P - Phases of the Turn
P.1 - Starting the Game
- P.1.1 - Prior to the first phase of the first turn of the game, each player
brings their deck to the play area and shuffles it. The opponent may also
shuffle the deck. Each player's deck becomes their Library (see
Rule Z.6). [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 101.1]
- P.1.2 - The Library size for constructed deck play must be 60 or more cards.
For sealed deck play, the deck must be 40 or more cards. There is no
maximum deck size in either style. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 100.2/3/4]
- P.1.3 - A constructed deck may have any number of basic lands, but not more
than four copies of any other card. Sealed deck play allows any number of
any card. Two cards are the same if they have the same English name, even
if they are in different languages or have different artwork.
[CompRules 2001/07/23 - 100.2]
- P.1.4 - One player gets to choose if they want to go first or not. The
player that goes first skips their draw during their first draw step.
This is called the "play or draw" choice. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 101.2/4]
- P.1.5 - If this is the first game between players, randomly determine who
gets the choice in Rule P.1.4. If this is not the first game of a match,
then the loser of the previous game chooses. If the previous game was a
draw, then the player who chose last time chooses this time.
[CompRules 2001/07/23 - 101.2]
- P.1.6 - After the choice is made, each player draws a hand of 7 cards and
the game begins with each player having 20 life.
[CompRules 2001/07/23 - 101.3]
- P.1.7 - Each player may choose to "mulligan" if they do not like their
starting hand. To do this, the player shuffles their hand back into their
deck, then draws a new hand of six cards. The player may repeat this
process, drawing one fewer card each time, until the hand reaches zero
cards. Once the player who is going to go first in the game decides to
keep their hand, the next player makes their choice.
[CompRules 2001/07/23 - 101.5]
P.2 - Phases of the Turn
- P.2.1 - Each turn is divided into 5 phases, and the phases themselves are
divided into steps:
1. Beginning Phase
a. Untap Step
b. Upkeep Step
c. Draw Step
2. First Main Phase - This phase has no steps.
3. Combat Phase - This phase's steps are described in Rule C.1.
4. Second Main Phase - This phase has no steps.
5. End Phase
a. End of Turn Step
b. Cleanup Step
- P.2.2 - Each turn is played completely through all the phases by one player,
and then play proceeds to the opponent who then takes a turn, and so on.
[Fifth Edition, Page 8] Note - Various spells and abilities can cause
a player to skip a turn or get an extra turn.
- P.2.3 - A spell or ability may grant a player an additional turn after the
current one. If multiple additional turns are granted during one turn,
take these additional turns in the reverse to the order granted. In
other words, the most recently granted extra turn is taken first.
[CompRules 2002/02/20 - 300.6] (This is a big REVERSAL. Extra turns used
to be taken in the order granted.)
- P.2.Ruling.1 - You still have every phase and step in every turn even if
nothing happens during one of the phases or steps. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
P.3 - General Phase and Step Rules
- P.3.1 - At the beginning of each phase or step, any triggered
abilities (see Rule A.4) that trigger "at the beginning of" that phase or
step are added to the stack. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- P.3.2 - Once triggered abilities are placed on the stack, the current
player receives priority, and play continues until all players pass while
the stack is empty. See Rule T.2 for details. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- P.3.3 - When a phase or step ends, all effects scheduled to last "until the
end of" that phase or step end. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- P.3.4 - When a phase or step begins, all effects scheduled to last "until"
the current phase or step end. For example, an effect that lasts "until
your next upkeep step" will end at the beginning of your upkeep step
before checking for triggered abilities. [CompRules 1999/11/01]
- P.3.5 - When a phase ends (but not a step), any unused mana in each player's
mana pool is lost, and that player loses 1 life for each point of mana
lost this way. This is called "mana burn" (see Rule G.22).
