Can a Creature Attack Its Owner in Magic: The Gathering?
The short answer is: No, in almost all normal circumstances, a creature cannot attack its controller (owner) in Magic: The Gathering (MTG). This is a fundamental rule of the game designed to prevent self-inflicted damage. The core gameplay of MTG revolves around players building armies of creatures to attack their opponents, not themselves. However, like most things in MTG, there are nuances and specific situations where this rule can be circumvented, and understanding them is crucial for mastering the game.
Understanding the Basics of Attacking
In MTG, combat is a critical phase of the game. During the combat phase, players declare which of their creatures will attack. Attacking is generally targeted towards an opponent or a planeswalker controlled by an opponent. Players are not permitted to attack themselves, their own creatures, or their own planeswalkers. This inherent rule ensures that players cannot be the direct victims of their own aggressive strategies. The primary goal of attacking is to reduce your opponents’ life totals to zero, or to reduce the loyalty of their planeswalkers to zero, thus eliminating them from the game.
The Role of Control
The concept of “control” is vital in MTG. The player who plays a card usually controls it. When a player controls a creature, that creature is part of their side of the board, available to attack opponents or defend against attacks. A controller cannot normally make their own creatures attack them. This mechanic encourages strategic thinking; players must carefully balance their offensive and defensive forces to achieve victory, instead of being concerned about their own creatures turning against them.
Circumventing the Rule: When It Seems Like It
While the base rule is quite firm, there are specific scenarios where it might appear that a creature is attacking its controller, but these usually involve specific card effects or corner cases:
- Mind Control Effects: Certain cards can take control of an opponent’s creature. If a player takes control of an opponent’s creature, that creature can then attack the original controller (now an opponent) or planeswalkers they control. The key distinction here is that the creature is now being controlled by a different player and is no longer “attacking its owner.”
- Creature Stealing: Similar to mind control, effects that completely transfer ownership of a creature can create situations where a player can, in effect, use their stolen creature against their original owner.
- Forced Attacks: There are some cards that have abilities that may force a creature to attack. Usually, those cards will have an additional ability that changes the default attack rule and allows a creature to attack its controller. These cards are exceptionally rare.
- Indirect Damage: While a creature can’t directly attack its controller, abilities that deal damage can be directed at the controller. For instance, a creature might have an ability that states “when this creature enters the battlefield deal 2 damage to its controller.” This is not an attack but a different card mechanic that deals direct damage and bypasses the attack phase rules.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can creatures you control attack your planeswalkers?
No, not directly. You cannot attack your own planeswalkers. Just like you cannot attack yourself, your creatures can only attack opponents and planeswalkers controlled by opponents.
2. Can you attack with a creature you just played?
No, generally, a creature can’t attack the same turn it’s played unless it has haste. This rule is often referred to as “summoning sickness.” A creature must be under your control at the beginning of your turn to attack that turn.
3. Can you attack with a creature that has 0 attack power?
Yes, a creature with 0 power can attack unless it also has defender. Damage is not the sole purpose of attacking; forcing your opponent to block can strategically be beneficial.
4. Can a creature with flying be blocked by a creature without flying?
No, in general. A creature with flying can only be blocked by other creatures with flying or with reach. This means that flying creatures have an advantage in combat.
5. What happens when a creature with deathtouch deals damage to a planeswalker?
Deathtouch only affects creatures. If a creature with deathtouch deals damage to a planeswalker, it will deal the normal damage; it will not destroy the planeswalker. You’ll need an additional ability, like that of Vraska, Swarm’s Eminence, to allow deathtouch to impact planeswalkers.
6. Can you block with a creature you just played?
Yes, while a newly played creature can’t attack that turn (without haste), it can be used to block incoming attacks. Summoning sickness only prevents attacking and tapping for abilities (unless they have haste or no tap symbol).
7. Can you tap a creature before it attacks?
No, you cannot tap a creature before it attacks to trigger other card abilities. You cannot do anything to a creature while attackers are being declared during the declare attackers step. However, you can tap creatures before attackers are declared.
8. Can you attack a creature directly?
No, in Magic, you can only attack a player or a planeswalker they control. You cannot attack another creature directly. Combat happens between the attacker and the blocker chosen by the defending player.
9. Does deathtouch beat indestructible?
No, indestructible creatures ignore the deathtouch effect. An indestructible creature will not be destroyed by damage from a creature with deathtouch.
10. Can two creatures block one attacker?
Yes, multiple defending creatures can block the same attacker. Each blocking creature only blocks one attacker, but multiple blockers can block the same attacker. The attacker deals damage only to the creatures blocking it.
11. Can you attack a planeswalker and a player in the same turn?
Yes, you can attack both a planeswalker and a player in the same turn. Each attacking creature can attack a different opponent or a different planeswalker.
12. Does first strike beat deathtouch?
Yes, usually. A creature with first strike will hit first, and can possibly destroy the deathtouch creature before it can deal damage.
13. Can vehicles attack in Magic?
Yes, vehicles can attack, but they need to be “crewed” by tapping creatures whose total power is equal to or greater than the vehicle’s crew cost. Once crewed, vehicles can attack and block like creatures.
14. Can you play more than one Planeswalker ability per turn?
No, you may only activate one loyalty ability per Planeswalker per turn, and only anytime you could cast a sorcery. However, you can activate a loyalty ability for each planeswalker you control in the same turn.
15. What happens when you have two planeswalkers with the same name?
The legend rule applies to planeswalkers. If you control more than one legendary planeswalker with the same name, you choose one to keep and put the others into their owners’ graveyards.
Conclusion
While the rule of “no attacking your own controller” is foundational to MTG gameplay, understanding the nuances and exceptions can significantly improve your game strategy. By recognizing these intricacies, players can navigate combat situations effectively and gain a competitive edge. MTG is a complex game with layers of rules, exceptions, and special situations. This complexity makes it engaging and rewarding for those who understand them, which contributes to its ongoing popularity and replayability.