Do You Have to Tap Creatures to Crew? Understanding the Crew Mechanic in Magic: The Gathering
Yes, you absolutely must tap creatures to crew a Vehicle in Magic: The Gathering. Crewing is an activated ability found on Vehicle artifacts, and its cost involves tapping a certain amount of creatures you control with a combined power that meets or exceeds the Vehicle’s crew number. Tapping those creatures is a fundamental requirement to bring your metallic beast to life!
Think of it this way: those creatures are the engine powering the Vehicle, and tapping them is like turning the key to start that engine. Without tapping, the Vehicle remains a dormant artifact. Now, let’s dive deeper into the nuances of this mechanic.
How Crew Works: A Detailed Breakdown
Crewing a Vehicle isn’t just about tapping creatures; it’s about understanding the whole process. Here’s a step-by-step explanation:
- Identify a Vehicle: You need a Vehicle card on the battlefield. These are artifacts with the “Vehicle” subtype and a crew ability (e.g., “Crew 2”).
- Assess the Crew Cost: The crew ability will have a number associated with it. This is the total power you need from the creatures you’ll tap.
- Choose Your Crew: Select any number of creatures you control. Their total power must be equal to or greater than the Vehicle’s crew cost. Remember, you can tap more power than needed, but not less.
- Tap the Creatures: This is the critical step. You must physically tap the chosen creatures. Tapping is part of the cost of activating the crew ability.
- Activate the Ability: Pay the cost by tapping the creatures. This activates the crew ability.
- The Vehicle Becomes a Creature: Until the end of the turn, the Vehicle becomes an artifact creature with the power and toughness printed on the card. It can now attack, block, and be affected by spells and abilities that target creatures.
Important Considerations:
- Summoning Sickness: Creatures with summoning sickness can be tapped to crew a Vehicle, even though they can’t attack or use abilities with the tap symbol themselves. Crewing is not an ability of the creature; it is an ability of the Vehicle.
- Tapped Creatures: You cannot tap a creature that is already tapped to crew a Vehicle. Unless, of course, you have ways to untap the creature first.
- Excess Power: If you tap creatures with a total power exceeding the crew cost, the extra power doesn’t matter. It doesn’t carry over or provide any additional benefit.
- Instant Speed: You can crew a Vehicle at any time you have priority, including in response to other spells or abilities. This gives you tactical flexibility.
- End of Turn: At the end of the turn, the Vehicle reverts to being just an artifact. It loses its power and toughness and can no longer attack or block until it’s crewed again.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Crew
Here are 15 FAQs to address some common questions about the crew mechanic:
FAQ 1: Can I crew a Vehicle with a creature that just entered the battlefield?
Yes! As long as the creature is untapped, you can tap it to crew a Vehicle, even if it has summoning sickness. The summoning sickness only prevents the creature from attacking or activating its own abilities that use the tap symbol.
FAQ 2: Can I crew a tapped Vehicle?
You can crew a Vehicle regardless of whether it is tapped or untapped. Crewing it won’t untap it, though.
FAQ 3: Can you crew with a 0-power creature?
No. The total power of the creatures you tap must be equal to or greater than the crew cost. A 0-power creature contributes nothing to meeting that cost.
FAQ 4: If I flicker a creature I tapped to crew, does the Vehicle stay crewed?
Yes, the Vehicle remains a creature until the end of the turn, even if the creatures you used to crew it leave the battlefield (or are flickered). The effect of the crew ability persists.
FAQ 5: Can I crew on my opponent’s turn?
Yes! You can crew a Vehicle during your opponent’s turn if you have priority. This could be useful for blocking or responding to a threat.
FAQ 6: What happens if I tap a tapped creature to try and crew a Vehicle?
Nothing. You can’t tap a creature that’s already tapped to pay the crew cost. The game simply won’t allow you to activate the ability.
FAQ 7: Can I crew an already crewed Vehicle to make it stronger?
No. Crewing is not cumulative. Once a Vehicle is crewed, it becomes a creature with the power and toughness printed on the card. Crewing it again won’t change those stats.
FAQ 8: Does Deathtouch or Lifelink on a creature apply to a Vehicle it’s crewing?
No. Deathtouch and Lifelink are abilities of the creature. They do not transfer to the Vehicle just because the creature is being used to crew it.
FAQ 9: Can I crew at instant speed in response to a removal spell targeting my Vehicle?
Yes! You can crew a Vehicle at instant speed. This could turn it into a creature, potentially making it a legal target for spells that target creatures, or making it immune to spells that target artifacts!
FAQ 10: Does summoning sickness prevent creatures with tap abilities from crewing?
No, summoning sickness prevents a creature from using its own activated abilities with the tap symbol. It does not prevent the creature from being tapped by another ability, such as a Vehicle’s crew ability.
FAQ 11: Does flickering a creature remove it from crewing a vehicle?
Yes, as stated earlier, flickering a creature will cause it to leave the battlefield, and then re-enter, which means it will no longer be tapped and crewing the Vehicle. This does not cause the Vehicle to stop being a creature until the end of the turn, however.
FAQ 12: Can I enter combat without creatures, and then crew a Vehicle during the combat phase to attack?
Yes. You can enter the combat phase with no creatures declared as attackers, then crew a Vehicle during the combat phase (before the end of combat step) and attack with it.
FAQ 13: Can Planeswalkers crew Vehicles?
Only if the Planeswalker is also a creature. Some Planeswalkers have abilities that turn them into creatures temporarily. If a Planeswalker is a creature, it can be tapped to crew a Vehicle like any other creature.
FAQ 14: Can I crew a Vehicle with multiple creatures if one of them gets removed in response?
Yes, if you tap multiple creatures to pay the crew cost and one is removed in response, the ability will still resolve if the remaining creatures you tapped have enough power to meet the crew cost.
FAQ 15: What if the Vehicle is destroyed while tapped creatures are crewing it?
The crewing creatures are unaffected by the Vehicle being destroyed. They simply become untapped again.
Mastering the Crew Mechanic
The crew mechanic adds a fascinating layer of strategy to Magic: The Gathering. It encourages you to think creatively about how you use your creatures and provides opportunities for both offensive and defensive plays. Understanding the rules and nuances of crewing is essential for maximizing the potential of Vehicles in your decks. Explore other MTG resources and even the research conducted by organizations like the Games Learning Society, found at GamesLearningSociety.org, to further enhance your understanding of the game and its underlying strategic complexities. This can really help players of all skill levels to up their game!