Can You Target a Tapped Creature with Dispatch?
Direct Answer: Yes, you can target a tapped creature with Dispatch. Although the creature is already tapped, Dispatch will still exile it.
Understanding Tap and Targeting
Before we dive into the specific question, let’s take a moment to understand what happens when a creature is tapped and what it means to target a creature.
When a creature is tapped, it means that it’s been "purchased" by a player, either through an ability or through the creature’s own text. Tapping a creature doesn’t have any effect on its ability to be targeted by spells or abilities.
Targeting and Creature Abilities
In Magic, targeting a creature means selecting it as the recipient of an effect, such as a spell or ability. When a creature is targeted, it can trigger various effects, including abilities on the creature itself, effects on the game state, or effects on other creatures.
Dispatch and Its Effects
Dispatch is a spell that says, "Exile target creature." When you cast Dispatch, you’re choosing a target creature and sending it to the exile zone. In this sense, Dispatch doesn’t care about the tapped status of the creature it’s targeting.
Implications for the Game State
When a tapped creature is targeted by Dispatch, the game state changes as follows:
- The tapped creature is still tapped and can’t attack or use its abilities.
- The creature is sent to the exile zone, where it remains until it’s removed or returns to the game through some other means.
- The player who cast Dispatch gains the ability to untap during their next untap step, as part of the standard untapping process.
Key Points to Remember
- Tapping a creature doesn’t prevent it from being targeted by spells or abilities.
- Dispatch can target a tapped creature and exile it, regardless of its tapped status.
- Exiling a creature doesn’t untap it, and it will remain tapped until it returns to the game or is removed from the game.
Example Scenarios
Here are a few examples to illustrate how Dispatch interacts with tapped creatures:
Scenario 1: You control a tapped creature, "Tapped Golem". You cast Dispatch, targeting Tapped Golem. Tapped Golem is sent to the exile zone, and you gain the ability to untap during your next untap step.
Scenario 2: You control an untapped creature, "Untapped Knight". You cast Dispatch, targeting Untapped Knight. Untapped Knight is sent to the exile zone, and the game state remains unchanged.
Conclusion
In summary, yes, you can target a tapped creature with Dispatch. Tapping a creature doesn’t prevent it from being targeted, and Dispatch can still exile the creature regardless of its tapped status. Understanding the interplay between targeting and tapping is crucial for making the most of your spells and abilities in Magic.