Tapping creatures before combat
Asked by Oxxnard 7 years ago
Problem is buddy and I were playing EDH. Board state was me with a lethal amount of creatures. My friend had nothing but land and a Leyline of Anticipation. My turn went, untap, upkeep, draw, combat, attackers declared. Well in response to declaring attackers he flashed in Sleep and tapped all my creatures. Is this correct? Can that happen? I was always under the assumption that if you don't do anything on your turn that when you move to combat you can't keep getting tapped down unless you cast a spell first or use an ability during the phases leading up to combat. Everything i have found online is confusing and a few years old so I'm not sure if it's changed or not.
Long Story Short: Can creatures get tapped down if I move straight to combat after draw step? Thanks!
Okay so just to make sure I understand, he was correct in saying that the creatures can be tapped down when I move to combat but before they are tapped and declared attackers
December 3, 2017 1:38 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #3
Correct. The last opportunity your opponent has to preemptively tap your creatures is during the beginning of combat step. Once you move to the declare attackers step, you declare your attackers and it's too late for your opponent to stop those creatures from attacking.
December 3, 2017 3:32 p.m.
Silly follow-up... if there were other opponents in that same game... can the person with the instant wait ot know if they are attacking him before casting the tap effect (not waist the effect if he was not attacked)? or must he do without knowing if he was the one being attacked and possibly save someone else?
December 3, 2017 9:22 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #6
You won't declare who you're attacking, or with what creatures, until the declare attackers step begins. By that time, it's too late to prevent any of those creatures from attacking.
Your opponent will have to choose either (1) guaranteeing his/her own safety by casting the tap spell without knowing how you would have attacked or (2) saving the tap spell at the risk of getting blown out if you attack him/her.
Epochalyptik says... #1
In order to move to the next step or phase in the turn, all players must pass priority over an empty stack. In order to move from your main step to the beginning of combat to the declare attackers, you have to give your opponent priority. You can't just rush into doing something before they declare a response.
December 3, 2017 12:57 p.m.