Lands That Morph: Navigating Summoning Sickness in “Magic: The Gathering”
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Yes, lands that turn into creatures absolutely have summoning sickness if they haven’t been under your continuous control since the beginning of your most recent turn. This is a fundamental rule in “Magic: The Gathering” (MTG) that affects how you strategize and play your cards. If a land becomes a creature, it’s treated just like any other creature entering the battlefield – it can’t attack or use tap abilities until your next turn begins.
Understanding Summoning Sickness
Let’s delve deeper into the concept of summoning sickness. It’s not an actual status effect, but rather a rule that prevents newly summoned (or, in this case, transformed) creatures from immediately attacking or using activated abilities with the tap ({T}) or untap ({Q}) symbol in their costs.
This rule is crucial for balancing the game and preventing players from immediately exploiting creatures the moment they hit the battlefield. The condition only applies to creatures and it lasts until the beginning of the player’s next turn. Creatures still can be declared as blockers.
How Lands Become Creatures
Several cards in “Magic: The Gathering” allow you to temporarily or permanently turn lands into creatures. Some common examples include:
- Awakening effects: Spells like “Awaken the Land” directly turn a land into a creature with specified power and toughness.
- Manlands: Cards like “Mishra’s Factory” have activated abilities that transform them into creature until the end of turn.
- Animated enchantments/artifacts: Cards that turn all lands into creatures, like “Nature’s Revolt”.
The critical point to remember is that regardless of how the land becomes a creature, the summoning sickness rule will apply if it wasn’t already a creature under your control since the beginning of your turn.
Strategic Implications
Understanding this rule has significant strategic implications. You can’t immediately swing with a land that you just turned into a creature. However, you can use it to block during your opponent’s turn (assuming it’s not otherwise restricted).
Planning your plays becomes even more crucial. If you anticipate needing a creature to attack or use a tap ability, consider transforming the land on your previous turn, setting it up for action on your current turn. Remember to consider the risk involved, as leaving a land creature undefended can make it vulnerable to removal spells.
FAQs: Summoning Sickness and Land Creatures
1. If a land becomes a creature during my opponent’s turn, can I attack with it on my next turn?
Yes, assuming it remains a creature under your control, you can attack with it on your next turn because it has been under your continuous control since the beginning of your most recent turn. Summoning sickness only lasts until the start of your turn following the turn it entered the battlefield or became a creature.
2. Can I tap a land creature for mana the turn it comes into play?
No, you cannot. A land that becomes a creature is still affected by summoning sickness. This means you can’t use any of its tap abilities, including mana abilities, unless it began your turn on the battlefield under your control as a creature.
3. If a land has haste when it becomes a creature, does it bypass summoning sickness?
Yes, haste allows a creature to ignore summoning sickness. Even though the land still technically has summoning sickness, haste overrides it, allowing you to attack or use tap abilities immediately.
4. What happens if a land creature loses haste on the turn it becomes a creature?
If a land creature gains haste and subsequently loses it during the same turn it becomes a creature, it will then be affected by summoning sickness for the remainder of the turn.
5. Does flickering a land creature remove summoning sickness?
No, flickering a land creature (exiling it and then returning it to the battlefield) will cause it to be treated as a new creature entering the battlefield. This means it will be subject to summoning sickness again. It must be under your continuous control since the start of your most recent turn.
6. Can I block with a land creature the turn it comes into play?
Yes, you can block with a land creature the turn it comes into play. Summoning sickness only prevents attacking and using tap abilities. Blocking is still permitted.
7. If I turn a land into a creature and then back into a land, does it still have summoning sickness?
The summoning sickness “timer” continues to tick. If it was a creature at the beginning of your turn, and then you turned it back into a land temporarily, and then back into a creature, it would still be able to attack or tap if it was a creature under your control at the beginning of your turn.
8. Does summoning sickness affect artifacts that become creatures?
Yes, summoning sickness affects artifacts that become creatures. The rule applies to any permanent that transforms into a creature.
9. Can I use an activated ability of a land creature that doesn’t require tapping the turn it comes into play?
Yes, you can. Summoning sickness only restricts attacking and using tap ({T}) or untap ({Q}) abilities. Other activated abilities can be used freely, provided you meet their costs and requirements.
10. If I exile a land creature and then return it to the battlefield, does it have summoning sickness?
Yes, any card that returns from exile is treated as a new permanent entering the battlefield. The land creature will be affected by summoning sickness until the beginning of your next turn.
11. If a land creature is tapped when it becomes a creature, is it still tapped?
Yes, a land creature retains its tapped or untapped state when it transforms. Being tapped doesn’t cause summoning sickness, but being unable to untap due to being tapped can further limit your options.
12. How does summoning sickness interact with battles that become creatures?
Battles that are animated as creatures are subject to summoning sickness, same as a land creature. Therefore, they cannot attack the turn they become creatures, unless they have haste or began the turn as a creature.
13. Does deathtouch from a land creature with summoning sickness work if it blocks?
Yes, deathtouch works independently of summoning sickness. If a land creature with deathtouch blocks, it will destroy the creature it blocks, regardless of whether the land creature has summoning sickness.
14. Does indestructible protect a land creature from summoning sickness?
No, indestructible has nothing to do with summoning sickness. Indestructible prevents destruction, while summoning sickness prevents attacking and using tap abilities. They are unrelated game mechanics.
15. Where can I learn more about complex “Magic: The Gathering” rules?
To deepen your understanding of “Magic: The Gathering” rules and strategies, explore resources like the official MTG rulebook and community forums. You can also explore how games like MTG, particularly the design choices, can be applied to learning in educational settings on the Games Learning Society website at GamesLearningSociety.org. These resources will enhance your gameplay and strategic thinking.