Equipment?

[bakofried]

Ok, so I consider myself a decent player who is somewhat familar with the rules, at least as much can be expected of an average player. But someone left me questioning a belief recently.
1.) Can you unequip at instant speed?
2.) Unequiping is free, correct?
If there is a better thread to discuss this, point me there.

[Nonex]

An equipment becomes unattached by an external effect (like Disarm), because something turns it into a creature, because equipped creature either leaves the battlefield, becomes a noncreature permanent or gets protection from something the equipment has, or because you decide to equip another creature. You can't just unattach an equipment at will.

[rogue.nine]

to answer number 1: no, its sorcery speed unless the card specifically says otherwise...like cranial platings "alternative" equip cost, it often actually says this in the reminder text.

2: yep you have to attach it to another creature you can't just randomly unequip which means paying the equip cost again.

[freakish777]

There is no such thing as Unequipping. You can't just decide I don't want this equipment attached to this creature anymore.

Generally speaking, the way to have the equipment no longer attached to a creature is to equip it to anohter creature instead (which would happen at sorcery speed, unless the equipment specifically says otherwise like Cranial Plating). There are some ways that don't involve paying the equip cost and having another creature, like the aforementioned Disarm.


So, no, you can't decide to have your creature drop Barbed Battlegear and have it "unequip" to save your creature in combat.

[mchainmail]

NOTE: You can "Unattach" cards any time you can play an instant. This is only cards that explicitly reference unattaching, like Heartseeker

[bakofried]

Know it's been a while, but still confused. The question is thus:
Under what circumstances can you unattach a piece of equipment from a creature?

[menace13]

Know it's been a while, but still confused. The question is thus:
Under what circumstances can you unattach a piece of equipment from a creature?

Only a few cards have the wrod unattach in the text as an activated ability. Blinding Powder unattaches to prevent combat damage, Leonin Bola Unattaches to tap a creature, etc, etc.. Equipment is attached once you pay the equip cost to attach your equipment on to your creature. You can not unequip an equipment without equipping another creature. You may only unattach it if the card says so, Cranial Plating is the only equipment that can attach at instant speed. Living Weapon, I have No idea how that works.

[Dia_Bot]

Know it's been a while, but still confused. The question is thus:
Under what circumstances can you unattach a piece of equipment from a creature?

To answer your question you should read a card with an unattach ability. For instance heartseeker:Equipped creature gets +2/+1 and has "tap, Unattach Heartseeker: Destroy target creature."
Equip (5: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery. This card comes into play unattached and stays in play if the creature leaves play.)

So when you equip (sorcery speed) the heartseeker to a creature the creature gets an activated ability (tap, Unattach Heartseeker: Destroy target creature.). Obviously you can only play creatures activated abilities when the creature no longer has summoning sickness.
I hope that cleared things up for you.