Unexplained Absence

Card text

For each player, exile up to one target nonland permanent that player controls. For each permanent exiled this way, its controller cloaks the top card of their library. (To cloak a card, put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature with ward {2}. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it's a creature card.)

Market price

Latest aggregated market price for the normal finish of this printing: $0.62 (as of 2026-11-11).

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

Format legality

Legality of Unexplained Absence by format. Formats in which it is not legal are not listed.

Other printings of Unexplained Absence

The other printings are listed newest first, with the rarity and release year of each.

Official rulings

The 8 most recent official rulings for Unexplained Absence, newest first.

• 2024-02-02 Any time you have priority, you can turn a cloaked permanent you control face-up by revealing that it’s a creature card (ignoring any copy effects or type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to.
• 2024-02-02 If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it’s an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won’t trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up.
• 2024-02-02 A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent and Auras and Equipment that were attached to that permanent aren’t affected unless the new characteristics of the object change the legality of those targets or attachments.
• 2024-02-02 Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn’t change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped.
• 2024-02-02 If a cloaked creature would have disguise (or morph) if it were face up, you may also turn it face up by paying its disguise (or morph) cost.
• 2024-02-02 If a double-faced card is cloaked, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up.
• 2024-02-02 Because face-down creatures don’t have a name, they can’t have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature.
• 2024-02-02 At any time, you can look at a face-down spell or permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents or spells you don’t control unless an effect instructs or allows you to do so.

Similar cards

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