Vehicles and Auras
Asked by Jokester1393 7 years ago
So let's say my Stormchaser Mage has been enchanted by my oppenent with Oppressive Rays is he still able to be tapped for Smuggler's Copter. My friend and mine gut instincts feel like that's legal but was just seeking another opinion since it's a new mechanic.
220ave220's explanations are largely correct - since Smuggler's Copter has the activated ability, Oppressive Rays on a creature you're tapping for it's Crew cost won't make you pay anything in addition. Stormchase Mage doesn't have any activated abilities, do Oppressive Rays will simply prevent it from attacking, blocking, or activating abilities if it should gain any at a later time (from Dragon Mantle, for example).
@220ave220: Sigarda's Aid doesn't allow you to enchant vehicles, or interacts with them in any special way. While functionally similar, vehicles aren't equipment.
The only way to enchant a vehicle with an Aura with "Enchant Creature" is to turn it into a creature, which you can do with Karn, Silver Golem or March of the Machines if you want to turn your opponent's vehicles into creatures.
September 28, 2016 2:54 a.m.
@bluescope I wasn't saying that Sigarda's Aid would allow you to enchant vehicles. I was saying that having it on the battlefield would would give his Aura flash so he could enchant the vehicle on his opponents turn after it had been crewed and became a creature. I believe that'a correct, right? Sorry if I worded it wrong.
September 28, 2016 3:05 a.m.
@220ave220: Ah, I see, and I read that wrong. That is of course correct, however would be relevant in this case, as the Crew cost would need to be paid by your opponent in order to turn their vehicle into a creature, after which you could enchant it (making the cost increase largely irrelevant). Since the vehicle only stays a creature until the end of turn, the Aura would fall of for illegally enchanting a permanent.
In other words, you're not wrong, however in practice, it would never be relevant.
September 28, 2016 4:42 a.m.
Named_Tawyny says... #5
It wouldn't be terribly efficient, but it would absolutely be relevant. Albert crews his vehicle before declaring attackers. Nora, when she next has priority, flashes in Oppressive Rays, enchanting the now-creature Smuggler's Copter.
If Albert wants to attack with the copter, he would need to pay . If he doesn't have that mana available (or needs it for something else), the copter can't attack.
September 28, 2016 8:10 a.m.
@Named_Tawyny: You're not wrong, but the context was whether it would increase the Crew costs, which it won't (I'm tempted to say can't, but the ability's written in a way that would technically allow you to activate it multiple times, so I suppose it can - it's largely irrelevant, however).
September 28, 2016 8:26 a.m.
Jokester1393 says... Accepted answer #7
So I was right I can tap a creature that has be enchanted by Oppressive Rays to crew a vehicle.
September 28, 2016 12:04 p.m.
Named_Tawyny says... #8
@BlueScope we'll disagree on the context. Reading it, it seemed that the context of 220ave220's note was in preventing it from attacking. It was clear that it had already been made into a creature from the context.
And yes, Jokester1393, you're correct.
220ave220 says... #1
An activated ability is defined as "an ability that can be activated by a player by paying a cost. The cost can be almost anything, such as sacrificing a permanent, paying mana, paying life, or tapping the permanent with the ability" In the case of vehicles, the activated ability would be tapping other permanents. Magic rule 702.121a says that "Crew is an activated ability of Vehicle cards. Crew N means tap any number of untapped creatures you control with total power N or greater: This permanent becomes an artifact creature until end of turn." by this definition, the activated ability belongs to the vehicle, and Oppressive Rays would need to be placed on the vehicle to increase the crew cost to 3 + N, where N is the crew cost of the enchanted vehicle; However, in this case, the vehicle could not be enchanted because it is not a creature until it becomes crewed, and this effect only lasts until end of turn. The only way you could enchant a vehicle is if you had a card such as Sigarda's Aid on the battlefield or cast Oppressive Rays during your turn while the vehicle was still crewed and is defined as a creature and not just an artifact. I'm not a judge and i may be wrong, but this is how i understand it by these definitions at least.
September 28, 2016 2:14 a.m.