Decoding Enchantments: Are They Permanent Spells in Magic: The Gathering?
Fast answer first. Then use the tabs or video for more detail.
- Watch the video explanation below for a faster overview.
- Game mechanics may change with updates or patches.
- Use this block to get the short answer without scrolling the whole page.
- Read the FAQ section if the article has one.
- Use the table of contents to jump straight to the detailed section you need.
- Watch the video first, then skim the article for specifics.
Yes, an enchantment is considered a permanent spell in Magic: The Gathering. It’s crucial to understand the nuances of this categorization. When you cast an enchantment card from your hand, it is indeed a spell while on the stack (the game’s temporary holding zone for resolving spells and abilities). However, once it resolves and enters the battlefield, it becomes a permanent. This means it sticks around until removed, unlike instants or sorceries that resolve and then go directly to the graveyard. Enchantments, alongside creatures, artifacts, planeswalkers, and lands, constitute the five permanent types in MTG.
Understanding Permanents and Spells
To fully grasp the concept of an enchantment as a permanent spell, let’s break down the core terms:
-
Spell: A spell is a card cast by a player, typically from their hand, although some effects allow casting from other zones like the graveyard or exile. Lands are the only card type that aren’t spells when “played.” The card becomes a spell when put on the stack, waiting to resolve.
-
Permanent: A permanent is a card or token on the battlefield. Once there, it remains unless specifically removed through game mechanics like destruction, exile, or sacrifice.
-
Permanent Spell: This term refers to a spell that, upon resolution, enters the battlefield as a permanent. So, when casting an enchantment card, you’re technically casting a permanent spell.
The distinction lies in the state of the card. In your hand, it’s a card. On the stack, it’s a spell. On the battlefield, it’s a permanent. This is vital for understanding interactions with other cards and abilities.
Enchantments: A Closer Look
Enchantments come in various forms, each with its own unique characteristics:
-
Regular Enchantments: These enchantments enter the battlefield and provide ongoing effects. They might boost your creatures, hinder your opponent, or alter the rules of the game in some way.
-
Auras: Auras are enchantments that attach to a specific permanent (like a creature) or a player. They are often used to grant abilities or modify the characteristics of what they enchant.
-
Curses: A curse is a subtype of Aura that enchants a player, applying a negative effect to them.
Understanding these subtypes helps you strategize and build effective decks. It is also vital that an Aura has a valid target in order to resolve. Without a valid target, the Aura goes straight to the graveyard.
The Importance of Timing
The difference between a card, a spell, and a permanent is also crucial for timing your plays. For example, you can counter an enchantment spell while it’s on the stack, preventing it from ever becoming a permanent. However, once it’s resolved and on the battlefield, you’ll need a different type of removal to get rid of it.
This distinction can be critical. You can destroy a permanent enchantment, but if you wait until it is a permanent, you can no longer use “counterspell” type effects on it. Instead, you’ll need a card that is designed to remove permanents from the battlefield.
Understanding Mechanics for Strategic Gameplay
Understanding that enchantments are permanent spells helps you plan strategically. You can build your deck around enchantments, knowing they will stay on the field and provide consistent value, unlike instants or sorceries. You can combine the knowledge with other types of cards to build powerful synergy to overwhelm your opponents in a game.
Furthermore, learning how to remove permanents and counter spells will help you deal with an opponent that is focused on playing enchantments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about enchantments and their status as permanent spells in Magic: The Gathering:
What happens if an Aura loses its target?
If the permanent an Aura is enchanting leaves the battlefield or becomes an illegal target, the Aura is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is known as “falling off.”
Can I counter an enchantment after it’s on the battlefield?
No, you cannot “counter” an enchantment that is already on the battlefield. Counterspells only work on spells that are on the stack. Once an enchantment has resolved, you need removal spells or abilities that specifically target permanents.
Do enchantments count towards devotion?
Yes, enchantments with colored mana symbols in their mana cost contribute to your devotion to those colors. For example, an enchantment that costs {1}{W}{W} contributes two to your devotion to white.
Are enchantment creatures both enchantments and creatures?
Yes, enchantment creatures possess both types. This means they are affected by spells and abilities that target either enchantments or creatures. This can be powerful when using effects that are more effective on enchantments or creatures.
What happens if an enchantment has shroud?
If a permanent gains shroud, it cannot be targeted by spells or abilities. If an Aura is already attached to a permanent that gains shroud, the Aura remains attached. However, you cannot attach a new Aura to a permanent with shroud.
How are enchantments different from artifacts?
Both enchantments and artifacts are permanents, but artifacts are typically colorless or represent objects and devices, while enchantments often represent magical effects or auras. Some cards affect one type but not the other.
Do enchantments trigger abilities?
Some enchantments have triggered abilities that activate when specific conditions are met, such as when a creature enters the battlefield or when you draw a card. Read each enchantment carefully.
Can I play an enchantment at any time?
You can only cast an enchantment card during a main phase of your turn when the stack is empty, unless another effect specifically allows you to cast it at a different time.
What is an enchantment curse?
A curse is a subtype of Aura enchantment that enchants a player and applies a negative effect to them.
If an aura is entering the battlefield and there is no legal object or player for it to enchant, what happens?
If an Aura is entering the battlefield and there is no legal object or player for it to enchant, the Aura remains in its current zone, unless that zone is the stack. In that case, the Aura is put into its owner’s graveyard instead of entering the battlefield.
Do cards in the graveyard count as permanents?
No, a card or token becomes a permanent as it enters the battlefield and it STOPS being a permanent as it’s moved to another zone. The other zones include the Library, Exile, and Graveyard.
Do enchantments have summoning sickness?
Enchantments do not have summoning sickness. Summoning sickness only applies to creatures. An enchantment can immediately affect the game the turn it enters the battlefield.
Can an enchantment prevent a player from winning the game?
Yes, some enchantments can prevent a player from winning the game. For example, some enchantments allow you to win the game if you meet certain conditions.
Can an enchantment be sacrificed?
Yes, enchantments can be sacrificed if there is an effect that allows or requires you to sacrifice a permanent.
How do I deal with a powerful enchantment my opponent controls?
There are various ways to deal with a powerful enchantment, including using removal spells that destroy or exile enchantments, countering the enchantment spell as it’s being cast, or using effects that prevent your opponent from using the enchantment’s abilities.
Understanding the rules surrounding enchantments and their classification as permanent spells is crucial for mastering Magic: The Gathering. By grasping these concepts, you can enhance your deck-building, gameplay, and overall strategic thinking. Check out the GamesLearningSociety.org for more insights into the intersection of gaming and learning.