Can You Tap a Creature with Summoning Sickness for Improvise?
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No, you cannot tap a creature with summoning sickness to pay for the Improvise cost of a spell. A creature with summoning sickness is restricted in what actions it can take. Specifically, it cannot attack or activate abilities with the tap symbol {T} or the untap symbol {Q} in their cost. Since Improvise requires tapping an artifact to reduce the generic mana cost of a spell, and a creature with summoning sickness cannot be tapped for abilities, it cannot be tapped to pay for Improvise.
Understanding Summoning Sickness
Before diving deeper, it’s crucial to understand what summoning sickness is and how it affects creatures in Magic: The Gathering.
A creature is said to have summoning sickness if it has not been under your control continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn. This typically means that the creature just entered the battlefield this turn. Creatures affected by summoning sickness cannot attack and cannot activate abilities with the tap or untap symbols in their cost. The creature is essentially “sick” and needs a turn to recover before it can perform these actions.
The only exceptions to this rule are:
- Creatures with haste, which explicitly ignores summoning sickness restrictions.
- Abilities that do not use the tap or untap symbol in their activation cost. For example, a creature with summoning sickness can still activate an ability that requires sacrificing the creature or paying mana, as long as it doesn’t involve tapping or untapping.
Improvise: Tapping Artifacts for Spells
Improvise is an ability that allows you to tap untapped artifacts you control to help pay for the generic mana cost of a spell. The comprehensive rules for Improvise state:
“Improvise” means “For each generic mana in this spell’s total cost, you may tap an untapped artifact you control rather than pay that mana.” The Improvise ability isn’t an additional or alternative cost and applies only after the total cost of the spell with improvise is determined.
This ability gives you more flexibility in casting spells, especially in artifact-heavy decks. It is important to note that only artifacts can be tapped to pay for the Improvise cost. Lands, creatures (without being an artifact), and other non-artifact permanents cannot be used in this way.
Why Summoning Sickness and Improvise Don’t Mix
The core issue is that the act of tapping the artifact is part of the cost of using the Improvise ability. Creatures with summoning sickness are specifically barred from paying costs that involve tapping. Therefore, even if you control an artifact creature, if it’s suffering from summoning sickness, it cannot be tapped to pay for Improvise.
Here’s a breakdown of why:
- Summoning Sickness Restriction: Creatures with summoning sickness cannot use abilities that require tapping.
- Improvise Requirement: Improvise requires you to tap an untapped artifact to reduce the cost of the spell.
- Conflict: If the artifact is also a creature with summoning sickness, you cannot tap it to pay for the Improvise cost because of the summoning sickness restriction.
Examples and Scenarios
Let’s consider a few scenarios to illustrate this concept:
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Scenario 1: You cast a spell with Improvise that costs 4 generic mana (e.g., {4}). You control a newly cast Servo Token (an artifact creature). The Servo Token has summoning sickness and you have no other artifacts. You cannot tap the Servo Token to pay for any of the generic mana in the spell’s cost because of the summoning sickness.
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Scenario 2: You control a Sol Ring (an artifact) that you cast last turn and a newly cast Myr Servitor (an artifact creature). The Myr Servitor has summoning sickness. You can tap the Sol Ring to pay for one generic mana for the spell with Improvise, but you cannot tap the Myr Servitor.
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Scenario 3: You cast a spell with Improvise that costs 4 generic mana. You have a Steel Overseer (an artifact creature) that you cast on a prior turn. The Steel Overseer doesn’t have summoning sickness and you have no other artifacts. You can tap the Steel Overseer to pay one generic mana towards the total cost of the Improvise spell.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can you tap an artifact land for Improvise if it entered the battlefield this turn?
Yes, you can. Artifact lands are not creatures, so summoning sickness does not apply to them. As long as the artifact land is untapped, you can tap it to help pay for the Improvise cost of a spell, regardless of when it entered the battlefield.
2. What happens if a creature loses summoning sickness after I’ve already declared I’m casting the Improvise spell?
Once you begin the process of casting a spell, you cannot undo actions. If the creature gains haste or otherwise loses summoning sickness after you’ve started casting the spell and declared that you’re not tapping it for Improvise, you cannot change your mind and tap it at that point.
3. If I have a way to give a creature haste, can I tap it for Improvise on the turn it enters the battlefield?
Yes. If a creature has haste, it ignores the restrictions of summoning sickness. Therefore, you can tap it for Improvise on the turn it enters the battlefield.
4. Does equipping a creature with an artifact equipment give it summoning sickness?
No. Equipping a creature does not affect whether it has summoning sickness. Summoning sickness is only determined by whether a creature has been under your control continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn.
5. Can I tap a creature for Improvise if it has vigilance?
Yes, you can. Vigilance only affects whether a creature becomes tapped when it attacks. It does not prevent you from tapping it for other purposes, such as paying for Improvise.
6. Can you tap an artifact creature that’s already tapped for something else?
No. You can only tap untapped artifacts to pay for Improvise. If the artifact creature is already tapped, whether by attacking, activating another ability, or some other effect, you cannot tap it again for Improvise.
7. If a creature enters the battlefield under my control due to another player’s effect, does it have summoning sickness?
Yes. Summoning sickness depends on whether a creature has been under your control continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how the creature came under your control.
8. Can I use a mana ability of an artifact creature with summoning sickness?
Yes, you can activate mana abilities even if the source has summoning sickness. This is because mana abilities don’t use the stack, so they bypass the normal restrictions that summoning sickness imposes.
9. If I have multiple artifacts, can I choose which ones to tap for Improvise?
Yes. You have the flexibility to choose which untapped artifacts you want to tap to pay for the Improvise cost. You can tap any combination of artifacts to meet the generic mana requirement.
10. If I don’t tap any artifacts for Improvise, do I have to pay the full mana cost of the spell?
Yes. Improvise is an optional ability. If you choose not to tap any artifacts, you must pay the full mana cost of the spell.
11. Can I tap a creature enchanted with an artifact aura for Improvise?
No, you cannot. Auras only affect the enchanted permanent; they do not become part of it. In this case, the creature is not an artifact itself unless the Aura specifically states it makes the creature an artifact.
12. Can I tap a vehicle with summoning sickness for improvise if it is not crewed?
A Vehicle is only a creature when it is crewed. When it is not crewed, a Vehicle is an artifact. Therefore, summoning sickness does not apply and you may tap it for Improvise as long as you are following normal tapping rules.
13. Can I tap a creature for improvise that is currently attacking?
No, you cannot. Once an attacking creature is declared and has been tapped to attack, it cannot be tapped again for Improvise.
14. Can I give an opponent’s creature summoning sickness by using a spell or ability?
Summoning sickness is not something that can be given or removed by a spell. If an opponent’s creature has been under their control continuously since the beginning of their most recent turn, they do not have summoning sickness. If it entered the battlefield this turn, it will have summoning sickness.
15. Is there a resource that explains Magic: The Gathering in more detail?
Yes, there are many resources available for learning Magic: The Gathering in more detail. One excellent resource is the Games Learning Society, which explores the educational aspects of gaming and provides in-depth analysis. Visit their website at GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more.
Conclusion
While Improvise provides a powerful way to reduce the mana cost of spells by tapping artifacts, it’s essential to understand its limitations. A creature with summoning sickness cannot be tapped to pay for Improvise, as it is unable to activate tap abilities. By understanding these nuances, you can effectively build and play decks that utilize Improvise to its full potential.