Do Creatures Lose Counters When Flickered in Magic: The Gathering?
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The short answer is yes, creatures lose counters when they are flickered. Flickering, often achieved through cards like “Momentary Blink” or “Ghostly Flicker,” involves exiling a permanent and then immediately returning it to the battlefield. This process creates a new game object, effectively erasing any counters that were previously on the creature. Understanding this interaction is crucial for effective gameplay and deckbuilding in Magic: The Gathering.
Understanding Flickering Mechanics
“Flicker” isn’t an official keyword in Magic: The Gathering’s rules. It’s a common term for effects that exile a permanent, then immediately return it to the battlefield. This process may seem simple, but it has profound implications for the creature’s state and its interaction with other cards.
When a creature is flickered, it’s treated as a new object entering the battlefield. This means it loses all previous associations, including:
- Counters: +1/+1 counters, -1/-1 counters, charge counters, or any other type of counter are removed.
- Auras: Auras attached to the creature are sent to the graveyard (or remain on the battlefield if they can legally attach to something else).
- Equipment: Equipment unattaches and remains on the battlefield.
- Damage: Any damage marked on the creature is removed.
- Combat: The creature is removed from combat.
- Summoning Sickness: If the creature is a creature that has not been under your control since the beginning of your most recent turn, it cannot attack or use any of its abilities which have the tap symbol, or the untap symbol as part of the cost.
The implications are significant. Flickering can be used defensively to dodge removal spells, reset damage, or trigger “enter the battlefield” (ETB) abilities. Conversely, it can disrupt your own strategies if you’re relying on counters or attachments to remain on the creature.
Why Counters are Lost
The reason counters are lost during a flicker effect boils down to how Magic handles permanents that change zones. When a permanent leaves the battlefield and then returns, it’s treated as a brand-new permanent. Its previous existence is essentially forgotten by the game rules. This is a fundamental aspect of Magic’s design, ensuring that the game state remains consistent and predictable.
Strategic Implications
Understanding the interaction between flickering and counters opens up a range of strategic possibilities. You can use flickering to:
- Remove negative counters: If a creature has -1/-1 counters, flickering can remove them and save the creature.
- Reset powerful ETB effects: Flickering a creature with a valuable ETB ability allows you to trigger it again.
- Disrupt opponent’s strategies: Flickering a key creature can remove their counters and disrupt their plans.
However, you also need to be mindful of the downsides:
- Losing beneficial counters: Flickering a creature with +1/+1 counters will reset the creature to its base stats.
- Disrupting Aura/Equipment strategies: If your deck relies heavily on Auras or Equipment, flickering your creatures can leave you vulnerable.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Flickering and Counters
1. Does flickering a creature remove it from combat?
Yes, flickering a creature removes it from combat. When the creature returns to the battlefield, it’s considered a new creature and is not automatically re-assigned to combat.
2. Does flickering a creature cause summoning sickness?
Yes, flickering a creature effectively resets its summoning sickness. If the creature has not been under your control continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn, it cannot attack or use any of its abilities which have the tap symbol, or the untap symbol as part of the cost.
3. What happens when you flicker a Saga creature?
If you flicker a creature that had transformed from a Saga (like a permanent transformed by a Saga land), it returns to the battlefield as the front face of the card. If that front face is a Saga, it will have no lore counters and will start from Chapter I.
4. Does flickering an Aura destroy the enchanted permanent?
No, flickering an enchanted permanent does not destroy the Aura or Equipment attached. The Auras are sent to the graveyard, and any Equipment attached to a permanent becomes unattached and remains on the battlefield.
5. What happens if you flicker Brisela, Voice of Nightmares?
If you flicker Brisela, Voice of Nightmares, it returns as the two cards that comprise it, Gisela, the Broken Blade and Bruna, the Fading Light.
6. Do mutated creatures keep counters when flickered?
No, mutated creatures do not keep counters when flickered. The entire merged creature is exiled and returned as a new entity, losing all counters, Auras, and Equipment.
7. Does flickering avoid board wipes?
It depends on the timing. If you flicker a creature in response to a board wipe, it will be exiled and then returned to the battlefield. If the board wipe resolves after the creature has returned, it will be affected by the board wipe. Flickering only provides temporary protection.
8. Can you flicker Planeswalkers?
Yes, you can flicker Planeswalkers with effects that don’t specifically exclude them as a valid target. Not all flicker effects can target Planeswalkers, but some can.
9. Does flickering a token destroy it permanently?
Yes, flickering a token creature essentially removes it from the game permanently. When a token is exiled, it ceases to exist and does not return to the battlefield.
10. What happens if a Saga has no counters and then receives one?
If a Saga has no counters and then receives one, the appropriate chapter abilities will trigger again, starting from Chapter I. This can lead to powerful recursion of Saga effects.
11. Does flickering a creature trigger enter-the-battlefield (ETB) effects?
Yes, flickering a creature triggers its enter-the-battlefield (ETB) effect when it returns to the battlefield. This is a key reason why flickering is strategically valuable.
12. If a creature returns after a flicker, can I attack with it right away?
Potentially. If the creature was on the battlefield under your control at the beginning of your most recent turn, then it can attack with it right away. If the creature has not been under your control continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn, it cannot attack or use any of its abilities which have the tap symbol, or the untap symbol as part of the cost.
13. Does flickering fizzle spells targeting the creature?
Yes, flickering a creature in response to a targeted spell will cause the spell to “fizzle” if the flickered creature was the only target. The spell no longer has a valid target, and it is countered upon resolution.
14. What’s the difference between “flicker” and “blink” in MTG?
In most contexts, “flicker” and “blink” are used interchangeably to describe the same effect: exiling a permanent and then immediately returning it to the battlefield. The term “Blink” is also used, either to distinguish between slightly different versions of the effect or just by individual preference.
15. Why is Flickerwisp considered a good card?
Flickerwisp is a strong card because it offers a versatile blink effect attached to a 3/1 flying creature for only three mana. Its ability to exile any permanent, not just creatures, makes it a flexible tool in aggressive and tempo-oriented decks.
Conclusion
Flickering is a powerful mechanic in Magic: The Gathering with diverse applications. Understanding how it interacts with counters, Auras, Equipment, and other game elements is crucial for mastering the game. Whether you’re using it defensively to save your creatures or offensively to trigger valuable ETB abilities, flickering can be a game-changer. Delve deeper into the strategies and educational aspects of gaming by exploring resources such as the Games Learning Society, found at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.