Tap Ability

Tap Ability タップ能力（のうりょく） (Tappu Nōryoku)
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Released:	DM-06 Invincible Soul DM-06 Stomp-A-Trons of Invincible Wrath
Dmwiki.net:	Article
Category for Tap Ability

Tap Ability is an unnamed Activated Ability keyword shared among each of the five monocolored civilizations.

Details

The ability gives the option of having your creature use an ability instead of attacking. While unofficially named, it is featured on many creatures and has been commonly seen in various blocks.

A Tap Ability can't be used while a creature has "Summoning Sickness".

If a creature is prevented from attacking by any kind of effect, then it can't use its Tap Ability. Also, if the creature can't legally attack by an effect such as Nariel, the Oracle, it can't use its Tap Ability.

As a creature with Tap Ability usually has a low power, they are extremely vulnerable to being destroyed by a stronger creature after they use their Tap Ability once. Additionally, most Tap Ability creatures tend to have summoning sickness and have a higher than usual cost, making them less preferable than a creature with a Come Into Play, Put Into Graveyard or an Attack Trigger ability.

Some creatures have an additional cost to their tap abilities. Balrun Shizou, Shobu Aini and Dimension Horn, of the Temporal Foundation require you to destroy themselves to trigger them. Necrodragon Gyouten Kyoutei and God Lupia require you to destroy themselves as well as 2 other creatures.

Types of Tap Abilities by set

DM-06 Invincible Soul had evolution creatures that can use tap themselves or one of your creatures with the same civilization.

• Arc Bine, the Astounding
• Fort Megacluster
• Phantasmal Horror Gigazald
• Lava Walker Executo
• Living Citadel Vosh

DM-07 Invincible Charge had creatures that give effects to creatures of the same civilization.

• Gandar, Seeker of Explosions
• King Benthos
• Battleship Mutant
• Armored Transport Galiacruse
• Spinning Totem

DM-09 Invincible Blood had creatures that strengthened a race.

• Tra Rion, Penumbra Guardian
• Hokira
• Venom Worm
• Gigio's Hammer
• Silvermoon Trailblazer

DM-24 Violence Heaven had an ability that also required 8 cards in your mana zone to be tapped.

• Soldias, the Patroller
• Viceflame Dragoon
• Jamool, Master of Four Winds
• Fuuma Octonarics
• Asuran, Spirit Knight
• Depth Noble

DM-39 Psychic Splash had an ability that also required 4 cards in your mana zone to be tapped in order to put a psychic creature from your hyperspatial zone into the battle zone.

• Tulk SP
• Ribbity SP
• Dark Strike SP
• Reppi SP Aini
• Princess Cub SP

Reminder Text

The latest reminder text for the Tap Ability reads:

Instead of having this creature attack, you may tap it to use its ability.

It also has a few variants where multiple cards in your mana zone also need to be tapped;

Instead of having this creature attack, you may tap this creature and # untapped cards in your mana zone to use its ability.

Example

2 Rikabu's Screwdriver
Fire  / Creature Xenoparts 1000
■ Instead of having this creature attack, you may tap it to use its ability. Destroy one of your opponent’s creatures that has “blocker.”

Cards with the Tap ability

• Light
• Water
• Darkness
• Fire
• Nature
• Multicolored

Adomis, the Oracle Arc Bine, the Astounding Chen Treg, Vizier of Blades Cosmogold, Spectral Knight Gandar, Seeker of Explosions Milkyway, Spectral Knight Pulse Mars, Electrostatic Guardian Rondobil, the Explorer Saberfili, the Paladin Soldias, the Patroller Tra Rion, Penumbra Guardian Tulk SP

Admiral Queen Aeropica Aqua Fencer Aqua Meister Biancus Depth Noble Emerald Mist Fantasy Heart Fort Megacluster Full Throttle Sergeant Fuuma Octonarics Fuuma Ralphas, Thunder Shadow Garatyano Hokira Ken, Crimson Lord ~Playing with Water~ King Benthos Lagoon Mermaid Mecha Crawler Slugnas Neon Cluster Ribbity SP Sopian Wan Ken, Crimson Lord ~Full Speed Ahead~

Battleship Mutant Big Wave Man Bokko Rock, JK Doll Crath Lade, Merciless King Dark Strike SP Death Carl, Merciless King / Lost Soul Dimensional Hungry Gauntlet Grim Soul, Shadow of Reversal Gummer, Assassination Doll Hungry Gauntlet Lupa, Poison-Tipped Doll Mummy Wrap, Shadow of Fatigue Necrodragon Gyouten Kyoutei Phantasmal Horror Gigazald Swimchoppy, Suicidal Doll Tank Mutant Venom Worm Viceflame Dragoon

Armored Transport Galiacruse Balrun Shizou Crimson Rifle Ganryuu Musashi, Burning Heart Genji Aini Gigio's Hammer God Lupia Heavyweight Dragon Howlsk, the Gigantic Avatar Jamool, Master of Four Winds Ken Gou, Crimson Lord ~The Sundering~ Ken, Crimson Lord ~Journey's Beginning~ Kipo's Contraption Lava Walker Executo Legionnaire Lizard Lord Gou Ken ~Symphony of Swords~ Metal Cook's Timer Migasa, Adept of Chaos Pitch Aini Pop Rubin Reppi SP Aini Rikabu's Screwdriver Shobu Aini Sky Crusher, the Agitator Wan Ken, Crimson Lord ~Moonlight Howl~

Asuran, Spirit Knight Bliss Totem, Avatar of Luck Brood Shell Charmilia, the Enticer Dimension Horn, of the Temporal Foundation Drum Spirit Kachua, Keeper of the Icegate Living Citadel Vosh Mighty Bandit, Ace of Thieves Popple, Flowerpetal Dancer Princess Cub SP Silvermoon Trailblazer Spinning Totem Tangle Fist, the Weaver Wan Ken, Crimson Lord ~Dynamic Moon Arc~

• Codename Ethan
• Dark Division, Demonic Eye Beast
• Deis Chicken Racer, Evil Battler
• Deklowaz, the Terminator
• Tanzanyte, the Awakener
• Techno Totem
• Zephys, Gaia's Godly General

Support

Supported

Cards supported by the Tap Ability

Supported Creature:	Card Effect:
Saberfili, the Paladin	■ Instead of attacking, you may tap this creature to use another creature's ability.

Anti-Tap Ability Cards

Anti-Tap Ability Cards

Card:	Card Effect:
Lockdown Lizard	■ Players can't use the abilities of their creatures.

Rulings

• Q: My opponent has a linked Heavy, Extreme Dragon God in the battle zone. Can I use the Tap Ability of Kachua, Keeper of the Icegate?
  • A: Yes, you can use it. The use of Tap Abilities isn't prevented in situations where you "must attack if able". As a result of using the ability, Kachua is tapped and doesn't need to attack. ^{source [2022.10.28]}

Trivia

• It is based on the Magic: The Gathering abilities where one has to tap a card for its ability. However, as creatures in Duel Masters have no resistance to creature combat unlike those in Magic: the Gathering, Tap abilities are considered weaker in Duel Masters than in Magic: The Gathering.
  • An additional form of tap abilities is tapping a creature then tapping a number of cards in the mana zone for the ability, which is reenacted in a cycle in DM-24 Violence Heaven. However, the cycle was known as one of the worst cards in the game due to their weak effects for 8 untapped mana.
• While it has no official name, it has sometimes been referred to as 'Tap Trigger' and is called Tap Skill in Duel Masters Play's.