Hello, everyone! Since I’ve been picked to be a regular contributor, I’ll tell you a little about myself. My name is Justin Turner and I am twenty-six. I’m a Level 2 judge from Tampa Bay, Florida, and have been a certified judge since February 28, 2010. I have one baby boy with another baby on the way of so far indeterminate gender. I’ve been playing Magic since Ice Age with breaks here and there. Now with that out of the way, on to the steps of a turn!

Many players look at the rules tip card and see the steps listed there, but few get into the minutiae of exactly what the game has going on “under the hood” as we progress through the turns of a game. That is a perfectly fine way to play, since most of the stuff the game is doing for you and just comes naturally to players who know how to play, much like many of the state-based actions from the article last week.

We are going to walk through a turn in Magic and go into each turn-based action that happens in each step. What’s a turn-based action? A turn-based action is an action the game takes that doesn’t use the stack and happens at specific times in a turn. Unlike state-based actions, which look at the game state to process, turn-based actions just look at where we are in a turn. They still have no owner, and do not use the stack.

It is also important to know how we even move through the steps of a turn. We do so by passing priority for the most part (exceptions are the untap and cleanup steps, which I’ll detail below). Once both players have passed priority without performing any actions, the game moves to the next step of a turn. Another thing that is true about all the steps is that effects that trigger “at the beginning of” a certain step are placed onto the stack right as the step begins, and any effects that end “at the end of” certain steps end as the game goes to the next step. Mana pools also empty at the end of each step or phase; this is a semi-recent change. Let’s get on with it! Once again, for those of you following along at home in your comprehensive rules, this covers the entire 500 section, as of June 28, 2011.

[Editor’s note: While the comprehensive rules use the politically (and technically!) correct “his or her” and “he or she” to talk about the hypothetical Magic player, that usage can be a little clunky and awkward. We all know that some Magic players are female, but we also all know that the preponderance of Magic players are male. In this article, therefore, our hypothetical player or opponent is a guy. — Debbie]

Beginning Phase

Untap Step

The first thing that happens in a turn is that all phased-in permanents controlled by the active player phase out, and all the phased-out permanents controlled by the active player phase in. These both happen at the same time.

Next, the active player determines which of his permanents will untap and them untaps them all simultaneously. Now, the rules use the word determines here, but that just means that you have a choice only on cards that give you a choice to not untap them. You can’t just decide to keep your Plains tapped without an effect allowing you to do so.

This is one of the two steps where a player does not receive priority, so you may not cast any spells or activate any abilities during this step. Right after you untap your permanents, the game immediately proceeds to the . . .

Upkeep Step

Any abilities that trigger at the beginning of the upkeep step will now trigger and go onto the stack. Then, the active player gets priority; this is the first point in a turn where either player can cast spells or activate abilities. Once both players pass priority without performing any actions, we move right along to the . . .

Draw Step

The first thing that happens here is that the active player draws a card. Once the game has moved to the draw step, you cannot do anything before that card is drawn. So, if you had an effect that you wanted to use before you draw for turn, the upkeep step is the time to use it. Drawing a card also doesn’t use the stack, so you can’t respond to it because it is a turn-based action.

Any abilities that would trigger on the draw step now trigger and are put onto the stack. The active player receives priority. If either player would like to perform a game action (such as the ever-popular Vendilion Clique) before the main phase begins, now is the time. If all players pass priority in succession, the game moves right along to the . . .

Main Phase (Pre-Combat)

The main phase has no steps; it is just the main phase for players to do the bulk of their actions in the turn. If you were playing the Archenemy variant, this is the part of the turn where the Archenemy would set his scheme in motion if it is his turn.

Any triggers that trigger at the beginning of the main phase will trigger and go onto the stack now. Once that has happened, the active player will receive priority to perform actions. In this phase, the active player has a lot of options. In a main phase, the active player can play a land, or cast creatures, enchantments, artifacts, planeswalkers, and sorceries. Only the active player may do this unless the nonactive player has a card that says otherwise (such as a creature with Flash). Playing a land is a little special; we’ll get into why in a future article, but for now, it’s important to remember that you may only play one land per turn, and when you play a land it does not use the stack.

Once both players have passed priority in the main phase without performing any actions, we move the game straight to the . . .

Combat Phase

Before we get into the first step of the combat phase, there are a few things that happen to the game as soon as we enter the combat phase proper. The active player becomes the attacking player, and the nonactive player becomes the defending player. Only a creature may attack or block, and only a player or a planeswalker may be attacked.

