If you have been playing Magic the Gathering (MTG) for a long time, or you have inherited an old deck, you may have run into a less common mechanic called “Regeneration”. But how does regeneration work? And what effects does it have on your turn and your cards?
Regeneration prevents the destruction of the creature that uses it. It must be used before the opponent’s attack in order to be effective. Once used, a creature who regenerates must be tapped and removed from combat and is not able to perform any attacks for the duration of their turn.
This is a beginner’s guide to understanding the “regenerate” mechanic in Magic the Gathering.
What Does Regenerate Mean in MTG?
Regeneration protects your almighty creature from everlasting destruction. Regeneration is exactly what it sounds like; except when it’s not. Regeneration was discontinued for MTG cards due to its complexity and the ambiguity that it brought to the game.
Here is the original definition for regeneration: “The next time the permanent would be destroyed this turn, instead, remove all damage marked on it, and tap it. If it is an attacking or blocking creature, remove it from combat.”
Confusing, right? Here’s what’s clear about regeneration: when used, it will protect the creature that uses it from subsequent damage being done. After the damage is done, the creature loses the regeneration protection, regains all health, and must be tapped and removed from combat.
While it seems straightforward, one could easily squabble over the imprecise wording and its specific implications. We will explore some common questions about the regeneration mechanic below.
On current or more recent Magic cards, regeneration has been mostly replaced by the indestructible static ability, which is relatively more simple.
While regeneration is a mechanic that is substituted in place of destruction, indestructible static prevents a permanent from being destroyed from damage or anything else that calls “destroy.” Both are powerful moves (otherwise known as abilities) and serve similar functions, but be aware that they are not the same.
How Does Regenerate Work?
Regeneration works like all other abilities in MTG. Expect it isn’t technically an ability – It is a “Keyword action”. (Source)
It requires a mana cost and can be cast at any time prior to taking damage. To help clarify the ability, the term “regeneration shield” has become common terminology.
When a creature uses regeneration, it obtains a “regeneration shield” for the duration of that turn. It is only activated when the creature is about to be destroyed. However, the shield is not activated when the creature simply takes combat damage, only when it is about to be destroyed.
When the creature takes an amount of damage that would destroy them, the regeneration shield is activated in place of the creature being destroyed. Thus, you can’t use regeneration when somebody deals you combat damage if you don’t already have a regeneration shield on you, and regeneration can’t undo the destruction of a creature that’s already been destroyed. At the end of each turn, regeneration shields become inactive and must be removed.
When a regeneration shield activates—when a creature takes lethal combat damage and has a regeneration shield—the creature’s health is fully replenished. No matter how much damage was dealt, or how many times it was hit, the creature regains full health.
You can think of regeneration replacing the destruction event, or happening in place of the destruction event, as opposed to the creature being destroyed and then returning from the dead. Remember, regeneration does not work on a destroyed creature.
After a card is tapped and removed from combat, any card that has used regeneration continues to function in a similar way to a normal card—you can use them, just like before. The best part? You can continue to regenerate! There’s basically no limit to the number of times you can use regeneration—if you have 15 mana and each regeneration costs 3 mana, you can regenerate up 5 times in one game—so long as you are willing to pay the price!
Is Regenerate Good MTG?
In a word: Yes. In reality, it is slightly more complicated.
Regeneration is a powerful mechanic, even if it can get annoying or redundant if used repeatedly. Any attack that can prevent destruction and restore full health to a creature is “good” in our book. However, just because it is a powerful mechanic and a good move doesn’t mean that it will always be the most effective or strategically optimal choice.
The power of regeneration does come with some caveats. Though a creature with a regeneration shield can continue to function like normal, once the regeneration shield activates the creature must be tapped and essentially becomes immobilized.
Any plans you had for the creature now have to wait a turn or for an un-tap event. Regeneration can be a sunken cost if a creature is unable to do anything besides restore its health. You can waste a lot of resources on regenerating a creature multiple times if it’s not going to accomplish anything else.
Having said that, a tapped creature that can’t do anything may be more valuable than a dead creature that can’t do anything. Especially if restoring their health is enough to make the card usable for future turns. Some creatures require a lot more resources than others do in order to regenerate.
If you are trying to outlast your opponent, you have other strong blockers and attackers, and you are making your opponent waste one attack per turn on your continually-regenerating creature, then it may be an excellent move. However, if you are using resources to keep an ineffective card alive, and your opponent doesn’t bother with them, it might be time to rethink the strategy.
In summary, regeneration is a powerful ability, though it likely has a high cost. Whether or not it will be “good” may be a matter of situation and strategy.
Can You Regenerate Any Time MTG?
You cannot regenerate at any time in Magic the Gathering. There are a number of times that you can’t regenerate, as well as certain things that don’t allow regeneration to occur.
Regeneration must be used before damage is dealt to another player. This means that you can’t wait for an opponent to attack you, you need to quickly regenerate your creature before your opponent attacks.
The exception to the rule is if somebody else casts a spell, and you decide to use regenerate that will resolve before the spell resolves. In that case, your creature will have a regeneration shield in place by the time the damage is dealt.
Regeneration must be used before destruction. Regeneration cannot “un-destroy” a dead creature; it is not a form of resurrection. In other words, creatures who are destroyed cannot be regenerated. Regeneration prevents destruction, it does not undo it.
