Can You Use Prey Upon on a Tapped Creature?
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The answer to the question of whether you can use Prey Upon on a tapped creature is yes, as Prey Upon allows a creature to deal damage equal to its power to another creature, and the tapped status of the creature does not prevent it from dealing or receiving damage from fighting. This is because Prey Upon isn’t considered combat damage, which is specifically damage dealt by attacking and blocking creatures during the combat phase.
Understanding Prey Upon and Tapped Creatures
To fully comprehend how Prey Upon works with tapped creatures, it’s essential to understand the basics of both concepts. Prey Upon is a mechanism that allows one creature to deal damage to another based on its power, without the need for the creatures to be in combat. On the other hand, a tapped creature is one that has been used for an ability, attacked, or been affected by a spell or ability that causes it to become tapped, indicating it cannot be used again until it is untapped during the untap step of the player’s turn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some FAQs related to using Prey Upon on a tapped creature and other relevant Magic: The Gathering rules:
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Q: Can you use an instant on a tapped creature?
A: Yes, you can use an instant on a tapped creature. The tapped status does not prevent a creature from being the target of an instant or any other type of spell. -
Q: Can tapped creatures still block?
A: Yes, tapped creatures can still block. Once a creature is declared as a blocker, its tapped status does not prevent it from blocking the attacker, and damage will be dealt as normal. -
Q: What are the rules for tapped creatures?
A: A creature must be tapped specifically to pay the cost of an ability. If a creature is already tapped, it cannot be used to pay the cost unless it is untapped first. -
Q: Does Deathtouch cancel Deathtouch?
A: Two instances of Deathtouch against each other cancel out the Deathtouch ability, meaning neither creature will be destroyed by the Deathtouch ability. -
Q: Can you enchant a tapped creature?
A: Yes, you can enchant a tapped creature unless the enchantment specifically states it can only enchant an untapped creature. -
Q: Can you use a tapped creature to crew?
A: Yes, you can use a tapped creature to crew a vehicle if its power, along with any other creatures, meets or exceeds the crew requirement. -
Q: Can you morph a tapped creature?
A: Yes, a tapped creature can be morphed. The act of morphing does not change the creature’s tapped or untapped status unless another effect is triggering to change this status. -
Q: Can you tap a tapped creature in Magic?
A: If a spell or ability instructs you to tap a creature as part of its effect and the creature is already tapped, the instruction to tap it is ignored, but other parts of the effect may still apply. -
Q: How does Prey Upon work?
A: Prey Upon allows one creature to deal damage equal to its power to another creature. It does not require combat and is not considered combat damage. -
Q: Can Frost Trickster tap a tapped creature?
A: Yes, Frost Trickster can target a creature that’s already tapped, and that creature won’t untap during its controller’s next untap step. -
Q: Can you force a tapped creature to fight?
A: Yes, a tapped creature can be forced to fight another creature. The tapped status does not prevent a creature from engaging in combat or dealing damage through Prey Upon or a fight spell. -
Q: Does Sleep affect tapped creatures?
A: Sleep will still affect a tapped creature, changing its status to tapped if it wasn’t already, although the practical effect may be minimal if the creature is already tapped. -
Q: Does attacking count as tapping a creature?
A: Attacking with a creature causes it to become tapped, but this is not considered a cost in the traditional sense. It’s an automatic part of declaring a creature as an attacker. -
Q: What wins, indestructible vs Deathtouch?
A: Indestructible creatures are immune to Deathtouch because they cannot be destroyed, even by lethal damage. -
Q: Is it pray upon or prey upon?
A: The correct term in the context of Magic: The Gathering and the English language when referring to one creature dealing damage to another based on its power is Prey Upon, not Pray Upon. Pray refers to speaking to a god or making a humble request, while Prey Upon means to seize, devour, or have a harmful effect on something.