Is Copying a Creature Targeting in Magic: The Gathering?
No, copying a creature generally does not target it in Magic: The Gathering (MTG). This is a crucial distinction to understand because it bypasses abilities like hexproof and shroud, which prevent a creature from being targeted by spells or abilities your opponents control. The key is understanding how copy effects are worded and function within the game’s rules. Copy effects often involve a replacement effect or simply state that something enters the battlefield as a copy. This subtle wording is what separates copying from targeting.
Understanding Targeting in MTG
To truly grasp why copying avoids targeting, we first need to define what constitutes targeting in Magic. A spell or ability only targets something if it explicitly uses the word “target” in its rules text or reminder text (such as in the Equip ability). The “target” is the direct recipient of the spell or ability’s effect. For instance, a card that reads “Destroy target creature” clearly targets the creature that will be destroyed.
However, copying effects rarely, if ever, use the word “target.” Instead, they create a new permanent that resembles another. Consider the classic card Clone. Its ability doesn’t target; it states the Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield. The Clone’s ability allows the player to choose a creature as the basis for the copy but without targeting. This is a crucial difference from a card that says, for example, “Copy target creature,” which would indeed be a targeting effect.
How Copy Effects Work
The inner workings of copy effects can seem complex, but they follow a consistent pattern. Copy effects can apply to spells on the stack or permanents on the battlefield. When copying a spell, a copy of that spell is put onto the stack. Critically, copies of spells are not considered to be cast unless explicitly stated (for example, by Isochron Scepter). When copying a permanent, the new permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of the chosen permanent.
Copying Spells vs. Copying Permanents
- Copying a Spell: A copy of a spell is placed onto the stack. The copy resolves like any other spell but generally isn’t considered to be “cast.” This avoids triggering effects that rely on casting.
- Copying a Permanent: The new permanent enters the battlefield as a copy. It adopts the characteristics of the copied permanent (power, toughness, abilities, etc.) as copiable values.
This distinction is very important for several reasons. For example, you can copy a permanent with hexproof since you aren’t targeting it. In contrast, if you cast a spell that is supposed to affect a creature, and it has hexproof, then the spell will fail.
The Importance of “Enters the Battlefield”
The phrase “enters the battlefield” is also key. It signals that a permanent is transitioning from being a spell on the stack (or from another zone, like your hand or library) to existing as a permanent on the battlefield. Abilities that trigger when something enters the battlefield are triggered at this time.
When a creature enters the battlefield as a copy, it triggers any “enters the battlefield” abilities of the copied creature. For example, if you Clone a creature with an ability that triggers when it enters the battlefield, the Clone’s ability will also trigger.
FAQs: Copying in MTG
Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the rules and nuances of copying in Magic: The Gathering.
1. Does Clone target?
No, Clone does not target. It has a static ability that creates a replacement effect. This effect changes how Clone enters the battlefield, giving you the option to have it enter as a copy of a creature on the battlefield without targeting.
2. If I copy a creature, does my copy have summoning sickness?
Yes, unless it has haste or you have continuously controlled it since the beginning of your most recent turn. All creatures are affected by summoning sickness when they first enter the battlefield under your control. This is a game rule and not an ability.
3. Does copying count as casting?
No, copying does not count as casting unless a card explicitly states otherwise (like Isochron Scepter’s updated Oracle text). This is a critical distinction, as it means copying a spell will not trigger abilities that trigger when you cast a spell.
4. If I copy a legendary creature, what happens?
The Legend Rule kicks in. Immediately after your Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of a legendary creature you control, you will control two legendary permanents with the same name. You must then choose one to keep, and the other is put into your graveyard.
5. Does copying a creature trigger “enter the battlefield” abilities?
Yes, the copy enters the battlefield as a copy of another creature. If that creature has any enter the battlefield triggered abilities, those abilities will trigger for the copy.
6. If I copy a creature spell on the stack, is the copy kicked if the original was kicked?
Yes, if a kicked spell is copied, the copy is also kicked. Kicker costs don’t change a spell’s mana cost or mana value, and they are copied along with the rest of the spell’s characteristics.
7. Does copying a spell count for the storm count?
No, copying a spell does not count as a “cast.” Only the original spell with storm is counted as being cast. Storm only triggers when the spell is cast, not when it’s copied.
8. If I copy a creature with a +1/+1 counter on it, does my copy have a counter?
No, counters are not copiable values. The copy will have the base power and toughness of the creature it is copying, but it will not have any counters that were on the original creature.
9. Can I copy a creature with hexproof or shroud?
Yes, you can copy a creature with hexproof or shroud because copy effects do not target. Since neither ability protects a creature from effects that don’t target.
10. Do copies have the same mana cost as the original?
Yes, mana cost is a copiable value. The copy will have the same mana cost and converted mana cost (CMC) as the creature it is copying.
11. If I copy a creature that’s an enchantment, does my copy also become an enchantment?
Yes, a copy will copy all copiable characteristics of the creature, including its card types and subtypes. So, if the original creature is an enchantment creature, the copy will also be an enchantment creature.
12. Does copying a creature count as creating a token?
A copy of a permanent spell becomes a token as it resolves. The token has the characteristics of the spell that became that token. The token is not “created” for the purposes of any replacement effects or triggered abilities that refer to creating a token.
13. Does equipping a creature with equipment count as targeting?
Yes, equipping a creature involves targeting it. The “Equip” ability specifically targets the creature.
14. Can you copy a storm trigger?
A copy of a spell with storm will have storm, but copying the spell will not make storm trigger — copying a spell is not the same as casting it. Storm is a cast trigger and triggers only when a spell is cast.
15. Can you copy a creature with protection from a color?
Yes, you can copy a creature with protection from a color, since the copy effect does not target the creature. However, the copy itself will then have protection from that color, meaning it can’t be targeted by spells of that color or be damaged by sources of that color.
Conclusion
Understanding the distinction between targeting and copying is crucial for playing Magic: The Gathering effectively. Copy effects are a powerful tool that can allow you to circumvent protections like hexproof and shroud, and to exploit advantageous enter the battlefield triggers. Mastering these nuances can significantly improve your gameplay.
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