[CompRules 1999/04/23] Any abilities triggering on this loss of life wait
until the next phase or step where a player receives priority before they
are played. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01] Checking if a player loses the game
from having zero or less life waits until the next phase or step where a
player receives priority. [DeLaney 2000/01/13]
- P.3.6 - No game event ever takes place between phases, between steps, or
between turns. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- P.3.7 - A phase or step ends when both players pass while the stack (see
Rule T.2) is empty. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- P.3.Ruling.1 - If a phase or step is skipped, any effects that last "until"
that phase or step continue. For example, if your draw step is skipped,
any effect lasting until your next draw step would not end at that time.
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
P.4 - Beginning Phase
- P.4.1 - This phase has three steps: Untap, Upkeep, and Draw. In that order.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- P.4.2 - The "mana burn" (see Rule P.3.5 and Rule G.22) that happens at the
end of this phase takes place at the end of the final step of this phase.
Normally, this is the Draw step, but if the Draw step is skipped, then
mana burn happens at the end of the Upkeep step. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- P.4.3 - Any abilities triggering "at beginning of turn" trigger at the
beginning of the first step of the turn. Normally this is the Untap step,
but if that step is skipped, it is the Upkeep step. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- P.4.4 - Any static abilities which change their effect when the the current
player changes (such as Vibrating Sphere), take effect at the start of
the first step of the turn. Normally, this is the Untap step, but if that
step is skipped, it is the Upkeep step. This takes place before checking
for any triggered abilities during that turn. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- P.4.Ruling.1 - If an effect to skip a turn is optional, make the choice
right before the turn starts. [D'Angelo 1996/11/06] If more than one
effect can cause you to skip a turn, choose which one is making you skip
just before you would start the turn. [Barclay 1998/07/29]
P.5 - Untap Step
- P.5.1 - During this step, the current player determines which permanents
they will untap. Normally all of their tapped permanents will untap, but
effects can modify this. Then they untap all the chosen permanents
simultaneously. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- P.5.2 - No player receives priority during this step, so no spells or
abilities can be played or resolved. Any ability that triggers during
this step will be held until a player receives priority during the Upkeep
step. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- P.5.3 - Phasing happens during this step prior to choosing what to untap.
All phased out cards phase in and all permanents with Phasing (see
Rule A.27) which are in play phase out simultaneously. See Rule G.27.6.
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- P.5.Ruling.1 - You must untap your cards. You cannot "forget".
[D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- P.5.Ruling.2 - If something enters play after or during the untap ability
resolving, the permanent entering play does not untap. [bethmo 1996/05/16]
For example, a Tawnos's Coffin untapping.
- P.5.Ruling.3 - If untapping a permanent changes what other permanents may
untap, those changes do not apply during this turn. [D'Angelo 1998/01/09]
For example, untapping a Winter Orb will not cause you to back up and
choose only one land to untap. And untapping an Amber Prison will not
let the permanent it was holding tapped untap at that time.
P.6 - Upkeep Step
- P.6.1 - This is the first step of the turn during which any player receives
priority. This means that any abilities that triggered at the start of
this step, or during the Untap step are placed on the stack (see Rule T.2)
at this time, then the current player gets priority to play spells and
abilities. See Rule T.3 for details. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- P.6.Ruling.1 - If an ability triggers at the beginning of upkeep, removing
the permanent that generated that ability from play after that will not
stop the ability from resolving (see Rule T.6). This means you cannot
destroy a permanent in order to avoid its "at beginning of upkeep"
ability. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
P.7 - Draw Step
- P.7.1 - The game has a "built-in" triggered ability (see Rule A.4) for this
step that reads: "At the beginning of your draw step, draw a card." This
places a "draw a card" ability on the stack (see Rule T.2) on top of
any other abilities that trigger on the start of this step. No player
controls this ability and it is placed after all ones controlled by
players have been placed. [Rules Team 2001/05/01]
- P.7.2 - After placing triggered abilities on the stack, the current player
receives priority to play spells and abilities. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- P.7.Ruling.1 - You cannot skip the required draw or take an additional draw
unless a spell or ability says otherwise. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- Note - If you try to draw and have no cards in your library to draw from,
you lose the game. See Rule Z.6.8 for details.
