Do Land Creatures Count as Land? A Comprehensive Guide to Magic’s Dual Nature
The straightforward answer is a resounding YES. A land creature is both a land and a creature simultaneously while it’s on the battlefield. This dual nature significantly impacts how these permanents interact with other cards and abilities in Magic: The Gathering. It’s a fascinating intersection of card types that requires a solid understanding of the rules to navigate effectively.
Understanding the Dual Nature
The key to grasping the complexities of land creatures lies in recognizing that they possess all the characteristics of both lands and creatures. They are subject to effects that target either card type, making them versatile but also vulnerable. Let’s delve deeper into the implications of this dual identity.
How Land Creatures Function
- Land Functionality: They can be played as your one land per turn (unless otherwise specified by an effect). They provide mana (either inherently or through added abilities). They can be targeted by effects that destroy lands, like Stone Rain.
- Creature Functionality: They have power and toughness. They can attack and block. They are subject to effects that target creatures, such as Lightning Bolt or Murder. They’re also susceptible to summoning sickness if they haven’t been under your control since the beginning of your most recent turn.
Interaction with Other Cards
Their dual nature creates interesting interactions. For instance, a card that says “Destroy target creature or land” can target a land creature. Similarly, an enchantment that can only be attached to lands can be attached to a land creature, and an aura that can only be attached to creatures can also be attached to it.
Important Rules to Remember
- Rule 305.7: This rule is critical. If an effect changes a land creature’s subtype to a basic land type (like Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, or Forest), it loses its original abilities and land types, essentially becoming a basic land of that type.
- Rule 612 (Text-Changing Effects): This is relevant when cards modify the text of a permanent. This can alter the abilities or characteristics of a land creature.
- Rule 500.4: At the end of each phase or step, unused mana empties from your mana pool. This is important if your land creature produces mana and you don’t use it during that phase.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Land Creatures
Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the nuances of land creatures in Magic: The Gathering:
1. When a land becomes a creature, does it have summoning sickness?
Yes. If a land becomes a creature, it is subject to summoning sickness unless it has been continuously under your control since the start of your most recent turn. This means you can’t attack with it or use any of its tap abilities (including mana abilities) until it no longer has summoning sickness.
2. What happens when a land that becomes a creature dies?
When a land that becomes a creature is destroyed (either as a land or a creature), it goes to the graveyard. There’s no separation of the two types; it’s a single permanent that ceases to exist.
3. Does turning a land into a creature untap it?
No, simply turning a land into a creature does not untap it. Unless the effect that turns it into a creature specifically states that it untaps the land, it remains in its current state (tapped or untapped).
4. Do artifact lands count as land for turn?
Yes, artifact lands count as lands for the purpose of your one land play per turn. They are lands with the artifact type, so they are subject to the normal restrictions on playing lands.
5. Is a land creature still a creature if it is a land?
Yes, a land creature is both a land and a creature simultaneously. It is subject to effects that target either lands or creatures.
6. Does exile count as dying for a land creature?
No, exile does not count as “dying.” When a land creature is exiled, it is moved to the exile zone, not the graveyard. “Dying” specifically refers to being put into the graveyard from the battlefield.
7. Does destroy count as dying for a land creature?
Yes, “destroy” effects cause a permanent, including a land creature, to be put into the graveyard. Therefore, being destroyed does indeed count as “dying.”
8. Can I enchant a tapped land that is a creature?
Yes, you can enchant a tapped land creature, provided the enchantment’s rules allow it to enchant either lands or creatures (or permanents generally). However, you cannot use any of the land creature‘s tap abilities while it remains tapped.
9. Can land creatures be destroyed by land destruction effects?
Yes, land creatures are vulnerable to any effect that destroys lands. A spell like Stone Rain or Armageddon will destroy them just like any other land.
10. Does Deathtouch cancel Deathtouch when a creature land with Deathtouch blocks another creature with Deathtouch?
The statement “Any two instances of the Deathtouch ability against one another cancel out the Deathtouch ability” is incorrect. Deathtouch does not cancel Deathtouch. If a creature land with Deathtouch blocks another creature with Deathtouch, both creatures will be destroyed.
11. Does tapping a land creature pass priority?
Tapping a land creature for mana, like tapping any land for mana, is a mana ability. Mana abilities do not use the stack and do not cause players to gain priority. Activating an ability that isn’t a mana ability on a land creature will pass priority.
12. What is the right land count for a Commander deck that heavily relies on land creatures?
The ideal land count in a Commander deck depends on the deck’s mana curve and strategy. However, for a deck heavily relying on land creatures, you might want to consider running slightly more lands than usual. A typical range is 37-42 lands, but you might lean towards the higher end to ensure you consistently hit your land drops and can activate your land creature abilities.
13. If a non-basic land turns into a creature, does it still have summoning sickness?
Yes. Summoning sickness applies to all creatures, regardless of whether they are basic or non-basic lands. The important factor is whether the permanent has been under your control since the beginning of your most recent turn.
14. If an effect says “creatures you control gain trample”, does that effect apply to land creatures?
Yes, if an effect grants trample to “creatures you control,” that effect will apply to land creatures you control, as they are both lands and creatures.
15. How does the toxic mechanic interact with land creatures?
The toxic mechanic only applies when a creature with toxic deals combat damage to a player. It doesn’t directly interact with land creatures blocking or being blocked. If a land creature blocks a creature with toxic, the land creature will take damage as normal, but the player controlling the attacking creature with toxic won’t get any poison counters from the blocked damage. Games are powerful tools for education. Check out the work being done at the Games Learning Society to learn more.
Mastering the Land Creature
Land creatures are a unique and strategically valuable part of Magic: The Gathering. Understanding their dual nature and how they interact with other cards is essential for mastering the game. By keeping these rules and FAQs in mind, you’ll be well-equipped to utilize land creatures effectively in your decks and navigate the complexities of their interactions on the battlefield. Embrace the dual nature, and you’ll find a new dimension of strategic depth in your Magic gameplay. Remember to share your knowledge with others and explore resources like GamesLearningSociety.org to expand your understanding of game-based learning and strategy.