There are a lot of rules here for things that have to do with corner-case game scenarios, like creature planeswalkers, effects putting creatures onto the battlefield, or attacking players no longer in the game—but we will not get into these because they rarely come up, if ever. If you are interested in all of these little caveats, hit up section 506 of the CR.

Beginning of Combat Step

First, anything that triggers upon the beginning of combat now triggers and is put onto the stack. Then, the active player is given priority. If the nonactive player would like to perform any actions to stop a creature from attacking, now is the time, because if both players pass here, we get right into the . . .

Declare Attackers Step

First, the active player is going to declare attackers. This doesn’t use the stack. See why we need to execute any effects that would prevent a creature from attacking in the beginning of combat step? To declare attackers, you choose which of your creatures that can attack will attack. The creatures must be currently untapped and must not have summoning sickness (unless they have Haste). The active player then announces which player or planeswalker each attacking creature is attacking. After this, the game checks whether the creature is hindered by an attacking restriction such as “can’t attack alone.” Only creatures that can attack without breaking any restrictions can be legally declared as attackers. The game also checks if there are any requirements that need to be met such as “This creature must attack each turn if able.” You must meet the most requirements possible without breaking any restrictions. I’ll provide an example of this at the end. The player then taps the attacking creatures. If there are any effects that cause the active player to pay a cost to attack, that cost is totaled now (e.g., Ghostly Prison). The active player can then activate mana abilities and pay the cost. Those creatures are now considered “attacking creatures.” What a bunch of stuff just to tap some dudes and smash, huh?

Now any triggers that trigger upon attackers being declared will trigger and go onto the stack. Then, the active player will receive priority.

It’s important to note here that any effects that would place creatures onto the battlefield attacking (e.g., Hero of Bladehold) will not count those creatures as having “attacked” for things such as Windbrisk Heights. For instance, if you attack with Hero of Bladehold by itself, if the trigger resolves, you place two tokens onto the battlefield also attacking—but Windbrisk Heights will only see that you have attacked with one creature because only one creature was declared as an attacker.

If no attackers are declared at all, the declare blockers and combat damage steps are skipped—but that’s no fun, so let’s see what’s going on in those steps! This is also the last point for the active player to use an effect to prevent the nonactive player from using a creature to block, because once both players pass priority in this step, we move to the . . .

Declare Blockers Step

First, the nonactive or “defending” player is going to declare blockers. This turn-based action does not use the stack, so if the attacking player wanted to tap down a blocker to prevent it from blocking, he needed to do so in the declare attackers step. The defending player is going to choose which of his untapped creatures will be blocking and chooses one attacking creature for that creature to block. Then, the game looks to see if the blockers aren’t breaking any restrictions (e.g., a Grizzly Bears trying to block a Wind Drake). It’s important to note here that once blockers have been declared, giving an attacking creature an evasion ability such as Shadow or Flying will not nullify the block. The game also checks whether the blocking creatures are meeting any requirements (e.g., the blocking requirement on Two-Headed Dragon). If there are any costs to blocking, those are now totaled; the nonactive player may then activate mana abilities and pay those costs in any order. The chosen creatures now become “blocking” creatures.

Second, the active player chooses the damage assignment order, which was a big part of the M10 rules change. The way it works now, the active player places the blocking creatures in an order of his choosing (provided there are multiple creatures blocking a single attacking creature). For instance, if a Spined Wurm is blocked by Llanowar Elves and Grizzly Bears, the active player chooses which creature will be assigned lethal damage first before any damage can be assigned to the next creature in line.

Now any abilities that trigger upon declaring blockers will trigger and go onto the stack, and then the active player will receive priority to perform actions.

It is important to note here that if the nonactive player has a spell or effect that places a creature onto the battlefield blocking, it will be blocking, but will not have been declared as a blocker, much the same as effects that put attacking creatures onto the battlefield. Also, if that effect puts a creature onto the battlefield blocking a creature that has already been blocked, the active player announces where that creature will be in the damage assignment order at that time.

Once both players pass priority in succession without performing any actions, we go to the . . .

Combat Damage Step

First, the active player announces how the attacking creatures are going to assign combat damage; then, the nonactive player announces how the blocking creatures are going to assign combat damage. This does not use the stack. Each attacking and blocking creature will assign damage equal to its power, so a 6/6 will still assign 6 damage to a blocker with only 2 toughness. Any unblocked creatures assign their combat damage to the player or planeswalker they attacked. An attacking creature that has been blocked will assign its damage to the creatures blocking it in the damage assignment order chosen in the declare blockers step. Once again, before assigning damage to the next creature in line, you must assign lethal damage to the creature before it. Deathtouch damage counts 1 damage as lethal for these purposes. Blocking creatures will then assign their damage to the creatures they are blocking in the same fashion. You must assign each creature’s damage fully before moving onto the next creature.

