Comprehensive Rules
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If a player passes priority (see rule 117) while there is mana in their mana pool, that player announces what mana is there.
Unless a spell or ability is instructing a player to take an action, which player can take actions at any given time is determined by a system of priority. The player with priority may cast spells, activate abilities, and take special actions.
A player may cast an instant spell any time they have priority. A player may cast a noninstant spell during their main phase any time they have priority and the stack is empty.
A player may activate an activated ability any time they have priority.
A player may take some special actions any time they have priority. A player may take other special actions during their main phase any time they have priority and the stack is empty. See rule , “Special Actions.”
A player may activate a mana ability whenever they have priority, whenever they are casting a spell or activating an ability that requires a mana payment, or whenever a rule or effect asks for a mana payment (even in the middle of casting or resolving a spell or activating or resolving an ability).
Other kinds of abilities and actions are automatically generated or performed by the game rules, or are performed by players without receiving priority.
Triggered abilities can trigger at any time, including while a spell is being cast, an ability is being activated, or a spell or ability is resolving. (See rule , “Handling Triggered Abilities.”) However, nothing actually happens at the time an ability triggers. Each time a player would receive priority, each ability that has triggered but hasn’t yet been put on the stack is put on the stack. See rule 117.5.
Static abilities continuously affect the game. Priority doesn’t apply to them. (See rule , “Handling Static Abilities,” and rule , “Continuous Effects.”)
Turn-based actions happen automatically when certain steps or phases begin. They’re dealt with before a player would receive priority. See rule 117.3a. Turn-based actions also happen automatically when each step and phase ends; no player receives priority afterward. See rule , “Turn-Based Actions.”
State-based actions happen automatically when certain conditions are met. See rule 704. They’re dealt with before a player would receive priority. See rule 117.5.
Resolving spells and abilities may instruct players to make choices or take actions, or may allow players to activate mana abilities. Even if a player is doing so, no player has priority while a spell or ability is resolving. See rule , “Resolving Spells and Abilities.”
Which player has priority is determined by the following rules:
The active player receives priority at the beginning of most steps and phases, after any turn-based actions (such as drawing a card during the draw step; see rule ) have been dealt with and abilities that trigger at the beginning of that phase or step have been put on the stack. No player receives priority during the untap step. Players usually don’t get priority during the cleanup step (see rule ).
The active player receives priority after a spell or ability (other than a mana ability) resolves.
If a player has priority when they cast a spell, activate an ability, or take a special action, that player receives priority afterward.
If a player has priority and chooses not to take any actions, that player passes. If any mana is in that player’s mana pool, they announce what mana is there. Then the next player in turn order receives priority.
If all players pass in succession (that is, if all players pass without taking any actions in between passing), the spell or ability on top of the stack resolves or, if the stack is empty, the phase or step ends.
Each time a player would get priority, the game first performs all applicable state-based actions as a single event (see rule , “State-Based Actions”), then repeats this process until no state-based actions are performed. Then triggered abilities are put on the stack (see rule , “Handling Triggered Abilities”). These steps repeat in order until no further state-based actions are performed and no abilities trigger. Then the player who would have received priority does so.
In a multiplayer game using the shared team turns option, teams rather than individual players have priority. See rule , “Shared Team Turns Option.”
If a player with priority casts a spell or activates an activated ability while another spell or ability is already on the stack, the new spell or ability has been cast or activated “in response to” the earlier spell or ability. The new spell or ability will resolve first. See rule , “Resolving Spells and Abilities.”
Turn-based actions don’t use the stack; they happen automatically when certain steps or phases begin. They’re dealt with before a player would receive priority (see rule 117.3a). Turn-based actions also happen automatically when each step and phase ends; no player receives priority afterward. See rule 703.
State-based actions don’t use the stack; they happen automatically when certain conditions are met. See rule 704. They are dealt with before a player would receive priority. See rule 117.5.
When a phase or step begins, any abilities that trigger “at the beginning of” that phase or step trigger. They are put on the stack the next time a player would receive priority. (See rule 117, “Timing and Priority.”)
The upkeep step has no turn-based actions. Once it begins, the active player gets priority. (See rule 117, “Timing and Priority.”)
Second, the active player gets priority. (See rule 117, “Timing and Priority.”)
Fourth, the active player gets priority. (See rule 117, “Timing and Priority.”)
Second, the active player gets priority. (See rule 117, “Timing and Priority.”)
Second, the active player gets priority. (See rule 117, “Timing and Priority.”)
Second, the active player gets priority. (See rule 117, “Timing and Priority.”)
Third, the active player gets priority. (See rule 117, “Timing and Priority.”)
The end of combat step has no turn-based actions. Once it begins, the active player gets priority. (See rule 117, “Timing and Priority.”)
The end step has no turn-based actions. Once it begins, the active player gets priority. (See rule 117, “Timing and Priority.”)
Once an ability has triggered, its controller puts it on the stack as an object that’s not a card the next time a player would receive priority. See rule 117, “Timing and Priority.” The ability becomes the topmost object on the stack. It has the text of the ability that created it, and no other characteristics. It remains on the stack until it’s countered, it resolves, a rule causes it to be removed from the stack, or an effect moves it elsewhere.
Surge
Whenever a player would get priority (see rule 117, “Timing and Priority”), the game checks for any of the listed conditions for state-based actions, then performs all applicable state-based actions simultaneously as a single event. If any state-based actions are performed as a result of a check, the check is repeated; otherwise all triggered abilities that are waiting to be put on the stack are put on the stack, then the check is repeated. Once no more state-based actions have been performed as the result of a check and no triggered abilities are waiting to be put on the stack, the appropriate player gets priority. This process also occurs during the cleanup step (see rule ), except that if no state-based actions are performed as the result of the step’s first check and no triggered abilities are waiting to be put on the stack, then no player gets priority and the step ends.