When can tap abilities be used? Activated abilities can be activated at anytime you have priority (in other words: when you could play an instant) unless they state otherwise. Do be aware that you have to tap the creature BEFORE it is declared as an attacker.
Can you use tap abilities on first turn?
You can't tap a creature to use an ability on your first turn of them being out, but can you tap during your opponents next turn? Say I have a creature that I can tap to tap a target creature.
Can activated abilities be used while a creature is tapped?
Correct. Activated abilities may be used whenever you have priority as long as you can pay the cost and aren't forbidden to. The tap/untap symbol as part of the cost can prevent you (from summoning sickness).
Can you tap a creature with summoning sickness to pay a cost?
A creature that is summoning sick cannot attack, and cannot be tapped to pay costs represented by the tap symbol (this also applies to abilities with the Untap symbol as a cost, but those are pretty much entirely contained in the Lorwyn block).
What is the difference between an activated ability and a triggered ability?
Unlike activated abilities, triggered abilities do not need to be activated, — they trigger regardless of players' wishes and are subject to no limitations. 603.2a. Because they aren't cast or activated, triggered abilities can trigger even when it isn't legal to cast spells and activate abilities.
Related question for When Can Tap Abilities Be Used?
Can activated abilities be played as instants?
Once players decide how the creatures they control will deal their combat damage, the damage is all dealt at the same time. Players can then cast instants and activate abilities. Players can cast instants and activate abilities.
Can you tap a creature before upkeep?
That is correct. You can't activate an ability if you don't have priority, and the first time any player receives priority each turn is during the Upkeep Step (also note that Untap, Upkeep, and Draw are steps, not phases).
Can artifact abilities be used as instants?
You're missing a lot, actually. Activated abilities can be played at instant speed, which means any time the player has priority. As the non-active player, you receive priority after the active player has priority during each step and phase of their turn.
Is kicker an activated ability?
Kicker is not an activated ability. It is a static ability that permits an additional cost for the spell it's on.
Is a tap ability an activated ability?
"Tap" abilities are activated abilities with the tap symbol in their cost, and are affected by summoning sickness, as EllE said. A mana ability is any ability that adds mana to your mana pool, is not a loyalty ability, and does not target.
Is ninjutsu an activated ability?
702.49a Ninjutsu is an activated ability that functions only while the card with ninjutsu is in a player's hand. The creature with ninjutsu is put onto the battlefield unblocked. It will be attacking the same player or planeswalker as the creature that was returned to its owner's hand.
Can another card tap a creature with summoning sickness?
tl;dr: If the summoning sick card has a tap symbol, you can't use it. If the card or another card says the word "tap", then you can tap the summoning sick creature.
Can another creature tap a creature with summoning sickness?
Yes, you can. Relevant rule: 302.6. A creature's activated ability with the tap symbol or the untap symbol in its activation cost can't be activated unless the creature has been under its controller's control continuously since his or her most recent turn began.
Can you tap llanowar elves first turn?
Since Llanowar Elves is a creature, and its activated ability cost contains a tap symbol, you may only activate this ability as long as you have controlled the Elves since the beginning of your last turn. As a rule, such decks want to play the Elves on the first turn.
Can you counter an activated ability?
Activated abilities cannot be countered by spells or abilities that counter spells, because they aren't spells. However, there are cards, such as Stifle, Squelch, and Voidslime, that can be used to counter these abilities.
Is Doubling season a triggered ability?
You can activate the ability immediately, before any opponent has a chance to respond, because Doubling Season's ability is not a triggered ability.
Do abilities trigger before instants?
The triggered abilities from 503.1 won't resolve before you have your chance to respond to them in 503.2, so in the general case, instants can be cast before "beginning of your upkeep" triggered abilities resolve.
Can you tap Sol Ring turn one?
You cast sol ring, you can tap it to produce mana. However, let's say instead you cast ensoul artifact on the untapped sol ring you just played this turn. Now you cannot tap the sol ring for mana or to attack since it is now a creature that came into play that same turn.
Can you tap artifacts right away?
Yes, as long as it's not a creature. Only creatures are affected by summoning sickness. If March of the Machines was in play or Ratchet Bomb became a creature by other means, you wouldn't be able to tap it if it came under your control that turn. Otherwise, it can tap immediately.
Can you use tap abilities at instant speed?
Tap abilities can be used any time you can cast an instant, excepting abilities that state otherwise (such as Birthing Pod's).
Are loyalty abilities activated abilities?
A loyalty ability is an activated ability with a cost of modifying the loyalty counter on a planeswalker card.
Can you activate an ability before upkeep?
Yes, you can activate abilities and cast instants during your upkeep. However, you seem to be confused about the distinction between the untap step and upkeep. The untap step precedes the upkeep. This is when permanents untap.
Can you cast an instant before you untap?
However you can cast it during your upkeep step. Players receive priority to cast spells and activate abilities during the upkeep, which is before the draw step. You can't do anything in any Untap Phase because players don't get priority.
Does ETB count as an ability?
"Enters the battlefield" refers to putting a permanent onto the battlefield, or to an ability which is triggered when a permanent is put onto the battlefield. It is commonly abbreviated ETB.
Can you tap a tapped creature?
Tapped creatures can't be tapped; therefore you can't tap a tapped creature to pay a cost.
Can you kick a spell without paying its mana cost?
"If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," you can't pay any alternative costs. You can pay additional costs such as kicker costs. If the card has mandatory additional costs, you must pay those." So, yes, you can pay 2 mana to get the kicker effect.
Can you copy kicked spells?
Kicker costs don't change a spell's mana cost or converted mana cost. If a kicked spell is copied, the copy is also kicked.
Can you pay kicker from graveyard?
Yes. In that case you are actually "playing" the card and can choose to pay any additional costs.
Do activated abilities count as spells?
Activated and triggered abilities aren't spells, and therefore can't be countered by anything that counters only spells. Abilities can be countered by effects that specifically counter abilities, as well as by the rules (for example, an ability with one or more targets is countered if all its targets become illegal).
Are creature abilities instant?
Activating one works exactly like casting an instant spell, except there's no card to put on the stack. The ability goes on the stack just like a spell, and resolves just like a spell. If you activate an ability but then the permanent the ability came from leaves the battlefield, the ability will still resolve.
Can you block a ninjutsu creature?
You have to declare no blockers before that ninjutsu is justified. Point to note: You may have no obvious available blockers but you still do have to declare (no) blockers. There may be scenario where its possible to just flash in a Spellstutter Sprite to block.
Does cursed totem stop ninjutsu?
Yes. You can ninjitsu your guys all day long. Cards not in play are not affected by things like Damping Matrix and Cursed Totem, as these cards only effect permanents.
Can you double ninjutsu?
Yes, you can do that
510.5. If at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike (see rule 702.7) or double strike (see rule 702.4) as the combat damage step begins, the only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are those with first strike or double strike.
Do Mana abilities have summoning sickness?
2) Yes. It would have a tap ability or state that on the card otherwise.
Can a tapped creature block?
You cannot attack or block with a creature that is tapped. So you are correct, if you tap a creature to use an ability before the attack phase, you won't be able to choose it as an attacker, and it won't be an available defender during your opponent's next turn.