This is exactly what Magic: The Gathering pushes us to do more of with every set, and Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (2022) was certainly no exception when it debuted one of its hallmark mechanics: Reconfigure.

With Reconfigure, your artifact creatures gain the capability to transform from creatures to equipment and back again, always ready to adapt to any situation. However, with this innovative flexibility comes the need to understand some of the mechanic's finer details.

And that's why I'm here. In today's Mechanics Overview segment, I'm here to give you a closer look at how Reconfigure works, address some of its more notable rulings and interactions, and explore how this mechanic can help you improve your strategies, adapt to your opponent, and overcome any challenges that may come your way in your next game!

What is Reconfigure?

Reconfigure is a keyword ability that appears exclusively on artifact creatures with the subtype "Equipment". This combination might seem unusual at first since creatures are traditionally unable to function as equipment, but Reconfigure allows these artifact creatures to double as both!

Here's a quick rundown of how it all goes down:

• Entering as a Creature: Cards with Reconfigure enter the battlefield as artifact creatures. At this stage, they behave just like any other creature; they can attack, block, and be targeted by spells that affect creatures.
• Transforming into Equipment: For a cost specified on the card (a.k.a. the "Reconfigure cost"), you can attach the Reconfigure card to a creature you control. When attached, it ceases to be a creature and functions as an equipment, granting the equipped creature its abilities, stats, or other benefits.
• Switching Back to Creature Mode: You can also pay the Reconfigure cost to unattach the card, transforming it back into an artifact creature.

Figuring Out Reconfigure

As promised, let's break down some of the more intricate rulings and interactions regarding Reconfigure so you can make the most out of your Cyberpunk Transformers:

How Reconfigure Abilities Actually Work

Essentially, Reconfigure gives a card two distinct activated abilities:

[Cost]: Attach this permanent to another target creature you control. Activate only as a sorcery.

[Cost]: Unattach this permanent. Activate only if this permanent is attached to a creature and only as a sorcery.

These abilities let you attach and detach your Reconfigure creature at will, provided it's during your main phase when the stack is empty. This sorcery-speed limitation is important to note because it means you can't use Reconfigure in response to something happening during combat or at instant speed. You'll have to plan your moves carefully during your own turn.

What Happens When You Attach a Reconfigure Creature

When you attach a Reconfigure card to a creature, it stops being a creature. This means that as long as it's attached to another creature, the Reconfigure card is now just an equipment - it loses any creature-specific attributes, including power, toughness, and creature subtypes.

Tapping and Reconfigure

One of the quirks of Reconfigure is how it interacts with tapping. Unlike creatures, equipment doesn't tap when it's attached to a creature, and this holds true for Reconfigure cards as well.

If the equipped creature becomes tapped, the equipment remains untapped.

For example, if you have a creature equipped with Rabbit Battery and that creature attacks, only the creature taps for combat--not the equipment. After combat, you could use the Reconfigure ability to unattach Rabbit Battery, leaving it untapped and ready to block during your opponent's turn.

If the Reconfigure equipment is tapped, it can still be attached or unattached.

Being tapped doesn't prevent the Reconfigure ability from being activated. So, if you somehow tap a Reconfigure creature before attaching it as equipment, you can still use its Reconfigure ability, though it won't untap just because it's equipped. (Urza enjoyers, rejoice!)

Losing Abilities Mid-Attachment

If a Reconfigure creature somehow loses its abilities while attached as equipment, it will remain attached and continue functioning as an equipment. Even though it no longer has the ability to "reconfigure," it stays in its current mode - equipment mode - until it becomes unattached.

Interactions with Auras and Other Equipment

When a Reconfigure creature stops being a creature, Auras or Equipment attached to it that specifically enchant or equip creatures will fall off. This happens because the Reconfigure card is no longer a valid target for "creature" enchantments or equip abilities. For instance, if your Reconfigure card is enchanted by an Aura like Audacity, Audacity will go to the graveyard when the Reconfigure card turns into equipment, as it is no longer a creature.

Attaching by Other Means

Though Reconfigure provides its own abilities to attach to creatures, it's not the only way you can attach a Reconfigure card. For instance, effects like those of Brass Squire - which let you attach an equipment to a creature - can also be used to attach Reconfigure creatures. These abilities can give you ways to bypass the sorcery-speed restriction of Reconfigure and attach your equipment during combat or on an opponent's turn, though the creature will still stop being a creature once attached.

Reconfiguring Is Not Equipping

This might be one of the more confusing aspects of the mechanic: Reconfigure is not the same as equip. (Yes, I said it.) Although both abilities result in attaching equipment to a creature, they are governed by different rules. Cards that interact specifically with "equip," such as Fighter Class or Leonin Shikari, don't work with Reconfigure since Reconfigure is considered a different ability altogether.

However, Equipment decks with cards that affect equipment in general - without referencing "equip" directly - work just fine. For instance, Sigarda's Aid allows equipment to attach for free as it enters the battlefield, which includes Reconfigure cards like Lizard Blades or Ogre-Head Helm.

A Reconfigure Card Can Never Equip Itself

Kind of a 404 error situation here, but a Reconfigure card cannot be attached to itself. Even if an effect tries to make this happen, nothing occurs. MTG's rules prevent an object from targeting itself in this way, so no matter what happens, your Reconfigure card will never equip itself, and the ability will simply fizzle.

What Happens When the Equipped Creature Dies?

If the creature equipped with a Reconfigure card dies, the Reconfigure card immediately stops being equipment and turns back into a creature. So, instead of sitting idle like a traditional piece of equipment, the Reconfigure creature reenters the battlefield as an artifact creature, ready to attack or block on its own.

The Future of Reconfigure

Looking ahead, Reconfigure definitely feels like a mechanic that has just scratched the surface of its potential. After all, we've already seen Reconfigure cards like The Reality Chip and Lion Sash make a splash across multiple formats, proving that Reconfigure has the depth to become a staple mechanic in Magic: The Gathering's competitive scene. And if future sets continue to refine and expand on Reconfigure, we could be looking at a mechanic that becomes a key part of many players' decks, offering both adaptability and resilience-qualities that are absolutely vital in any successful strategy.