Regeneration doesn’t prevent exile or “remove from game” effects. Since neither of these effects deals combat damage or destroy the creature, regeneration is rendered ineffective. Your creature will still be exiled or removed from the game.
Regeneration doesn’t prevent moving a card to another zone, like the player’s hand. Moving a card doesn’t deal combat damage, so regeneration has no effect. A token with a regeneration shield will be subject to state-based effects once moved from the battlefield and will be removed like normal.
There are things that you can’t be regenerated from. I know this sounds redundant, but there are certain abilities that explicitly state that they don’t allow regeneration. If the card states this, then regeneration becomes null.
Regeneration doesn’t work on effects or spells that force a creature’s toughness to 0. Since this isn’t technically damaging the creature, just lowering its toughness, regeneration has no effect when these spells or effects are used.
Regeneration doesn’t help with effects or spells that force you to sacrifice a permanent. We’ll discuss this in greater detail below, but regeneration does not prevent a sacrifice.
Sacrificing and Regeneration
Sacrificing is a special situation when it comes to dealing with regeneration. For this reason, we’ve included the following common questions and descriptions concerning sacrificing and regeneration.
Does Sacrifice Count as Dying?
Sacrifice does not count as dying. Sacrificed creatures are not technically being destroyed. They are moved from the battlefield directly to the graveyard, with no detours or damage along the way. Regeneration cannot occur without combat damage.
Does Regenerate Stop Sacrifice?
Regenerate does not stop a sacrifice from occurring. Regeneration shields are only activated when lethal damage is dealt, or a creature is about to be destroyed. Since no damage is dealt by sacrifice and no destruction is imminent, regeneration does not prevent a creature from being sacrificed.
Can You Regenerate a Sacrificed Creature?
You cannot regenerate a creature that has been sacrificed. Creatures that are in the graveyard are out of play. They cannot regenerate if they are already dead. Again, regeneration can only be activated by something that deals lethal combat damage, and creatures cannot take combat damage while in the graveyard.
Does a Regenerating Creature Still Do Damage?
If you are blocking somebody but you also have a regeneration shield, will they still take block damage if you’re regenerated? Yes, they will still take block damage. This is because block damage occurs before the destruction of a creature (this is why double-deaths can occur), and regeneration takes the place of a creature’s destruction, so block damage functions like normal.
On the other hand, if you are dealing damage to a creature that has a regeneration shield, no damage will be given to the opposing creature, no matter how much damage you deal. Damage does not “carry over” to the same creature after the regeneration takes place.
Damage is taken by the creature right up to the point of destruction when regeneration occurs in place of destruction. The creature is then tapped and removed from combat, and damage is no longer dealt with from the previous attack.
There are exceptions to this rule, such as the trample ability, where damage is carried over to a blocker’s controller. Even with regeneration, the trample damage will affect blocked opponents.
Can You Regenerate Tokens?
Tokens are used to represent any permanent that doesn’t have a card representation. Tokens are not cards, even if they are represented by cards in some decks.
Tokens can be created by some effects from certain cards, and will enter the battlefield and act just like other creatures. Tokens will be defined by the card that creates them, and do not have any abilities outside of the card’s description.
Due to their nature as creatures, tokens can be regenerated just like cards. Because regeneration takes the place of destruction, creatures never get a chance to die. Without a chance to die, creatures that are regenerated never leave the battlefield, even when they are removed from combat.
For this reason, regeneration works on tokens just like other creatures. However, be aware that moving a token outside of the battlefield does not cause regeneration; regeneration only occurs when creatures take damage, and will not prevent state-based effects from removing the token entirely.
Does Regeneration Remove Creature from Combat?
Regeneration removes a creature from combat. When regeneration is activated, the creature must be trapped and removed from combat. However, what exactly does it mean for a creature to be removed from combat?
Removing a creature from combat means that it will no longer function as an attacking, blocking, or unblocked creature. This is how removing a creature differs from tapping it. Tapping a creature does not prevent it from taking damage.
It will still be on the battlefield and can be attacked, even if it can’t perform any actions. Removing the creature from combat means that it is not on the battlefield at all, and therefore will be unable to deal or receive combat damage. After regeneration, a creature must be removed from combat, but it can be returned to the battlefield during the next combat phase.
Regeneration is an interesting ability in Magic the Gathering. If you use it properly, it can help you eventually win the game.
Official MTG Regenerate Rules
701.14a If the effect of a resolving spell or ability regenerates a permanent, it creates a replacement effect that protects the permanent the next time it would be destroyed this turn. In this case, “Regenerate [permanent]” means “The next time [permanent] would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage marked on it and tap it. If it’s an attacking or blocking creature, remove it from combat.”(source)
701.14b If the effect of a static ability regenerates a permanent, it replaces destruction with an alternate effect each time that permanent would be destroyed. In this case, “Regenerate [permanent]” means “Instead remove all damage marked on [permanent] and tap it. If it’s an attacking or blocking creature, remove it from combat.” (source)
701.14c Neither activating an ability that creates a regeneration shield nor casting a spell that creates a regeneration shield is the same as regenerating a permanent. Effects that say that a permanent can’t be regenerated don’t preclude such abilities from being activated or such spells from being cast; rather, they cause regeneration shields to not be applied.
