Crewing with a Vehicle: A Deep Dive into Magic: The Gathering Mechanics
Yes, absolutely! In Magic: The Gathering, you can use a vehicle that is already an artifact creature (due to being previously crewed) to crew another vehicle. This opens up a range of strategic plays and interesting board states.
Understanding the Crew Mechanic
The crew mechanic is a defining feature of Vehicle cards in Magic: The Gathering. It allows these artifacts to temporarily become artifact creatures, capable of attacking and blocking. Let’s delve into the intricacies of this powerful ability.
How Crew Works
Crew N (Tap any number of other untapped creatures you control with total power N or greater: This permanent becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)
When you activate a vehicle’s crew ability, you must tap untapped creatures you control whose total power is equal to or greater than the vehicle’s crew cost. This act transforms the vehicle into an artifact creature until the end of the turn.
Crewing with Crewed Vehicles: Chains of Steel
A common tactic, especially with vehicles that have a high crew cost, is to use a smaller vehicle that has already been crewed to help crew a larger one. Let’s say you have a Demolition Stomper (a Vehicle) and you have already crewed it. You can then tap that now artifact creature Demolition Stomper to help meet the crew cost of a Colossal Plow.
This is a great way to utilize vehicles strategically and efficiently. You aren’t limited in only using conventional creatures. You can create “chains of steel,” leveraging the power of one vehicle to animate another.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about crewing with vehicles, designed to help you master this strategic element of Magic: The Gathering.
Can I crew a vehicle with a vehicle?
Yes! Once a vehicle is animated and becomes an artifact creature (through the crew ability or another effect), it can be tapped to help crew another vehicle. This is a cornerstone of vehicle strategies.
Can Vehicles Crew Other Vehicles?
Absolutely, and it is a common play pattern, especially when dealing with vehicles that have high crew costs. Using an already crewed vehicle to crew another offers increased efficiency.
Can I crew a crewed vehicle multiple times?
Yes, you can activate a vehicle’s crew ability multiple times. However, subsequent activations usually won’t have any additional effect. Once a vehicle is already a creature due to being crewed, crewing it again won’t make it “more” of a creature, or untap it.
Can you crew a vehicle anytime?
You can crew a vehicle any time you have priority. This includes your main phases, your beginning of combat step, after attackers are declared, after blockers are declared, or even in your end of combat step. The key is to have priority, meaning it’s your turn to act and the stack is empty (or after resolving spells/abilities on the stack).
Can you crew a vehicle to defend?
Yes, you can crew a vehicle to defend, but you must do so before the declare blockers step. Crewing is an activated ability, so you can activate it in response to your opponent’s attack declaration, turning your vehicle into a creature that can block.
What happens when you crew a vehicle?
When you crew a vehicle, it becomes an artifact creature until the end of the turn. This allows it to attack, block, and interact with other creature-based effects in the game.
What are the rules for crewing vehicles?
To crew a vehicle, tap any number of untapped creatures you control with total power equal to or greater than the vehicle’s crew cost. The vehicle then becomes an artifact creature until the end of the turn. Remember, you can tap creatures with summoning sickness to crew a vehicle, but the vehicle itself, if it’s just entered the battlefield, will have summoning sickness and can’t attack in that turn.
Can vehicles crew themselves?
No, not anymore. Previously, vehicles could technically crew themselves once animated, but a rule change now prevents this. This was implemented to prevent unintuitive and potentially confusing gameplay scenarios.
Can I crew a tapped vehicle?
You can crew a tapped or untapped vehicle. However, crewing a tapped vehicle won’t untap it, and if the vehicle is already tapped (e.g., from attacking), it won’t be able to attack or block even after being crewed.
Can you block with a vehicle?
Yes, you can block with a vehicle, but only if it’s an artifact creature. This means you must crew the vehicle before the declare blockers step. If you successfully crew it, the vehicle can block like any other creature.
Do vehicles tap when attacking?
Yes, if a vehicle attacks and doesn’t have vigilance, it gets tapped. It stays tapped until there’s a reason for it to untap. This is consistent with how creatures work in Magic. After the combat phase, the vehicle remains tapped until something (like an ability or spell) untaps it.
Can a vehicle block without crew?
No. A vehicle is not a creature unless its crew ability has been activated this turn or another effect has turned it into one. If the vehicle is not a creature, it cannot block.
Can I crew with summoning sickness?
Yes, you can use creatures with summoning sickness to crew a vehicle. The act of tapping a creature to crew a vehicle does not violate the summoning sickness rule. However, remember that if the vehicle itself has summoning sickness (because it just entered the battlefield), it cannot attack in that turn.
Can one creature crew two vehicles?
No, unless you can untap it. A creature can only be tapped once to pay a cost. If you have a way to untap the creature (e.g., with an ability or spell), you can then use it to crew another vehicle.
Is crewing a vehicle an activated ability?
Yes, crewing is an activated ability. This means it can be responded to by your opponents with instant-speed spells or abilities. Crewing follows the standard rules for activated abilities, meaning it uses the stack. So, your opponent has the opportunity to respond when you activate a vehicle’s crew ability.
Mastering Vehicle Strategies
Understanding how to crew vehicles effectively can significantly enhance your gameplay in Magic: The Gathering. Being able to efficiently use vehicles to crew other vehicles maximizes your board presence and strategic options.
Strategic vehicle play often involves considering not just the immediate impact of crewing a vehicle, but also the long-term implications for your board state. By carefully planning your moves and understanding the timing of your crew activations, you can gain a significant advantage over your opponents.
Learning Resources
To further expand your knowledge of Magic: The Gathering mechanics and strategies, consider exploring resources like the Games Learning Society, which provides valuable insights into the educational aspects of gaming. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more.
Understanding complex mechanics like crewing with vehicles opens up a whole new level of strategic gameplay. Enjoy using vehicles to crush your opponents!