Simple question about priority

Viperion · **Joined:** 2010-Jul-18 9:59 pm **Age:** Elder Dragon

I should know the answer to this but I just realised that I don't;

4 player game (Players A, B, C, and D)

It's Player A's turn. They cast a spell, and receive priority. They pass. B passes. C casts a spell in response.

Who gets priority next? Does C retain priority after they cast their own spell, or does priority start with A again?

Follow up: Who gets second priority after C's spell? If C retains priority, does it then pass to A (the active player) or does it go D, A, B? If A gets priority after C's spell, does it then go B, C, D?

Willbender · **Joined:** 2012-Sep-19 1:30 pm **Age:** Elder Dragon

Priority always restarts with the active player. Priority always follows turn order.
So it'd go ABCABCD.

Viperion · **Joined:** 2010-Jul-18 9:59 pm **Age:** Elder Dragon

That's what I thought, but then I thought "can't you always respond to your own spell?"

Turns out, the answer is no!

cryogen · **Joined:** 2012-Mar-31 11:52 am **Age:** Elder Dragon

Viperion wrote:

That's what I thought, but then I thought "can't you always respond to your own spell?"

Turns out, the answer is no!

Can't any player opt to hold priority , or is that only the active player?

spacemonaut · **Joined:** 2016-Nov-27 2:39 pm **Age:** Elder Dragon

C gets priority back after casting a spell. A gets priority after it resolves.

Here's the relevant rules on priority from the CR on Timing and Priority:

Comprehensive Rules (Ravnica Allegiance, January 25 2019) wrote:

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 [...]
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 they cast a spell, activate an ability, or take 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, they announce 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.

(Willbender is thinking of 116.3b but it doesn't kick in just yet because there's also 116.3c.)

Priority first goes ABC as you describe. Then C casts a spell; 116.3c says they get priority back. They then pass priority to the next player in turn order (116.3d). Everyone else also passes to keep things simple. Priority at this point goes CDAB. Once B passes, all players have passed in succession (116.4) so the top of the stack resolves. Once a spell resolves the active player, A, gets priority (116.b). From there we proceed in ABCD order as normal.

Or put differently: ABC(cast)CDAB(resolve)ABCD

This also means any player can opt to hold priority.

Viperion · **Joined:** 2010-Jul-18 9:59 pm **Age:** Elder Dragon

Ah interesting. So A casts, C casts in response, then it's CDAB to respond to C's spell and if no one does, priority passes back to A under 116.3b

So assuming only those two spells (or abilities) are cast (or activated) the entire stack goes

A, B, C, C, D, A, B (C's spell resolves here), A, B, C, D

That's not how I thought it went at all, but it sort of makes sense. Going back to A again after C's spell resolves is not something I thought happened though

cryogen · **Joined:** 2012-Mar-31 11:52 am **Age:** Elder Dragon

spacemonaut wrote:

C gets priority back after casting a spell. A gets priority after it resolves.

Here's the relevant rules on priority from the CR on Timing and Priority:

Comprehensive Rules (Ravnica Allegiance, January 25 2019) wrote:

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 [...]
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 they cast a spell, activate an ability, or take 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, they announce 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.

(Willbender is thinking of 116.3b but it doesn't kick in just yet because there's also 116.3c.)

Priority first goes ABC as you describe. Then C casts a spell; 116.3c says they get priority back. They then pass priority to the next player in turn order (116.3d). Everyone else also passes to keep things simple. Priority at this point goes CDAB. Once B passes, all players have passed in succession (116.4) so the top of the stack resolves. Once a spell resolves the active player, A, gets priority (116.b). From there we proceed in ABCD order as normal.

Or put differently: ABC(cast)CDAB(resolve)ABCD

This also means any player can opt to hold priority.

Yeah, that's what I thought happened.

Simple question about priority

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