Can a Creature with Summoning Sickness Be Tapped by Another Card?
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Yes, a creature with summoning sickness can be tapped by another card or effect, provided that the effect does not rely on the creature’s own activated ability with the tap symbol ({T}) in its cost. Let’s delve into the nuances of this rule, explore the limitations, and consider some common scenarios.
Understanding Summoning Sickness
Before diving deeper, it’s crucial to understand what summoning sickness is. A creature is considered to have summoning sickness when it has entered the battlefield under your control this turn. This prevents the creature from:
- Attacking.
- Using activated abilities with the tap symbol ({T}) or the untap symbol ({Q}) in their cost.
However, summoning sickness does not prevent a creature from:
- Blocking.
- Using triggered abilities.
- Using activated abilities that don’t involve tapping or untapping as a cost.
- Being targeted by spells or abilities of other players.
The Key Distinction: Activated Abilities vs. Other Effects
The pivotal point to remember is the difference between a creature using its own activated ability requiring a tap, and another card or effect forcing the tap. A creature suffering from summoning sickness cannot utilize its own activated ability if it requires tapping as a cost. However, an external source can circumvent this restriction.
For instance, if you control a card like [[Icy Manipulator]], you can tap a creature that just entered the battlefield this turn. The key is that you, the player, are using [[Icy Manipulator]]’s ability, not the summoning sick creature’s ability, to apply the tap effect.
Example: You play a Grizzly Bears. It has summoning sickness. You also control an [[Arrest]]. You can cast [[Arrest]] on your own Grizzly Bears. It’s now useless and can’t do anything because it’s Arrested.
Important Exception: A creature with Haste bypasses summoning sickness. This means that if a creature enters the battlefield under your control and has Haste, it can attack or use activated abilities with a tap symbol immediately, negating the usual summoning sickness restrictions.
Practical Applications
Knowing this distinction is essential in numerous situations. Here are a few common scenarios where this interaction is relevant:
- Crewing Vehicles: Creatures with summoning sickness can be used to crew vehicles. Crewing is not an activated ability of the creature; it’s an action taken by the player using the vehicle’s activated ability.
- Convoke: Similarly, creatures with summoning sickness can be tapped to pay for the cost of spells with Convoke.
- Sacrifice Effects: Summoning sickness does not prevent a creature from being sacrificed. Sacrifice effects are generally costs paid for spells or abilities, and aren’t considered activated abilities on the creature unless that creature is the source of the sacrifice effect and tapping it is part of the cost.
- Goad: Creatures with summoning sickness cannot attack if they’re goaded, unless they have Haste. The “must attack” clause of goad does not override summoning sickness and does not allow you to tap the creature if its attack is prevented by summoning sickness.
FAQs: Summoning Sickness and Tapping
Here are some frequently asked questions to solidify your understanding of how summoning sickness interacts with tapping in “Magic: The Gathering”:
1. Can I tap my creature with summoning sickness to crew a vehicle?
Yes. Crewing a vehicle is an ability of the vehicle, not the creature. Therefore, summoning sickness does not prevent a creature from crewing a vehicle.
2. If I control a card like [[Opposition]], can I tap a creature with summoning sickness?
Yes, absolutely. The ability of [[Opposition]] allows you to tap another player’s creature, regardless of whether that creature has summoning sickness. You are using the effect of [[Opposition]], not the creature’s own ability.
3. Can I tap a creature with summoning sickness to pay a cost for Convoke?
Yes, you can. Tapping a creature to pay for a Convoke cost is not considered using an activated ability of the creature.
4. Does summoning sickness prevent me from sacrificing a creature?
No. Summoning sickness only restricts attacking and using activated abilities that involve tapping or untapping. Sacrificing is a separate action and is not affected.
5. What if a card says, “Tap target creature.” Can I target a creature with summoning sickness?
Yes. You can target a creature with summoning sickness with such a card. The card will then tap the creature, regardless of its summoning sickness.
6. If a creature has an ability that says “Tap this creature,” can I use it if the creature has summoning sickness?
No. If the activated ability of the creature itself requires tapping as a cost, you cannot use it while the creature has summoning sickness.
7. Does summoning sickness affect creatures with Haste?
No. Haste overrides the restrictions imposed by summoning sickness. A creature with Haste can attack and use its tap abilities the turn it enters the battlefield under your control.
8. Can I block with a creature that has summoning sickness?
Yes, you can. Summoning sickness only prevents attacking and using tap/untap activated abilities. Blocking is permitted.
9. If I gain control of an opponent’s creature, does it have summoning sickness?
Yes. Any time a creature comes under your control, whether you played it or gained control of it, it has summoning sickness until the start of your next turn.
10. Does summoning sickness affect planeswalkers?
No. Summoning sickness only affects creatures. Planeswalkers can be used the turn they come into play. You may activate one loyalty ability per Planeswalker per turn any time you could cast a sorcery.
11. Can I use a creature with summoning sickness to trigger another card’s ability?
Yes, provided that the trigger condition is not tapping. For example, if a creature with summoning sickness entering the battlefield triggers an ability on another permanent, that trigger still happens.
12. If a creature has an ability that requires me to tap another creature, can I tap a creature with summoning sickness?
Yes. You are using the ability of the first creature, not the second, so summoning sickness doesn’t apply.
13. Can I enchant a creature with summoning sickness?
Yes, you can enchant a creature with summoning sickness. Summoning sickness does not prevent the enchantment.
14. If I cast a spell that turns a land into a creature, does that land-creature have summoning sickness?
Yes. Because the land is now a creature, it is subject to summoning sickness.
15. Does summoning sickness apply to token creatures?
Yes. Token creatures are still creatures, so they are affected by summoning sickness just like any other creature.
Final Thoughts
Understanding the nuances of summoning sickness and its interactions with various card effects is crucial for playing “Magic: The Gathering” effectively. While a creature with summoning sickness can’t use its own tap abilities, external effects can tap it. Remembering this distinction will help you make informed decisions and capitalize on strategic opportunities in your games.
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