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Equipping at Instant Speed: A Comprehensive Magic: The Gathering Guide

The burning question on every aspiring artificer’s mind: Can you equip things at instant speed in Magic: The Gathering? The short answer is generally no. The standard Equip ability is explicitly tied to sorcery speed, meaning you can only activate it during your main phase when the stack is empty and you have priority. However, as with many things in Magic, exceptions exist. Some cards possess abilities that allow for equipment attachment at instant speed, injecting a dose of reactivity into your strategy. Let’s delve deeper into the mechanics and nuances of equipping.

Understanding the Equip Ability

The core of equipment lies in the Equip ability. This activated ability, defined by the rules, dictates when and how you can attach a piece of equipment to a creature you control. As a refresher, “Equip [cost]” means “[Cost]: Attach this permanent to target creature you control. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.”

Sorcery Speed Limitation

The phrase “only any time you could cast a sorcery” is the key. It means you can only activate the Equip ability during your own main phase, when the stack is empty, and you have priority. This limitation prevents you from equipping reactively in response to opponent actions during combat or other phases. It ensures that equipment attachment is a planned strategic maneuver rather than a spontaneous defensive tactic.

The Stack and Priority

Understanding the stack and priority is fundamental to grasping the limitations of the Equip ability. In Magic, spells and abilities don’t resolve immediately. Instead, they go onto the stack, a virtual holding area where players can respond to them before they take effect. You, as the active player, have the first chance to put a spell or ability on the stack during your turn, and you automatically get priority to do so. However, before any spell or ability can resolve from the stack, both players must pass priority in succession. The Equip ability follows this, adding extra steps and thus, cannot be done at instant speed.

Exceptions to the Rule: Instant Speed Equip

While the standard Equip ability is restricted to sorcery speed, certain cards offer alternate methods for attaching equipment that bypass this limitation. These exceptions often involve triggered abilities or unique card-specific mechanics.

Card-Specific Abilities

A notable example is Cranial Plating. While its normal Equip ability follows the standard sorcery speed restriction, it also has another ability that specifically allows attachment at instant speed.

“Equip {1}“

“{B}{B}: Attach Cranial Plating to target creature you control. Activate only as an instant.”

This alternate ability allows you to pay {B}{B} to attach Cranial Plating to a creature at instant speed, enabling surprise blocks, combat tricks, and other reactive plays. Be sure to carefully read the text of each piece of equipment you use, as some may have special abilities that override the typical Equip ability.

Indirect Instant-Speed Equip

While less common, certain card interactions might create the illusion of equipping at instant speed. For example, a card that creates a token copy of a piece of equipment and attaches it to a creature could effectively put a new piece of equipment onto the battlefield at instant speed, even if the original could not be equipped in that way.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Equipping

Here are 15 FAQs to further clarify the intricacies of equipping in Magic: The Gathering:

Can you equip as a response? Usually, no. The standard Equip ability can only be activated at sorcery speed. Unless a card specifically grants you the ability to equip at instant speed, you cannot respond to opponent actions by equipping.
Can you equip during combat? No. The Equip ability is restricted to your main phase when the stack is empty and you have priority. This means you can’t activate it during the combat phase.
Can you equip equipment on an opponent’s turn? Normally, no. The Equip ability requires you to target a creature you control. However, some cards exist that allow you to control your opponent’s creatures. In that case, you could pay the equip cost and attach it to your opponent’s creature.
Can you unequip at instant speed? Generally, no. You can only unequip a piece of equipment by moving it to another creature by paying the equip cost, or if a card ability allows you to unequip at instant speed.
Is equip always a sorcery? Yes, unless an effect specifically states otherwise. The default behavior of the Equip ability is always at sorcery speed.
Can you equip a Living Weapon at instant speed? No. While Living Weapon enters the battlefield attached to a Germ token, its standard Equip ability still follows the sorcery speed restriction.
Is equip a targeted ability? Yes. The Equip ability targets the creature to which the equipment will be attached.
Does shroud prevent equipment? Yes. Because the Equip ability targets a creature, creatures with shroud (which cannot be the target of spells or abilities) cannot be equipped.
Does hexproof prevent equipment? Yes and no. Hexproof only prevents permanents or players from being targeted by spells or abilities that your opponent controls. Therefore, if you have a creature with hexproof, you are not able to equip it.
Can you equip a creature that is already equipped? Yes. You can pay the equip cost to move a piece of equipment from one creature to another.
What happens when an equipped creature leaves the battlefield? Unlike auras, equipment remains on the battlefield when the equipped creature dies. You can then re-equip it to another creature by paying the equip cost.
Does indestructible prevent deathtouch when a creature is equipped? Indestructible creatures are immune to deathtouch. A creature with indestructible simply will not be destroyed by damage from a creature with deathtouch.
Does double strike beat deathtouch in combat with an equipped creature? It depends on who attacks/blocks. If your creature with double strike blocks a creature with deathtouch, your creature will deal damage first in the first combat damage step, potentially destroying the deathtouch creature before it can deal damage back in the normal combat damage step. If a creature with double strike attacks, and a creature with deathtouch blocks, the blocker will still deal damage.
Can you cast an instant before the untap step? Yes. There is an end step that comes before the untap step where you can cast instants.
Do enchantments count as spells? Enchantments are only spells while they are being cast and are on the stack. Once they resolve and are on the battlefield, they are permanents.

Strategic Implications of Equipping

Equipping is more than just attaching a piece of metal to a creature; it’s a strategic decision that can drastically alter the course of a game. While the sorcery speed limitation of the standard Equip ability forces you to plan ahead, it also creates opportunities for mind games and calculated risks. Do you equip early and leave yourself vulnerable to removal? Or do you hold back, waiting for the perfect moment to strike? This is just like when Games Learning Society strives to teach players how to think strategically in a game. GamesLearningSociety.org offers a range of perspectives on how games enhance our abilities.

Understanding the nuances of equipping, including the rare exceptions that allow for instant speed plays, is crucial for mastering Magic: The Gathering. It adds another layer of complexity and strategic depth to the game, rewarding players who can anticipate their opponent’s moves and adapt their strategy accordingly.

Can you equip things at instant speed?