Stack

From MTG Salvation Wiki

The stack is the game zone where spells and abilities are put when they are played and where they wait to resolve. Spells and abilities are put on top of the stack as the first step in being played, and are removed from it as the last step of resolving.

Any spell or ability that uses the stack can be 'responded to' by all players, meaning players have a chance to play spells and abilities with it still on the stack. Since the stack resolves in order from top to bottom, those spells and abilities will resolve before the spell they were played "in response" to. Spells and abilities on the stack resolve one at a time, with a chance for each player to play spells and abilities in between each resolution. Actions that do not use the stack, such as paying costs, playing mana abilities or turning a face-down creature with morph face-up, cannot be responded to.

From the Comprehensive Rules 217.6. Stack 217.6a When a spell is played, the physical card is put on the stack. When an ability is played, it goes on top of the stack without any card associated with it. (See rule 409.1, “Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.”) 217.6b The stack keeps track of the order that spells and/or abilities were added to it. Each time an object is put on the stack, it’s put on top of all objects already there. (See rule 408, “Timing of Spells and Abilities.”) 217.6c Each spell has all the characteristics of the card associated with it. Each activated or triggered ability that’s on the stack has the text of the ability that created it and no other characteristics. The controller of a spell is the person who played the spell. The controller of an activated ability is the player who played the ability. The controller of a triggered ability is the player who controlled the ability’s source when it triggered. 217.6d When all players pass in succession, the top (last-added) spell or ability on the stack resolves. If the stack is empty when all players pass, the current step or phase ends and the next begins. 217.6e Combat damage also uses the stack, in the same way as other objects that use the stack.

Contents 1 Actions 1.1 Actions that use the stack 1.2 Actions that don't 1.3 Abilities that don't 2 References 3 External links

[edit] Actions

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[edit] Actions that use the stack

• assigning damage

[edit] Actions that don't

• playing a land;
• tapping a permanent for mana;
• unmorphing a creature;
• phasing in and out at the start of the untap step (see rule 302.1);
• untapping at the start of the untap step (see rule 302.2).
• drawing a card at the start of the draw step (see rule 304.1);
• declaring attackers at the start of the declare attackers step (see rule 308.1);
• declaring blockers at the start of the declare blockers step (see rule 309.1);
• the active player discarding down to his or her maximum hand size at the start of the cleanup step (see rule 314);
• removing damage from permanents and ending "until end of turn" and "this turn" effects at the start of the cleanup step (see rule 314);
• removing a card with suspend from the game using its suspend ability. ^[1]

An action that does not use the stack is called a "game action".^[2] Mana burn at the end of a phase is also a game action (see rule 300.3).

[edit] Abilities that don't

• triggering certain abilities; for example, Opal Champion;

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• http://essentialmagic.com/articles/thestack.asp