Unlocking Mutate: Summoning Sickness and Beyond
Does mutate trigger summoning sickness? The short answer is no, mutating itself doesn’t cause summoning sickness where it didn’t already exist. If the base creature you’re mutating onto already had summoning sickness (because it entered the battlefield this turn and doesn’t have haste), then the resulting mutated creature still has summoning sickness. If the base creature didn’t have summoning sickness, the mutated creature won’t gain it simply from being mutated. It’s all about the original creature underneath!
Demystifying Mutate and Summoning Sickness
Mutate is a fascinating mechanic introduced in the Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths set of Magic: The Gathering (MTG). It allows you to merge creature cards together on the battlefield, creating a new, more powerful creature. However, this complex interaction can lead to confusion, especially when considering established game concepts like summoning sickness.
Summoning sickness is the colloquial term for the restriction preventing a creature from attacking or using abilities with the tap or untap symbol in their cost the turn it enters the battlefield, unless it has haste. It’s a fundamental rule that prevents you from immediately swinging with a newly summoned monster. So, how does mutate play into this?
The key is understanding that mutate doesn’t create a new permanent, but rather modifies an existing one. When you cast a creature spell for its mutate cost and it resolves, it doesn’t enter the battlefield. Instead, it merges with the target creature that’s already on the battlefield, changing its characteristics. This means that the “age” of the base creature (the one already on the battlefield) is what matters for summoning sickness.
If that base creature has been under your control since the beginning of your most recent turn, it can attack, even after being mutated. If it just entered the battlefield, even a mountain of mutated creatures on top won’t change that. The “top” creature’s abilities and stats just modify the whole merged stack!
Mutate FAQs: Expanding Your Understanding
To further clarify the nuances of mutate and its interactions with other game mechanics, here are 15 frequently asked questions:
1. Does morphing trigger summoning sickness?
No, unless the creature already had it. Turning a card face up (morphing) simply changes its characteristics, much like a Giant Growth spell would.
2. Does mutate trigger “enter the battlefield” effects?
No, the resolving mutating creature spell doesn’t enter the battlefield. It modifies the existing creature on the battlefield, so “enter the battlefield” triggers won’t activate.
3. Does mutate count as casting a creature spell?
Yes, a creature card cast for its mutate cost is still considered a creature spell.
4. Does mutate trigger cast triggers?
Absolutely! Mutate costs trigger cast abilities. Even if the mutated creature already has a cast trigger, casting another creature with the mutate cost will trigger it again. Mutating a stack of mutated creatures will trigger all relevant abilities again.
5. Does mutate count as a noncreature spell?
No. A mutating creature spell is always a creature spell, even though it doesn’t enter the battlefield directly as a separate permanent.
6. Is mutate a triggered ability?
Not exactly. Mutate is a static ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. However, many creatures with mutate also have triggered abilities that activate when the creature mutates (i.e., when a creature merges with it via the mutate cost).
7. Does mutate work with Beast Whisperer?
Yes! When you use mutate, the spell you’re casting is still a creature spell with its original name and casting cost. This means it will trigger effects like Beast Whisperer, allowing you to draw a card.
8. Do mutate triggers stack?
Yes, mutate triggers absolutely stack! If you mutate onto a creature stack, you’ll trigger all applicable mutate abilities.
9. Does mutate count as a permanent?
Not as an individual permanent entering the battlefield. A mutating creature spell becomes part of the existing permanent, altering its characteristics.
10. Does Volo, Guide to Monsters copy mutate?
Yes, Volo will copy the mutate creature spell. The copy will target the same creature and cause it to mutate again.
11. Do copies of spells trigger cast triggers?
Generally, no. Copies of spells are not considered cast. They won’t trigger abilities that require a spell to be cast, such as cascade or enchantments like Swarm Intelligence.
12. What happens if you copy a mutate creature spell?
When you copy a mutate spell on the stack, both the copy and the original will resolve, triggering separate instances of the “Whenever this creature mutates” ability.
13. What happens if you blink a mutate stack?
Blinking a mutated stack exiles all the creatures in the stack and then returns them to the battlefield as separate, unmutated creatures. The mutated creature essentially falls apart.
14. Does mutate get rid of legendary?
No, mutate does not change the supertype of the card it is mutating onto. The card will still be legendary after the mutation. You can cast it again (if you have another copy in your hand) without it being affected by the legend rule.
15. Does mutate trigger heroic?
Yes, mutate triggers heroic. Heroic triggers whenever a creature is targeted by a spell you control, and casting a creature for its mutate cost targets the existing creature on the battlefield.
Mastering Mutate: Strategy and Implications
Understanding the nuances of mutate opens up a range of strategic possibilities. From triggering abilities multiple times to creating powerful, customized creatures, mutate offers a unique deck-building experience. Remember that while mutate itself doesn’t inflict summoning sickness, the base creature’s condition is what determines the stack’s ability to attack or use activated abilities with tap or untap.
Exploring the strategic depth of mechanics like mutate is at the heart of Games Learning Society. By understanding how games function, we can learn valuable skills and apply them in various fields. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to discover more about the intersection of games, learning, and research.
With a firm grasp of these rules, you can confidently wield the power of mutate in your next MTG game! Good luck, and happy mutating!