How Does the Crew Mechanic Work in MTG?
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The crew mechanic in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) allows players to tap a number of creatures with total power equal to or greater than the crew number of a Vehicle card to turn it into an artifact creature until the end of the turn. This enables Vehicles to be used as creatures on the battlefield, providing an additional layer of strategy and gameplay options for players.
Understanding the Crew Mechanic
The crew mechanic is a unique ability that originated in the Kaladesh and Aether Revolt sets, designed to enable the vehicle artifact subtype. By tapping creatures with sufficient total power, players can activate the crew ability and transform their Vehicles into artifact creatures.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can You Crew a Vehicle the Turn it Comes Out?
Yes, a creature can crew a vehicle if it has summoning sickness because it’s not a tap ability of the creature. Also, you can crew a vehicle that came under your control that turn.
2. Is Crew Instant Speed?
You can crew vehicles at instant speed, so as long as you can pay the crew cost, the answer is yes. You may not, however, declare blockers with both the crewed creatures and the vehicle, since they are tapped before you begin to declare blockers.
3. Does Crew Require Haste?
However, vehicles themselves are susceptible to summoning sickness — you can always crew a vehicle and use it to block, but you can’t attack with it the turn it comes into play unless it has haste.
4. What IS Crew?!
Crew is a keyword that originated in both Kaladesh and Aether Revolt, which exists to enable the vehicle artifact subtype. Crewing an artifact vehicle allows vehicles to turn into artifact creatures until the end of turn.
5. Does Summoning Sickness Affect Crew?
Summoning sickness does not affect the ability to crew a vehicle. Creatures with summoning sickness can still be used to crew a vehicle.
6. Can Creatures With Summoning Sickness Crew Vehicles?
Yes, actually. It’s a bit of a weird concept. A sick and disoriented creature driving around a vehicle sounds a little wild, but it can be done.
7. Can You Crew an Already Crewed Vehicle?
Try not to think of crewing as casting mana. Any ‘excess’ power from creatures you tap to crew is lost, and can’t be used to crew another vehicle. However, you can use a crewed vehicle to crew another.
8. Does Deathtouch Work on! Vehicles?
As long as the Vehicle is a Creature, yes. It’ll be destroyed when it’s dealt damage from a source with Deathtouch. No, the creatures that were tapped to turn the Vehicle into a Creature are not affected.
9. Can You Crew the Same Vehicle Twice?
Yes. Vehicles can be crewed even if they have already been turned into a creature, as long as you have sufficient power to crew them.
10. What is the Point of Crewing MTG?
Crew is a keyword that enables the vehicle artifact subtype. Crewing an artifact vehicle allows vehicles to turn into artifact creatures until the end of turn.
11. Can You Tap a Vehicle Without Crewing it?
You can’t just tap your creatures and not activate the crew ability, nor can you partially pay for the crew ability – if something has a crew cost of 3, you have to tap at least 3 power worth of creatures to activate the ability.
12. Can a Vehicle Be Your Commander in Magic The Gathering?
903.3a. Shorikai, Genesis Engine is a legendary Vehicle with an ability that says it can be your commander.
13. Can You Use Vehicles to Crew Vehicles?
Because the crew ability doesn’t use the tap symbol, you can tap any untapped creature you control, even one that just entered the battlefield. You can even tap an animated Vehicle to crew a Vehicle.
14. Can Planeswalkers Crew Vehicles?
If a planeswalker is a creature, it can crew a vehicle. If a planeswalker is not a creature, it cannot crew a vehicle, just like any other permanent that is not a creature.
15. Does Indestructible Override Deathtouch?
Indestructible creatures also ignore deathtouch. Normally, a creature is destroyed if it takes damage from a creature with deathtouch. But since indestructible creatures can’t be destroyed, they’re immune.