Can You Tap a Permanent with Summoning Sickness?
Summoning Sickness is a well-known phenomenon in the world of Magic: The Gathering. It’s a temporary state that a creature or other permanent enters after being put onto the battlefield, making it unable to attack or use any tap abilities. But, what about tapping a permanent with summoning sickness? Can you do it? The answer is a resounding "yes," but there are some important conditions to consider.
A Quick Refresher on Summoning Sickness
Before diving into the main topic, let’s take a quick look at what summoning sickness is. Summoning Sickness is a rule in Magic that applies to creatures, Artifact Creatures, Land Creatures, planeswalker creatures, and Enchantment Creatures (or Land, Artifacts, planeswalkers, or Enchantments that have become creatures). It’s triggered when a permanent is played and can’t attack or use any tap abilities. This state lasts until the permanent is tapped for an ability or attacked.
Tapping a Permanent with Summoning Sickness
So, can you tap a permanent with summoning sickness? The answer is yes, but with some caveats. Tapping a permanent with summoning sickness only affects abilities that contain the {T} or {Q} symbol (tap and untap). This means that if a permanent with summoning sickness has an ability that doesn’t require tapping, you can still use it.
Here are some important points to keep in mind:
- Summoning Sickness doesn’t prevent mana production: You can still tap a permanent with summoning sickness to produce mana, even if it’s not a creature or has an ability that requires tapping.
- Some abilities can still be used: As mentioned earlier, if a permanent with summoning sickness has an ability that doesn’t require tapping, you can still use it.
- Attacking doesn’t remove Summoning Sickness: Attacking a permanent with summoning sickness doesn’t remove the status, so it will still be unable to attack or use tap abilities until it’s tapped for an ability or attacked.
Examples of Permanents with Summoning Sickness
Here are some examples of permanents with summoning sickness and how you can tap them:
- Dryad Arbor: This Land can be tapped for green mana, even though it has summoning sickness.
- Yavimaya: This Land can also be tapped for mana, despite having summoning sickness.
- Llanowar Elves: This Creature can be tapped for mana, even though it has summoning sickness.
When Can You Tap a Permanent with Summoning Sickness?
Here are some situations when you can tap a permanent with summoning sickness:
- To produce mana: You can tap a permanent with summoning sickness to produce mana, as mentioned earlier.
- To use abilities that don’t require tapping: If a permanent with summoning sickness has an ability that doesn’t require tapping, you can still use it.
- To trigger abilities that don’t require tapping: Some abilities can be triggered by tapping a permanent, even if it has summoning sickness.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you can tap a permanent with summoning sickness, but only under certain conditions. You can tap permanents for mana, use abilities that don’t require tapping, and trigger abilities that don’t require tapping. Remember to always check the rules and abilities of each permanent to see if you can tap it.
Common Questions
- Q: Can I tap a permanent with summoning sickness to attack?
- A: No, you can’t tap a permanent with summoning sickness to attack.
- Q: Can I use an ability that requires tapping if a permanent has summoning sickness?
- A: No, you can’t use an ability that requires tapping if a permanent has summoning sickness.
- Q: Can I trigger an ability that requires tapping if a permanent has summoning sickness?
- A: Yes, you can trigger an ability that doesn’t require tapping if a permanent has summoning sickness.
Final Thoughts
Summoning Sickness can be a bit confusing, but understanding the rules and abilities of each permanent can help you navigate it. Remember to always check the rules and abilities of each permanent before tapping it, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a summoning sickness master!