<p>You can't just tap your creatures whenever you want. You can only tap it at one of the following times:</p>
<ul>
<li>When the game tells you to tap it (like when you attack).</li>
<li>When a card tells you to tap it (like <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Twiddle">Twiddle</a>).</li>
<li>When you can tap it to pay a cost (like <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Endless%20Obedience">Endless Obedience</a>).</li>
</ul>
<p>Cards that would allow you to tap King Macar include <a href="http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3Aconspire%20or%20o%3Aconvoke&amp;v=card&amp;s=cname" rel="nofollow noreferrer">spells with conspire and convoke</a>, <a href="http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3A%22creature%20has%22%20o%3A%7BT%7D&amp;v=card&amp;s=cname" rel="nofollow noreferrer">cards that grant tap abilities</a> (that has a couple of false positives), and <a href="http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3A%22tap%20target%20creature%22&amp;v=card&amp;s=cname" rel="nofollow noreferrer">cards that tap creatures as an effect</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-03T19:11:15.840Z
And of course, this is the reason that Inspired is an interesting mechanic. If you could tap creatures at will, Inspired abilities would basically just be "at the beginning of your upkeep" abilities.
Cascabel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-03T21:37:34.727Z
Further, consider the implication on the "Untap as a cost" mechanic in Shadowmoor. If you could tap your creatures whenever you wanted, that would be a pretty silly "cost".
Christopher Lates
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-03T18:25:50.680Z
2015-12-23T00:54:42.660Z
2015-12-23T00:54:42.660Z
murgatroid99
<p>So a buddy and I were playing a game of Magic that turned out to be a really quick game because he got <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=King%20Macar%2C%20the%20Gold-Cursed">King Macar, the Gold-Cursed</a> out on the battlefield early. He was tapping it without attacking because of its obviously awesome ability but I don't know if you can tap a creature for its Inspired (untap-triggered) ability without attacking for it to then be tapped. Are you allowed to tap a creature whenever you want?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-03T22:47:01.770Z
As a side note [Aura of Dominion](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=75353) is an awesome card with inspired creatures. They can then tap themselves to untap themselves for 1 mana
Ivo
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-03T22:50:57.227Z
And [Mothdust Changeling](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370508) is a nice cheap creature that gives you a way to tap your creatures for free
Ivo
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-04T02:04:00.740Z
@IvoBeckers Which is nice, because you get the golem for an extra mana. :-D
corsiKa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-04T16:06:51.480Z
@IvoBeckers I'm really wishing Macar had blue in his identity now...
gatherer818
<magic-the-gathering>
Can King Macar the Gold-Cursed be tapped without attacking?
Torin Washeim
# Can King Macar the Gold-Cursed be tapped without attacking?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-12-03)

So a buddy and I were playing a game of Magic that turned out to be a really quick game because he got [King Macar, the Gold-Cursed](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=King%20Macar%2C%20the%20Gold-Cursed) out on the battlefield early. He was tapping it without attacking because of its obviously awesome ability but I don't know if you can tap a creature for its Inspired (untap-triggered) ability without attacking for it to then be tapped. Are you allowed to tap a creature whenever you want?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: As a side note [Aura of Dominion](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=75353) is an awesome card with inspired creatures. They can then tap themselves to untap themselves for 1 mana  
> **username_1**: And [Mothdust Changeling](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370508) is a nice cheap creature that gives you a way to tap your creatures for free  
> **username_2**: @IvoBeckers Which is nice, because you get the golem for an extra mana. :-D  
> **username_3**: @IvoBeckers I'm really wishing Macar had blue in his identity now...  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-12-03. Score: 23

You can't just tap your creatures whenever you want. You can only tap it at one of the following times:

* When the game tells you to tap it (like when you attack).
* When a card tells you to tap it (like [Twiddle](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Twiddle)).
* When you can tap it to pay a cost (like [Endless Obedience](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Endless%20Obedience)).

Cards that would allow you to tap King Macar include [spells with conspire and convoke](http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3Aconspire%20or%20o%3Aconvoke&v=card&s=cname), [cards that grant tap abilities](http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3A%22creature%20has%22%20o%3A%7BT%7D&v=card&s=cname) (that has a couple of false positives), and [cards that tap creatures as an effect](http://magiccards.info/query?q=o%3A%22tap%20target%20creature%22&v=card&s=cname).

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: And of course, this is the reason that Inspired is an interesting mechanic. If you could tap creatures at will, Inspired abilities would basically just be "at the beginning of your upkeep" abilities.  
> **username_6**: Further, consider the implication on the "Untap as a cost" mechanic in Shadowmoor. If you could tap your creatures whenever you wanted, that would be a pretty silly "cost".  

---

