<p><em>Loyalty</em> is not the same thing that <em>loyalty counters</em>.  Non-planeswalker creatures don't have <em>loyalty</em>, but the can have <em>loyalty counters</em>. So, if a (+) loyalty ability is played, then we add that many loyalty counters to the creature. If a (-) loyalty ability is played, then we remove that many loyalty counters from the creature.</p>

<p>Remember that we can only play activated abilities if we can pay the cost, and loyalty abilities are activated abilities, so we can't play a (-) ability if we don't have enough counters.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>306.5. Loyalty is a characteristic only planeswalkers have.</p>
  
  <p>306.5a The loyalty of a planeswalker not on the battlefield is equal to the number printed in its lower right corner.</p>
  
  <p>306.5b A planeswalker is treated as if its text box included, <strong>“This permanent enters the battlefield with a number of loyalty counters on
  it equal to its printed loyalty number</strong>.” This ability creates a
  replacement effect (see rule 614.1c).</p>
  
  <p>306.5c <strong>The loyalty of a planeswalker on the battlefield is equal to the number of loyalty counters</strong> on it.</p>
  
  <p>306.5d Each planeswalker has a number of loyalty abilities, which are activated abilities with loyalty symbols in their costs. Loyalty
  abilities follow special rules: <strong>A player may activate a loyalty
  ability of a permanent he or she controls any time he or she has
  priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of his or her
  turn, but only if none of that permanent’s loyalty abilities have been
  activated that turn.</strong> See rule 606, “Loyalty Abilities.”</p>
</blockquote>

<p>As we can see, the <em>loyalty</em> of a planeswalker on the battlefield is linked to the number of <em>loyalty counters</em> on it. But nothing stops a non-planeswalker permanent from having loyalty counters or loyalty abilities.</p>

<p>However, as rule 306.5d indicates, all permanents with loyalty abilities, not just planeswalkers, may only use their loyalty abilities at sorcery speed and once per turn.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-02T15:14:52.423Z
Importantly, your "not-planeswalker" will not die for having 0 loyalty counters. Also, when the game is over and neither creature is bound to you, the planeswalker may be very mad at the beast for copying his powers.
corsiKa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-15T22:37:45.163Z
In the same spirit, it's possible to not pay the plus cost. If you had say a Melira's Keepers or a Tatterkite somehow gain a loyalty ability, they would only be able to pay +0 costs. Talk about awkward.
corsiKa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-01T21:27:28.540Z
2013-07-02T00:03:01.827Z
2013-07-02T00:03:01.827Z
Pablo
<p><a href="https://boardgames.stackexchange.com/a/12366/1760">An answer</a> on <a href="https://boardgames.stackexchange.com/q/12364/1760">another question</a> tells of a way to give loyalty abilities to creatures:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Basically you start by playing the <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?name=Mycosynth%20lattice" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mycosynth
  Lattice</a>
  which turns all your permanents into artifacts, this includes
  Planeswalker.</p>
  
  <p>Then you play <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220529" rel="nofollow noreferrer">March Of the
  Machines</a>
  turning your Planeswalker into an artifact creature with power and
  toughness equal to it's casting cost.</p>
  
  <p>Then you use the ability of an <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=107385" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Experimental
  Kraj</a>
  to put a +1/+1 counter on the Planeswalker artifact creature.</p>
  
  <p>Now since the Planeswalker artifact Creature has a +1/+1 on it, the
  Experimental Kraj can use all of the Activated Abilities of the
  Planeswalker without any of the restrictions of a Planeswalker.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Since creatures don't have loyalty to add to or deduct from, <strong>what happens if you were to use a loyalty ability from a creature, rather than a Planeswalker?</strong></p>

<p>More specifically:</p>

<ul>
<li>In the case of using a (+) loyalty ability <em>from</em> a creature, what happens?</li>
<li>In the case of using a (-) loyalty ability <em>from</em> a creature, what happens?</li>
</ul>

<magic-the-gathering>
What happens if you activate a loyalty ability from a creature instead of a planeswalker?
cdeszaq
# What happens if you activate a loyalty ability from a creature instead of a planeswalker?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-07-01)

[An answer](https://boardgames.stackexchange.com/a/12366/1760) on [another question](https://boardgames.stackexchange.com/q/12364/1760) tells of a way to give loyalty abilities to creatures:

> Basically you start by playing the [Mycosynth
> Lattice](http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?name=Mycosynth%20lattice)
> which turns all your permanents into artifacts, this includes
> Planeswalker.
>
> Then you play [March Of the
> Machines](http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220529)
> turning your Planeswalker into an artifact creature with power and
> toughness equal to it's casting cost.
>
> Then you use the ability of an [Experimental
> Kraj](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=107385)
> to put a +1/+1 counter on the Planeswalker artifact creature.
>
> Now since the Planeswalker artifact Creature has a +1/+1 on it, the
> Experimental Kraj can use all of the Activated Abilities of the
> Planeswalker without any of the restrictions of a Planeswalker.

Since creatures don't have loyalty to add to or deduct from, **what happens if you were to use a loyalty ability from a creature, rather than a Planeswalker?**

More specifically:

* In the case of using a (+) loyalty ability *from* a creature, what happens?
* In the case of using a (-) loyalty ability *from* a creature, what happens?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-07-01. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

*Loyalty* is not the same thing that *loyalty counters*. Non-planeswalker creatures don't have *loyalty*, but the can have *loyalty counters*. So, if a (+) loyalty ability is played, then we add that many loyalty counters to the creature. If a (-) loyalty ability is played, then we remove that many loyalty counters from the creature.

Remember that we can only play activated abilities if we can pay the cost, and loyalty abilities are activated abilities, so we can't play a (-) ability if we don't have enough counters.

> 306.5. Loyalty is a characteristic only planeswalkers have.
>
> 306.5a The loyalty of a planeswalker not on the battlefield is equal to the number printed in its lower right corner.
>
> 306.5b A planeswalker is treated as if its text box included, **“This permanent enters the battlefield with a number of loyalty counters on
> it equal to its printed loyalty number**.” This ability creates a
> replacement effect (see rule 614.1c).
>
> 306.5c **The loyalty of a planeswalker on the battlefield is equal to the number of loyalty counters** on it.
>
> 306.5d Each planeswalker has a number of loyalty abilities, which are activated abilities with loyalty symbols in their costs. Loyalty
> abilities follow special rules: **A player may activate a loyalty
> ability of a permanent he or she controls any time he or she has
> priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of his or her
> turn, but only if none of that permanent’s loyalty abilities have been
> activated that turn.** See rule 606, “Loyalty Abilities.”

As we can see, the *loyalty* of a planeswalker on the battlefield is linked to the number of *loyalty counters* on it. But nothing stops a non-planeswalker permanent from having loyalty counters or loyalty abilities.

However, as rule 306.5d indicates, all permanents with loyalty abilities, not just planeswalkers, may only use their loyalty abilities at sorcery speed and once per turn.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Importantly, your "not-planeswalker" will not die for having 0 loyalty counters. Also, when the game is over and neither creature is bound to you, the planeswalker may be very mad at the beast for copying his powers.  
> **username_2**: In the same spirit, it's possible to not pay the plus cost. If you had say a Melira's Keepers or a Tatterkite somehow gain a loyalty ability, they would only be able to pay +0 costs. Talk about awkward.  

---

