Planeswalker Loyalty Counters: A Comprehensive Guide
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The lifeblood of any Planeswalker in Magic: The Gathering, loyalty counters dictate their presence on the battlefield and the powers they can wield. These counters aren’t just arbitrary numbers; they represent the Planeswalker’s resolve, power, and overall well-being. Understanding how they work is crucial to mastering the game. In essence, loyalty counters determine a Planeswalker’s longevity and ability to activate their unique abilities. Planeswalkers enter the battlefield with a starting number of loyalty counters printed on the card. They gain or lose counters when their abilities are activated. When a planeswalker’s loyalty reaches zero, they are put into their owner’s graveyard as a state-based action.
Understanding the Core Rules
Planeswalker loyalty is governed by a specific set of rules that dictate how these counters are added, removed, and ultimately determine a planeswalker’s fate. Let’s break down the essentials:
- Starting Loyalty: A Planeswalker enters the battlefield with the number of loyalty counters printed on its card. This is a key characteristic, defining their initial resilience and the immediate options available to you. This starting value is determined by an intrinsic ability.
- Activating Loyalty Abilities: Planeswalkers have activated abilities that require adding or removing loyalty counters as a cost. You can only activate one loyalty ability of a particular Planeswalker per turn, and only during your main phase when the stack is empty and you have priority. This is described by rule 606.3 in the MTG rulebook.
- Adding Counters: Some abilities add loyalty counters, increasing the Planeswalker’s resilience and potentially unlocking more powerful abilities later on. Remember, adding loyalty counters is part of the cost of activating the ability.
- Removing Counters: Other abilities require removing loyalty counters as a cost. These often provide immediate, powerful effects but at the risk of weakening the Planeswalker.
- Damage and Loss of Loyalty: When a Planeswalker is dealt damage, it loses a corresponding number of loyalty counters. This is the primary way opponents can deplete a Planeswalker’s loyalty. The source of the damage doesn’t matter.
- State-Based Action: When a Planeswalker has zero loyalty counters, it is put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action. This happens automatically; you can’t respond to it. Indestructibility does not prevent this.
Common Scenarios and Clarifications
Knowing the basic rules is only the beginning. Let’s explore some common scenarios and clarify some potential points of confusion:
Proliferate and Loyalty
The Proliferate mechanic allows you to add counters to permanents and players that already have them. This absolutely works on Planeswalkers. If your Planeswalker has loyalty counters, Proliferate will add another one.
Damage Redirection
Damage that would be dealt to a player can be redirected to a Planeswalker they control. This is a common strategy for dealing with Planeswalkers. If damage is redirected, the Planeswalker loses loyalty counters equal to the amount of damage dealt.
Planeswalker Uniqueness Rule
Also known as the “legend rule” for planeswalkers, it stipulates that you cannot control two Planeswalkers with the exact same name on the battlefield simultaneously. If you do, you must choose one to keep, and the other is put into your graveyard. This does not apply if the planeswalkers have different names, even if they share a Planeswalker type (e.g., you can have Garruk, Unleashed and Garruk, Cursed Huntsman at the same time).
Interactions with Other Card Types
Planeswalkers interact with other card types in unique ways. For example, a creature with lifelink that deals damage to a Planeswalker will still grant its controller life equal to the damage dealt. Conversely, deathtouch on a creature does not automatically destroy a Planeswalker it deals damage to. Deathtouch only affects creatures, but abilities like that of Vraska, Swarm’s Eminence can give deathtouch to planeswalkers.
Loyalty Counters FAQs
Let’s address some frequently asked questions to solidify your understanding of Planeswalker loyalty counters:
1. Can you counter a Planeswalker loyalty ability?
Yes, loyalty abilities are activated abilities and can be countered like any other. Countering only prevents the ability from resolving.
2. Can I put +1/+1 counters on a Planeswalker?
Normally, no. +1/+1 counters affect power and toughness, which Planeswalkers typically don’t have. However, if a Planeswalker becomes a creature (e.g., Gideon Blackblade), then +1/+1 counters can be placed on it and will affect its power and toughness.
3. What are the restrictions on Planeswalkers?
You can’t activate a loyalty ability that requires removing more loyalty counters than the Planeswalker currently has. Planeswalkers can’t attack unless specifically granted the creature type by an ability, but they can be attacked.
4. When can you add loyalty counters to Planeswalkers?
You can activate one of a Planeswalker’s abilities with a positive or negative loyalty cost once per turn, any time you could cast a Sorcery – that is, during either your first or second Main Phase, when you have priority and the stack is empty.
5. Does Deathtouch work on Planeswalkers?
Not directly. Deathtouch only affects creatures. However, some cards grant Deathtouch to damage dealt to planeswalkers.
6. Do indestructible Planeswalkers lose loyalty counters?
Yes. Indestructible only prevents destruction. Planeswalkers still lose loyalty counters from damage, and they are still put into the graveyard when they have zero loyalty.
7. What happens when a Planeswalker runs out of loyalty counters?
It’s put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action.
8. Can two Planeswalkers be on the field at the same time?
Yes, as long as they don’t have the same name. You can have a Garruk, Unleashed, and a Garruk, Cursed Huntsman, for instance.
9. Can Planeswalkers have shield counters?
Yes, shield counters can be put on Planeswalkers.
10. Can you Proliferate Planeswalkers?
Yes! Proliferate adds a counter of each type already on the permanent or player. If a Planeswalker has loyalty counters, Proliferate will add another loyalty counter.
11. What is an indestructible Planeswalker with 0 loyalty?
It goes to the graveyard. Indestructible prevents destruction, but not being put into the graveyard due to state-based actions.
12. Can you Negate a Planeswalker?
No. Negate counters noncreature spells. You can use it to counter a Planeswalker spell as it is being cast. However, you cannot negate a Planeswalker already on the battlefield, nor can you negate a loyalty ability.
13. Does Lifelink work on Planeswalkers?
Yes, attacking a planeswalker with a creature that has lifelink will cause you to gain life.
14. Can you bring a planeswalker to 0?
Yes, Planeswalkers are brought to 0 loyalty all the time. When a planeswalker has 0 loyalty, it is put into the graveyard as a state based action.
15. Does All Will Be One trigger with Planeswalkers?
Yes. Planeswalkers enter the battlefield with counters, which will trigger All Will Be One.
Understanding loyalty counters is fundamental to playing Magic: The Gathering effectively. By mastering these rules, you’ll be well-equipped to protect your Planeswalkers, maximize their abilities, and dominate the battlefield. For more in-depth insights into the world of gaming and learning, visit the Games Learning Society website.