Haste
Haste is a keyword ability that allows a creature to circumvent summoning sickness. Creatures with haste can attack or use activated abilities with the or symbol in the activation cost even if they have not been continuously controlled by a player since the beginning of that player’s most recent turn.
From the Comprehensive Rules (November 8, 2024—Edge of Eternities)
- 702.10. Haste
- 702.10a Haste is a static ability.
- 702.10b If a creature has haste, it can attack even if it hasn’t been controlled by its controller continuously since their most recent turn began. (See rule 302.6.)
- 702.10c If a creature has haste, its controller can activate its activated abilities whose cost includes the tap symbol or the untap symbol even if that creature hasn’t been controlled by that player continuously since their most recent turn began. (See rule 302.6.)
- 702.10d Multiple instances of haste on the same creature are redundant.
- Haste removes the normal “cannot attack” restriction due to not being controlled at the start of a player’s turn. It does not remove any other combat restrictions. For example, it will not make a Wall able to attack, give you a second attack in a turn, or allow you to attack using a Raging Goblin if the defending player has Island Sanctuary activated.
History
Haste has been in Magic since the original Alpha‘s Nether Shadow, though it did not have a keyword at the time and was simply spelled out in the rules text. In R&D, it was known by the nickname Celerity.[1] Players used to refer to it as Raging.[2] It wasn’t until the Sixth Edition rules change that it got added as a keyword ability.[3] Haste has been rotated around the Color Wheel, initially being in black and green; it has now been placed primary in red, before black and green.[4] Lately, green has moved up to secondary place along with black.[5][6][7] Green getting haste was a nod to constructed as a way to recover after board wipes.
For Future Sight, R&D explored the idea of putting haste on blue creatures with Defender and 0 power, where the haste was about using the activated ability right away rather than attacking (Bonded Fetch).[8] After 16 years of floating this idea, the second blue haster was printed in Streets of New Capenna with Errant, Street Artist.
A small number of cards, starting with Gingerbrute, have or give a form of evasion where they can only be blocked by other creatures with haste, giving the impression of “so fast they have to be caught be similarly fast things”.
Haste counters were introduced with Indominus Rex, Alpha in Jurassic World
Haste in practice
Haste is an incredible form of Surprise, a creature that immediately enters the battlefield is able to tap or attack your opponent.
In the case of Craterhoof Behemoth, enters the battlefield with big wide effect of power up, all the while being able to attack too!
