the flavor. A spell or token with changeling is just as much an Elf, a Dwarf, a Sliver, a Goat, a Coward, and a Zombie as it is a Shapeshifter.
• 2024-09-20 The value of X is determined only once, as Formless Genesis resolves. The token's power and toughness won't change if the number of land cards in your graveyard later changes.
• 2024-09-20 When a retrace spell you cast from your graveyard resolves, fails to resolve, or is countered, it's put back into your graveyard. You may use the retrace ability to cast it again.
• 2024-09-20 Changeling is a characteristic-defining ability. It functions in all zones.
• 2024-09-20 If the active player casts a spell that has retrace, that player may cast that card again after it resolves, before another player can remove the card from the graveyard. The active player has priority after the spell resolves, so they can immediately cast a new spell. Since casting a card with retrace from the graveyard moves that card onto the stack, no one else would have the chance to affect it while it's still in the graveyard.
• 2024-09-20 Casting a card by using its retrace ability works just like casting any other spell, with two exceptions: You're casting it from your graveyard rather than your hand, and you must discard a land card in addition to any other costs.

Similar cards

Other kindred sorcery cards with a green colour identity, ranked by how often they appear in Commander decks.

• Elvish Promenade