When playing a "tap to add mana to your mana pool" ability on a creature, does tapping creature have to attack?
Asked by jesakh 9 years ago
In the situation of using the "tap creature to add mana to your mam pool" ability on a creature card do I also have to attack with said creature? I'm still relatively new to magic and have started to build a green/black deck but I have a few green cards with the ability listed above. My only problem with them is a lot are low on strength and toughness so if they were to be blocked by a medium range creature they would likely die before filling the role I want them to. My main goal with this question is to figure out if it would be better to keep a few of them in my deck or replace them with a sorcery that pulls land directly from my deck onto the field/into my hand. Any help/responses would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks a ton JWiley129! That makes perfect sense, I appreciate it!
August 19, 2015 1:19 a.m.
Of note, it also means that if you attack with Leaf Gilder you dont add 
to your mana pool. With creatures you can either attack or activate abilities which require the creature to tap. There is an exception for Vigilance, but that's unrelated to your question.
August 19, 2015 1:27 a.m.
Well, on that note if the creature had vigilance would it be able to use the ability as well as attack on the same turn?
August 19, 2015 1:34 a.m.
Correct. Lets say you have a Stonehewer Giant in play. You can attack with the Giant and then activate its tap ability, because the giant doesn't tap to attack.
August 19, 2015 2 a.m.
Activated abilities have no relationship to attacking.
During your combat step you may attack with creatures which will normally tap them (unless they have vigilance).
Some activated abilities included tapping the creature(or other type of permanent) in the cost of the ability (activated abilities have a : in them. to the left is the cost, to the right is the ability).
If an ability requires you to tap in order to activate it, the creature(or other permanent) must be untapped in order for you to use it.
In order to be declared as an attacker, a creature must be untapped at the time it is declared as an attacker(which will normally tap it). Using an activated ability does not mean you are attacking.
Most activated abilities can also be activated on your opponents turn.
Just remember that activated abilities on creatures that include the tap symbol in the cost can't be used until the creature has been in your control since the beginning of your most recent turn.
JWiley129 says... Accepted answer #1
This is not the usual issue new players have with cards like Leaf Gilder, but we'll be happy to help you out.
You can only attack with a creature during the combat step, so if you were to tap Leaf Gilder to add
to your mana pool during your first main phase, the Gilder would be tapped when you went to attack. Then, since Leaf Gilder is tapped it cannot attack.
Does that make sense?
August 19, 2015 1:13 a.m.