Unraveling the Mysteries of Planeswalker Loyalty in Magic: The Gathering
Yes, loyalty on a Planeswalker does count as a counter. They are a specific type of counter that determines how long a Planeswalker remains on the battlefield and the frequency with which you can use their abilities. Understanding this core mechanic is crucial to mastering Magic: The Gathering.
Planeswalkers: More Than Just Powerful Spells
Planeswalkers are powerful card types that represent characters from across the Magic: The Gathering multiverse. Unlike creatures or spells, they persist on the battlefield as permanents. Their primary resource is loyalty, represented by loyalty counters. These counters are printed on the card and are a key element of their gameplay.
How Loyalty Counters Work
When a Planeswalker enters the battlefield, it enters with a specified number of loyalty counters, printed in the bottom right corner of the card. You can activate one of the Planeswalker’s loyalty abilities during your main phase if the stack is empty, but only if you haven’t already activated one of its abilities that turn. These abilities have a cost associated with them, indicated by a plus or minus sign and a number. Plus abilities add loyalty counters, while minus abilities remove them. A Planeswalker goes to the graveyard as a state-based action if it has zero loyalty counters.
Loyalty Abilities: The Key to Planeswalker Power
Loyalty abilities are activated abilities that allow you to interact with the game, generating value and controlling the battlefield. They range from creating creature tokens to destroying enemy permanents, drawing cards, or even winning the game outright. Using these abilities effectively is crucial for maximizing the potential of your Planeswalkers.
Planeswalkers, Damage, and Destruction
Planeswalkers can be attacked directly by creatures. If an attacking creature isn’t blocked, it deals its damage to the targeted Planeswalker, removing that many loyalty counters. Spells that deal damage to opponents can also be redirected to their Planeswalkers. Once a Planeswalker’s loyalty reaches zero, it is put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action. Even if a Planeswalker has indestructible, it still goes to the graveyard when it has no loyalty counters.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Planeswalkers
FAQ 1: Are Loyalty Abilities Activated Abilities?
Yes, loyalty abilities are activated abilities. This means they can be countered like any other activated ability using spells like Counterspell. Understanding this interaction is key to preventing your opponent from executing a game-winning Planeswalker ability.
FAQ 2: Can I Put +1/+1 Counters on Planeswalkers?
While you can physically put +1/+1 counters on a Planeswalker, they have no effect unless the Planeswalker becomes a creature. Gideon Blackblade, or any other Planeswalker that becomes a creature, can be affected by +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters.
FAQ 3: Do Indestructible Planeswalkers Still Lose Loyalty Counters?
Yes, indestructible only prevents destruction. A Planeswalker with indestructible will still lose loyalty counters when dealt damage, and if it reaches zero loyalty counters, it will still be put into the graveyard.
FAQ 4: Does Deathtouch Affect Planeswalkers?
Deathtouch only applies to creatures. A creature with deathtouch dealing damage to a Planeswalker will only remove the amount of loyalty counters equal to the damage dealt. You need specific abilities, like that of Vraska, Swarm’s Eminence, to directly link deathtouch to Planeswalker removal.
FAQ 5: Can I Have Multiple Planeswalkers on the Battlefield?
Yes, you can have any number of different Planeswalkers on the battlefield. However, the “legend rule” applies. You cannot control two Planeswalkers with the exact same name. For example, you can control a Garruk, Unleashed and a Garruk, Cursed Huntsman simultaneously.
FAQ 6: How Do +1/+1 Counters Interact with Planeswalkers?
+1/+1 counters on a non-creature permanent, including a Planeswalker, do nothing until the permanent becomes a creature. If a Planeswalker becomes a creature (through an ability, for example), the +1/+1 counters will then affect its power and toughness.
FAQ 7: Does Doubling Season Affect Planeswalker Loyalty?
Doubling Season does affect the initial number of loyalty counters a Planeswalker enters the battlefield with. However, it does not double the number of loyalty counters you add when activating a Planeswalker’s plus ability.
FAQ 8: Can I Proliferate Planeswalkers?
Yes, you can proliferate Planeswalkers. Proliferate allows you to add one counter of each type already on a permanent. Since loyalty counters are indeed counters, you can add additional loyalty counters to your Planeswalkers this way.
FAQ 9: Do Planeswalkers Have the Legendary Rule?
Yes, all Planeswalkers have the supertype “legendary” and are subject to the “legend rule“. This means you can’t have two Planeswalkers with the exact same name on the battlefield under your control.
FAQ 10: Do Planeswalkers Have Summoning Sickness?
No, Planeswalkers do not have summoning sickness. You can activate a Planeswalker’s loyalty ability on the same turn you play it.
FAQ 11: What is Considered a Counter in Magic?
A counter is a marker placed on an object or player that modifies its characteristics or interacts with a rule, ability, or effect. Counters with the same name or description are interchangeable.
FAQ 12: Can Planeswalkers Block?
Planeswalkers cannot block directly because they are not creatures. However, your creatures can block creatures attacking your Planeswalkers, protecting them from damage and the loss of loyalty counters.
FAQ 13: Can You Control Two Planeswalkers With the Same Name?
No, you are only prohibited from having two Planeswalkers with the exact same name. You can have a Garruk, Unleashed, and a Garruk, Cursed Huntsman out at the same time. It used to be the case that you could only have out one of a “type”, like one Garruk, but they changed it a little while ago.
FAQ 14: Are +1/+1 Counters Considered Abilities?
An ability is a characteristic that an object has. +1/+1 are just considered counters. They can be derived from the rules text of the object, but can be added by counters or effects.
FAQ 15: What Happens if I Give a Planeswalker Indestructible?
Giving a Planeswalker indestructible will prevent it from being destroyed. However, it will not prevent it from going to the graveyard when it has zero loyalty counters, nor will it stop it from losing loyalty counters when it takes damage.
Mastering Planeswalkers: A Path to Victory
Understanding how loyalty counters work with Planeswalkers is essential for playing Magic: The Gathering effectively. By knowing the rules, interactions, and limitations of these powerful cards, you can build stronger decks, make better strategic decisions, and ultimately achieve victory. For more in-depth explorations of game mechanics and educational resources, consider visiting the Games Learning Society website. You can explore many gaming topics at GamesLearningSociety.org.