Can You Block With Artifact Vehicles? A Comprehensive Guide

Yes, you can block with artifact vehicles, but only under specific conditions. The vehicle itself must be a creature to be declared as a blocker. This usually means it needs to be crewed, meaning its Crew ability has been activated that turn. Without being crewed or having another effect that turns it into a creature, a vehicle, despite being an artifact, remains unable to block. Let’s delve into the intricacies of this mechanic and answer some common questions.

Understanding the Crew Mechanic

The Crew ability is the key to transforming a static artifact vehicle into a dynamic creature. It requires you to tap a certain amount of creatures you control with a combined power equal to or greater than the Crew value printed on the vehicle card. This activates the vehicle, turning it into an artifact creature until the end of the turn. Only then can it participate in combat, including blocking.

The strategy doesn’t just begin and end there. When planning how your vehicle can be used, remember that once crewed, your vehicle is now affected by summoning sickness. When your vehicle crews to become an artifact creature it acts no different than if an effect like Skilled Animator’s was used. It becomes a creature and is subject to the summoning sickness rules just like any other creature.

FAQs on Blocking with Artifact Vehicles

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding vehicles and blocking in Magic: The Gathering:

1. Can Uncrewed Vehicles Block?

No. A vehicle is not a creature if its Crew ability has not been activated this turn, and no other effects have turned it into one. You CAN Crew at instant speed in order to block with it, but otherwise, no.

2. Can I Crew a Vehicle at Instant Speed to Block?

Yes. You can crew vehicles at instant speed, so as long as you can pay the crew, the answer is yes. However, you may not declare blockers with both the crewed creatures and the vehicle, since they are tapped before you begin to declare blockers.

3. Can I Block with an Artifact?

So even if a card has a power and toughness and an effect when it attacks, it can’t attack or block if it isn’t a creature. An artifact creature is a creature that is also an artifact. These things can attack and block because they are creatures.

4. Do Vehicles Have Summoning Sickness?

Yes, sadly, they do. When a vehicle crews to become an artifact creature, it acts no different than if an effect like Skilled Animator’s was used. It becomes a creature and is subject to the summoning sickness rules just like any other creature.

5. Are Artifact Vehicles Creatures?

Vehicle is an artifact type, not a creature type. A Vehicle that’s crewed won’t have any creature type. However, because it retains its artifact type, it will be an Artifact Creature – Vehicle.

6. Can I Crew with a Creature that Has Summoning Sickness?

Remember you can tap any untapped creature you control to activate a crew ability, including creatures with summoning sickness and even other crewed Vehicles!

7. Can a Creature with Summoning Sickness Block?

Creatures that have Haste do not suffer from the effects of summoning sickness and can attack as soon as they enter the battlefield. Creatures with Summoning Sickness can also block as normal. A creature also gets Summoning Sickness when control of the creature changes.

8. Can Vehicles Crew Themselves?

A lot of players may not have realized that Vehicles, once animated, could technically crew themselves. This is not only unintuitive but also pretty scary for people like me who don’t trust self-driving cars. A one-word change to this rule now prevents players from being able to do this.

9. Can a Vehicle Crew Another Vehicle?

Yes, you can use crewed vehicles to crew other vehicles. These vehicle chains were common when trying to crew cards like Heart of Kiran that had a high crew cost relative to the power of creatures in the format.

10. Can an Artifact Vehicle Be a Commander?

Many new Vehicle commanders have entered the game, allowing for different options. With The Brothers’ War set, even more artifact commanders have come — since all Vehicles are artifacts, this allows them to shine as Vehicle commanders as well.

11. Can I Crew on My Opponent’s Turn?

If you had a Vehicle with Vigilance, of course, you could crew it on your turn and your opponent’s turn and use it twice.

12. Do Vehicles Inherently Have Haste?

No, vehicles don’t inherently have haste. Vehicles, similar to other nonland permanents, have summoning sickness the turn they enter the battlefield.

13. Does Crew Ignore Summoning Sickness?

Yes, a creature can crew a vehicle if it has summoning sickness because it’s not a tap ability of the creature.

14. Can You Crew an Already Crewed Vehicle?

Try not to think of crewing as casting mana. Any ‘excess’ power from creatures you tap to crew is lost and can’t be used to crew another vehicle. However, you can use a crewed vehicle to crew another. That means you could crew a Demolition Stomper and then use that to crew a Colossal Plow.

15. Does Deathtouch Work on Vehicles?

As long as the Vehicle is a Creature, yes. It’ll be destroyed when it’s dealt damage from a source with Deathtouch. The Creatures that were tapped to turn the Vehicle into a Creature are not affected.

Strategic Considerations for Using Vehicles

Vehicles offer unique strategic advantages and disadvantages. Their artifact nature makes them resilient to many creature-specific removal spells, and their ability to transform into creatures on demand allows for flexible gameplay.

• Timing: The ability to crew at instant speed is crucial. You can bluff attacks, surprise your opponent with unexpected blockers, and adapt to the evolving board state.

• Creature Power: Optimizing your creature base to efficiently crew your vehicles is vital. Small, efficient creatures can quickly turn your vehicles into formidable threats or stalwart defenders.

• Synergies: Explore synergies with other cards. Artifact-themed decks can further enhance the power of your vehicles, while abilities that grant vigilance can allow you to both attack and block with the same vehicle.

• Crewing and Board Wipes: Vehicles are immune to sorcery speed board wipes unless they are creatures. Once crewed, your opponent can use board wipes to effectively get rid of your vehicles, and the creatures crewing them.

The Educational Value of MTG and Games Learning Society

Magic: The Gathering, with its complex rules and strategic depth, offers valuable educational opportunities. Players develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills while engaging in a fun and competitive environment. The game’s intricate mechanics encourage players to understand probabilities, resource management, and long-term planning, fostering a deep understanding of strategic thinking.

Organizations like the Games Learning Society recognize the educational potential of games. They explore how games can be used to enhance learning across various disciplines, promoting innovative teaching methods and engaging educational experiences. You can learn more about their work at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Conclusion

In summary, you can block with artifact vehicles if they are creatures, typically achieved by activating their Crew ability. Mastering the intricacies of crewing, understanding summoning sickness, and leveraging instant-speed activation are crucial for effectively utilizing vehicles in your Magic: The Gathering decks. By understanding these nuances, you can navigate the battlefield with strategic precision and dominate the game!