What Happens When You Exile a Creature in Magic: The Gathering?
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So, you’ve decided to give that pesky creature the boot, sending it off to the exile zone, eh? Excellent choice! But what exactly happens when you banish a beastie to this mystical limbo? Let’s break it down. When you exile a creature in Magic: The Gathering, you are removing it from the battlefield and placing it in the exile zone, a separate game zone distinct from the graveyard, your hand, library, or the command zone. This action has several important consequences:
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No Death Triggers: Exiling a creature is not the same as destroying it. Because the creature does not “die” (go to the graveyard), abilities that trigger upon a creature’s death will not activate. So, your opponent’s morbidly inclined enchantments will remain dormant.
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Auras and Equipment Detach: Any Auras attached to the exiled creature will be unattached and, finding themselves without a legal target, will be placed into their owner’s graveyard. Equipment, however, tells a different tale. They simply become unattached and remain on the battlefield, ready to be equipped to another willing (or unwilling) participant.
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Counters Vanish: All counters on the creature cease to exist. They don’t move; they don’t get reassigned; they simply disappear into the void. It’s as if they never existed.
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Summoning Sickness Resets: If, by some arcane means, the exiled creature returns to the battlefield (we’ll get to that later), it enters as a brand new creature. This means it will have summoning sickness if it’s a creature and you haven’t controlled it continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn.
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Tokens Fade Away: If the exiled “creature” was actually a token, it ceases to exist entirely as a state-based action the next time a player would receive priority. Poof! Gone. Reduced to magical dust.
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No Regeneration: You cannot regenerate an exiled creature because regeneration replaces destruction. Exiling bypasses that mechanic altogether.
Essentially, exile is a clean break. It’s like sending a digital file to the recycle bin and then emptying it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Exiling Creatures
Let’s dive deeper into the specifics with some frequently asked questions to truly master the art of exile.
1. Does Exiling a Creature Count as Killing It?
No. Exiling is not considered killing or destroying a creature. As a result, abilities that trigger when a creature dies or is destroyed will not trigger when a creature is exiled. This is a key distinction to understand.
2. Do Exiled Creatures Come Back Untapped?
Yes, typically. When an exiled creature returns to the battlefield, it does so as a new permanent. Unless specified otherwise by the effect returning it, it will enter the battlefield untapped.
3. When You Exile a Creature Does the Equipment Go With It?
No, unless the effect that exiles the creature explicitly states that it also exiles attached equipment. Usually, the equipment will remain on the battlefield, unattached and available to be equipped to another creature. An example of an exception to this rule is the card Flickerform.
4. When You Exile a Creature Does It Lose Enchantments?
Yes. Auras attached to the creature, being enchantments, will cease to have a legal target when the creature leaves the battlefield. As a state-based action, they will then be put into the graveyard.
5. Do Creatures Have Summoning Sickness After Exile?
Absolutely. Any card that returns from exile enters the battlefield as a brand new permanent. If it’s a creature, it will have summoning sickness unless you’ve controlled it continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn. It’s as if it’s being summoned for the first time.
6. Do Exiled Creatures Lose Counters?
Yes. When a creature is exiled, any counters on it cease to exist. They are not transferred or moved; they simply vanish. This is a clean slate scenario.
7. Can You Exile an Exiled Creature?
This might sound a bit strange, but yes, you can! If you exile a card that’s already in exile, it becomes a brand new object. This means that it will not be found by effects that exiled it the first time (see rule CR 406.7 in the Comprehensive Rules). It’s like creating a copy of a file and then deleting the original.
8. Does Exile Trigger Graveyard Effects?
No, exile bypasses the graveyard entirely. Cards that trigger when a card enters the graveyard will not trigger when a card is exiled. This is one of the key differences between exile and destruction.
9. Can You Exile a Blocking Creature?
Yes! You can exile a blocking creature after blockers are declared but before damage is dealt. The attacking creature will still be considered blocked, but it won’t deal combat damage unless it has trample or is blocked by another creature.
10. What Happens When You Exile a Creature with an Aura?
The Aura(s) will be unattached from the exiled creature and put into the graveyard as state-based actions, since they no longer have a legal target.
11. Can a Creature with Summoning Sickness Use an Untap Ability?
No. A creature with summoning sickness cannot attack or use abilities with the tap symbol in their cost. Summoning sickness essentially prevents the creature from taking actions requiring exertion on the turn it enters the battlefield (unless it has haste).
12. Can You Tap an Artifact the Turn You Play It?
Yes, if the artifact is not a creature. Summoning sickness only affects creatures. So, non-creature artifacts can be tapped the turn they enter the battlefield.
13. Can I Exile a Commander?
Yes, you can exile a commander. However, the commander’s owner has the option to move it to the command zone instead of leaving it in exile. This is a specific rule for commanders.
14. Can a Creature Block if It Has Summoning Sickness?
Yes. A creature with summoning sickness can block. Summoning sickness only restricts attacking and using abilities with the tap symbol. Blocking is considered a defensive action and is permitted.
15. Does Turning a Land Into a Creature Untap It?
No. If you turn a land into a creature, it remains tapped if it was already tapped. The effect that turns it into a creature does not inherently untap it.
Bonus: What about when you cast a spell from Exile?
Whenever you cast a spell from exile, copy it. You may choose new targets for the copy. If it’s a permanent spell, the copy gains haste and “At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice this permanent.” (A copy of a permanent spell becomes a token.)
Hopefully, this has given you a solid understanding of what happens when you exile a creature in Magic: The Gathering. Remember, exile is a powerful tool, but understanding its nuances is key to using it effectively. Now go forth and banish those creatures with confidence! You can even apply the learning techniques that are shared by the Games Learning Society so that you can remember all these rules! Or, visit GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more about the powerful way games and learning intersect.