Discussion Forum

1. yes you could level up as soon as the card is in the field. the ability is not affected by summoning sickness.

2. yes you can use any planeswalkers ability as soon as it resolves. (roughly the same concept as levelers)

3. yes it is counted as combat damage because the creature attacked.

[QUOTE=jiggs]1. yes you could level up as soon as the card is in the field. the ability is not affected by summoning sickness.

2. yes you can use any planeswalkers ability as soon as it resolves. (roughly the same concept as levelers)

3. yes it is counted as combat damage because the creature attacked.[/QUOTE]

*Nods* Alrighty, and thanks. :)

[QUOTE=jiggs]
2. yes you can use any planeswalkers ability as soon as it resolves. (roughly the same concept as levelers)
.[/QUOTE]

And what's more, your opponent cannot respond to the loyalty trigger, as you retain priority. :)

Jiggs has all of the right answers, but I'll try to explain in greater detail to resolve the root of the problem, not the problem itself. Of course, there's much more going on (rules wise) than my explanations, but for simplicity's sake I'll suggest you read the Timing and Priority section of the rules.

[QUOTE=jiggs]1. yes you could level up as soon as the card is in the field. the ability is not affected by summoning sickness.

"Summoning sickness" is a popularly used unofficial term (unless it's been worked back into the rules since the last time I've checked) used to describe how a creature can or cannot behave. A creature with summoning sickness cannot attack or use activated abilities with :symtap: as a part of the activation cost (Activation costs appear before the : and the ability that is added to the stack appears after). A creature has summoning sickness if you have not controlled it since your turn (or beginning of your last turn if your turn is already over). Here's two examples: 1) You cast a creature. The creature has summoning sickness because you have not controlled it since the beginning of your turn. 2) A player uses a spell or ability that exiles a creature and then returns it to the battlefield. The creature has summoning sickness because you lost control of it when it was exiled, when the creature re-enters the battlefield it has not been under your control since the beginning of your last turn.

2. yes you can use any planeswalkers ability as soon as it resolves. (roughly the same concept as levelers)

Only creatures are affected by summoning sickness. Other permanent-types you control can use abilities as soon as they enter the battlefield.

3. yes it is counted as combat damage because the creature attacked.

Combat damage is kind of tricky to describe. Damage is only combat damage if it is dealt by an attacking creature, as direct result of it attacking. Any other damage is just regular damage, even if dealt during the combat phase. That is, if you control an attacking 2/2 creature that is not blocked, the damage the player receives from that creature is combat damage. If that creature has an ability that reads "Whenever [NAME] attacks, [NAME] deals 1 point of damage to target creature or player." That is not combat damage.

[/QUOTE]

Hope that helps :3

Thanks for the extra info, gentlemen... I'll be sure to keep all of this in mind. *Nods*

[QUOTE=Kal Duskryn]And what's more, your opponent cannot respond to the loyalty trigger, as you retain priority. :)[/QUOTE]

I don't think that's correct...what has led you to think that this works differently from other activated abilities?

[QUOTE=Seras]I don't think that's correct...what has led you to think that this works differently from other activated abilities?[/QUOTE]

I believe what he means is, if the Planeswalker survives the stack, you retain priority as they ETB and can activate an ability before an opponent can drop any removal. They could play removal once a Planeswalker's ability has been added to the stack and priority is passed, but by then nothing short of a Stifle will prevent the ability from resolving.

Just so you know Scotty, Summoning Sickness is actual rules terminology.

[QUOTE=SavajCabbaj]Hope that helps :3[/QUOTE]

Quick question about what you said on #3 -- "Damage is only combat damage if it is dealt by an attacking creature, as direct result of it attacking." Is it not combat damage if a creature is blocking? ie, if I block with my Ohran Viper, does the creature not get destroyed? I thought Combat Damage was damage dealt by creatures only by attacking/blocking during the combat phase...?

[QUOTE=TheChurchIsHere]Quick question about what you said on #3 -- "Damage is only combat damage if it is dealt by an attacking creature, as direct result of it attacking." Is it not combat damage if a creature is blocking? ie, if I block with my Ohran Viper, does the creature not get destroyed? I thought Combat Damage was damage dealt by creatures only by attacking/blocking during the combat phase...?[/QUOTE]

You're right here, Combat Damage is only dealt by attacking or blocking creatures during combat with one or more power.

Aye, blockers too ;P Good catch. Describing the difference in combat damage and normal damage dealt during the combat phase is kind of tricky. Or maybe it was the beer :3

[QUOTE=jiggs]2. yes you can use any planeswalkers ability as soon as it resolves. (roughly the same concept as levelers)QUOTE]:confused:


I thought you could only use your planeswalkers abilities during your upkeep?

[QUOTE=jiggs]1. yes you could level up as soon as the card is in the field. the ability is not affected by summoning sickness.

2. yes you can use any planeswalkers ability as soon as it resolves. (roughly the same concept as levelers)

3. yes it is counted as combat damage because the creature attacked.[/QUOTE]

:confused:

I thought you could only use your planeswalkers abilities during your upkeep?

nope, you can only use them during your main phases, at sorcery speed.

from what i understand of the rules, when you summon a plainswalker, if someone has a removal spell, it doesn't take effect until after you made your play with them. so lets say i summon tezz, you hit him in response with a lightning bolt, before the bolt hits, i can use his +1/-1 ability because of priority.

correct me if im wrong, as i would like to double check to see if this is correct or not.

Not quite. Planeswalkers cannot be the target of removal spells while they are on the stack. While they're on the stack, they can only be countered. Once the stack revolves, if the Planeswalker has not been countered, it enters the battlefield and you retain priority (note, players cannot just cast spells or use abilities whenever they want, they can only do so while they have priority). Since you retain priority, you can then immediately activate one of its abilities before an opponent has the chance to target it with a spell or ability.

Also note that Planeswalker abilities can only be activated whenever you could cast a sorcery spell, so in order for this to work, you cannot use another ability before you activate your Planeswalker's ability, otherwise you will have to pass priority to your opponent(s) and wait until the stack resolves, therefore allowing them to target it with some form of removal.