Exerting Yourself: Can You Exert a Creature Twice in Magic: The Gathering?
The short answer is yes, you can exert a creature more than once in a turn, but with significant consequences. While the mechanic itself allows for multiple exertions, the persistent “doesn’t untap during your next untap step” clause makes repeated use strategically complex. Let’s delve into the intricacies of exerting creatures multiple times and how it interacts with the rules of Magic: The Gathering.
Understanding the Exert Mechanic
Exert is an ability word (meaning it has no rules meaning on its own) that appears on some creatures, primarily from the Amonkhet block. When you declare an exert creature as an attacker, you have the option to exert it. If you do, you usually get some beneficial effect. The cost, however, is that the creature doesn’t untap during your next untap step.
The official rules text clarifies this: “701.39b A permanent can be exerted even if it’s not tapped or has already been exerted in a turn. If you exert a permanent more than once before your next untap step, each effect causing it not to untap expires during the same untap step.”
This seemingly innocuous sentence is crucial. It means you can exert a creature multiple times for its benefit, but the “doesn’t untap” penalties stack. If you exert a creature twice, it will effectively skip two untap steps. However, all those delayed untap effects expire during the same untap step. This means that the creature will be tapped during the next two untap steps.
Consequences and Strategies
The decision to exert a creature multiple times should not be taken lightly. You are essentially trading immediate benefits for long-term availability. Here’s what you need to consider:
- Untap Effects: If you have ways to untap your exerted creature outside of the untap step, you can mitigate the downside. Cards like “Dramatic Reversal” in conjunction with mana rocks, or creatures with abilities that untap other creatures, become extremely valuable.
- Vigilance: Creatures with vigilance can exert without the immediate drawback of becoming tapped. “Always Watching”, a card mentioned in the source article, is a fantastic way to give your creatures vigilance.
- The Long Game: Sometimes, the immediate advantage gained from exerting multiple times outweighs the subsequent downtime. This is particularly true if you are close to winning the game or need to remove a key threat immediately.
- Cost vs. Reward: Carefully evaluate if the extra bonus gained from exerting more than once is worth the fact that the permanent is tapped for several turns.
Interactions with Other Mechanics
Exert interacts with various other mechanics in Magic, creating both synergies and limitations:
- Isshin, Two Heavens as One: As the source article correctly notes, Isshin does not work with exert. Isshin doubles triggered abilities related to attacking. The trigger from an exert ability comes from exerting the creature, not from declaring it as an attacker.
- Summoning Sickness: You can exert a creature with summoning sickness. Summoning sickness only restricts attacking and activated abilities that involve tapping or untapping the creature.
- Stun Counters: Applying a stun counter to an exerted creature can be redundant. The stun counter will be removed if the creature tries to untap for any reason, essentially having the same effect as the “doesn’t untap” clause of exert.
Conclusion
While exerting a creature twice (or more) is possible, it comes with a steep price: the creature will not untap for multiple turns. Weigh the costs and benefits carefully before committing to this strategy, and always be aware of how untap effects and other mechanics can influence the outcome. Understanding the nuances of exert can give you a significant edge on the battlefield. Magic is a complex game of strategy and resource management, and it is constantly evolving with time. If you’re interested in learning more about game strategy in and beyond games, check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about the exert mechanic in Magic: The Gathering:
1. Does exerting a creature tap it?
No, exerting a creature does not inherently tap it. However, many exert abilities are coupled with attacking. Declaring a creature as an attacker typically taps the creature, unless it has vigilance.
2. What happens if I exert a creature with vigilance?
If you exert a creature with vigilance, it will receive the benefit of the exert ability but will not tap to attack. It will still not untap during your next untap step.
3. Can I exert a creature on my opponent’s turn?
No, you can only exert a creature when you declare it as an attacker during your declare attackers step on your turn.
4. If I exert a creature and then bounce it back to my hand, does it still skip my next untap step when I replay it?
No, the “doesn’t untap” effect only applies to the specific permanent that was exerted. If you return it to your hand and replay it, it’s considered a new permanent.
5. Can I respond to the exert trigger?
There isn’t an exert “trigger” per se. Exert is a choice you make during the declare attackers step. Once you declare the attacker and choose to exert, it’s too late to respond to the act of exerting itself. You can only respond to whatever effects the exert ability might have.
6. If a creature is already not untapping during my next untap step (e.g., due to another effect), does exerting it have any effect?
Yes, exerting the creature will still give you the benefit of the exert ability, even if it’s already not untapping. You are only adding to the number of untap phases it will skip.
7. How does exert interact with proliferate?
Proliferate allows you to add additional counters to permanents and players. It does not interact with delayed untap effects.
8. Can I exert a creature that is already tapped?
Yes, you can exert a creature that is already tapped. It is a legal move, but usually has no benefit since the creature is already unable to attack.
9. What if a creature with exert is also indestructible?
Being indestructible only protects a creature from destruction due to damage or “destroy” effects. It does not negate the “doesn’t untap” effect of exert. The exerted indestructible creature will simply remain on the battlefield, tapped and indestructible, until it untaps during a future untap step (or is otherwise untapped).
10. Does deathtouch cancel indestructible?
No. As noted in the source article “Creatures with indestructible are impervious to any effects that normally destroy creatures, such as: Damage (including combat damage)”. This applies to any other method of destruction as well.
11. What happens if I exert a creature and then it dies?
If an exerted creature dies before your next untap step, the “doesn’t untap” effect is lost. It only applies to the specific permanent that was exerted and remains in play through the next untap phase.
12. Can I exert a token creature?
Yes, you can exert a token creature. The rules regarding exert apply to all permanents, including tokens. The only difference is that when the token is eventually removed from the battlefield, the “doesn’t untap” effect goes away along with it.
13. If I exert a creature and then copy it, does the copy also skip my next untap step?
No, the copy is a new permanent and is not affected by the exerted creature’s “doesn’t untap” effect. The copy will untap as normal during your next untap step.
14. What happens if I control an effect that says creatures don’t untap during untap steps, and then I exert a creature?
In this situation, the exerted creature will be subjected to both effects. Because of the already existing effect, it is still a legal move to exert the creature.
15. Can I force my opponents’ creature to tap?
Yes, there are multiple cards in Magic that can force an opponent’s creature to tap, such as “Frost Breath.” These spells are separate from the exert mechanic.