After They Resolve, Are Creatures Still Spells?

In MTG, creature cards are spells only during the main phase when they are cast from your hand onto the battlefield. Once you pay the mana cost and lay the creature spell on the table, it is affected by summoning. If a spell with an illegal target is a bestowed Aura spell or a mutating creature spell, it becomes a creature spell and will resolve as such.

While a creature spell is on the stack, it is not a “creature” but just a “creature spell”. Even if the creature spell itself has hexproof, it is still a creature spell. When the creature spell is cast, the ETB ability is put on the stack immediately on top of the creature summon spell. When the stack resolves and the creature is summoned to the battlefield, it resolves.

All abilities, once on the stack, exist independently from their source. If the creature is destroyed, exiled, or removed in any other way, the ability will resolve. You can let those two copies of soul fire resolve or cast a removal spell to remove a big creature. If you remove a big creature, there’s still a trigger copying soul fire.

Enter the battlefield abilities trigger as soon as the spells and abilities resolve one at a time. Creatures are spells when you cast them and while they remain on the stack. Once they resolve and enter the battlefield, they become permanents instead of spells.

If an instant spell, sorcery spell, or ability that can legally resolve leaves the stack once it starts to resolve, it will continue to resolve fully. If you activate an ability but then the permanent ability came from leaves the battlefield, the ability will still resolve.

What counts as a permanent spell?

A permanent card is a spell that stays on the battlefield when cast, unlike non-permanent spells. In MTG, there are five permanent types: planeswalker, creature, enchantment, artifact, and land. Permanents are not spells, but can become permanent once they enter the battlefield. Some cards, like tokens, only exist as permanents and are never spells. Lands are permanents, like all other permanent types, and can be interacted with.

Is a spell still cast if it’s countered?

The casting of a spell remains active, yet it does not circumvent the stipulations of the bonus action spell rule. It is possible to cast counterspells in order to negate the effects of counterspells. It should be noted, however, that JavaScript may be disabled or blocked by extensions, and that your browser may not support cookies.

What is the hardest spell to cast?

The Patronus Charm is a notoriously difficult spell in the wizarding world, requiring the caster to hold onto a moment of pure happiness. This memory fuels the Patronus, which can be particularly challenging when there are Dementors nearby. The final spell is so difficult that the magical community initially believed it impossible until later parts of the Harry Potter series. Despite wizards and witches being able to fly with a broom or other enchantment, almost none can fly unaided.

Is a sorcery permanent?

Permanents are spells that remain in play on the battlefield, unlike Instants and Sorceries, which are instant-cast spells that do not stay on the battlefield. Enchantments, while similar to Instants and Sorceries, are permanents because they create static effects that slightly alter the game’s rules. Creatures are permanents because they remain on the battlefield unless destroyed or exiled. However, they cannot attack, and can be tapped, Summoning Sickness, or enchanted by cards like Pacifism.

Lands are permanents because they stay on the battlefield, untapping once each turn to use resources for abilities and summoning more creatures. Artifacts, including equipment, Artifact Creatures, and regular artifacts, act as supplementary functions to other permanents. Planeswalkers, like creatures, act similarly but have their own rules. They use health points in the form of Loyalty Counters and can activate abilities that either give or remove these counters.

Can you copy a spell after it resolves?

A copy of a spell or ability copies its characteristics, decisions made for it, modes, targets, X value, and additional costs. Choices made on resolution are not copied. Some effects cause a permanent to copy a different object while remaining on the battlefield, but this doesn’t trigger enters-the-battlefield or leaves-the-battlefield abilities. An object that enters the battlefield as a copy or “that’s a copy” of another object becomes a copy as it enters the battlefield.

If the text includes abilities that replace the enters-the-battlefield event, those abilities will take effect. Any enters-the-battlefield triggered abilities of the copy will have a chance to trigger. When copying a permanent, any choices made for that permanent aren’t copied. Instead, the object’s controller can make any “as (this) enters the battlefield” choices for it.

Do creature spells go on the stack?

The stack is a crucial area in MTG where spells and abilities exist before they resolve. It functions as a “waiting room” for Magic effects, waiting for players to respond before resolving them. The stack reinforces the priority system that governs the game’s flow, passing priority between players and determining the next step or phase. It also allows players to interact before effects take place, such as using a Giant Growth to save a creature from an opposing Lightning Bolt. The stack also allows counterspells to work, as they target a spell on the stack, allowing for the casting of countermagic.

Do you get priority after a spell resolves?

The active player gains priority at the start of most steps and phases after dealing with turn-based actions and putting abilities on the stack. Priority is not given during the untap step or cleanup step. The active player receives priority after a spell or ability resolves. Priority is given to a player who casts a spell, activates an ability, or takes a special action. If a player has priority and chooses not to take any actions, they pass. If any mana is in their pool, they announce it, and the next player in turn order receives priority.

Are copies still spells?

A copy of a spell or ability is controlled by the player under whose control it was placed on the stack. A copy of a spell is itself a spell, even without a spell card associated with it. A copy of an ability is itself an ability. Copy effects create or change one object into a copy of another, often targeting creatures. This mechanic was introduced in Alpha, on the cards Clone and Vesuvan Doppelganger. The exact result of a copy effect is often confusing, as it ignores temporary changes and creates only the printed qualities of the original.

Are creature spells permanent?

There are six permanent types of cards: artifact, battle, creature, enchantment, land, and planeswalker. Instant and sorcery cards cannot enter the battlefield, while some kindred cards can enter or cannot depending on their other card types. A permanent card is a card or token on the battlefield that can be moved to another zone by an effect or rule. These cards typically have at least one or more of the following types.

Is a spell still on the stack as it resolves?

The Comprehensive Rules (September 20, 2024) outline the system where spells and abilities are placed on top of a stack and removed at the end of resolving. Players can respond to any spell or ability using the stack, allowing them to play with it still on the stack. The stack resolves in order from top to bottom, so spells and abilities will resolve before the spell they were played. However, actions that do not use the stack, such as paying costs or turning a face-down creature with morph, cannot be responded to.

Is a spell in the graveyard when it resolves?

A player’s graveyard is their discard pile, where any object that has been countered, discarded, destroyed, or sacrificed is placed on top. It is one of the six main zones in Magic: The Gathering. It is where instant and sorcery spells are discarded once they have resolved, and permanents are placed after being sacrificed, destroyed, or put into the graveyard due to a state-based effect. Although cards in the graveyard are usually no longer relevant, some mechanics like Flashback, unearth, dredge, and delve interact with it. Zombies often return from the graveyard, and threshold and delirium mechanics also utilize the graveyard. Decks like reanimator can use or re-use cards in the graveyard, making it a useful resource.