Mastering the Mechanics: How Crewing Vehicles Works in Magic: The Gathering
Crewing a vehicle is a crucial mechanic in Magic: The Gathering that allows you to transform a static artifact into a powerful, attacking (or blocking) creature. To crew a vehicle, you must tap any number of untapped creatures you control whose total power is equal to or greater than the vehicle’s crew cost. Once crewed, the vehicle becomes an artifact creature with the power and toughness printed on the card until the end of the turn. This temporary transformation allows you to attack or block with the vehicle, adding a unique dimension to your strategy.
Deep Dive into Crewing Mechanics
Understanding the Basics
The core concept is simple: vehicles are artifacts until you “activate” them by crewing. The crew ability, represented as “Crew N” on the card (where N is a number), acts as the activation cost. This mechanic doesn’t require mana; instead, it requires you to tap creatures you control. The total power of the creatures you tap must be equal to or greater than the number indicated in the crew ability. For example, a vehicle with “Crew 3” can be crewed by tapping one creature with power 3 or higher, or by tapping multiple creatures whose combined power reaches at least 3.
Priority and Timing
Like most activated abilities, you can crew a vehicle any time you have priority, meaning you have the opportunity to cast spells or activate abilities. This includes your main phases, combat phases, and even during your opponent’s turn. A common tactic is to crew a vehicle during the beginning of combat step to attack with it. However, if you crew a vehicle after the declare attackers step, it won’t be able to attack that turn. This also applies to defensive plays; you can crew a vehicle in response to an attack to use it as a blocker.
The Temporary Transformation
The magic happens when the crew cost is paid: the artifact becomes an artifact creature. This is not the same as adding the creature type to the artifact. The vehicle retains its artifact type and gains the creature type. This dual nature makes the vehicle susceptible to effects that target either artifacts or creatures. The vehicle also gains the power and toughness printed on the card until the end of the turn. At the end of the turn, the vehicle reverts back to its artifact state.
Summoning Sickness and Vehicles
Yes, vehicles that have just been crewed are subject to summoning sickness. This means if the vehicle came under your control at the beginning of your most recent turn, it cannot attack (or use any abilities with the tap or untap symbol in their costs) that turn, even if you crew it. Crewing simply turns the artifact into a creature; it doesn’t circumvent the rules of summoning sickness. Think of it as the vehicle’s engine needing to warm up!
Interaction with other Effects
Crewing can interact with other card effects in surprising ways. For instance, if you have an effect that grants all creatures +1/+1, a crewed vehicle will benefit from this boost. Similarly, if an effect destroys all artifacts, your uncrewed vehicles will be destroyed. Understanding these interactions can be key to maximizing your vehicle strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Can I crew a vehicle with a creature that just entered the battlefield?
Yes, absolutely! Because the crew ability doesn’t use the tap symbol as part of its cost, you can tap creatures that have summoning sickness to pay the crew cost. They just can’t attack or use abilities that require tapping themselves.
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What happens if my opponent destroys one of the creatures I tapped to crew a vehicle before the ability resolves?
The crew ability is already on the stack, and you’ve already paid the cost (tapping the creatures). Removing those creatures in response won’t stop the vehicle from being crewed. The ability will still resolve, and the vehicle will become an artifact creature until end of turn.
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Can I crew a vehicle multiple times in the same turn?
Yes, you can crew a vehicle multiple times as long as you have enough creatures to pay the cost each time. However, there’s usually no benefit to doing so, since crewing only lasts until the end of the turn and doesn’t stack.
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If I copy a crewed vehicle, will the copy also be crewed?
No. When you create a copy of a permanent, you copy the card’s printed values, plus any copy effects that have been applied to it. Crewing is not a copy effect, so the copy will be an uncrewed version of the vehicle.
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Can I tap an animated Vehicle to crew another vehicle?
Yes, you can tap an animated Vehicle to crew another Vehicle.
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What happens if a vehicle is already a creature (e.g., due to another effect) and I crew it?
If a vehicle is already a creature due to another effect, crewing it will simply update its power and toughness to those printed on the vehicle card, and the effect will end at end of turn, unless the effect that made it a creature says otherwise.
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Is crewing a vehicle instant speed?
You can crew a vehicle any time you have priority, so in that sense, yes. However, crewing a vehicle doesn’t let you do things faster than normal – you still have to wait for your turn and have priority to crew it.
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Do vehicles tap when attacking?
Yes, if a crewed vehicle attacks and doesn’t have vigilance, it will be tapped and stay tapped even after it stops being a creature at the end of the turn.
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Can one creature crew two vehicles?
Not simultaneously. A creature can only be tapped to pay for one crew cost at a time. However, if you can untap a creature after crewing a vehicle, you can then use it to crew another vehicle.
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If I crew a vehicle during my opponent’s turn, can it attack on my next turn if it’s still on the battlefield?
Yes! The vehicle will revert to an artifact at the end of your opponent’s turn. When your turn begins, it will no longer be summoning sick, assuming it has been under your control since the beginning of your most recent turn. You can then crew it again and attack.
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Does crewing use the stack?
Yes, crewing a vehicle uses the stack. When you activate the crew ability, it goes on the stack like any other activated ability, giving your opponent a chance to respond before it resolves.
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Do artifact creatures count as artifacts?
Yes, artifact creatures are both artifacts and creatures, meaning they are affected by effects that target either type.
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Can I tap a vehicle without crewing it?
No, you can’t simply tap creatures without activating the crew ability if you intend to crew the vehicle. Also, you can’t partially pay for the crew ability. If a vehicle has a crew cost of 3, you must tap creatures with a total power of at least 3 to activate the ability.
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What happens if the vehicle’s power and toughness are changed after it’s crewed?
If a vehicle’s power and toughness are changed after it’s crewed (for example, by a spell that grants +1/+1), those changes will apply to the vehicle until the end of the turn, when it reverts back to being a non-creature artifact.
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Where can I learn more about the intersection of games and learning?
The Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org is an excellent resource for exploring how games can be used in educational contexts.
Mastering the crew mechanic adds a layer of tactical depth to Magic: The Gathering, allowing you to turn otherwise dormant artifacts into formidable threats and steadfast defenders. Understanding these nuances can give you a significant advantage in your games.