What Happens If You Tap a Defending Creature?
Tap abilities can be a key part of a Magic player’s arsenal, allowing us to access powerful effects that can swing the tide of a battle in our favor. But what happens if we use a tap ability on a defending creature? Are there any special considerations that come into play? Let’s take a closer look at what happens when we tap a defending creature, and how it affects gameplay.
Can You Tap a Blocking Creature?
Yes, you can tap a blocking creature. This might seem counterintuitive at first – isn’t a blocking creature in a committed position, where it can’t be messed with? But no, you can still tap a creature that’s been declared as a blocker, just as you can tap any other creature on the battlefield. There’s no rules text that prevents you from tapping a blocking creature, so as long as your tap ability’s cost allows you to do so, you can tap away and enjoy the benefits of doing so.
Does Tapping a Blocking Creature Make It Any Less Effective at Blocking?
Not necessarily. When a creature blocks, it locks in and can’t do anything else until combat resolves. If you tap it, that doesn’t unblock it – it can still perform its blocking task and won’t be dissuaded from doing so by being tapped. It’s not like untapping it and then letting the creature move again – tap is more like a mini-version of untap.
Tapping a Blocked Creature in Response to Becoming Tapped
There is an important exception here, however. If a creature is tapped as the result of a tap effect, and then another spell or ability comes along to tap it again, it becomes a target to be affected by the first tap. In this case, the second tap has to resolve first (or maybe even doesn’t get a chance to do so if the first one resolves to remove the creature altogether), as the first one sets in motion the processes of becoming tapped. Here, in a sense the tap sets the stage – but also sets the stage for interaction. A very special stage where only one of several spells that could have different outcomes get to be resolved.
We don’t know with certainty without testing what precisely would happen if there could be such a thing to try: would it stack the result? Or nullify any of the secondary actions if they happen only as responses? Further investigation could provide the certainty of outcomes, and with more and more new powers on Magic, this new info should be crucial on game**
Tapped Defending Creatures Can Respond
Remember that when tapping a blocking creature, this only matters if it triggers or uses a special ability once it gets tapped. At the start of the opponent’s end step, (for untapped creatures anyway), in response to tapped (say by your Jitte-ting or Vexed, a Defanged attacker, etc.)
- For tap targets that respond, these go in to the stack during that main phase of either your combat phase, precombat phase, or start of end step phase), after resolution of combat’s "combat" step to any actions.
- for non tap targets don’t interact, just disappear like non-tapped-untapping.
How the tapping happens will differ – say you tapped both and use Jitte effect: Tap and 3 untaps, "Vexed, Defanged Attacker" in stacks
Say your Jitte-ing-Defanged-Creature on stack.
Pre-untap and use tap 3: if Defanged Attacker already used their effect on being tapped you don’t lose to that, this goes last
But they already acted. It depends. When a tap isn’t immediate response. Not even by tapping your tapping ability that should do too, for "vexed defanced". (for each player as it gets).
This process, if understood properly – you have then control about how and before to perform these interactions if desired with more advanced situations (situations or card interplay).
More research with cards will answer that too, it matters where/when we did. More to discover by reading.
It will never become obsolete.
Timing for When Tapped
To confirm: in resolving tapping during it takes effect before action from an untapped source if action before action on our stack after that happens because a turn phase action tells you which tap comes. So don’t wait to the same, action in this area doesn’t. The best for our action or then tap to that creature* to our tapping abilities**
The Same Process Goes for Lands!
Don’t think blocking creature can be treated specifically; any permanent/ Creature tapped are targets, can have ability or use some card any card using permanent for mana generation should do with land or your card if land and have its chance.
All mana that was already ‘added, used or mana already gathered in that session’. Don’t stack these up, because this makes
- (If an artifact/ land creature in its tapped form produces some resources – no interaction of other resources).
Tapped land’s target as resource can only stay one or other.
Can still play it or card; however, tapping for untap isn’t going (unless they use card specifically or not for resource if using cards) as
It can use more land that can do nothing as "no untappable".
Now we can move onto: Can Junkwinder Target a Tapped Creature?.