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I'm bit confused by the priority passing when a triggered ability goes to the stack.

It's clear it will go there after the first priority is passed (even to the same player), what's not clear is how the "priority round" start and end in this cases.

I'll make an example:

  • There are three players A, B and C, who play in that order.
  • The active player (the round is) A.
  • A casts a spell that triggers abilities of B and C.
  • State based actions (SBA from now on) are checked, the triggered abilities of B and C go on the stack.
  • A receives priority again (as 117.3c), in this moment they can cast / activate other abilities, but they choose to not do so and pass priority.
  • SBA.
  • B receives priority and passes it.
  • SBA.
  • C receives priority and casts a spell that triggers a second ability of A.
  • SBA (put the new A triggered ability on the stack).

And this is my question: does A receive priority again because the priority round restart after every new stack element is inserted or the last element on the stack resolve and restart the priority round from A practically stopping A from responding to his new triggered ability on the stack?

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  • As far as I know, Split Second is about the only thing that would make a player totally unable to respond to something on the stack. Otherwise, the actions that can't be responded to (like mana abilities, playing a land, or turning over a face-down creature) are ones that don't use the stack at all. Commented Apr 10 at 14:09
  • @NuclearHoagie even split second doesn't prevent a person from responding, the most notable example is turning Willbender face up to change the target of a spell with split second. That said you can still only do anything when you have priority, and I think OP is referring to responding talking specifically about the top of the stack, if more goes on the stack before you receive priority, you never got the chance to 'directly' respond to an earlier spell/ability, even though you can still interact with it. Commented Apr 15 at 14:43

3 Answers 3

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If player C casts a spell, C will receive priority afterwards, whether or not the spell triggers another player's ability. Every player will have the opportunity to respond to the new stack.

117.3c If a player has priority when they cast a spell, activate an ability, or take a special action, that player receives priority afterward.

C has cast a spell so they will receive priority. Whether or not that action triggered an ability does not matter. C keeps priority as long as they continue to take actions as per 117.3c.

Only every player passing in succession causes the top object of the stack to resolve.

117.4. 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.

That means that every player, including A, will get at least one opportunity to respond to the stack since C's spell triggered A's ability.

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  • Ok, so, in a sense, the priority round check "reset" after every new element enter the stack. Commented Apr 9 at 13:16
  • @HaleoromLefirio no, because Player A's triggered ability is also an object on the stack, but it doesn't mean player A will get priurity. Commented Apr 9 at 13:17
  • @HaleoromLefirio If by reset you mean the check whether or not the top element resolves, then yes, taking an action resets that check. If C takes the last action and then passes, A and B also have to pass before the top object resolves. If B takes the last action, then C and A have to pass, and so on. Commented Apr 9 at 13:18
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    Correct, the stack would start resolving, one by one, if C also passes. Passing essentially means "I am happy with the current state of the stack and wish the top element to resolve". If everyone agrees by passing, it will resolve. If anyone disagrees and takes an action, the round of agreement has to be repeated in full, starting with whoever took that last action. That is the meaning of 117.4. Commented Apr 9 at 13:25
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    Oh right! I forgot about that triggers. So, at the end, whenever something goes to the stack, from player actions or not, every one are able to respond, in the last case even the non active player to his trigger (triggered in other players turn). Commented Apr 10 at 6:35
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Short answer:

  • The active player receives priority whenever something on the stack resolves.
  • The player who had priority to put something on the stack will get priority back after it goes on the stack.
  • Triggered abilities going on the stack have no effect on priority, the player that would receive priority when they were put on stack, still will receive priority after they are.

The rules that make things work this way are all in 117:

117.3. Which player has priority is determined by the following rules:

117.3b The active player receives priority after a spell or ability (other than a mana ability) resolves.

117.3c If a player has priority when they cast a spell, activate an ability, or take a special action, that player receives priority afterward.

117.4. 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.

117.5. Each time a player would get priority, the game first performs all applicable state-based actions as a single event (see rule 704, “State-Based Actions”), then repeats this process until no state-based actions are performed. Then triggered abilities are put on the stack (see rule 603, “Handling Triggered Abilities”). These steps repeat in order until no further state-based actions are performed and no abilities trigger. Then the player who would have received priority does so.

117.7. If a player with priority casts a spell or activates an activated ability while another spell or ability is already on the stack, the new spell or ability has been cast or activated “in response to” the earlier spell or ability. The new spell or ability will resolve first. See rule 608, “Resolving Spells and Abilities.”

