How it works the Priority?
Asked by pedroedmarcos 4 years ago
Hey there,
Sorry if this is an common question. I will use an example to help me understand.
We're playing commander with 4 players. Is the first player(1) turn and he cast a card like Vandalblast targetting the Sensei's Divining Top of player (2).
Who get's the priority first?
At least for me I thought that as soon player 1 cast something, the priority, since he is the active player, will go to player 2, then to player 3, then to player 4 and then will go back to player 1 (and maybe he will maintain priority). Am I wrong?
Let's elaborate more to what actually happened:
We're playing commander with 4 players. Is the first player(1) turn and he cast a card like Vandalblast targetting the Sensei's Divining Top of player (2). The player (1) has an Increasing Vengeance in his hand. The player (2) wants to respond by activating the top, but player (1) says that he will maintain priority and play increasing vengeance with flashback and target the vandalblast. Did he just jump the gun with the increasing vengeance?
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #2
After a player casts a spell or activates an ability, that player is the first one to get priority to make a response to it, no matter whose turn it is. If they actually want to make a response then it's a good idea to tell the other players that they're "holding priority" to make sure the other players understand what's happening. If a player passes instead of taking an action, then priority goes to the next player in turn order. If everyone passes after one another, then the spell or ability on top of the stack will resolve. The active player will get priority after a spell or ability finishes resolving.
In your example, Player 1 still has priority after casting Vandalblast , and they're allowed to hold priority and respond with Increasing Vengeance before other players start making responses. After casting Increasing Vengeance, if Player 1 doesn't have any responses to it then priority goes to Player 2. If Player 2 decides to respond by activating Sensei's Divining Top , then Player 2 will get priority after activating the ability and you'll go around the table from there to see if people want to pass or respond.
If Player 3 wants to cast Counterspell on something, they just have to wait until they have priority to make a response. After the Counterspell resolves, the active player (here, Player 1) will get priority and you go around the table again.
June 17, 2019 4:21 p.m.
pedroedmarcos says... #3
"After a player casts a spell or activates an ability, that player is the first one to get priority to make a response to it, no matter whose turn it is."
So even if is not player 3 turn when he cast the counterspell he will get priority first, in case he wants to respond his own spell. And if he pass it then it will to the active player Player 1, and than to the others?
June 17, 2019 4:28 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #4
Player 3 will get priority first, yes, but if they pass it will go to Player 4 since they're next in turn order, then Player 1, then Player 2.
pedroedmarcos says... #1
To elaborate even more: If player (3) counterspell the vandalblast after player (1) cast it targetting vandalblast, how the priority will worlk?
June 17, 2019 3:20 p.m.