Do Creatures Have Summoning Sickness When They Phase In?
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The short answer is no. Phasing in does not cause a creature to have summoning sickness. This is a crucial distinction to understand in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), as it significantly affects how you can utilize your phased-out creatures upon their return. While the concept of summoning sickness can be a hurdle for new players, its interplay with the phasing mechanic can be equally complex for experienced players. Let’s delve into why this is the case and explore related aspects of both summoning sickness and phasing.
Understanding Summoning Sickness
What Exactly is Summoning Sickness?
Summoning sickness is a rule in MTG that limits the actions of creatures when they first enter the battlefield. The informal term was coined by Wizards of the Coast and officially means a creature is considered summoning sick unless it has been continuously controlled by a player since the beginning of that player’s most recent turn. Essentially, a creature that comes under your control during your turn cannot attack or use activated abilities with a tap symbol in their cost that turn. However, creatures with summoning sickness can still block on your opponent’s turn, unless their other rules state otherwise.
Key Aspects of Summoning Sickness
- Timing: Summoning sickness begins the moment a creature enters the battlefield and lasts until the start of your next turn.
- Limitations: It restricts a creature’s ability to tap for attacking or using tap-activated abilities.
- Not a Tapped State: It’s important to note that a creature with summoning sickness isn’t tapped when it enters the battlefield. It is simply limited in its action capabilities.
- Untapping Doesn’t Remove It: Untapping a creature with summoning sickness will not remove the condition.
- Continual Control: The primary factor is having controlled the creature from the beginning of your current turn.
How Phasing Works
Defining the Phasing Mechanic
Phasing is a unique MTG mechanic where permanents (like creatures, artifacts, and lands) may temporarily disappear from the game. When a permanent phases out, it’s treated as if it doesn’t exist on the battlefield until it automatically phases back in during its controller’s untap step on their next turn. This is not the same as leaving the battlefield; it is simply a temporary removal from the game until the phase-in happens during its controller’s untap step.
Key Aspects of Phasing
- Temporary Removal: Phasing out effectively removes the permanent from the battlefield temporarily, as if it is not there.
- Automatic Return: The permanent phases back in during its controller’s untap step on their next turn.
- Not Entering or Leaving: A crucial point is that phasing out or in doesn’t trigger “enters the battlefield” or “leaves the battlefield” abilities.
- Status Preservation: Counters on a phased-out permanent remain, and linked abilities persist, as well as choices made upon entering the battlefield, and will be present again when the permanent phases in.
Phasing and Summoning Sickness: Why They Don’t Interact
The reason a phased-in creature doesn’t have summoning sickness is because it never “enters the battlefield” when it phases back in. The card is simply returning to the game in the same state it was in when it phased out. The crucial wording in the rules is “entering the battlefield” which does not occur during a phasing event.
The rule regarding summoning sickness hinges on a creature entering the battlefield; if a creature is already on the battlefield and then simply returns, it is not subject to summoning sickness. So, a creature that has been under your control since your last turn, has phased out and is now phasing back in, is free to attack or use its activated tap abilities on the same turn it phases back in.
Related FAQs on Summoning Sickness and Phasing
Here are 15 FAQs related to summoning sickness and phasing, designed to give a broader understanding of these MTG mechanics:
1. Does Haste negate summoning sickness?
Yes. Creatures with haste are an exception to the rule of summoning sickness. They can attack and use activated abilities with a tap symbol the turn they enter the battlefield, or return from a phased-out state.
2. Can I use a creature’s ability that doesn’t require tapping on the turn it enters?
Yes. Summoning sickness only restricts tapping for attack or using tap-activated abilities. Other abilities can still be used.
3. Does blinking a creature cause summoning sickness?
Yes. If you blink a creature, it leaves the battlefield and re-enters. This does cause summoning sickness unless it has haste.
4. Can I tap an artifact the turn I play it?
Yes, unless it is an artifact creature. Only creatures are affected by summoning sickness. If an artifact becomes a creature on the turn it comes under your control, it will have summoning sickness and will be restricted.
5. Are lands that turn into creatures affected by summoning sickness?
Yes. Lands that become creatures are affected by summoning sickness in the same way as other creatures. They will not be able to attack or use activated tap abilities until your next turn.
6. Can I crew a Vehicle with summoning sickness?
Yes. You can tap any untapped creature, even one with summoning sickness, to activate a crew ability.
7. Does regenerate remove summoning sickness?
No. Regenerating a creature doesn’t remove summoning sickness. You still cannot attack or use tap abilities unless you already controlled the creature at the start of your turn.
8. Can I block with a creature that has summoning sickness?
Yes. Summoning sickness does not stop a creature from blocking. It is only limited in its ability to attack and to use tap activated abilities.
9. Does phasing out remove counters?
No. Phasing out does not cause the permanent to leave the battlefield, so counters on the phased-out permanent are preserved, and will remain there when it phases back in.
10. Does phasing in trigger any abilities?
No. Phasing in is not the same as entering the battlefield, so it does not trigger “enters the battlefield” abilities or any other trigger that specifically calls for “entering the battlefield”.
11. Does double strike also give first strike?
Yes. Double strike also counts as first strike when determining which creatures do damage in combat.
12. Do planeswalkers have summoning sickness?
No. Planeswalkers are not affected by summoning sickness. You can use their abilities the turn they come into play. However, you can only use them as if they were sorceries on your own turn.
13. Can summoning sickness be untapped?
Yes, you can untap a creature with summoning sickness, but this will not remove summoning sickness.
14. Does a land count as a spell?
No. Playing a land is not casting a spell. It is a special action and does not go on the stack.
15. Can I use a creature ability that requires tapping on my first turn if it phased in?
Yes. If the creature phased in during your untap step it is not considered to be entering the battlefield and you can use its abilities without restriction.
Conclusion
Understanding the mechanics of summoning sickness and phasing is crucial for mastering MTG. While a creature that enters the battlefield will have summoning sickness, a creature that phases in does not. This distinction is an important detail when building decks and making critical decisions during gameplay. Mastering these core concepts will undoubtedly help any player navigate the complexities of the game with greater precision and strategic thinking.