Can I use a creature's ability in response to an opponent trying to end their turn?
Asked by Sinq_ 2 years ago
I'm using Zulaport Chainmage and I have plenty of other allies on the battlefield untapped. I'm trying to keep all my creatures untapped so they can block, but if my opponent ends his turn, I obviously don't need to block.
I believe that creature abilities, regardless of whether or not they require the creature to tap, can be cast as instants (unless otherwise stated). Does this mean that, when my opponent declares the end of his turn, before I begin my turn, I can use Zulaport's ability as an instant for what is essentially free damage, then pass to my turn where everything untaps during my upkeep?
Is my understanding of creature abilities correct? Is it an instant even though it needs to be tapped to activate? Is it also correct that I have the option not to pass to my turn if I want to cast an instant while still on my opponent's turn?
dragonstryke58 says... #2
Also, just because the active player doesn't want to do anything, doesn't mean the turn automatically ends. Even if it's the first main phase and the active player doesn't have any plans for the turn, each player must pass priority before moving to the next phase/step, and the game will still progress through its phases normally.
So somewhere in the turn order he would have still needed to pass priority to you so you can activate your creatures abilities or cast instants before the end of his turn.
Comprehensive Rules:
500.2. A phase or step in which players receive priority ends when the stack is empty and all players pass in succession. Simply having the stack become empty doesn’t cause such a phase or step to end; all players have to pass in succession with the stack empty. Because of this, each player gets a chance to add new things to the stack before that phase or step ends.
Gidgetimer says... Accepted answer #1
TL;DR: Creature abilities function how you think they do.
Steps and phases don't advance until each player passes priority. This means that you can activate abilities and cast instants before the end of each step or phase. What your opponent is actually doing when they say "pass turn", "your go", etc. is proposing a series of priority passes until your turn.
The most common way people indicate that they are doing something is by saying "on your end step..." since that stops your opponent from being able to cast sorcery speed spells before your turn and after you activate abilities.
June 8, 2021 5:57 p.m.