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Does an Instant Count as a Sorcery? Understanding Spell Types in Magic: The Gathering

The short, definitive answer is no, an instant does not count as a sorcery in Magic: The Gathering (MTG). While both are types of spells that represent magical effects, they differ fundamentally in when they can be cast and how they function within the game. This distinction is crucial for understanding gameplay, building effective decks, and mastering the nuances of MTG. Let’s delve into why these two spell types are distinct and explore their individual characteristics.

Key Differences: Timing is Everything

The primary difference between instants and sorceries lies in their casting timing restrictions.

Instants: The Reactive Powerhouse

Instants are characterized by their ability to be cast at almost any time a player has priority. This includes:

During your own turn
During your opponent’s turn
In response to other spells or abilities on the stack
During combat, before or after damage is dealt

This flexibility makes instants incredibly versatile. They allow you to react to your opponent’s moves, disrupt their strategies, and deploy surprise effects. Think of instants as powerful reactions that can shift the tide of battle.

Sorceries: Strategic Planning

Sorceries, in contrast, are far more restricted. They can only be cast:

During your own main phase, before or after combat
When the stack is empty, meaning no other spells or abilities are waiting to resolve.

These restrictions mean that sorceries are proactive plays best suited for setting up your board state, generating advantages, or unleashing powerful effects that require forethought. You can’t react to an opponent’s play with a sorcery—it’s a move you have to plan for and commit to before your opponent has a chance to react with their own spells or abilities.

Why the Difference Matters

The timing difference has significant ramifications on how these spell types are used in MTG.

Instants for Control: Instants are cornerstones of control decks, allowing players to hold up mana and respond to threats as they arise. Removal spells, counterspells, and combat tricks often come in the form of instants.
Sorceries for Aggression & Setup: Sorceries are heavily used in aggressive and combo decks to deploy multiple threats in one turn or to set up board states to enable powerful finishers.
Deck Building Decisions: Understanding the timing difference is crucial in deck building because each type of spell fulfills different roles. A deck with too few instants is vulnerable to attacks, whereas a deck with too many sorceries might struggle to react to opposing threats.
Stack Interactions: Instants can be played in response to sorceries, while sorceries cannot be played in response to instants. This allows for strategic decision making involving spell casting order and priority.

The Common Ground: Both are Spells

Despite the difference in timing, both instants and sorceries share key characteristics:

Spells: Both are types of spells cast by players. This distinction is important because it means they can be targeted by effects that refer specifically to spells.
One-Shot Effects: Both typically have an immediate effect when they resolve, then go directly to the graveyard. They do not persist on the battlefield like permanents do.
Subject to Casting Rules: Both require you to pay their mana cost to be cast, have a color identity and type that defines how they can be used within the rules of Magic.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Let’s address some common questions regarding instants and sorceries to further clarify their roles in MTG:

1. Are instants considered spells in magic?

Yes, instants are absolutely considered spells in MTG. Any card that is cast by a player, except land cards, is considered a spell.

2. Can you cast a sorcery on an instant?

No, you cannot cast a sorcery directly on an instant. You can cast a sorcery, and an opponent can respond by casting an instant to the sorcery you cast, but you can’t respond to the instant with your sorcery. You are limited to casting sorceries at sorcery speed.

3. What’s the main difference between an instant and a sorcery in MTG?

The primary difference is when they can be cast. Instants can be cast at nearly any time, while sorceries can only be cast during your main phase when the stack is empty.

4. Do instants count as abilities?

Instants themselves are not abilities. They are spells that have effects. However, instants and sorceries can have abilities on them as printed rules text, like flashback.

5. Is an instant or sorcery a permanent?

No, neither instants nor sorceries are permanents. Permanents are cards that stay on the battlefield, such as creatures, artifacts, enchantments, and planeswalkers. Instants and sorceries resolve and then go to the graveyard (or are exiled), never becoming permanents.

6. Are activated abilities instant or sorcery speed?

Activated abilities are used at instant speed unless their text specifically says otherwise (such as an ability that explicitly states, “Activate only as a sorcery”).

7. Does Deathtouch cancel Deathtouch?

No. The text provided is inaccurate. Two creatures with deathtouch battling each other will both deal lethal damage even if blocking. The ability itself doesn’t cancel.

8. Is flashback instant or sorcery speed?

The speed at which you can cast a spell using its flashback ability is determined by the spell’s type. If a sorcery has flashback, you can only use flashback to cast it at sorcery speed. If an instant has flashback, it can be played at instant speed.

9. Do you draw a card when you cast an instant or sorcery?

Some cards have effects that trigger when you cast an instant or sorcery. By default, casting an instant or sorcery does not make you draw a card, but some effects can trigger from their casting.

10. Is Channel a sorcery or instant?

Channel is an ability that can be used at instant speed, but the card itself is considered a sorcery if cast as normal from your hand.

11. Do sorcery and instants have Lifelink?

By default, no. Lifelink is usually found on creatures, but specific effects may cause instants or sorceries to gain lifelink.

12. Can you copy an instant or sorcery from the graveyard?

Certain effects can copy cards from the graveyard. Demilich is one such card that can be cast with a cost that involves exiling instant and sorcery cards in the graveyard. Certain effects can also allow you to cast copies of the spell from the graveyard. Not all spells can be copied.

13. What counts as casting in magic?

Casting a spell involves taking the card from the zone where it is in (usually hand), placing it onto the stack, and paying its costs.

14. What counts as spells in Magic?

In MTG, a spell is any card cast by a player, excluding land cards.

15. Can you flashback a sorcery at instant speed?

No. Even when using flashback, a sorcery can only be cast at sorcery speed. The flashback ability does not override its spell type or speed restriction.

Conclusion

While both instants and sorceries are spell types, they have distinct casting restrictions and fulfill different strategic roles in MTG. Instants offer flexibility and reaction, while sorceries provide planned power and strategic advantages. Understanding these differences is crucial for becoming a proficient MTG player. Remembering that an instant is never considered a sorcery, and vice versa, is paramount for following the rules and building a powerful deck.

Does an instant count as a sorcery?