Can You Mutate Onto Progenitus? A Deep Dive into Mutate Mechanics

The short answer is: no, you cannot directly mutate onto Progenitus. This is because the mutate ability requires you to target a non-Human creature you own. Progenitus, while powerful and evasive, is undeniably a Humanoid creature and therefore an ineligible target for mutate.

Let’s unravel the nuances behind this interaction and explore the broader implications of the mutate mechanic.

Understanding the Mutate Mechanic

The mutate ability, introduced in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, is a fascinating and complex keyword that allows you to merge two creatures into a single, powerful entity. When you cast a creature spell for its mutate cost, you can choose to either have it enter the battlefield as a normal creature or to mutate it onto or under a non-Human creature you control.

This opens up a realm of strategic possibilities, allowing you to combine abilities, power, and toughness stats, and even trigger abilities multiple times. However, the restriction to non-Human creatures is a crucial element that shapes the overall strategy and design space of the mechanic.

Why Progenitus is Ineligible

Progenitus, with its protection from everything, might seem like an ideal base to build upon with mutate. After all, it’s incredibly difficult to remove and already boasts impressive stats. However, Progenitus is specifically a Humanoid Hydra, rendering it an invalid target for mutate.

The “Human” creature type is the key disqualifier. While Progenitus may have other creature types layered on top, it’s still a “Human”, which means that it’s not a valid target for the Mutate ability. The Mutate spell targets a non-Human creature and the Mutate spell would simply fizzle upon resolution.

Mutate FAQs: Delving Deeper into the Mechanic

Let’s address some common questions that arise when exploring the complexities of the mutate mechanic:

1. Can you mutate onto any creature?

No. The mutate ability specifically requires you to target a non-Human creature you own. This restriction is explicitly stated in the rules text of the mutate ability.

2. Can you mutate onto a creature with protection?

A creature with protection from creatures cannot be mutated upon. This is because protection prevents the creature from being targeted by creature spells (among other things), and mutate requires targeting. However, if the protection is not from creatures, then it may still be mutated upon. For example, a creature with protection from white can still be mutated upon.

3. Does a creature have summoning sickness if you mutate onto it?

The summoning sickness status of the resulting mutated creature depends on the base creature. If the base creature (the one that was already on the battlefield) didn’t have summoning sickness, then the mutated creature won’t either.

4. Does mutate keep all abilities?

Yes. The mutated creature gains all abilities from both the top and bottom cards. This includes triggered abilities, activated abilities, and static abilities.

5. Does mutate get rid of legendary?

No. The legendary status of a creature is a supertype, and mutate does not remove supertypes. If you mutate onto a legendary creature, the resulting creature is still legendary. The Legend rule will still apply, meaning you can only have one legendary creature with the same name on the battlefield at a time.

6. What happens if a mutate target dies?

If a mutated creature dies, all of its components go to the graveyard as individual cards. They are no longer merged together.

7. What happens if you blink a mutate creature?

“Blinking” a mutated creature separates the components. Each card returns to the battlefield as an individual creature. They are no longer mutated.

8. What happens if you copy a mutate creature spell?

Copying a mutate spell on the stack creates a separate instance of the mutate trigger. This means that the “Whenever this creature mutates” ability will trigger multiple times as each copy resolves.

9. What happens if you bounce a mutated creature?

“Bouncing” a mutated creature returns all the cards that make up the merged creature to your hand. They return as individual cards.

10. What happens if you mutate a planeswalker?

You cannot mutate a planeswalker. Mutate requires a creature as its target. You can mutate onto a creature with an activated ability that makes it a planeswalker until end of turn, however. The new type would be added to it.

11. Does mutate count as ETB (Enter the Battlefield)?

Mutating does not trigger enters-the-battlefield triggers. It only triggers mutate triggers. This is a crucial distinction for understanding the interplay of mutate with other abilities.

12. Can you mutate twice?

Yes, you can mutate multiple times. Each time you mutate, you can choose to put the new card on top or on the bottom of the pile, further modifying the creature’s abilities and characteristics.

13. What happens if you mutate onto a land?

If you mutate onto a land that has been animated into a creature, the resulting mutated permanent will be a creature as long as the animation effect persists. Once the animation wears off, it reverts to being a land, potentially disrupting the entire mutated pile.

14. What does Hexproof protect from?

Hexproof protects a permanent or player from being the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. It does not protect against effects that don’t target, such as board wipes. It also does not protect against spells your teammates cast in Two-Headed Giant.

15. Can you mutate from exile?

You cannot cast a creature with Mutate from exile. If a card is in exile it is not considered to be in the Graveyard or your Hand, therefore you can’t play it.

Strategic Implications of the Mutate Restriction

The limitation of mutate to non-Human creatures has significant strategic implications. It forces players to carefully consider their creature selection and to build decks around specific synergies. This constraint prevents the mechanic from becoming too overpowered and encourages creative deckbuilding strategies. It opens the door for novel gameplay strategies and deck archetypes. Learning these strategies is key to understanding the nature of games, as discussed by the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Conclusion

While the dream of mutating onto the mighty Progenitus remains out of reach due to its Human creature type, the mutate mechanic offers a wealth of strategic opportunities. By understanding the nuances of the mechanic and its limitations, players can unlock its full potential and build powerful and unique decks. So, while Progenitus remains untouchable, there are countless other creatures waiting to be transformed into monstrous and game-winning creations.