Does Mutate Give a Creature Summoning Sickness?
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The answer to the question Does mutate give a creature summoning sickness? is no, mutate does not give a creature summoning sickness unless the creature already had it, as the process of mutating a creature only changes its characteristics without affecting its summoning sickness status. This rule applies because mutate is essentially an alternate casting cost that merges the creature spell with the target creature, changing its characteristics without triggering summoning sickness.
Mutate and Summoning Sickness FAQs
Understanding Mutate and Summoning Sickness
To delve deeper into how mutate interacts with summoning sickness and other game mechanics, let’s explore the following FAQs:
1. Do Mutated Creatures Have Summoning Sickness?
Mutated creatures do not have summoning sickness unless the base creature already had it, as the mutate rules specifically state that the resulting creature has all characteristics of the topmost component and is not affected by summoning sickness if the base part wasn’t.
2. Does Mutate Count as Casting a Creature?
Yes, mutate counts as casting a creature because it uses an alternate casting cost, meaning conventional counter spells like Force of Will, Counterspell, and Remand can be used against it.
3. Does Mutate Count as a Creature Entering the Battlefield?
No, mutate does not count as a creature entering the battlefield. The resolving mutating creature spell simply merges with the target creature, changing its characteristics without triggering “enter the battlefield” effects.
4. How Does Mutate Work?
Mutate works by casting a creature spell using the mutate keyword ability, which merges with the target creature as it resolves, resulting in a creature with the characteristics of the topmost component and the abilities of each component.
5. What Happens If You Blink a Mutated Creature?
If you blink (or flicker) a mutated creature, all the components return separately, with the mutated creature being exiled and then becoming separate objects when returned, causing each individual creature to enter the battlefield.
6. What Happens If You Copy a Mutated Creature?
Copying a mutated creature copies everything, including the entire mutate stack, but since the clone is a single card, it doesn’t count as having been mutated before for the purposes of cards like Auspicious Starrix.
7. Does a Creature Have Summoning Sickness If It Returns to the Battlefield?
Yes, all creatures are affected by summoning sickness for the duration of the turn they enter the battlefield from any other zone unless otherwise stated.
8. Can You Mutate the Same Creature Twice?
Yes, you can mutate the same creature multiple times, creating a stack of abilities by casting new creature spells onto the existing merged creature.
9. Does Mutate Get Around the Legendary Rule?
Yes, mutate can get around the legendary rule if one copy of a legendary creature is underneath another creature that has been mutated onto it.
10. Does Mutate Work with Beast Whisperer?
Yes, mutate works with Beast Whisperer because the spell you’re casting is still the original creature spell, triggering the draw effect from Beast Whisperer.
11. Does Volo Copy Mutate?
Yes, Volo copies mutate, resulting in a copy of the mutate creature that targets the same creature, potentially allowing it to mutate twice.
12. Do Mutated Creatures Count Towards Devotion?
Mutated cards count towards devotion based on the mana cost of the top card, with cards underneath the top not providing devotion.
13. What Gets Summoning Sickness?
All permanents experience summoning sickness, but only creatures, artifact creatures, land creatures, planeswalker creatures, and enchantment creatures are affected by it.
14. Does Blinking Cause Summoning Sickness?
Yes, blinking (or flickering) a creature can cause it to have summoning sickness for the rest of the current turn and the opponent’s next turn.
15. Can You Cast Mutate from the Graveyard?
Yes, you can cast mutate from the graveyard using certain cards like Karador, allowing for the mutate cost to be paid even when the creature is not in your hand.