Priority and when you can Play stuff
General forum
Posted on May 12, 2013, 1:53 p.m. by UmbrotheUmbreon
Okay so me and a couple guys got in to a big argument over how priority works and when an opponent can do stuff.
Example A:
It is my precombat Main Phase. I am looking at the cards in my hand trying to think about my next move. My friend says that he can play an instant while I'm thinking or activate an ability.
Friend: I cast Devour Flesh
during your main phase
Me: I haven't given you priority yet, I'm still thinking about what I want to do.
Friend argues that he can do that while I'm thinking cause it is an instant and can be activated at any time. I agree with that part, but the problem is I try telling him he has to have priority to cast stuff, and he says he doesn't.
Can someone PLEASE clarify things? How does Priority work and how it affects when a Player can activate/cast during an opponent's turn?
Use official rulings, links, stuff that will show who's right, as they are stubborn X.X
Your friend is wrong.
"Priority is the right to play a spell or ability, or take a special action. Players cannot play spells or abilities or take special actions at a time when they do not have priority. The player with priority may put as many spells or abilities on the stack as he/she she wishes to, but before anything can resolve all players must "pass priority" without adding anything further to the stack."
As the active player, during your main phase you start with priority, so your friend is not able to take any actions. However, should add anything to the stack he receives priority in order for it to resolve, and both players pass priority before moving to the next step of the game. So he always has a chance to use Devour Flesh before combat, but he can't just cast it whenever.
May 12, 2013 2:06 p.m.
Basically, if you have not chosen not to do anything than your opponent does not yet have priority. Otherwise he will get priority if you choose to cast anything.
The earliest he would be able to cast Devour Flesh on your turn would be when you pass priority during the Upkeep Step, right before the Draw Step. He could also cast it when you pass priority during the Draw Step right before the beginning of your First Main Phase.
May 12, 2013 2:12 p.m.
This is similar to when things enter the battlefield and don't have a triggered ability and the stack is empty as soon as they resolve, like Planeswalkers.
When Nissa Revane enters the battlefield, your opponent can't just play Shock on her. You get priority before your opponent on your turn. You can use a +1 ability with Nissa (which adds a Loyalty counter as a cost), then your opponent can Shock Nissa, although she'd be at 3 counters at that point.
May 12, 2013 3:28 p.m.
UmbrotheUmbreon says... #6
Can I have links to these rulings? Like I said they are stubborn with this and want official rulings from "official" sites.
May 12, 2013 3:28 p.m.
Also, this is why you should always always always use a Planeswalker's ability as the very first thing you do after it resolves.
Imagine playing Garruk, Primal Hunter main-phase-1, and then going to your combat phase (as you don't know if you want to +1 or -3 yet). Then your opponent just uses Searing Spear on Garruk and you can't use him in response.
May 12, 2013 3:29 p.m.
Yeah. Point them to the rules and tell them to learn how to play.
shrug
Google "official mtg rules".
May 12, 2013 3:30 p.m.
UmbrotheUmbreon says... #9
Oh zandl, you silly member you. Nah the whole reason this argument went on for so long is cause they said they looked at the official WotC site and it says they are right. I have yet to see it but hopefully this is enough proof.
We are very stubborn :D
May 12, 2013 3:41 p.m.
Taken straight from the comprehensive rules: (http://www.wizards.com/magic/comprules/MagicCompRules_20120201.txt)
116. Timing and Priority
116.1. 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.
116.1a A player may cast an instant spell any time he or she has priority. A player may cast a noninstant spell during his or her main phase any time he or she has priority and the stack is empty.
116.1b A player may activate an activated ability any time he or she has priority.
116.1c A player may take some special actions any time he or she has priority. A player may take other special actions during his or her main phase any time he or she has priority and the stack is empty. See rule 115, "Special Actions."
116.1d A player may activate a mana ability whenever he or she has priority, whenever he or she is 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).
