Is Priority maintained between after my draw step and beginning of my first main phase?
Asked by StopShot 7 years ago
My question refers to the card Dread Slag.
On the battlefield I have Dread Slag in play with one card in my hand. I draw my second card which is a land card which I immediately wish to play at the start of my first main phase. Since my Dread Slag is currently a 1/1 due to me having two cards in hand would there be any way my opponent could respond with casting a Lightning Bolt or Grasp of Darkness before I could play my land card which would save my Dread Slag from such removal?
I know my opponents are given priority right before my draw step, but are they ever given priority between after I've drawn my card and before I start my first main phase?
Raging_Squiggle says... Accepted answer #2
In order to change steps and phases, each player must pass priority in succession without taking an action.
This means that in order for the active player to move from the draw step to main phase 1, he/she must pass priority to their opponent. This gives them the opportunity to cast a Lightning Bolt or similar spell to destroy your creature.
Note that if the opponent chooses to wait and not to cast Lightning Bolt on the draw step, it will be too late. This is because the active player gets priority at the start of main phase 1, and playing a land for the turn is a special action that cannot be responded to.
January 17, 2017 2:12 p.m.
Raging_Squiggle says... #3
Sources to peruse:
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.
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.
305.1. A player who has priority may play a land card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her turn when the stack is empty. Playing a land is a special action; it doesnt use the stack (see rule 115). Rather, the player simply puts the land onto the battlefield. Since the land doesnt go on the stack, it is never a spell, and players cant respond to it with instants or activated abilities.
January 17, 2017 2:17 p.m.
TheVectornaut is exactly correct, each player has to pass priority before the game moves from any step or phase to the next, with the exceptions of Untap and Cleanup in which no player gets priority (usually).
January 17, 2017 2:18 p.m.
you will not have time to get rid of any cards since the -4/-4 effect is a static effect and state based actions are checked before anyone gets priority. If you want to keep your Dread Slag, would be to play an instant during your upkeep, before you draw.
begining phase as three steps: untap, upkeep, draw- Untap step has no time to play a spell. but after any and all triggers that go on the stack during your upkeep step, you would get priority to cast spells and abilities. Even if nothing triggers, you still get the chance to cast spells and abilities. Also all triggers that happen during untap are placed on the stack during upkeep.
You always get priority first on your turn. Your opponent only gets priority if you are going to the next step/phase, or you have spell or ability on the stack waiting to resolve.
TheVectornaut says... #1
Based on this ruling: "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.", I would surmise that the active player (you) receives priority at the beginning of the 1st main phase. Since playing lands doesn't use the stack and the Dread Slag's ability isn't something like a triggered ability that can be responded to, you would be able to freely play your land at that point.
However, the Magic turn structure for the draw step is laid out like this on Essential Magic: "[1]The current player draws a card. This special action doesn't use the stack. [2]"At Beginning of Draw Step" triggered abilities trigger. [3]The current player gets priority to play instants and activated abilities."
That last part suggests that you would have to pass priority to your opponent during the latter part of the draw step before the first main begins. So, because you can't play lands yet, you won't be able to get it out of your hand in time.
I am writing this based on rather limited research of similar questions, so feel free to wait for clarification from someone more well-versed in the rules if you'd like.
January 17, 2017 1:31 p.m.