Can Creatures with Summoning Sickness Be Sacrificed?
Fast answer first. Then use the tabs or video for more detail.
- Watch the video explanation below for a faster overview.
- Game mechanics may change with updates or patches.
- Use this block to get the short answer without scrolling the whole page.
- Read the FAQ section if the article has one.
- Use the table of contents to jump straight to the detailed section you need.
- Watch the video first, then skim the article for specifics.
Yes, absolutely! A creature with summoning sickness can be sacrificed. The restriction imposed by summoning sickness only prevents a creature from attacking or using activated abilities that include the tap symbol as part of their cost. Sacrificing a creature, on the other hand, is a different action entirely and is unaffected by summoning sickness. This distinction is crucial for understanding card interactions and strategy in Magic: The Gathering.
Understanding Summoning Sickness
What is Summoning Sickness?
In MTG, summoning sickness is a temporary condition applied to creatures when they enter the battlefield under a player’s control. Think of it as a period of “dazed confusion” as the creature adjusts to its new environment. This effect lasts from the moment the creature enters the battlefield until the beginning of the creature’s controller’s next turn.
What Summoning Sickness Prevents
Specifically, summoning sickness prevents a creature from doing two things:
- Attacking: A creature with summoning sickness cannot be declared as an attacker during combat.
- Using Tap Abilities: A creature with summoning sickness cannot use activated abilities that have the tap symbol (⟳) as part of their activation cost. This restriction applies only to tap abilities.
What Summoning Sickness Does NOT Prevent
Critically, summoning sickness does not restrict any other actions you can take with the creature. You can still:
- Target the creature with spells and abilities.
- Enchant the creature with auras.
- Attach equipment to the creature.
- Block with the creature (if it’s not attacking).
- Sacrifice the creature.
Why Sacrificing is Not Affected
The action of sacrificing a creature moves it from the battlefield directly to its owner’s graveyard. This action isn’t considered attacking or tapping, so it is entirely unaffected by the restrictions of summoning sickness. Many cards and strategies in MTG rely on sacrificing creatures, and the fact that summoning sickness doesn’t interfere is very important. This opens a lot of creative and powerful card interactions and combos.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the rules around summoning sickness, sacrificing, and related mechanics in Magic: The Gathering:
FAQ 1: Can I block with a creature that has summoning sickness?
Yes, you can absolutely block with a creature that has summoning sickness. Summoning sickness only prevents a creature from attacking and using its own tap abilities. Blocking is a defensive action that is unaffected.
FAQ 2: Can I use an ability to target a creature with summoning sickness?
Yes, you can freely target a creature with summoning sickness with spells or abilities. Summoning sickness does not prevent a creature from being a valid target for other spells and effects.
FAQ 3: If a creature has haste, does it still have summoning sickness?
Yes, a creature with haste still technically has summoning sickness, but the ability to attack and use its tap abilities is not affected by summoning sickness. Haste bypasses the normal limitations, but the creature will still be considered summoning sick until the end of your turn. If the creature were to lose haste that same turn, it would be restricted.
FAQ 4: Can I sacrifice a creature with decayed?
Yes, you can sacrifice a creature with decayed. Decayed only prevents a creature from attacking on the turn it entered the battlefield and then triggers a sacrifice effect at the end of combat if the decayed creature attacks. You can sacrifice the decayed creature normally on the turn it was summoned if you chose not to attack with it.
FAQ 5: Can I sacrifice a creature to pay for the cost of an ability of a card that has summoning sickness?
Yes, you can. If the ability has the cost of sacrificing a creature, the creature can be sacrificed, even if it has summoning sickness. Summoning sickness does not affect other cards from activating their abilities. If the ability of a card with summoning sickness has a cost that requires that card to tap and it has summoning sickness, you cannot use that ability because of summoning sickness.
FAQ 6: Can I sacrifice a creature in response to my opponent trying to sacrifice it?
No. You cannot sacrifice your creature in response to it being sacrificed, only the player with control of the card can sacrifice it.
FAQ 7: What happens if I sacrifice a creature with regenerate?
Sacrificing is not destruction; therefore, regeneration will not affect this action. The creature goes to the graveyard, and regeneration will not save it.
FAQ 8: Can I sacrifice the same creature twice?
No, you cannot sacrifice the same creature twice to satisfy the costs of multiple activated abilities. Each sacrifice pays for only one cost. Once a creature is sacrificed, it is moved to the graveyard and is no longer available to be sacrificed again.
FAQ 9: Does Deathtouch cancel deathtouch?
No, instances of deathtouch do not cancel each other out. Deathtouch means that any damage a creature with deathtouch deals to another creature is considered lethal damage. In a deathtouch vs deathtouch scenario, both creatures will be destroyed.
FAQ 10: Can I sacrifice a creature on my opponent’s turn?
A player can only sacrifice permanents that they control. You cannot sacrifice another player’s creatures. You may only sacrifice a card that you own and control.
FAQ 11: Can I sacrifice a 0/0 creature?
No, you cannot sacrifice a 0/0 creature. A 0/0 creature will die immediately due to State-Based Actions before you can activate any abilities requiring a sacrifice.
FAQ 12: Can I sacrifice a creature I control but don’t own?
Yes, you can sacrifice a creature you control, even if you don’t own it. You just have to be the controller of the card. The creature will go to the graveyard, but the card will return to its owner’s graveyard.
FAQ 13: What happens if I sacrifice a creature with a shield counter?
Shield counters do not prevent sacrifice. Sacrificing is not a form of destruction, therefore it ignores shield counters. Shield counters are only removed in response to the creature being dealt damage.
FAQ 14: What happens if I sacrifice an exploit creature on the turn it entered the battlefield?
An exploit creature can be sacrificed to its own ability. The exploit ability is a may ability, meaning you don’t have to sacrifice a creature to activate it. You can also sacrifice any creature, even a summoning sick one, to pay the cost of the exploit ability.
FAQ 15: Does Gift of Immortality trigger with sacrifice?
Yes, Gift of Immortality will trigger when the enchanted creature is sacrificed. It will return the creature from the graveyard to the battlefield.
Conclusion
Understanding the nuances of summoning sickness and its interactions with other game mechanics like sacrificing is essential for competitive play and strategic deck building in MTG. Remember, summoning sickness only prevents attacking and using tap abilities, and does not hinder other actions, especially sacrificing creatures. Armed with this knowledge, you can make more informed decisions and outmaneuver your opponents.