Putting Cards on the Battlefield vs. Casting: Untangling Magic’s Tricky Rules
The short answer: No, putting a card onto the battlefield does not count as casting it. Casting involves paying a card’s mana cost (or an alternative cost) and placing it on the stack. Putting a card directly onto the battlefield bypasses the stack and the mana cost payment. This distinction is crucial in Magic: The Gathering because numerous card abilities trigger specifically when a card is cast or when a permanent enters the battlefield (ETB), and they are not interchangeable.
Why Does This Distinction Matter?
Imagine you have a creature with an ability that triggers “when you cast a creature spell.” If you use a card like [[Show and Tell]] to put that creature directly onto the battlefield, its ability will not trigger. Show and Tell avoids the casting process entirely; it simply moves the card from your hand to the battlefield. Conversely, a creature with an ability that triggers “when this creature enters the battlefield” will trigger regardless of whether it was cast or put onto the battlefield by some other means. Understanding this difference unlocks a deeper appreciation for deck-building strategies and in-game tactics.
Understanding the Stack
The stack is a crucial concept here. When you cast a spell, it goes onto the stack. This allows other players to respond with instants or abilities. Putting a card onto the battlefield, however, bypasses the stack entirely. There’s no opportunity for opponents to counter it in the same way they could counter a spell being cast.
Key Examples of the Difference in Action
- Casting Triggers: Cards like [[Guttersnipe]] trigger when you cast an instant or sorcery spell. If you copy an instant or sorcery (using [[Twincast]], for example), the copy isn’t cast, so Guttersnipe wouldn’t trigger from the copied spell.
- ETB Triggers: Cards like [[Mulldrifter]] have an effect that happens when they enter the battlefield. Whether you cast Mulldrifter for its normal mana cost or reanimate it from your graveyard with [[Reanimate]], the ETB effect will trigger.
- Countering Spells: If an opponent counters a spell you cast, it goes to the graveyard and its “when you cast” abilities won’t resolve. However, any abilities that already triggered when the spell was cast will still resolve.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does playing a card count as casting it?
Previously, “playing” a card was used interchangeably with “casting.” However, modern Magic rules (and errata on older cards) now use “casting” to specifically refer to the act of putting a card on the stack and paying its costs. So, technically, no. “Playing” is an older term that has been replaced by “casting” in the official rules language.
2. Is entering the battlefield the same as casting?
Absolutely not. Casting is a specific action that involves putting a card onto the stack and paying its cost. Entering the battlefield is the result of a permanent arriving on the battlefield, regardless of how it got there.
3. Does returning a card to the battlefield count as casting?
No. Reanimation spells and other effects that “return” a card to the battlefield move it directly from one zone (usually the graveyard) to the battlefield. This bypasses the casting process entirely.
4. What happens if a noncreature card enters the battlefield as a creature without being cast?
Some effects, like [[March of the Machines]], can turn noncreature permanents into creatures. If a noncreature card was not cast and enters the battlefield as a creature due to an effect like this, it will be exiled in the graveyard and not enter the battlefield.
5. What exactly counts as “entering the battlefield?”
“Enters the battlefield” (ETB) refers to a permanent (creature, artifact, enchantment, planeswalker, or land) being put onto the battlefield. Abilities that trigger “when [a permanent] enters the battlefield” will activate whenever that permanent arrives on the battlefield, regardless of how it got there.
6. Do cards put onto the battlefield have summoning sickness?
Yes, if the card is a creature. Summoning sickness only affects creatures. If you put a creature onto the battlefield under your control, it cannot attack or use any abilities with the tap symbol (like [[Llanowar Elves]]’s mana ability) until your next turn unless it has had continuous control of that permanent. Cards such as [[Skilled Animator]] that turns artifacts into creatures are also subject to summoning sickness if they entered the battlefield the same turn they become a creature.
7. Does casting a copy of a spell count as casting?
Generally, no. Copies of spells are usually put directly onto the stack without being cast. This means that effects that trigger “when you cast” a spell won’t trigger from copies.
8. Can I cast a sorcery after combat?
Yes. You have two main phases in your turn: one before combat and one after. You can cast sorceries (and creature spells and enchantments) during either main phase, provided the stack is empty. This is often referred to as the “second main phase.”
9. Does using the escape ability count as casting?
Yes. The escape ability specifically allows you to cast a card from your graveyard by paying its escape cost. So, escaping a card is considered casting it.
10. Can I use mutate if I put a creature card onto the battlefield another way?
No. Mutate specifically requires you to cast the creature spell. If the creature enters the battlefield by any other means (reanimation, putting it from your hand, etc.), you cannot use the mutate ability.
11. Can you crew a vehicle that just entered the battlefield?
Yes. The crew ability doesn’t use the tap symbol in its activation cost. So, you can tap an untapped creature to crew a vehicle, even if that creature just entered the battlefield this turn.
12. Is creating a token the same as entering the battlefield?
Yes, but it’s a nuance. Creating a token is not the same as casting a spell. However, when a token is created, it immediately enters the battlefield. This does trigger any “enters the battlefield” abilities that apply to that type of token.
13. Does suspending a card count as casting a spell?
No. Exiling a card with suspend is not casting it. Suspending a card simply puts it into exile with time counters. It is only cast when the last time counter is removed.
14. Do creatures count as spells in MTG?
Creatures are spells when you cast them, and while they are on the stack. Once they resolve and enter the battlefield, they become permanents (specifically, creature permanents) and are no longer considered spells.
15. Does storm count as casting?
Yes, storm counts the original spell that was cast. Storm then creates copies of the spell. The copies themselves are not cast.
Dig Deeper into Games and Learning
Understanding the intricate rules of games like Magic: The Gathering can be a fascinating exercise in logic and strategy. The Games Learning Society, found at GamesLearningSociety.org, explores the educational potential of games and how they can be used to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Learning the nuances of the MTG rules will help you win more matches and improve your strategy building abilities, just like the work of the GamesLearningSociety.org.