Magic the gathering Blood Seeker card.

[Cheesevixen]

IDK if this goes here, but I was playing Magic the Gathering with the hubbs this evening and we came to a complete stand still. Basicly he believes because the card was "tapped" that I shouldn't be able to make him lose -1 life, and I believe because it includes the phrase "Whenever & when another creature is cast" that no matter what state the card is in as long as it is in play the -1 life spell should stand when he summons a creature. Can anyone help me solve this debate?

[Joxsjua]

I'm pretty sure you were right. That it should have made him -1 life even though the card was tapped. I was positive at first but I know I've seen that happen before with +1 life a few times. Here's what I experimented with after reading your predicament.
Now I don't play the actual card game but I have been playing this on Steam for the past year. For the most part, rules are the same for both versions of the game.

I used this
Both of the Decks in this game were green. Made sure I had him tapped and let the other player play a card and resulted in this

the opponent played the 2/3 card at the top of the screen and my card's counter went from 8/8 to 9/9 while it was tapped. Regardless of it being a +1 counter, I'm sure + or -1 health works the same way when it's tapped.

Hope that helped..

[Rhaps]

Yeah I agree with Josh, you're right on this one. Unless it has the tap symbol and whatever mana (ex. Tap, then tap two black mana to activate this ability) then the ability activates whether the creature is tapped or not. Unless the card says otherwise, and this one doesn't.

I run a Red/White deck, and one of the land cards in it, Seraph Sanctuary, gives me one life for every Angel spell I cast. So, even if Seraph Sanctuary has been tapped, if I cast an Angel, I still get my one life. Same concept, different card types lol

[Cheesevixen]

Thanks ! Putting it like that really helps. I find with the personal games it's a little different, and the rules get brought up a lot. Gets pretty nasty sometimes lol. I did, however, find a similar card that specifies that if it is tapped you cannot claim the +1. So I'm guessing the cards will specify whether you can use it tapped or not, and if that's the case we are correct. This card can be used tapped or not tapped as long as it's been out a full turn.

p.s. I beat the snot outta him :-)

[Victoria]

Actually, that ability works even during summoning sickness. The only abilities affected by summoning sickness are, again, tapping abilities.

[Cheesevixen]

All creatures ,unless specified otherwise, have to endure summoning sickness. This includes their special abilities. If the creature isn't fully cast they can't use their specials. They have a special word for those cards who don't and it's called "haste". This card doesn't have that as you can see.

[Victoria]

Actually... again, as I said; that only applies to mana abilities or abilities that need to actually be 'cast' by tapping or other such means.

Blood Seeker's ability is a 'triggered' ability which is completely different from the norm.

"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. Effects that prevent abilities from being activated don't affect them."

But it's just a casual game, so it's not that big of a deal.

[Cheesevixen]

ooo okies I gotcha It's not the only card I hv gotten that has thrown me for a loop. Still learning. Thanks everyone

[midgetbob]

the only way for effects to not happen when the card is tapped is if it requires the card to be tapped as an "ability cost"... ie 1BT(1 colorless, 1 black, tap).

OR

If it was an enchantment, and there used to be an old rule / play that could tap enchantments, and if so, their abilities didn't take affect until after you rnext turn and it untapped.

Since this is a creature card, and it's just in innate ability for that creature, he should be losing life. If you had all 4 out, he'd lose 4 life every time he cast a creature.

[Heartless Angel]

The only abilities that you can't use with summoning sickness are those which require you to tap. An ability with only a mana cost can be played even with summoning sickness. The only thing summoning sickness stops you from doing is attacking or tapping a creature for an ability with a tap symbol in its cost (you can still tap it if an additional cost/effect of an external card is tapping a creature you control. ONLY abilities with a tap symbol in the cost are affected by summoning sickness)

But again, as has already been stated by everyone else, an activated ability does not require the creature to be untapped unless it specifies so. So your creature's ability still saps his life, tapped or not. Activated abilities start taking effect as soon as and last as long as the creature in in play (assuming of course their conditions have been fulfilled).