Turn structure

Turn structure reminder card

Magic: The Gathering is a turn-based game, where game flow is partitioned into well-defined parts. The active player contemplates and performs certain actions in a preordained order, then the next player does the same. This is opposed to "real-time" play as is found in some card games, most sports, and most video games.

Description

A turn in a Magic game consists of five phases, in this order:

• Beginning phase
• Pre-combat main phase
• Combat phase
• Post-combat main phase
• Ending phase

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Phase

1. A subsection of a turn. See section 5, “Turn Structure.”

2. A permanent “phases in” when its status changes from phased out to phased in. A permanent “phases out” when its status changes from phased in to phased out. See rule 702.26, “Phasing.”

Each of these phases takes place every turn, even if nothing happens during the phase. The beginning, combat, and ending phases are further broken down into steps, which proceed in order. A phase or step in which players receive priority ends when the stack is empty and all players pass in succession.

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Step

A subsection of a phase. See section 5, “Turn Structure.”

General rules

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 500. General
  • 500.1. A turn consists of five phases, in this order: beginning, precombat main, combat, postcombat main, and ending. Each of these phases takes place every turn, even if nothing happens during the phase. The beginning, combat, and ending phases are further broken down into steps, which proceed in order.
  • 500.2. A phase or step in which players receive priority ends when the stack is empty and all players pass in succession. Simply having the stack become empty doesn’t cause such a phase or step to end; all players have to pass in succession with the stack empty. Because of this, each player gets a chance to add new things to the stack before that phase or step ends.
  • 500.3. A step in which no players receive priority ends when all specified actions that take place during that step are completed. The only such steps are the untap step (see rule 502) and certain cleanup steps (see rule 514).
  • 500.4. When a step or phase ends, any unused mana left in a player’s mana pool empties. This turn-based action doesn’t use the stack.
  • 500.5. When a phase or step ends, any effects scheduled to last “until end of” that phase or step expire. When a phase or step begins, any effects scheduled to last “until” that phase or step expire. Effects that last “until end of combat” expire at the end of the combat phase, not at the beginning of the end of combat step. Effects that last “until end of turn” are subject to special rules; see rule 514.2.
  • 500.6. When a phase or step begins, any abilities that trigger “at the beginning of” that phase or step trigger. They are put on the stack the next time a player would receive priority. (See rule 117, “Timing and Priority.”)
  • 500.7. Some effects can give a player extra turns. They do this by adding the turns directly after the specified turn. If a player is given multiple extra turns, the extra turns are added one at a time. If multiple players are given extra turns, the extra turns are added one at a time, in APNAP order (see rule 101.4). The most recently created turn will be taken first.
  • 500.8. Some effects can add phases to a turn. They do this by adding the phases directly after the specified phase. If multiple extra phases are created after the same phase, the most recently created phase will occur first.
  • 500.9. Some effects can add steps to a phase. They do this by adding the steps directly after a specified step or directly before a specified step. If multiple extra steps are created after the same step, the most recently created step will occur first.
  • 500.10. Some effects add a step after a particular phase. In that case, that effect first creates the phase which normally contains that step directly after the specified phase. Any other steps that phase would normally have are skipped (see rule 500.11).

    Example: Obeka, Splitter of Seconds says, in part, “Whenever Obeka, Splitter of Seconds deals combat damage to a player, you get that many additional upkeep steps after this phase.” After that ability resolves, its controller adds that many beginning phases after this phase. Those new beginning phases have only an upkeep step. The untap steps and draw steps of those phases are skipped.

    • 500.10a If an effect that says “you get” an additional step or phase would add a step or phase to a turn other than its controller’s, no steps or phases are added.
  • 500.11. Some effects can cause a step, phase, or turn to be skipped. To skip a step, phase, or turn is to proceed past it as though it didn’t exist. See rule 614.10.
  • 500.12. No game events can occur between steps, phases, or turns.

