Cephalid Facetaker
Creature — Octopus Rogue
This creature can't be blocked.
At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may have this creature become a copy of another target creature until end of turn, except it's 1/4 and has "This creature can't be blocked."
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- New Capenna Commander
- Price
- $5.57
- EDHREC rank
- #6520
Cephalid Facetaker turns any unblocked attacker into a copy of whatever creature you want on the battlefield — at instant speed, for one blue mana — which is an absurd amount of value for a one-drop. In Kamiz, Obscura Oculus decks it routinely becomes Mirror-Mad Phantasm or another high-stat threat the moment your connive trigger resolves, making it one of the most efficient role-players in that archetype.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Kamiz, Obscura Oculus
Kamiz, Obscura Oculus makes Cephalid Facetaker a staple because the commander's trigger already makes a creature unblocked — you cash in that free attack by morphing the creature into whatever high-value body is already on the board, turning a modest attacker into a second copy of your best threat at negligible cost.
Gonti, Canny Acquisitor
Gonti, Canny Acquisitor runs Cephalid Facetaker to copy the opponents' best creatures it steals or attacks past, layering stolen-card value on top of a cheap disguise effect that costs almost nothing to hold up.
Anowon, the Ruin Thief
Anowon, the Ruin Thief wants unblocked Rogues, and Cephalid Facetaker is itself a Rogue that makes each attack more threatening by threatening to become any creature on board — opponents must either block into the copy effect or eat more mill triggers.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Cephalid Facetaker earns its keep: battlefields are crowded with high-powered targets to copy, and the effect scales sharply with the power level of the table. In Legacy and Vintage it's legal but nearly invisible — those formats have no patience for a 1/1 that needs combat to do anything. Oathbreaker gives it a smaller stage where the creature density can still make it relevant, particularly in tempo-oriented lists that already want cheap blue bodies.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
Sakashima's Will and Mirrorweave hit the whole board but cost more mana and lose the instant-speed flexibility that makes Cephalid Facetaker unique. If you just need a cheap clone effect, Phantasmal Image at roughly the same price bracket copies any creature unconditionally the turn it enters — though it doesn't care about combat positioning the way Facetaker does, so it fits different shells.
Price Context
Current price
$5.57 mid tier
At $5.57, Cephalid Facetaker sits in mid-tier territory — noticeable in a budget build but not a barrier for most Commander players. It's a single-printing niche card with a devoted audience in Kamiz lists, so the price is unlikely to crater, but don't pay a premium for it when copies are readily available at or below that tag.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Mirror-Mad Phantasm
- Kamiz, Obscura Oculus
- Gonti, Canny Acquisitor
- Anowon, the Ruin Thief
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.