116.2. Other kinds of abilities and actions are automatically generated or performed by the game rules, or are performed by players without receiving priority.
116.2a 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 603, "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 116.5.
116.2b Static abilities continuously affect the game. Priority doesn't apply to them. (See rule 604, "Handling Static Abilities," and rule 611, "Continuous Effects.")
116.2c Turn-based actions happen automatically when certain steps or phases begin. They're dealt with before a player would receive priority. See rule 116.3a. Turn-based actions also happen automatically when each step and phase ends; no player receives priority afterward. See rule 703, "Turn-Based Actions."
116.2d 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 116.5.
116.2e 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 608, "Resolving Spells and Abilities."
116.3. Which player has priority is determined by the following rules:
116.3a 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 703) 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 514.3).
116.3b The active player receives priority after a spell or ability (other than a mana ability) resolves.
116.3c If a player has priority when he or she casts a spell, activates an ability, or takes a special action, that player receives priority afterward.
116.3d 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, he or she announces what mana is there. Then the next player in turn order receives priority.
116.4. 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.
116.5. 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.
116.6. In a multiplayer game using the shared team turns option, teams rather than individual players have priority. See rule 805, "Shared Team Turns Option."
116.7. 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."
Put this together like a professional portfolio in a binder and throw it down on the kitchen table when you get there next time.
May 12, 2013 3:44 p.m.
UmbrotheUmbreon says... #11
Wow, great job :) Thanks guys, this should suffice :D
May 12, 2013 3:48 p.m.
If the rules were this complicated when MTG first came out, we never would have heard about it and no one would have bothered arguing about them because no one would care.
:-)
It's a good thing that most turns of MTG do not involve going through all of these details in order explicitly every time. For decks that cause arguments with certain people about this ... there is the alternative approach of having a different deck that doesn't tend to generate these kinds of arguments. Hopefully the person that likes arguing about this isn't playing a deck that tends to generate debates and close inspection and interpretation of rules at this level continuously.
Anyway - the other thing is that I have made adjustments in certain situations just to keep the game going and still have fun - like letting someone think that in EDH they need 15 poison counters to lose instead of 10 (and secretly noting my win without needing it to be recognized - but still having the satisfaction that I had beat them on some level) or people who don't accept the french style 1v1 30 life total (again, I can keep my own records in my head when I play an aggro deck in this situation and it turns out close - otherwise without 30 life 1v1 ... EDH aggro is completely pointless imho).
But maybe reading lots of errata in detail will help - I just worry that too much of that kind of thing can start making the game less fun for a lot of people.
May 12, 2013 3:57 p.m.
The cool thing about Magic's comprehensive rules is that most of the things are self-explanatory and you naturally learn them just by playing with friends. But when you get into more complicated things like priority, layers, and what replacement effects actually do, then you may need a bit more guidance.
All in all, I actually believe that Magic being so complex is what makes it more fun and more successful than all other card games by a huge margin.
May 12, 2013 3:59 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #14
Magic is logically complicated, which is why it enjoys success. Players at every level can learn something new, and newer players aren't forced to learn intricate or complex rules just to begin playing.
May 12, 2013 6:46 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #15
@r3v13w: The rules were more difficult to deal with when Magic first started, because in addition to extra weird timing rules on top of what we have right now, there were many things that weren't well defined at all. Think about what it must have been like to have a rules argument that was almost impossible to resolve based on the official rules documents you had access to. The current system is a very good and elegant one.
Kirtanian says... #2
Here are the two rules that re probably most relevant to your situation:
116.1a A player may cast an instant spell any time he or she has priority. A player may cast anoninstant spell during his or her main phase any time he or she has priority and the stack isempty.
116.3d If a player has priority and chooses not to take any actions, that player passes. If any mana is in that players mana pool, he or she announces what mana is there. Then the next player in turn order receives priority.
Let me know if you need more than this.
May 12, 2013 2:06 p.m.