Can You Attack a Tapped Flying Creature? Understanding Combat and Keywords in MTG
The short answer is yes, you absolutely can attack a tapped flying creature in Magic: The Gathering (MTG). The tapped status of a creature has absolutely no bearing on whether it can be attacked by an opponent’s creatures during combat. The key to understanding this lies in the distinction between the rules of attacking and blocking and the general rules of targeting and interacting with creatures on the battlefield. While flying has special relevance during combat, it doesn’t offer immunity from being targeted or attacked outside of the specific blocking rules.
Let’s dive into the details to provide a comprehensive understanding of this aspect of MTG, addressing the common misconceptions and clarifying the rules.
Combat and Tapped Creatures
Understanding Tapped
In MTG, a creature is tapped when it’s turned sideways, usually as a cost to attack, activate an ability, or use certain card effects. This tapped state simply means the creature is unavailable for certain actions in some situations. Critically, though, being tapped does not make a creature immune to being attacked. The rules of combat allow you to declare attackers and targets regardless of whether the target is tapped or untapped.
The Attack Step
During your combat phase, you select which of your creatures you wish to declare as attackers. You then select the creatures, player, or planeswalker those attackers are targeting. The tapped state of the defender has no impact on your ability to select it as a target. Your creatures will attack according to the normal rules and deal damage accordingly.
Flying and Combat
The keyword flying grants a creature an evasion ability, meaning it can only be blocked by other creatures with flying or reach. However, flying only matters when determining which creatures can legally block an attacking flyer. In all other respects, a flying creature is treated as any other creature. It can be targeted by spells, abilities, and attacked regardless of its state, be it tapped or untapped.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Attacking Tapped Flying Creatures & Related Topics
To further clarify these rules and address other common questions about flying and combat, we’ve compiled a list of FAQs:
1. Can a non-flying creature fight a flying creature?
Yes, absolutely. The ability to “fight” in MTG is an action that takes place outside of combat. In a fight, a creature deals damage equal to its power to a designated creature. Flying is irrelevant in this case. Whether a creature can fly does not affect its ability to fight or be fought.
2. Can creatures with reach attack flying creatures?
Yes, creatures with reach can block flying creatures, and this is usually the primary purpose of the keyword reach. While reach is primarily used for blocking, it does not grant a creature an ability to attack in a special way. A reach creature’s ability to reach a flying creature to block means it can attack normally.
3. Can a tapped creature be forced to fight?
Yes, a tapped creature can be forced to fight. The rules for fight effects make no distinction between tapped and untapped creatures. The tapped or untapped state is irrelevant when using a card effect that forces creatures to fight.
4. Does Deathtouch cancel Deathtouch?
No, Deathtouch does not cancel Deathtouch. If a creature with deathtouch deals damage to another creature, that other creature is destroyed, regardless of whether or not it has deathtouch as well. There may be specific cards that could do this, but the rule for deathtouch does not.
5. Can tapped creatures attack?
No, tapped creatures cannot attack unless a card specifically allows it. Creatures must be untapped to be declared as attackers.
6. What are the rules for tapped creatures?
A creature enters the battlefield tapped only if a card effect specifically says so, or due to some other effect. Tapped creatures can’t be declared as attackers or be used to pay tapping costs. Being tapped does not prevent the creature from being targeted or affected by other spells or abilities
7. What can hit flying in MTG?
Flying creatures can be hit by any spell or ability that can target creatures. The only restriction is related to blocking in combat. Only creatures with flying or reach can block creatures with flying. In all other cases, flying creatures can be targeted as any other creature.
8. Does a flying creature fall if incapacitated?
Whether a flying creature falls when incapacitated depends on if they have hover. Creatures that have flying and hover will not fall if incapacitated. Otherwise, incapacitated flying creatures will fall.
9. Are flying creatures immune to prone?
No, flying creatures are not immune to prone. While flying creatures cannot be tripped by effects that require them to touch the ground, they can be knocked prone by other effects. Getting knocked prone does not cause you to fall if you are a flying creature.
10. Can Planeswalkers block flyers?
No, Planeswalkers cannot block any creature, flying or otherwise. Planeswalkers can be targeted by attacking creatures during the combat phase.
11. Can you target a creature that is already tapped?
Yes, you can target a creature that is already tapped, and most cards will still function even though a creature is already tapped. For example, you can cast an effect that taps a creature on one that is already tapped. While the tap effect won’t do anything since it’s already tapped, any additional effects will still apply.
12. Can you crew a tapped creature?
No, you cannot crew a tapped creature unless a card specifically says otherwise. The act of crewing a vehicle is an activated ability which requires tapping the creature. You cannot activate this ability with tapped creatures.
13. Does a stunned flying creature fall?
Yes, a stunned flying creature will fall if it does not have the hover ability. Stunned in this case implies that the creature cannot move which will cause a flying creature without hover to fall out of the air.
14. Do grappled flying creatures fall?
Yes, a grappled flying creature falls. Being grappled reduces a creature’s speed to zero. This speed reduction causes the flying creature to fall from the air unless it has hover.
15. Can defenders block flying MTG?
Yes, defenders can block flying creatures if the defender has flying or reach. Having defender doesn’t change the rules for blocking flyers, just that the creature cannot attack.
Conclusion
In summary, a tapped flying creature can be attacked without issue. The rules of Magic are clear on this distinction. Flying is an evasion keyword that is relevant during the blocking phase of combat. Outside of blocking, a creature with flying is considered a normal creature in all other game actions, and the tapped state has no impact on a creature’s ability to be attacked or targeted by spells or abilities. Understanding this interaction and the nuances of each of the keywords and states is crucial for playing Magic effectively.