Tap creatures with summoning sickness to pay cost?
Asked by julesleos 11 years ago
Hi, I had a question come up while I was playing with a buddy of mine earlier today.
The scenario is this:
My opponent has 6 life. He casts Pillar of Flame targeting himself, bringing his life total to 4. He then casts 2 Gather the Townsfolk s, and puts a total of 10 1/1 soldiers out due to the replacement effect of fateful hour. With the help of some Infernal Plunge s he casts Burn at the Stake and taps all his tokens, to deal 30 damage.
My questions is this: Can creatures that have summoning sickness be tapped to pay a cost of a spell (or activated ability of another creature without summoning sickness)?
I consulted the rules and found this:
302.6. A creatures activated ability with the tap symbol or the untap symbol in its activation cost cant be activated unless the creature has been under its controllers control continuously since his or her most recent turn began. A creature cant attack unless it has been under its controllers control continuously since his or her most recent turn began. This rule is informally called the summoning sickness rule.
It only says that they can't attack or be tapped/untapped to pay their own activated ability costs... but it seems like the same principle to tap a creature to pay for a cost if it has summoning sickness.
Thanks for your time!
Wow, that makes sense, it just seems like a loophole. I guess cards are printed to take advantage of loopholes though..
Thanks for the response!
Kirtanian says... Accepted answer #1
Since they are being tapped to pay a cost they avoid the summoning sickness rule. summoning sickness does exactly what it says. It will not allow you to attack the turn a creature comes under your control and it will not allow you to use abilities with the "Tap" or "untap" symbol in them. Since this is using none of those it will work just fine.
Captivating Vampire would work the same way and it could be tapped the turn it comes into play as one of the five vampires required.
Compare this with Furystoke Giant . If he was cast after the two Gather the Townsfolk you opponent would not have been able to tap the tokens to deal damage.
June 12, 2013 4:04 a.m.