How to Play Magic: The Gathering | Priority and The Stack

Episode 5 of our "How to play Magic: The Gathering" video series.

Professional MTG player Corey Baumeister walks you through how priority and the stack work in Magic: The Gathering.

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[Sbuswell]

Thanks for the tutorial, super helpful. A video about sagas, and saga manipulation would be so helpful!

[oponomo]

"the stack is this imaginary place" wrong. if i cast a spell it goes from hand to the stack, an actual different slot for my card. If an opponent respond with an instant that makes me discard(or exile) my entire hand, the card is not affected because it isn't in my hand anymore, but in the zone called Stack. Same goes for trying to cast something from Graveyard being responded with exile of the entire graveyard.

[terry]

Great job man. Simple and easy to understand

[LucaDV]

After a new spell or ability enters the stack, in a multiplayer game who gets the next priority? The active player?

[robtron]

Blue spells are engineered to ruin my game - got it

[ShaggyKing]

5:30 I don’t understand how the Planes walkers effect still goes off if it isn’t on the field. Also why can I respond to the ability and not him casting the spell? Could the player cast another instant speed spell or effect after activating the Plane walkers ability?

[esoteric]

This video was really helpful but one thing that still confuses me is that players can respond to a spell on the stack when priority is passed but in this case Garruk still resolved before priority was passed? Do planeswalkers being cast not go on the stack or were you able to hold priority while it was being cast? Everything else makes perfect sense it's just the planeswalker example that confused me

[Jotskyonline]

with the new outlaw of thunder set out I would like to know where rooftop assassin stand on the stack (for the cards ability). it has : flash, flying and lifelink : when rooftop assassin ETB destroy target creature your opponent controls that was delt damage this turn. Question: can I play rooftop assassin after my opponents post combat / before end phase to trigger the destor a damaged target ?

[judemiller]

In the Planeswalker example, I'm confused why it can activate it's ability in the same turn. Did we move from Main Phase 1 to Combat Phase between Garruk's placement on the battlefield getting resolved, and his ability activating?

[yubeluchiha]

This video needs a update for infinite loop stacking

[DuraheLL]

Can you add to a stack that is half resolved?

Let's say I have 3 effects on the stack, and after one of them resolve, you say "hold on I want to add to the stack"

Or is the stack only layering and layering until everyone is done adding to it, then it just resolve and nobody can do anything about it, triggering any effects until it's depleted?

Question 2:
You can play a land anytime on your main turns right? Even in the middle of the stack resolving?
Example, someone try and counter one of my spells by making me pay 2, I only have one, but I play a land as a reaction to the player playing the counter, so now I have 2 to pay (he didn't see that coming)

[lloydmoxon]

Question, do i get priority twice? e.g. i know can hold priority when i first cast a spell, simply playing two instants at once. Then if my opponent does nothing, can i add to the stack again before the first spell resolves? I cant remember the exact scenario this occured, but of top of my head an example might be wanting to double a spells damage, but waiting to see if someone counters the original. I would assume not, but looks like a mana saving trick.
and side question, in 3+ people games, if player1 spell goes on the stack and player3 responds. Does priority for player3 spell start again from player3 or player1?

[oceano]

you say, after casting the planeswalker spell, you have priority. But why? i should be able to react to you casting the planeswalker, no?

[matthewkarella]

I personally think this is a very dumb rule

[qoqqet]

How does a 2 damage spell kill a 5/5 walking corpse?