You just dropped a massive, game-ending dragon onto the table. Your opponent is tapped out. The path is clear. You reach to turn that card sideways and announce your attack, but your friend stops you. "Summoning sickness," they say with a smirk. It’s the ultimate buzzkill. Honestly, Magic the Gathering summoning sickness is one of those rules that feels like a nagging parent—it exists just to slow you down when you’re trying to have fun. But without it, the game would basically be a chaotic mess of "whoever goes first wins."
Magic is a game of tempo. If every creature could attack the second it hit the dirt, players would just jam their decks with high-power, low-cost "glass cannons." The game would end on turn two or three every single time. This rule forces you to think a turn ahead. It’s the reason why the "Haste" keyword is so valuable; breaking the fundamental physics of the game is a huge advantage.
What is Magic the Gathering Summoning Sickness Anyway?
In the official Comprehensive Rules—specifically rule 302.6 for the nerds out there—it doesn't actually use the phrase "summoning sickness." That’s a slang term that’s stuck since the early 90s. The rule basically says a creature’s activated abilities with the tap symbol or the untap symbol can’t be used, and it can’t attack, unless it has been under its controller’s control since the beginning of their most recent turn.
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Think about that phrasing. "Since the beginning of their most recent turn." That’s the kicker.
If you cast a creature during your first main phase, you didn't control it when the turn started. So, it’s sick. If you use an effect like Act of Treason to steal an opponent's creature, you didn't control it at the start of your turn. Even though that creature has been on the battlefield for five rounds, it’s "new" to you. Unless that spell gives it Haste, that stolen creature is just going to sit there looking at you. It’s annoying. It’s counterintuitive to new players. But it’s the law of the land.
The Weird Exceptions You Probably Missed
Here is where people get tripped up: it isn't just about attacking. It's about tapping. If you have a creature with a cool ability—let's say a Llanowar Elves—you can't tap it for mana the turn you play it. Why? Because the tap symbol (${T}$) is restricted by summoning sickness. However, if an ability says "Tap an untapped creature you control" (like the Convoke mechanic), you can use a "sick" creature for that.
Why the difference? Because the rule only cares about the literal tap symbol on the card’s ability line. If a different spell or ability is "reaching out" and tapping the creature as a cost, summoning sickness doesn't care. You can tap a creature that just hit the board to pay for a Chord of Calling. You can tap it to crew a Vehicle like Skysovereign, Consul Flagship.
Mana Dorks and Utility: The Early Game Struggle
We’ve all been there. You keep a hand with one land and a Birds of Paradise, thinking you're set. Then you realize you can't actually use the Bird until turn two. That one-turn delay is the difference between getting your five-drop out on turn four or watching your opponent blow up your board first.
This is why "Haste" is the most underrated keyword in the eyes of beginners but the most feared by pros. When a card like Questing Beast or Gingerbrute ignores the standard Magic the Gathering summoning sickness tax, it changes the math of the entire game. Your opponent calculates their blocks based on what's on the board. Haste ruins that math.
When Creatures Stop Being Creatures
Then there’s the "Man-Land" problem. You have a land like Mishra's Foundry. You’ve had it on the field for three turns. You pay the mana to turn it into a creature. Does it have summoning sickness?
No.
Because you controlled the permanent (the land) since the start of your turn. The fact that it wasn't a "creature" at the start of the turn doesn't matter. The game checks how long the object has been under your control.
But wait. If you play that land and immediately turn it into a creature on the same turn? Now it does have summoning sickness. Since it is currently a creature, it has to follow the creature rules. And since you just played it, it can't attack or tap for mana. This has led to many a player accidentally "Stone Rain-ing" themselves by turning a land into a creature and then realizing they can't even tap it for the mana they needed to finish their turn.
How to Cheat the System
If you hate waiting, you have options. Beyond the Haste keyword, "flicker" effects are a nightmare for summoning sickness. When you use a card like Ephemerate to exile your creature and bring it back, it enters as a brand-new object.
Even if it was on the field for ten turns, the second it leaves and comes back, it's "new." It's sick again.
Don't flicker your attackers before combat unless you have a way to give them Haste. I’ve seen players flicker their own creatures to dodge a removal spell, only to realize they just benched their best blocker or attacker for a full round. It’s a tactical trade-off.
The Nuance of Activated Abilities
Let's clarify the "Tap" thing.
Some creatures have abilities that cost mana but don't require tapping. A classic example is Shambling Shell or anything with "Firebreathing" (Pay ${R}$: This creature gets +1/+0).
You can use these the turn the creature is played.
Summoning sickness specifically hates the arrow/tap symbol. If the ability says "Sacrifice this creature:" or "Pay 1 mana:", go nuts. This is why certain combo decks work so fast. They aren't waiting for the creature to "wake up"; they are using abilities that don't require the creature to physically exert itself by tapping.
Dealing with Control Magic and Theft
Stealing stuff is a core part of Blue and Red's identity. But the rules of Magic the Gathering summoning sickness apply to everyone equally. If you cast Mind Control on your opponent's Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, you can't attack with it immediately.
Red gets around this by adding "it gains haste until end of turn" to almost every theft spell like Threaten. Without that clause, stealing a creature would be purely defensive for the first turn.
It’s also worth noting how this interacts with "Phasing." If a creature phases out, it hasn't left the battlefield. When it phases back in, it doesn't have summoning sickness. It remembers it’s been around. This is a huge distinction from "Exile and Return" effects.
Actionable Strategy: Making the Most of Your Turns
Knowing the ins and outs of this rule isn't just about avoiding mistakes; it's about optimizing your playstyle.
- Order of Operations: Always play your lands and non-creature spells before your creatures unless the creature provides a buff to those spells. This keeps your opponent guessing about your mana until the last second.
- The End-Step Trick: Use "Flash." If you cast a creature with Flash on your opponent's end step, it will be under your control when your turn starts. This is the legal way to "bypass" summoning sickness. It’s ready to attack the moment you untap.
- Identify Tap Symbols: Before you put a creature in your deck, ask: "Does this do anything the turn it hits?" If it relies on a tap ability and doesn't have Haste, it’s a "slow" card. In a fast meta, slow cards get removed before they ever get to tap.
- Convoke and Crew: Remember that "sick" creatures are still useful. Use them to tap for Vehicles or as a resource for spells that require tapping creatures as a cost.
Managing Magic the Gathering summoning sickness is basically managing time. The best players find ways to make their creatures useful the second they touch the table, whether through Haste, Flash, or static abilities that don't require tapping. Don't let your creatures just sit there; plan your turns so that every "sick" creature is either a bait, a resource, or a looming threat your opponent has to deal with immediately.
For your next game, double-check your "enters the battlefield" (ETB) triggers. Since those triggers happen automatically, they aren't affected by summoning sickness. If a creature has a powerful ETB, it’s already done its job the moment it hit the board—the ability to attack later is just a bonus. Keep your curve tight, watch those tap symbols, and stop trying to attack with that stolen creature unless you brought your own Haste enabler.