Hidden Strings

Card text

You may tap or untap target permanent, then you may tap or untap another target permanent.

Cipher (Then you may exile this spell card encoded on a creature you control. Whenever that creature deals combat damage to a player, its controller may cast a copy of the encoded card without paying its mana cost.)

Market price

Latest aggregated market price for the normal finish of this printing: $0.35 (as of 2026-11-01).

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

Format legality

Legality of Hidden Strings by format. Formats in which it is not legal are not listed.

Other printings of Hidden Strings

Hidden Strings has been printed in 3 sets. The other printings are listed newest first, with the rarity and release year of each.

Official rulings

The 8 most recent official rulings for Hidden Strings, newest first.

• 2013-04-15 If the spell with cipher doesn’t resolve, none of its effects will happen, including cipher. The card will go to its owner’s graveyard and won’t be encoded on a creature.
• 2013-04-15 If a creature with an encoded card deals combat damage to more than one player simultaneously (perhaps because some of the combat damage was redirected), the triggered ability will trigger once for each player it deals combat damage to. Each ability will create a copy of the exiled card and allow you to cast it.
• 2013-04-15 You cast the copy of the card with cipher during the resolution of the triggered ability. Ignore timing restrictions based on the card’s type.
• 2013-04-15 The copy of the card with cipher is created in and cast from exile.
• 2013-04-15 If another player gains control of the creature, that player will control the triggered ability. That player will create a copy of the encoded card and may cast it.
• 2013-04-15 If the creature leaves the battlefield, the exiled card will no longer be encoded on any creature. It will stay exiled.
• 2013-04-15 The spell with cipher is encoded on the creature as part of that spell’s resolution, just after the spell’s other effects. That card goes directly from the stack to exile. It never goes to the graveyard.
• 2013-04-15 If you choose not to cast the copy, or you can’t cast it (perhaps because there are no legal targets available), the copy will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed. You won’t get a chance to cast the copy at a later time.

Similar cards

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

• Ponder
• Windfall