Beginning phases and steps

When a phase or step begins, any abilities that trigger "at the beginning of" that phase or step are added to the stack in the "Active Player, Non-Active Player" (APNAP) order. The active player (the player whose turn it is) puts the triggered abilities they control (if any) on the stack in any order they wish, then the non-active player does likewise for the triggered abilities (if any) they control. The priority then passes to the active player. As usual, every player then gets a chance to respond to these triggers with instant and instant-speed-activated abilities when they have priority.

Ending phases and steps

When all players pass priority in succession and the stack is empty, a phase or step ends. Nothing happens between turns, phases, or steps. Because a phase or step only ends when the stack is empty and all players pass priority, every player gets an opportunity to add new things to the stack before the current phase or step ends. Under the current rules (since Magic 2010), whenever a phase or step ends, all mana is emptied for all players mana pools with no additional penalty.

Extra turns

Blue is the primary color to take extra turns ("Timewalking"). It usually does it at mythic rare. Red on rare occasions will do a "Time Walk" that comes with some big penalty — often losing the game at the end of the extra turn.

If an effect gives a player extra turns, it does this by adding the turns directly after the current turn. If multiple extra turns are created or if multiple players get extra turns during a single turn, the extra turns are added one at a time. This is done in the regular Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) order.

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Extra Turn

A turn created by an effect of a spell or ability. See rule 500.7. For rules about extra turns in a multiplayer game using the shared team turns option, see 805.8. For rules about extra turns in a Grand Melee game, see rule 807.4.

Extra phases and steps

If effects add a phase to a turn, or steps to a phase they work the same way as with extra turns. An extra phase is added directly after a specified phase, and an extra step is added directly after or before a specified step. If multiple phases or steps are created after the same phase or step they resolve in LIFO order. If phases (or steps) are created after separate phases (or steps) they occur in the order they would normally occur in the turn structure. Extra combat phases are the most common thing to grant, as extra main or end steps grant no actions, with Sphinx of the Second Sun being unique in granting another beginning phase.

Skipping turns, phases, and steps

Some effects can cause a turn, phase or step to be skipped. A turn, phase, or step is skipped by proceeding past it as though it didn't exist. This means that any actions for any player that would normally happen during the turn, phase, or step are skipped as well. The most common thing to skip is the draw step, added as a downside to card drawing engines.

Prematurely ending the turn

Seven spells or effects can end the turn before it would end normally: Time Stop, Discontinuity, Hurkyl's Final Meditation, Glorious End, Sundial of the Infinite, Day's Undoing and Obeka, Brute Chronologist. The latter three of them can't forcibly end an opponent's turn, while Glorious End results in the caster losing the game.

These have the additional utility of exiling the entire stack to remove problematic spells or abilities (especially those that can't be countered), or to skip downside effects that trigger at the beginning of a specific phase (e.g. not having to sacrifice token copies created by Feldon of the Third Path by skipping the end step).

Gaining control of target player's turn

While black is the color that can do it in the color pie, with Sorin Markov and Worst Fears, this effect was most well-known on two colorless cards: Mindslaver and Emrakul, the Promised End.

Phase abilities (obsolete)

Some older cards used the phrase “during [phase], [action].” These abilities were called “phase abilities.” In general, cards that were printed with phase abilities have received errata in the Oracle card reference so they have abilities that trigger at the beginning of a step or phase.

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

During (Obsolete)

Some older cards used the phrase “during [phase], [action].” These abilities were called “phase abilities.” In general, cards that were printed with phase abilities have received errata in the Oracle card reference so they have abilities that trigger at the beginning of a step or phase. “During” still appears in current card text, but only in its normal English sense and not as game terminology.

External links

• Printable chart listing the magic turn structure
• Ted Knutson (November 04, 2006). "The Dynamics of a Turn". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Jeff Cunningham (February 10, 2007). "In-Game Protocol". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Jeff Cunningham (April 07, 2007). "Tactical Protocol: Your Own Turn". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Jeff Cunningham (April 14, 2007). "Tactical Protocol: Your Opponent's Turn". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Jeff Cunningham (April 21, 2007). "Tactical Protocol: Introduction to Information & Resources". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Reid Duke (February 16, 2015). "Sequencing". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Reid Duke (May 11, 2015). "Going Through the Motions". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.