Can You Detain a Tapped Creature? A Comprehensive Guide to Magic: The Gathering Rules
The question of whether you can detain a tapped creature in Magic: The Gathering often arises due to the seemingly overlapping concepts of tapping and detain. The short answer is: yes, you can absolutely detain a tapped creature. Detain and tapping are two separate game mechanics with distinct functions. While tapping primarily affects a creature’s ability to attack and block, detain imposes a broader set of restrictions. This article will delve into the nuances of the detain mechanic, explain how it interacts with tapped creatures, and tackle related frequently asked questions to provide a complete understanding of these mechanics.
Understanding Detain
The Core Rule
The detain mechanic, as defined in the Comprehensive Rules of Magic: The Gathering, specifically rule 701.29, functions like this:
701.29a Certain spells and abilities can detain a permanent. Until the next turn of the controller of that spell or ability, that permanent can’t attack or block and its activated abilities can’t be activated.
This rule makes it very clear that detaining a permanent, whether a creature or a planeswalker, restricts its actions for a specific duration. It does not say anything about the tapped or untapped state of that card.
What Detain Does
Detain prevents the following:
- Attacking: A detained creature cannot be declared as an attacker.
- Blocking: A detained creature cannot be declared as a blocker.
- Activating Abilities: A detained permanent cannot activate any of its activated abilities (those that require a colon (:) to signify a cost).
Note that the detain effect lasts until the beginning of the next turn of the controller of the spell or ability that detained the permanent. This means that if you detain a creature on your turn, it will still be detained at the beginning of your opponent’s next turn, and not until your next turn.
Detain vs. Tapping
It’s crucial to understand that detain and tap/untap are distinct concepts. Tapping primarily governs whether a creature can attack or block during combat, although some cards also have abilities that require you to tap them as a cost. Tapping, when it is related to combat, means that the card cannot be declared as an attacker or a blocker during the game’s combat phase.
Detain, on the other hand, is a more comprehensive restriction, which prevents:
- Combat Participation: Just like a tapped creature, a detained one cannot attack or block.
- Ability Activation: Unlike tapping alone, detain also shuts down a permanent’s activated abilities. This is the key difference from a simple “tapped” card.
Detaining a Tapped Creature
Because detain is an independent mechanic from tapping, you can, indeed, detain a tapped creature. This means that the already-tapped creature will still be unable to attack, block and activate its activated abilities, along with the further restriction from detain (the lack of ability activation). This highlights the most important concept: a creature can be both tapped AND detained. If you tap a creature before you detain it, the creature will be both tapped and detained. Even if it had a way to untap itself, it would still be detained until the beginning of the next turn of the controller of the spell or ability that detained it, preventing it from activating the untap ability during that period.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some common questions regarding detain, tapping, and related rules to provide a clearer understanding:
1. Can you tap a tapped creature?
No. Tapping a tapped creature is an impossible action. This is stated in the rules of the game, and you can not tap a tapped card, whether for cost or for an effect. Similarly, you cannot untap an already-untapped card.
2. Does detain affect Planeswalkers?
Yes, detain affects any permanent, including planeswalkers. If a spell or ability says “detain target permanent,” you can detain a planeswalker with it. A detained planeswalker cannot activate any of its loyalty abilities for the duration of the detain effect.
3. Does detain prevent a creature from being untapped?
No. Detain prevents activation of abilities, not the physical tapping or untapping of a card. If an effect would untap a detained creature, it is still detained when it untaps. However, a detained creature cannot use an activated ability to untap itself if it has one.
4. Can you block with a tapped creature?
Normally, no. Tapped creatures cannot block. However, if a creature is tapped and is then untapped by a spell or ability before it is declared as a blocker, it can block (unless the card says otherwise).
5. Can you target a tapped creature with a spell?
Yes. Unless specifically stated otherwise, being tapped has no bearing on whether a creature can be targeted by a spell or ability. If a card says “target creature,” it can target a tapped creature.
6. What are the rules for tapped creatures?
The rules are fairly simple. A tapped creature cannot attack or block. The only way a creature will enter the battlefield tapped is if the creature card explicitly states that it needs to enter tapped, or if another card effect makes it enter tapped.
7. Can tapped creatures attack?
No. Tapped creatures cannot be declared as attackers. This is a fundamental rule of the combat phase. This rule can be circumvented with a card that gives it vigilance.
8. Can you force a tapped creature to fight?
Yes. Fighting and attacking are different actions. A tapped creature can still be forced to fight another creature. The act of fighting does not cause the card to tap or untap, unless the fight spell or ability says otherwise.
9. Can you regenerate a tapped creature?
Yes. If a creature that is about to be dealt lethal damage is regenerated, the creature is tapped after regeneration. However, if a creature is already tapped, it will still be regenerated and remains tapped.
10. Can you transform a tapped creature?
Yes. Transforming a permanent does not change whether it’s tapped or untapped. If you transform a tapped creature, the transformed permanent remains tapped.
11. What happens if you mutate onto a tapped creature?
If you mutate a spell onto a tapped creature, the resulting merged creature will remain tapped. Mutate does not affect the tapped or untapped state of the cards.
12. Does deathtouch cancel deathtouch?
No. The deathtouch ability means that any amount of damage will be considered lethal. Therefore, if two creatures with deathtouch deal damage to one another, both will be destroyed.
13. Does indestructible beat deathtouch?
Yes. Indestructible creatures cannot be destroyed by lethal damage, which includes that dealt by deathtouch.
14. Does hexproof prevent deathtouch?
No. Hexproof prevents targeting by spells or abilities your opponents control. Deathtouch doesn’t target, it’s an ability that makes any damage from that creature to be considered lethal damage. Therefore hexproof does not prevent damage from deathtouch.
15. Is double strike also first strike?
No. Double strike is not the same as first strike. Creatures with double strike deal combat damage in both the first strike combat damage step and the regular combat damage step. If a creature has both, double strike will take over and first strike will be ignored.
Conclusion
Detain and tap/untap are distinct game mechanics with overlapping functions. While a tapped creature cannot attack or block, detain provides more comprehensive restrictions by preventing not only attack and block, but also the activation of the permanent’s activated abilities. Understanding these rules will help you navigate complex gameplay scenarios and make more informed decisions. Remember, you can absolutely detain a tapped creature and gain the benefits of both restrictions.