Magic the Gathering: Creature abilities: regeneration?

Question

The card "CinderBones" is black, cost 3 to play, and his ability is regeneration for 2 mana. If CinderBones dies, can I play his ability like an Instant and immediately regenrate him?

Basically my Question is do creature abilities act as Instants?

Answer 1

IIRC, damage has to be dealt first before it can be regenerated, and it can be damaged again after it gets regenerated (which means it has to regen again or die) but I believe you can regenerate even if it hasn't taken lethal damage (which would cause it to tap)... might want to check the rules on that.

Answer 2

You can use regenerate as an instant but you have to tap it and remove it from combat meaning it deals no damage, if I remember correctly. Generally speaking, yes creature abilities can be used as instants unless stated otherwise. You should check the actual Magic site, they have a complete list of rules.

Answer 3

Here is some answers to your questions.

1. Cinderbones also has wither. That's one cool creature!

2. Regeneration works like this: You pay the regeneration cost, and he gets 1 regeneration shield for the rest of the turn. The regeneration shield says "The next time this turn this creature would be destroyed, it isn't. INSTEAD, remove all damage from it, tap it, and remove it from combat, and you use up 1 regeneration shield." Okay, the real definition isn't exactly like that, but it works the exact same way and is a great way to think of it.

Here are some things about regeneration:

2.1. You CANNOT use regeneration to bring a creature back to life. Regeneration is made to stop the creature from dying.

2.2. You CAN use regeneration even if he is already tapped, and as many times as you want.

2.3. You CAN use this ability on the first turn because it doesn't require a tap or untap.

2.4. Regeneration keeps all Auras and counters on him.

2.5. You CANNOT regenerate it if the destruction effect says the target "can't be regenerated" or if Cinderbones died by its toughness becoming 0 through -0/-1 effects, -1/-1 counters, or something similar.

2.6. You CAN use Regeneration any time you can play an Instant.

2.7. Combat damage uses the stack, so you can respond to it with a regeneration, so your creature will still deal damage to the opponent's creature (which will be turned into -1/-1 counters thanks to wither) and save your creature. Isn't Magic the Gathering great?

Now onto your last question. In Magic the Gathering, there are 3 types of timing:

1. Mana source timing

2. Any time you can play a sorcery

3. Any time you can play an instant

Mana source timing is the timing "tapping a land for mana" takes. NOTHING can be responded to getting mana. This is because getting mana never uses the stack. Abilities that generate mana take this timing except for abilities that say otherwise.

Sorcery timing means a card can only be played during a player's own main phases. Cards with sorcery timing CANNOT respond to anything. Sorcery timing usually refers to playing a permanent spell or playing a sorcery. Playing a land doesn't use the stack.

Instant timing means you can play a card almost any time. You can play instants during either player's turn, during all phases of the turn. You can respond to other cards using instant timing. You can even respond to battle damage using instant timing. You cannot however, play an instant during the resolution of a card. There are other times you cannot play an instant, but you have to find out those yourself. Most creature abilities take instant timing; the ones that don't are either mana abilities (you find a lot of examples of that by looking at druids) or they say that their abilities can only be played only any time you could play a sorcery. I probably put a lot of info you already knew, but I helped, right?