Can I Respond to Planeswalkers? A Comprehensive Guide
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Yes, you absolutely can respond to planeswalkers in Magic: The Gathering (MTG)! This might seem counterintuitive at first, given their powerful abilities, but understanding how planeswalkers interact with the stack is crucial for strategic gameplay. Planeswalkers are not untouchable gods; they are subject to the game’s rules just like any other permanent. Let’s dive deeper into the mechanics of planeswalker interaction and address some common questions.
How Planeswalker Abilities Interact with the Stack
The fundamental concept to grasp is that planeswalker abilities are activated abilities, just like many other spells and effects in MTG. This means that when a planeswalker’s ability is activated, it goes onto the stack. The stack is the game’s temporary holding zone for spells and abilities waiting to resolve.
The Stack: Your Window of Opportunity
When a planeswalker’s loyalty ability is activated, it goes on the stack. This is when you, as a player, have the opportunity to respond. You can respond by casting an instant, activating another ability, or making any other valid game action. Because the ability is on the stack, it’s now independent of the planeswalker itself. Even if you destroy the planeswalker in response to the ability, the ability will still try to resolve.
Important Note: The loyalty counters are added to or removed from the planeswalker as part of the cost of activating the ability and are not an effect that is placed on the stack. This happens before anyone can respond.
For example: A player activates Jace, the Mind Sculptor’s +2 ability. This ability goes onto the stack. Before it resolves, you can cast an instant spell like Lightning Bolt targeting Jace to try and kill it before the ability resolves. If you succeed in killing Jace, his +2 will still attempt to resolve although Jace is no longer on the battlefield to resolve it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Responding to Planeswalkers
1. Can I Respond to a Planeswalker Entering the Battlefield?
Yes, you can! Whenever something goes on the stack (including triggered abilities from entering the battlefield) all players can respond with instants and abilities. This means that if a planeswalker has an ability that triggers when it enters the battlefield (e.g. Teferi, Time Raveler), you can respond to that triggered ability before it resolves.
2. What are the Restrictions on Planeswalkers?
Planeswalkers have a few key restrictions:
- You can’t activate a planeswalker’s ability with a negative loyalty cost if it doesn’t have enough loyalty counters.
- Planeswalkers can’t attack, unless an ability grants them the creature type (e.g. Gideon Jura’s third ability).
- They can be attacked by creatures.
- You can activate only one loyalty ability per planeswalker per turn as a sorcery and not as an instant unless specified otherwise.
3. Can I Directly Target Planeswalkers with Damage Spells?
No, you cannot directly target a planeswalker with spells that deal damage, at least not since the introduction of the redirect rule in Lorwyn. You must target a player first and then, upon resolution of the spell, choose to redirect the damage to a planeswalker they control.
4. Do Planeswalkers Get Summoning Sickness?
No, planeswalkers do not have summoning sickness. You can activate a planeswalker’s loyalty ability the turn it enters the battlefield, as long as it’s your turn (and you could otherwise cast a sorcery) and the planeswalker has the necessary loyalty.
5. Can I Have Two Identical Planeswalkers in Play?
No, you cannot have two copies of the exact same planeswalker card in play at the same time. This is because of the legend rule. However, you can have different versions of the same planeswalker (e.g., Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Jace, Wielder of Mysteries) on the battlefield at the same time. You can also have nonlegendary copies of a planeswalker.
6. What Happens if a Planeswalker’s Loyalty Reaches Zero?
If a planeswalker’s loyalty reaches zero, it is put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action. This happens immediately, but after all other steps have completed, such as the activated ability that caused it to reach zero loyalty going on the stack.
7. Can I Defend Planeswalkers?
Yes, you can! Planeswalkers can be attacked by creatures just like a player can. You are free to defend against those attacks using creatures you control that are able to block.
8. Can I Shock a Planeswalker?
No, you cannot target a planeswalker with Shock. You must target its controller first, and then when shock resolves, you may choose to redirect the damage to the planeswalker.
9. How Many Times Can I Activate a Planeswalker Ability?
You can activate only one loyalty ability per planeswalker per turn. This timing restriction is the same as for casting sorceries (unless an ability specifies otherwise). If you control multiple planeswalkers, you can activate one ability on each of them each turn.
10. Can I Take Damage Instead of My Planeswalker?
No, a planeswalker is a separate entity and takes the damage if its targeted by damage after being redirected to them. You cannot take damage instead of your planeswalker. When a planeswalker is dealt damage, it loses loyalty counters.
11. Can I Activate Planeswalker Abilities at Any Time?
Normally, you can only activate planeswalker abilities at sorcery speed on your turn, but certain cards exist that grant you the ability to activate loyalty abilities of planeswalkers you control on any player’s turn any time you could cast an instant.
12. Is Deathtouch Effective Against Planeswalkers?
Deathtouch is not effective against planeswalkers unless the ability also does damage to the planeswalker. Deathtouch is a static ability that causes a creature to deal enough damage to be lethal (if it deals damage at all). If something like Vraska, Swarm’s Eminence deals damage to a planeswalker due to another effect, deathtouch will apply to the damage.
13. Can My Commander Be a Legendary Planeswalker?
Yes, certain planeswalkers are printed with the text “[CARDNAME] can be your commander.” These planeswalkers are an exception to the usual rule that your commander must be a legendary creature.
14. Can I Mutate onto a Planeswalker?
Yes, you can mutate onto a planeswalker, but what happens depends on where the planeswalker is in the stack. If the planeswalker is on the top, once the turn ends, the card will become a planeswalker with the abilities of the mutate creature.
15. Can I Blink a Planeswalker?
Yes, you can blink a planeswalker. Blinking a planeswalker means to exile it and then return it to the battlefield. When it returns it has no memory of its previous existence and returns as if it had just been played, with the printed number of loyalty counters on it.
Conclusion
Planeswalkers are powerful cards in MTG, but they are not invincible. By understanding how they interact with the stack and knowing the rules about responding to their abilities, you can effectively manage and control the battlefield. Don’t underestimate the value of well-timed instants and strategic responses when dealing with these formidable characters. Knowing the intricacies of planeswalker interactions can drastically improve your MTG gameplay and strategic decision-making.