Rules
Comprehensive Rules
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100General101The Magic Golden Rules102Players103Starting the Game104Ending the Game105Colors106Mana107Numbers and Symbols108Cards109Objects110Permanents111Tokens112Spells113Abilities114Emblems115Targets116Special Actions117Timing and Priority118Costs119Life120Damage121Drawing a Card122Counters123Stickers
117. Timing and Priority
117.1
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.
117.2
Other kinds of abilities and actions are automatically generated or performed by the game rules, or are performed by players without receiving priority.
117.3
Which player has priority is determined by the following rules:
117.4
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.
117.5
Each time a player would get priority, the game first performs all applicable state-based actions as a single event (see rule 704, “State-Based Actions”), then repeats this process until no state-based actions are performed. Then triggered abilities are put on the stack (see rule 603, “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.
117.6
In a multiplayer game using the shared team turns option, teams rather than individual players have priority. See rule 805, “Shared Team Turns Option.”
117.7
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 608, “Resolving Spells and Abilities.”