116.1.
Unless a spell or ability is instructing a player to take an action, which player can take actions at
any given time is determined by a system of priority. The player with priority may cast spells,
activate abilities, and take special actions.
116.1a
A player may cast an instant spell any time he or she has priority. A player may cast a
noninstant spell during his or her main phase any time he or she has priority and the stack is
empty.
116.1b
A player may activate an activated ability any time he or she has priority.
116.1c
A player may take some special actions any time he or she has priority. A player may take
other special actions during his or her main phase any time he or she has priority and the stack is
empty. See rule 115, «Special Actions.»
116.1d
A player may activate a mana ability whenever he or she has priority, whenever he or she is
casting a spell or activating an ability that requires a mana payment, or whenever a rule or effect
asks for a mana payment (even in the middle of casting or resolving a spell or activating or
resolving an ability).
116.2.
Other kinds of abilities and actions are automatically generated or performed by the game rules,
or are performed by players without receiving priority.
116.2a
Triggered abilities can trigger at any time, including while a spell is being cast, an ability is
being activated, or a spell or ability is resolving. (See rule 603, «Handling Triggered Abilities.»)
However, nothing actually happens at the time an ability triggers. Each time a player would
receive priority, each ability that has triggered but hasn‘t yet been put on the stack is put on the
stack. See rule 116.5.
116.2b
Static abilities continuously affect the game. Priority doesn‘t apply to them. (See rule 604,
«Handling Static Abilities,» and rule 611, «Continuous Effects.»)
116.2c
Turn-based actions happen automatically when certain steps or phases begin. They‘re dealt
with before a player would receive priority. See rule 116.3a. Turn-based actions also happen
automatically when each step and phase ends; no player receives priority afterward. See rule
703, «Turn-Based Actions.»
116.2d
State-based actions happen automatically when certain conditions are met. See rule 704.
They‘re dealt with before a player would receive priority. See rule 116.5.
116.2e
Resolving spells and abilities may instruct players to make choices or take actions, or may
allow players to activate mana abilities. Even if a player is doing so, no player has priority while
a spell or ability is resolving. See rule 608, «Resolving Spells and Abilities.»
116.3.
Which player has priority is determined by the following rules:
116.3a
The active player receives priority at the beginning of most steps and phases, after any turnbased
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).
116.3b
The active player receives priority after a spell or ability (other than a mana ability) resolves.
116.3c
If a player has priority when he or she casts a spell, activates an ability, or takes a special
action, that player receives priority afterward.
116.3d
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, he or she announces what mana is there. Then the next player in turn
order receives priority.
116.4.
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.
116.5.
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.
116.6.
In a multiplayer game using the shared team turns option, teams rather than individual players
have priority. See rule 805, «Shared Team Turns Option.»
116.7.
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.»