The Ultimate Guide: 5 Things You MUST Know About Artifacts And Summoning Sickness In MTG

The question of whether artifacts have "summoning sickness" is one of the most common—and critical—rulings in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a game with over 30 years of history and an ever-evolving rule set. As of the current date, December 17, 2025, the short answer is: it depends entirely on the artifact's current card types. Understanding this distinction is crucial for competitive play, especially with the continuous introduction of new mechanics like Vehicles, and the prevalence of powerful mana rocks and utility artifacts in formats like Commander (EDH). We will break down the definitive rules for every type of artifact permanent, from your basic $\text{Sol Ring}$ to your $\text{Cultivator's Caravan}$, ensuring your game knowledge is completely up-to-date.

The term "summoning sickness" is an informal term for a specific rule: a creature cannot attack or use activated abilities that include the $\text{tap}$ ($\text{T}$) or $\text{untap}$ ($\text{Q}$) symbol unless it has been under its controller's control continuously since the beginning of that player’s most recent turn. The key here is the word creature.

The Definitive Rule: Non-Creature Artifacts vs. Artifact Creatures

To master the rules of artifact permanents, you must first master the distinction between a non-creature artifact and an artifact creature. This is the single most important factor in determining if a permanent is affected by the summoning sickness rule.

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1. Non-Creature Artifacts: Always Immune to Sickness

Any artifact that does not have the "Creature" card type is entirely unaffected by summoning sickness. This is the rule that allows a huge portion of the artifact landscape to function immediately upon entering the battlefield. This category includes some of the most powerful and ubiquitous cards in the game.

• Mana Rocks: Artifacts like $\text{Sol Ring}$, $\text{Arcane Signet}$, $\text{Fellwar Stone}$, and $\text{Mind Stone}$ can be tapped for mana the very turn they are cast. Their ability does not use the $\text{tap}$ symbol as a cost; it is an activated ability that taps the artifact as a prerequisite to produce mana, which is a key difference in the rules text.
• Equipment: Cards like $\text{Lightning Greaves}$, $\text{Sword of Feast and Famine}$, and $\text{Colossus Hammer}$ can be immediately equipped (for their Equip cost) on the turn they enter the battlefield. The Equip ability does not use the $\text{tap}$ symbol.
• Utility Artifacts: Any non-creature artifact with an activated ability that does not include the $\text{tap}$ or $\text{untap}$ symbol can be used immediately. For example, you can activate the ability on a $\text{Sensei's Divining Top}$ right away.

In short, if an artifact is not a creature, you can tap it, activate its abilities, and use it to your heart's content on the turn it enters play.

2. Artifact Creatures: Always Affected by Sickness

If a permanent is an artifact and a creature, it is subject to summoning sickness just like any other creature permanent. This includes:

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• Standard Artifact Creatures: Cards like $\text{Phyrexian Metamorph}$, $\text{Solemn Simulacrum}$, $\text{Etched Champion}$, or $\text{Wurmcoil Engine}$ that are printed with both the "Artifact" and "Creature" types.
• Token Creatures: An artifact creature token, such as a $\text{Thopter}$ or $\text{Construct}$ token, is also a creature and therefore has summoning sickness.
• Mutated Creatures: If a creature with summoning sickness is $\text{Mutated}$ onto an artifact creature, the resulting permanent retains the sickness.

An artifact creature that has summoning sickness cannot attack, nor can it use any activated ability that has the $\text{tap}$ or $\text{untap}$ symbol in its cost.

The Complex Cases: Artifacts That Change Types

The rules become slightly more nuanced when an artifact changes its card type during the game. This is where many players get confused, particularly with $\text{Vehicles}$ and $\text{Man-Lands}$.

3. Vehicles and Crewing: The Temporary Creature Rule

$\text{Vehicles}$ are a perfect example of a non-creature artifact that can become a creature. A card like $\text{Smuggler's Copter}$ or $\text{Parhelion II}$ enters the battlefield as a non-creature artifact, meaning it is not affected by summoning sickness.

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However, when a $\text{Vehicle}$ is "Crewed" (using the $\text{Crew}$ ability) and turns into an Artifact Creature, it must be checked against the summoning sickness rule.

• If the Vehicle was cast this turn: It has summoning sickness when it becomes a creature. You cannot attack with it or use any $\text{tap}$ ability it gains.
• If the Vehicle was on the battlefield since the start of your turn: It does not have summoning sickness when it becomes a creature. You can attack with it immediately after $\text{Crewing}$.

The rule applies to the permanent's status at the time you attempt to attack or activate the tap ability. The $\text{Crew}$ ability itself does not use the $\text{tap}$ symbol as a cost, so you can always $\text{Crew}$ a $\text{Vehicle}$ the turn it enters, but the resulting creature may still be "sick."

4. Man-Lands and Artifacts Becoming Creatures

The same logic applies to any effect that temporarily turns a non-creature artifact into an artifact creature. For example, if you use a card like $\text{Karn, the Great Creator}$'s ability, $\text{Mycosynth Lattice}$, or $\text{Liquimetal Coating}$ to turn a non-creature artifact into a creature, that new artifact creature will have summoning sickness if it was not under your control since the beginning of your most recent upkeep. This also applies to $\text{Man-Lands}$ (lands that become creatures, like $\text{Mishra's Factory}$), which are not artifacts but follow the same creature rule.

5. The Cure: Haste and Control-Changing Effects

There are two primary ways to bypass or reset the summoning sickness rule, which are vital for any deck focused on aggressive artifact strategies.

The Haste Keyword

The $\text{Haste}$ ability is the only keyword that directly negates summoning sickness. Any permanent that is a creature and has $\text{Haste}$ can attack and use its $\text{tap}$ abilities immediately, regardless of when it entered the battlefield or came under your control. This is why cards like $\text{Lightning Greaves}$ (which grants $\text{Shroud}$ and $\text{Haste}$) are so valuable—they allow a creature to bypass the sickness rule entirely.

Control-Changing Effects

Summoning sickness is tied to the creature's controller. If a creature changes control, it immediately gains summoning sickness under its new controller, even if it was on the battlefield for many turns prior. This is a critical rule in formats with $\text{Theft}$ effects, $\text{Act of Treason}$ style cards, or $\text{Gilded Drake}$. The creature's new controller must wait until their next turn to attack or use $\text{tap}$ abilities with the newly acquired permanent.

In conclusion, the modern MTG rules are clear: only creatures are affected by summoning sickness. Artifacts only "catch" the illness when they possess the creature card type. By keeping the distinction between $\text{Non-Creature Artifacts}$ and $\text{Artifact Creatures}$ clear, you can confidently pilot your $\text{Esper}$ or $\text{Boros}$ artifact deck, knowing exactly when your $\text{Thopter}$ tokens can attack and when your $\text{Chromatic Lantern}$ can tap for mana.