<p>Sacrificing creatures here is part of the <em>cost</em>, so you can simply sacrifice five creatures (all at once) to pay for the ability.</p>

<p>Costs are always things that, if you're able to spend the resource in question or perform the action in question, you can do so to pay for the ability. If something has mana or energy as a cost, you can pay mana or energy for it. If a permanent has an ability with tapping as a cost, you can tap that permanent to pay it. If it requires you to discard cards, or exile cards from your graveyard, or sacrifice creatures as a cost, you can do so to pay it.</p>

<p>So no, you don't need anything separate, and in fact, you <em>can't</em> sacrifice the creatures for anything separate. They're the cost for <em>this</em> ability, and that cost has to be paid here, just like a mana cost would be - see <a href="https://boardgames.stackexchange.com/questions/23986/can-i-pay-two-different-costs-with-the-same-payment">Can I pay two different costs with the same payment?</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-22T01:34:17.083Z
Recommend clarifying the second clause of the first sentence: they can just sacrifice 5 creatures, together at a time of their choosing, to activate the ability.
Drunk Cynic
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-22T01:31:17.930Z
2016-10-22T01:35:20.467Z
2017-04-13T12:38:50.353Z
Cascabel
<p>I have <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bWestvale%20Abbey%5d">Westvale Abbey</a>, it reads:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>{5}, {T}, Sacrifice five creatures: Transform Westvale Abbey, then untap it.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Can I just sacrifice 5 creatures? Or do I need another creature or sacrifice spell to carry out the sacrifice?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-22T00:26:49.663Z
Possible duplicate of [Can I pay two different costs with the same payment?](http://boardgames.stackexchange.com/questions/23986/can-i-pay-two-different-costs-with-the-same-payment)
Hackworth
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-22T00:57:41.477Z
@Hackworth I don't think this is exactly a duplicate - the OP doesn't actually want to sacrifice creatures as a cost for two things, they're just unclear on what "sacrifice" as a cost actually means.
Cascabel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-22T01:26:14.870Z
@Jefromi It's close enough I believe. The answer in that old question contains exactly what I would have answered here as well: an activated ability is something else than a triggered ability. "Another creature or sacrifice spell" would constitute sacrificing a creature for a different effect, and Westvale Abbey's cost would not be paid by it.
Hackworth
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-22T01:32:28.227Z
Question is a simpler version of the suggested duplicate, demonstrated a lack of knowledge on how to pay the costs of an activated ability, and the importance of the colon. This is less about buying two things with the same dollar as described in an answer there, and closer to trying to put the dollar into the coin return.
Drunk Cynic
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-22T09:31:06.883Z
It is important that Westvale Abbey's ability reads "{5}, {T}, Sacrifice five creatures: ...", not just "Sacrifice five creatures: ..."
David Z
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-22T11:59:09.733Z
@DavidZ I have updated the quote.
doppelgreener
<magic-the-gathering>
Can I sacrifice 5 creatures?
Hidden
# Can I sacrifice 5 creatures?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-10-22)

I have [Westvale Abbey](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bWestvale%20Abbey%5d), it reads:

> {5}, {T}, Sacrifice five creatures: Transform Westvale Abbey, then untap it.

Can I just sacrifice 5 creatures? Or do I need another creature or sacrifice spell to carry out the sacrifice?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Possible duplicate of [Can I pay two different costs with the same payment?](http://boardgames.stackexchange.com/questions/23986/can-i-pay-two-different-costs-with-the-same-payment)  
> **username_2**: @username_1 I don't think this is exactly a duplicate - the OP doesn't actually want to sacrifice creatures as a cost for two things, they're just unclear on what "sacrifice" as a cost actually means.  
> **username_1**: @Jefromi It's close enough I believe. The answer in that old question contains exactly what I would have answered here as well: an activated ability is something else than a triggered ability. "Another creature or sacrifice spell" would constitute sacrificing a creature for a different effect, and Westvale Abbey's cost would not be paid by it.  
> **username_3**: Question is a simpler version of the suggested duplicate, demonstrated a lack of knowledge on how to pay the costs of an activated ability, and the importance of the colon. This is less about buying two things with the same dollar as described in an answer there, and closer to trying to put the dollar into the coin return.  
> **username_4**: It is important that Westvale Abbey's ability reads "{5}, {T}, Sacrifice five creatures: ...", not just "Sacrifice five creatures: ..."  
> **username_5**: @username_4 I have updated the quote.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-10-22. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Sacrificing creatures here is part of the *cost*, so you can simply sacrifice five creatures (all at once) to pay for the ability.

Costs are always things that, if you're able to spend the resource in question or perform the action in question, you can do so to pay for the ability. If something has mana or energy as a cost, you can pay mana or energy for it. If a permanent has an ability with tapping as a cost, you can tap that permanent to pay it. If it requires you to discard cards, or exile cards from your graveyard, or sacrifice creatures as a cost, you can do so to pay it.

So no, you don't need anything separate, and in fact, you *can't* sacrifice the creatures for anything separate. They're the cost for *this* ability, and that cost has to be paid here, just like a mana cost would be - see [Can I pay two different costs with the same payment?](https://boardgames.stackexchange.com/questions/23986/can-i-pay-two-different-costs-with-the-same-payment)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Recommend clarifying the second clause of the first sentence: they can just sacrifice 5 creatures, together at a time of their choosing, to activate the ability.  

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