Can I Have Two Planeswalkers Out at the Same Time? A Comprehensive Guide to Planeswalker Rules
The short answer is a resounding yes! You absolutely can have multiple planeswalkers on the battlefield at the same time, but with a critical caveat: you can’t control two planeswalkers with the exact same name. The “legend rule” applies to planeswalkers, and it’s crucial to understanding how they function in Magic: The Gathering. So, while you can’t have two copies of “Jace, the Mind Sculptor” staring each other down, you can have Jace, the Mind Sculptor alongside Jace Beleren, Jace, Unraveler of Secrets, or any other planeswalker with a different name. This opens up fascinating deck-building possibilities, allowing you to synergize different planeswalkers for powerful effects.
Understanding the Planeswalker Rules
The ability to have multiple planeswalkers on the board stems from a fundamental shift in how planeswalkers are treated. Early in Magic’s history, a specific “planeswalker uniqueness rule” governed them. This rule stated that if two or more planeswalkers with the same subtype (e.g., both were Jaces, both were Liliana’s) were on the battlefield under any player’s control, all of those planeswalkers were put into their owner’s graveyard.
However, this rule was phased out and replaced with the legend rule, a pre-existing rule that applied to legendary permanents. Because planeswalkers are now inherently legendary, this rule automatically applies to them.
The legend rule states that if a player controls two or more legendary permanents with the same name, that player chooses one of them to keep and puts the rest into their owner’s graveyard. Crucially, the planeswalker subtype (like “Jace” or “Liliana”) no longer dictates uniqueness; it’s solely the card name that matters.
This means you can build decks that take advantage of multiple planeswalkers with different names, creating complex board states and powerful synergies. The key is to understand the nuances of the legend rule and how it impacts your strategy. This is the type of complex strategy that is discussed by educators and game designers alike and that is shared at events by the Games Learning Society.
Key Takeaways
- The Legend Rule is Key: Planeswalkers are legendary permanents, and the legend rule applies.
- Card Name Matters: You can’t control two planeswalkers with the same card name.
- Subtype Doesn’t Matter (for uniqueness): You can control multiple planeswalkers with the same subtype (e.g., Jace, Liliana) as long as their card names are different.
- Strategic Deckbuilding: The rules open up opportunities for diverse and powerful planeswalker-centric decks.
Planeswalker FAQs
Let’s dive into some frequently asked questions to further clarify the rules surrounding planeswalkers and how they interact in a game of Magic: The Gathering.
FAQ 1: Can I activate multiple planeswalker abilities in a single turn?
Yes, you can activate one loyalty ability per planeswalker you control during each of your turns. This means if you have three different planeswalkers on the battlefield, you can activate one ability from each of them in a single turn. The timing restrictions are the same as when you could cast a sorcery.
FAQ 2: What happens if I play a planeswalker with the same name as one my opponent controls?
The legend rule only applies to planeswalkers under your control. Therefore, there is no interaction when you play a planeswalker with the same name as one your opponent controls. It is common to have the same planeswalkers in a multi-player commander game.
FAQ 3: Can I copy a planeswalker with a card like “Clone”?
Yes, you can. However, immediately after Clone enters the battlefield, it will check to see if you control another permanent with the same name. If you do, you must immediately sacrifice one of them. You will want to copy planeswalkers when they are entering the battlefield to get the most benefit.
FAQ 4: Do planeswalkers have summoning sickness?
Planeswalkers are permanents, not creatures. They do not suffer the effects of summoning sickness and can use loyalty abilities on the turn they enter the battlefield.
FAQ 5: Can I target a planeswalker with a burn spell like Lightning Bolt?
Yes, you can target planeswalkers with burn spells like Lightning Bolt. The Oracle text for Lightning Bolt, which can be found on Gatherer, states “any target”, which includes creatures, players and planeswalkers. Dealing damage to planeswalkers used to be handled by the “Planeswalker Redirection rule”, but this has since been removed.
FAQ 6: Does proliferate work on planeswalkers?
Yes, proliferate can be used to add loyalty counters to planeswalkers. Proliferate allows you to choose any number of permanents that already have counters on them, and add another counter of each type already present. Since planeswalkers have loyalty counters, they are valid targets for proliferate.
FAQ 7: Can I blink a planeswalker and use its ability again in the same turn?
Yes! If you flicker a planeswalker (exile it and then return it to the battlefield) it is treated as a brand new game object. This means you can activate a loyalty ability and then blink the planeswalker to use another ability on the same turn.
FAQ 8: Can I give a planeswalker +1/+1 counters or -1/-1 counters?
Yes, you can. If a planeswalker becomes a creature (for example, through the effect of Gideon Blackblade) it can be targeted by effects that give +1/+1 or -1/-1 counters. Note that the loyalty counters remain on the planeswalker in addition to the +1/+1 or -1/-1 counters.
FAQ 9: Can I destroy a planeswalker with a creature removal spell?
It depends on the wording of the spell. Removal spells that target “creatures” will not affect planeswalkers unless that planeswalker has become a creature. However, some spells that target “any permanent” can destroy planeswalkers.
FAQ 10: Do board wipes affect planeswalkers?
It depends on the board wipe. Some board wipes only affect creatures. Other board wipes affect all permanents, and therefore will destroy planeswalkers. Read the card text carefully!
FAQ 11: Can I use Doubling Season to double the loyalty counters when a planeswalker enters the battlefield?
Yes! Doubling Season doubles the number of loyalty counters a planeswalker enters the battlefield with. However, it does not double the number of counters you add when activating a loyalty ability.
FAQ 12: Can a legendary planeswalker be my commander?
Yes, some planeswalkers are printed with the text “[CARDNAME] can be your commander.” These planeswalkers can be used as commanders, even though the general rule is that commanders must be legendary creatures.
FAQ 13: What happens to emblems when their planeswalker dies?
Emblems stay in play even after the planeswalker that created them is removed from the battlefield. Once an emblem is created, it remains for the rest of the game.
FAQ 14: Can I tap a planeswalker?
Planeswalkers don’t have any inherent ability to become tapped. However, you can tap a planeswalker using an effect from another card. Tapping a planeswalker doesn’t prevent it from using its loyalty abilities.
FAQ 15: Does Deathtouch work on planeswalkers?
Deathtouch only affects creatures, not planeswalkers. A creature with deathtouch dealing damage to a planeswalker will not cause it to be destroyed unless an additional ability like that of Vraska, Swarm’s Eminence is in play.
Understanding these rules and FAQs is crucial for building effective decks and maximizing your planeswalker strategies in Magic: The Gathering. The interactions and deckbuilding skills learned from card games like Magic: The Gathering can prove beneficial for educators and game designers, as discussed by the Games Learning Society. These strategic and critical thinking capabilities can translate into various real-world applications, from problem-solving to creative innovation, and are frequently discussed at GamesLearningSociety.org events. Embrace the complexity and enjoy the power of planeswalker synergy!