Vigilance
| Vigilance | |
|---|---|
|
[[File:{{#setmainimage:mtga_vigilance.png}}|70x70px]] | |
| Keyword Ability | |
| Type | Static |
| Introduced |
Alpha (mechanic) Champions of Kamigawa (keyword) |
| Last used | Evergreen |
| Reminder Text | Vigilance (Attacking doesn't cause this creature to tap.) |
| Statistics |
483 cards  0.8%  51.8%  2.3%  0.2%  0.8%  13.5%  3.5%  0.6%  5.6%  2.5%  0.2%  2.9%  0.2%  5.8%  7.7%  1.7% |
| Other Symbols | |
| [[File:{{#setmainimage:Duels Vigilance.png}}|70x70px]] | |
| Scryfall Search | |
| keyword:"Vigilance" | |
Vigilance is a keyword ability on creatures that allows the creature to attack without tapping.
Description
The keyword exists primary on white cards and secondary on green and blue; creatures with vigilance generally are depicted as guards or sentinels. White tends to get this on creatures where the power is equal to or less than the toughness, and seldom with a power greater than 3. Green tends to get this ability on larger creatures to differentiate it from white.[1] R&D decided to also make blue secondary in vigilance because they were looking for more creature abilities to use in blue - the first instance of this was Haunting Figment in Dominaria United.[2][3]
History
Before it was keyworded, vigilance was known as the Serra ability after Serra Angel.[4] The ability has existed in the game since Alpha, where it was not keyworded but instead had the rules text of the ability written out.
Vigilance was introduced as a keyword in Champions of Kamigawa. Ninth Edition was the first core set to follow.[5] Vigilance was retroactively supplanted, via Oracle, on all cards that had "Attacking doesn't cause this creature to tap." such as Serra Angel itself.
Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths introduced vigilance counters.
Wylie Duke, Atiin Hero (Outlaws of Thunder Junction) is the first card to use vigilance as a "downside mechanic".
Rules
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)
- Vigilance
- A keyword ability that lets a creature attack without tapping. See rule 702.20, “Vigilance.”
From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)
- 702.20. Vigilance
- 702.20a Vigilance is a static ability that modifies the rules for the declare attackers step.
- 702.20b Attacking doesn’t cause creatures with vigilance to tap. (See rule 508, “Declare Attackers Step.”)
- 702.20c Multiple instances of vigilance on the same creature are redundant.
Examples
Example
Steadfast Guard
Creature — Human Rebel
2/2
Vigilance (Attacking doesn't cause this creature to tap.)
Enchantments that grant just Vigilance
One creature
All your creatures
Plane card that grants Vigilance
- Gavony (all creatures)
Trivia
- The Vigilance, lifelink, and fear keywords are the only keywords with a card of the exact name that also grant the ability (Vigilance, Lifelink and Fear respectively). Flying comes close, with the cards Fly and Flight.
- Untapping creatures mid-combat is sometimes called "pseudo-vigilance".[6]
- Heliod, God of the Sun (Theros) gave Vigilance because he was basically intended to be a direct anti-synergy with the Born of the Gods "Inspired" mechanic.
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 5, 2017). "Mechanical Color Pie 2017". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 18, 2021). "Mechanical Color Pie 2021 Changes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 4, 2024). "Nuts & Bolts #16: Play Boosters". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 24, 2005). "A Few Words From R&D". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 8, 2015). "Evergreen Eggs & Ham". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 10, 2023). "What is pseudo vigilance?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
External links
- A Planeswalker's Primer for Magic 2010: Vigilance (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (July 17, 2009).
- Why does Blue get Vigilance Now? (Video). Good Morning Magic. YouTube (April 29, 2024).