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Cryptic Pursuit

Card Name

Cryptic Pursuit

Mana Cost

2

Type

Enchantment

Rarity

Rare

rules Text

Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell from your hand, manifest the top card of your library. (Put that card onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it's a creature card.)Whenever a face-down creature you control dies, exile it if it's an instant or sorcery card. You may cast that card until the end of your next turn.

Legal Formats

Commander, Legacy, Vintage

Not Legal Formats

Alchemy, Brawl, Explorer, Historic, Modern, Pauper, Pioneer, Standard

Rulings

(4/29/2022)
The face-down permanent is a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It's colorless and has a mana value of 0. Other effects that apply to the permanent can still grant or change any of these characteristics.
(4/29/2022)
Any time you have priority, you may turn a manifested creature 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.
(4/29/2022)
If a manifested creature would have morph if it were face up, you may also turn it face up by paying its morph cost.
(4/29/2022)
Unlike a face-down creature that was cast using the morph ability, a manifested creature may still be turned face up after it loses its abilities if it's a creature card.
(4/29/2022)
Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it's turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn't cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger.
(4/29/2022)
Because face-down creatures don't have names, they can't have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature.
(4/29/2022)
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, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren't affected.
(4/29/2022)
Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn't change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped.
(4/29/2022)
You can look at a face-down permanent you control any time. You can't look at face-down permanents you don't control unless an effect allows you to or instructs you to.
(4/29/2022)
If a face-down permanent you control leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends.
(4/29/2022)
You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You're not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for indicating this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. You must also track how each became face down (manifested, cast face down using the morph ability, and so on).
(4/29/2022)
There are no cards in this set that would turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, but some older cards can try to do this. 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.
(4/29/2022)
If a double-faced card is manifested, 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.