Can Non-Planeswalkers activate loyalty abilities
Asked by stensiagamekeeper 5 years ago
Apparently Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker won't have loyalty counters removed if he takes damage after activating his +1 because he is no longer a planeswalker. That got me wondering if you had 2 activations that turn available, say for example because of The Chain Veil , would you be able to activate the +1 twice.
Additionally, if I have a Davriel, Rogue Shadowmage in play at 1 loyalty can I play a "Sarkhan the masterless" (http://mythicspoiler.com/war/cards/sarkhanthemasterless.html), +1 sarkhan, swing with davriel and then -1 post combat?
Kogarashi says... Accepted answer #1
606.3. A player may activate a loyalty ability of a permanent they control any time they have priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of their turn, but only if no player has previously activated a loyalty ability of that permanent that turn.
The rule says "of a permanent," not "of a planeswalker." You can activate a loyalty ability, even if the permanent in question is not currently a planeswalker.
The wording on Sarkhan is specifically so you know he doesn't lose loyalty from taking damage while he's not a planeswalker, since only planeswalkers lose loyalty from damage. It's like how you can have an effect in play that makes it so you can't lose life, but you can still pay life for things, or how an indestructible creature can still be sacrificed. You can still spend loyalty to activate the ability even if the permanent can't lose loyalty normally. One does not necessarily preclude the other.
April 16, 2019 9:06 a.m.