<p>Yes, you can do this.</p>
<p>All islands have the (unwritten) ability of Tap: Add {U} to your mana pool. You can activate this ability any time you have priority. You simply tap the land to get {U} in your mana pool, which will remain there throughout the current step/phase. You can then spend that {U} and sacrifice your now-tapped Island to pay your Serpent's ability cost.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-20T05:31:44.090Z
You can even tap the island you want to sacrifice as part of the process of playing the ability, rather than beforehand (a non-priority possibility to activate mana abilities is part of the process of casting spells or activate abilities) (this is why some mana abilities have the restriction "only activate any time you could play an instant"). Doing it that way may be handy if, for instance, you want to circumvent certain triggered abilities, like [Mine Layer](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29964)
Arthur
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-19T17:11:04.380Z
2020-06-19T17:11:04.380Z
Nuclear Hoagie
<p>If I want to use <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bLochmere%20Serpent%5d">Lochmere Serpent</a>'s first ability, can I tap an island for mana and sacrifice the same island?</p>
<blockquote>
<p>{U}, Sacrifice an Island: Lochmere Serpent can't be blocked this turn.</p>
</blockquote>

<magic-the-gathering>
Lochmere Serpent's ability
KK2020TM
# Lochmere Serpent's ability

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-06-19)

If I want to use [Lochmere Serpent](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bLochmere%20Serpent%5d)'s first ability, can I tap an island for mana and sacrifice the same island?

> {U}, Sacrifice an Island: Lochmere Serpent can't be blocked this turn.

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-06-19. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Yes, you can do this.

All islands have the (unwritten) ability of Tap: Add {U} to your mana pool. You can activate this ability any time you have priority. You simply tap the land to get {U} in your mana pool, which will remain there throughout the current step/phase. You can then spend that {U} and sacrifice your now-tapped Island to pay your Serpent's ability cost.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: You can even tap the island you want to sacrifice as part of the process of playing the ability, rather than beforehand (a non-priority possibility to activate mana abilities is part of the process of casting spells or activate abilities) (this is why some mana abilities have the restriction "only activate any time you could play an instant"). Doing it that way may be handy if, for instance, you want to circumvent certain triggered abilities, like [Mine Layer](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29964)  

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