Next, all combat damage is dealt simultaneously. This no longer uses the stack (another M10 rules change). If you wanted to do something “in response to damage,” you no longer can. If you want to use an effect before damage happens, it needs to be performed in the declare blockers step (Mogg Fanatic is still crying).

Then any triggers that trigger from combat damage being dealt trigger and are placed onto the stack. Then, the active player is given priority. There is now a divergent path for turns to take. If any of the attacking creatures have First Strike or Double Strike, when both players pass priority, we enter another combat damage step, wherein the creatures without First Strike will be able to deal damage. If no creatures have either First Strike or Double Strike, we are going to the . . .

End of Combat Step

First, all “end of combat” triggers go onto the stack. Then, the active player gets priority. As soon as the combat step ends, all creatures and planeswalkers are removed from combat. As soon as both players pass priority without performing any actions, we move into the . . .

Main Phase (Post-Combat)

This phase is exactly like the pre-combat or first main phase except when both players pass priority, we move into the . . .

Ending Phase

End Step

All abilities that trigger “at the end step” or “at the beginning of the next end step” now trigger and are put onto the stack. This also includes older cards that say “at end of turn” for their trigger condition. Now the active player receives priority. It is important to note that if anything is added to the battlefield with an “end step” trigger at this point, it now carries over until the next time there is an end step (if you were to flash in a Ball Lightning at this point for some reason, it would not be sacrificed until the next end step). This only applies to triggers, though, not any continuous effects that end at the “end of turn” (e.g., Giant Growth).

Once both players pass priority in this step, the game moves into the . . .

Cleanup Step

First, the active player discards down to his maximum hand size if his current hand size is larger than his maximum. This does not use the stack. Then, simultaneously, all damage is removed from permanents and “until end of turn” and “this turn” effects end. This also does not use the stack. Normally, no player is given priority in this step of the turn; however it is possible for it to be done. If you have an effect that would trigger due to an action performed in the cleanup step (for instance, active player has eight cards in hand with a maximum hand size of seven, nonactive player controls a Megrim), both players will receive priority when the trigger goes onto the stack before it resolves. If this happens, another cleanup step is performed after both players pass without performing any actions until one goes through without either player receiving priority.

Whew! That was quite a lot for a turn! I omitted a lot of corner-case stuff, and it still came out really long. It’s important as a player to know these things, though, especially the combat part, because “combat tricks” are a lot better if you know the best time in combat to use them to get the best value. On to some examples!

Let’s say the active player controls a Jackal Familiar (can’t attack or block alone) and a Grizzly Bears. In the pre-combat main phase, the nonactive player activates Alluring Siren’s ability, targeting Jackal Familiar. When we get to the declare attackers step, there is only one legal way to declare attackers, and that is to attack with both the Jackal Familiar and the Grizzly Bears. Why? Because if you attack with no creatures, you violate the requirement from the Alluring Siren ability. If you attack with just the Jackal Familiar, you violate the built-in attacking restriction of the Jackal Familiar. If you attack with just the Grizzly Bears, you violate the requirement from the Alluring Siren. Basically, you are forced to attack with both creatures in this game state.

Let’s now say that at the end step of the active player’s turn, the nonactive player activates Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker’s ability targeting his Wurmcoil Engine. The copy is not sacrificed, because the time for end-step abilities to trigger has already passed. This allows that player to now activate Kiki-Jiki again on his turn and attack with two copies! Skirting the end-step trigger is a very popular play in highly competitive environments.

I mentioned a play regarding Vendilion Clique in the section on the draw step, and I’d like to expound on why that is regarded as one of the best times to play that card. If you were to cast the Clique in the upkeep step, you miss out on seeing what your opponent will draw in the draw step. If you cast the Clique in the pre-combat main phase, your opponent is going to get priority first and will be able to cast a spell or add something to the stack before you get priority to cast your Clique. Casting Vendilion Clique when you have priority in your opponent’s draw step allows you to look at the most information and restricts the most action from your opponent at the same time. That’s why it is important to know when players get priority to do things in a turn!

This has been a fun walk through the turn. I’m sure it gets dry in a couple parts, even though I cut whole sections of the comp rules! We’ll get into much more fun stuff with layers (or the interaction of continuous effects) next week! Thanks for reading!