Player A never had priority when his triggered ability was put on stack, it was put on stack when Player C was supposed to get priority, so Player C gets priority. Technically speaking Player A can still respond to the stack, after Player C passes the stack will still have every spell and ability on it, and Player A will get the chance to add new spells and abilities.

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The complete rules for priority, from the MTG Comprehensive Rules, are as follows:

117.3. Which player has priority is determined by the following rules:

117.3a 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. No player receives priority during the untap step. Players usually don’t get priority during the cleanup step (see rule 514.3).

117.3b The active player receives priority after a spell or ability (other than a mana ability) resolves.

117.3c If a player has priority when they cast a spell, activate an ability, or take a special action, that player receives priority afterward.

117.3d If a player has priority and chooses not to take any actions, that player passes. If any mana is in that player’s mana pool, they announce what mana is there. Then the next player in turn order receives priority.

117.4. 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.

117.5. Each time a player would get priority, the game first performs all applicable state-based actions as a single event (see rule 704, “State-Based Actions”), then repeats this process until no state-based actions are performed. Then triggered abilities are put on the stack (see rule 603, “Handling Triggered Abilities”). These steps repeat in order until no further state-based actions are performed and no abilities trigger. Then the player who would have received priority does so.

117.6. In a multiplayer game using the shared team turns option, teams rather than individual players have priority. See rule 805, “Shared Team Turns Option.”

117.7. If a player with priority casts a spell or activates an activated ability while another spell or ability is already on the stack, the new spell or ability has been cast or activated “in response to” the earlier spell or ability. The new spell or ability will resolve first. See rule 608, “Resolving Spells and Abilities.”

Note that the rules don't describe this as a "round" of priority—there are no "priority rounds". Rather, the active player starts each step and phase of their turn with priority, and each other player is given priority, in turn, in order to respond to plays made by the other players. Effects resolve, and steps and phases end, only once all players have passed priority.

To make this more concrete:

  • It is Player A's turn. Player A has priority and casts Deadly Dispute. Deadly Dispute has the text "As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice an artifact or creature." Player A sacrifices some token creature and puts Deadly Dispute on the stack.

    Player B has a Blood Artist on board, which has a triggered ability that cares about creatures dying, so this ability goes on the stack. Player C, for some reason, has a Mold Adder on the board, which has a triggered ability that cares about opponents casting spells, so that ability goes on the stack.

    At this point, Player A still has priority.

    Player A passes priority to Player B, and state based actions occur.

  • Player B passes priority to Player C, and state based actions occur.

  • Player C notices that Player A just sacrificed their token, and now the only creature they have on board is their commander, Kambal, Counsul of Allocation. Player C decides to cast Diabolic Edict, targeting Player A, in order to remove their commander. Kambal has a triggered ability which cares about opponents casting spells, so that goes on the stack.

    Player C passes priority to Player A, and state based actions occur.

  • Player A doesn't want to lose their commander so, noticing that Player C is now tapped out, they cast Mana Tithe (so that goes on the stack). The Mold Adder trigger goes on the stack, and Player A passes priority to Player B.

  • Player B doesn't have anything to do, so they pass priority to Player C.

  • Player C has no further actions, so they pass priority, and the stack starts to resolve. The Mold Adder trigger resolves first, and Player A gets priority.

  • Assuming that no one has any other actions, each ability on the stack resolves, and Player A ends up with priority.

Again, there are no "rounds" of priority. Priority passes from player to player until each player passes without doing anything. Every player gets an opportunity to react to something done by another player, but they don't get a chance to react to their own abilities or spells after they pass priority, and everyone else at the table passes priority, too.

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    Thank you, very clear. My mental model of "priority round" blind me of the real (simpler) model underlying. Commented Apr 9 at 13:36
  • FWIW I believe I've heard "round of priority" used to describe the sequence of players getting priority, beginning with the active player and ending with either someone taking an action or when all players have passed in succession. Of course it's not a formal term defined in the rules, but it seemed like a reasonably common informal term. Commented Apr 10 at 20:53
  • @DavidZ Perhaps, but I work about the confusion with something like a "round" in DnD. A round there represents a period in which each character gets an opportunity to react, with actions resolving in turn. Priority in MTG works differently. Commented Apr 10 at 23:19

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