- Note - Abilities that provide extra draws during this step are played as
triggered abilities and are played separately from your normal draw. For
example, if there are three Howling Mines in play, then each provides
its own "draw one card" effect, rather than combining with the draw effect
you get normally. Similarly, effects such as Sylvan Library do not
combine with other card draws. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- Note - Remember to check for mana burn at the end of this step because it
is the end of the phase. See Rule P.4.2.
P.8 - First Main Phase
- P.8.1 - There are two Main phases each turn and they are separated by the
Combat phase. Rules that refer to the Main phase (as opposed to
First Main or Second Main) refer to the two phases together.
[CompRules 1999/05/01]
- P.8.2 - After triggered abilities are added to the stack at the start of
the phase, the current player receives priority to play spells and
abilities. [CompRules 1999/05/01]
- P.8.3 - This is the only phase in which you may cast sorcery, creature,
enchantment, or artifact spells, or play sorcery abilities. Only the
current player can use these during their main phase.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- P.8.4 - During the Main phase, the current player may play a land from their
hand if the stack is empty and that player has priority. This special
action can only be done once per turn. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- P.8.5 - Playing a land is a special action. It cannot be done in response
to something and it cannot be responded to.
[Duelist Magazine #5, Page 123, 1995/05/01] It has two parts, announcing
the playing of the land, and actually putting it into play. This action
does not go on the stack. [DeLaney 2000/01/13]
- P.8.6 - This phase is also called the "Precombat Main Phase".
[CompRule 1999/11/01]
- P.8.Ruling.1 - The restriction of only one land per turn may be overridden
by other effects, such as Fastbond, but the rules for playing a land
are unchanged. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- Note - Many players mistakenly think that the main phase must be ordered
as "play a land, then play spells, then attack". You can do these in any
order, and it is often good to play it like "attack, then play a land,
then play spells". [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- Note - Remember to check for mana burn at the end of the phase before
starting the combat phase. See Rule P.3.5.
P.9 - Combat Phase
- Note - This phase is described in detail in section C. See Rule C.1.
P.10 - Second Main Phase
- P.10.1 - This phase is called the "Postcombat Main Phase".
[CompRules 1999/11/01]
- P.10.Ruling.1 - If a spell or ability gives you additional main phases in
your turn, they will all be 'postcombat' main phases. [DeLaney 2000/01/13]
For example, Relentless Assault.
- Note - See First Main Phase for rules.
- Note - Remember to check for mana burn at the end of the phase.
See Rule P.3.5.
P.11 - End Phase
- P.11.1 - This phase has two steps: End of Turn and Cleanup.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
P.12 - End of Turn Step
- P.12.1 - All "at end of turn" abilities trigger and go on the stack, then
the current player receives priority to play spells and abilities.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- P.12.2 - Any new "at end of turn" abilities that trigger during this step
wait until this step in the next turn. They are not played this turn.
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01] This means you cannot get any loops using "at end
of turn" effects.
- Note - "until end of turn" effects do not end during this step as Rule P.3.4
might indicate. They end during the Cleanup step. See Rule P.13.1.
- Note - Unless something happens during the Cleanup step to give a player
priority, this is the last step in which players can use instant spells
and abilities before the next turn's upkeep step. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
P.13 - Cleanup Step
- P.13.1 - During this step the following actions are taken in order:
1) If the current player's hand contains more cards than their maximum
hand size (normally 7), they discard enough cards to reduce their hand
size to that number. This action does not go on the stack.
2) Simultaneously remove all damage from permanents, and all "until end of
turn" and "this turn" effects end. This action does not go on the stack.
3) If the conditions for any state-based effect (see Rule T.11) exist, or
if any abilities have triggered, the active player receives priority to
play spells or abilities after resolving those state-based effects and
putting those triggered abilities on the stack. Once the stack is empty,
instead of proceeding to the next turn, another Cleanup step begins. If
no state-based effects need to be applied and no triggers need to be
played, the step ends. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- P.13.Ruling.1 - You may not just choose to discard because you want to. You
only do so if you have more than 7 cards or because a spell or ability
tells you to do so. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- Note - Remember to check for mana burn at the end of the phase. See
Rule P.3.5.