CoE Digest #210 Q5 - Radagast's Black Bird
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2025 10:31 pm
Can Radagast's Black Bird be played even if Radagast is tapped or wounded?
There has been some contention over the years as to whether Radagast’s Black Bird can be played if Radagast himself is tapped or wounded. Here is the card text for reference:
There has been some contention over the years as to whether Radagast’s Black Bird can be played if Radagast himself is tapped or wounded. Here is the card text for reference:
Some members of our community have argued that the “(tapped or untapped)” parenthetical only refers to the site card, and/or that Radagast must still be untapped even if he “need not tap himself”. However, ICE’s NetRep confirmed in ICE 83 that Radagast’s Black Bird can be played even if Radagast is tapped:Unique. Radagast specific. Playable at one of your Wizardhavens. You may return Radagastʹs Black Bird to your hand: during your organization phase or if its controlling character leaves active play. Radagast may play this ally at any site (tapped or untapped) and need not tap himself or the site to do so. This ally may attempt to influence factions as if he were a character. He may cancel a strike directed against him ‐ tapping afterwards if not already tapped.
And then COE 125 confirmed in 2013:Can I play Radagast’s Black Bird on Radagast if Radagast himself is tapped?
Yes.
If one considers other cards with the “need not tap” clause (such as the minion Necklace of Girion, Memories of Old Torture, etc.), there’s no textual evidence to suggest a character must “not be wounded” in those cases, either. Therefore, lacking a substantial basis to overturn the aforementioned rulings, this committee is opting to uphold our community’s historical understanding that Radagast’s Black Bird may be played by Radagast even if he is tapped or wounded.Radagast is able to play Radagast’s Black Bird even if he is tapped or wounded.