How does priority work during declare attackers and declare blockers steps?
Asked by Fizzz 10 years ago
Hello,
Is this correct?
Declare attackers:
Attackers are declared (creatures become tapped unless vigilance is a thing), THEN the active player receives priority, passes priority to his/her opponent. When both pass priority without doing anything, the step ends.
Declare blockers:
Blockers are declared, then the active player receives priority, passes priority to his/her opponent etc, etc. Step ends.
On both steps, the attackers and blockers are declared before any of the player can cast stuff, right?
Gidgetimer says... Accepted answer #2
What williamgp99 was explaining is the steps within the combat phase, I assume you already know them but in case not they are:
- Beginning of Combat
- Declare Attackers
- Declare Blockers
- First Strike Combat Damage (If applicable)
- Combat Damage
- End of Combat
Players receive priority during each step of the combat phase and the steps don't advance until every player has consecutively passed over an empty stack. Declaring attackers and blockers (as well as dealing combat damage) are what is know as "turn based actions" and turn based actions always happen first in their respective steps and phases. So you are correct that declaring attackers and blockers are the first thing that happen in their steps before any players receive priority.
October 6, 2014 9:19 a.m.
Reichhardt says... #3
You are correct that attackers and blockers are declared in their respective combat steps before priority passes; however, because the FIRST step of combat is the 'beginning of combat' step, it is possible always for your opponent to play a kicked Orim's Chant , for example, and prevent you from attacking with creatures, even after combat has technically started - just not after priority has passed and you've declared attackers.
October 6, 2014 11:08 a.m.
Note that part of the turn based action of declaring blockers is the ordering of blockers by the attacking player in case of multiple blocks on one creature. So if creature A is blocked by creatures B and C, creature A's controller announces in which order the two blockers will be assigned damage (in this case he can choose B-C or C-B). Only after that, players receice priority. The actual assignment of damage then happens later, in the combat damage step.
nighthawk101 says... #1
Moving into the combat phase, there is a round of priority. Then attackers are declared, then there is another round of priority. Afterwarfs, blockers are declared and there is yet another round of priority.
October 6, 2014 9 a.m.