MTG turn phases: every phase and step in order
A Magic turn has five phases: beginning, precombat main, combat, postcombat main and ending. Here's every step inside them, what happens in each, and the rules people forget.
In this article
Every Magic turn follows the same structure. Knowing it is what tells you when you can cast what, when your “at the beginning of” triggers happen, and why you can’t respond to an untap.
The five phases
Rule 500.1 of the Comprehensive Rules:
A turn consists of five phases, in this order: beginning, precombat main, combat, postcombat main, and ending.
The beginning, combat and ending phases are split into steps. The two main phases have none.
| Phase | Steps |
|---|---|
| Beginning | Untap, upkeep, draw |
| Precombat main | none |
| Combat | Beginning of combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, end of combat |
| Postcombat main | none |
| Ending | End step, cleanup |
Beginning phase
Untap step
Your phased-out permanents phase in and your phased-in ones with phasing phase out. If the game is using day and night, the game checks whether it changes. Then you untap your permanents.
Nobody gets priority here (rule 502.4). You can’t cast spells or activate abilities, and anything that triggers during the untap step waits until the upkeep.
Upkeep step
Nothing happens automatically. “At the beginning of your upkeep” abilities trigger, and then you get priority, so this is the first point in the turn where anyone can cast an instant.
Draw step
You draw a card, then you get priority. In a two-player game, the player who goes first skips the draw step of their first turn (rule 103.8a). In Commander and other multiplayer games, nobody skips it.
Precombat main phase
Also called the first main phase. A few things happen at the start, in this order: if you’re the archenemy, you set a scheme in motion, you put a lore counter on each of your Sagas, and then you get priority.
The main phase is where you can cast creatures, sorceries, artifacts, enchantments and planeswalkers, but only while the stack is empty. You can also play one land per turn, in either main phase.
Combat phase
Beginning of combat
In multiplayer games where you have to pick one opponent to attack, you choose them here. Then players get priority. This is the last moment to tap a creature before it can attack.
Declare attackers
You choose which untapped creatures attack, and which player, planeswalker or battle each one attacks. Attacking taps them, unless they have vigilance. “Whenever this attacks” abilities trigger.
If nobody attacks, the declare blockers and combat damage steps are skipped (rule 508.8).
Declare blockers
The defending player chooses which untapped creatures block, and which attacker each one blocks. “Whenever this blocks” and “becomes blocked” abilities trigger.
Combat damage
All attacking and blocking creatures deal their damage at the same time. If any of them has first strike or double strike, there are two combat damage steps: first-strike and double-strike creatures deal damage in the first, the rest (plus double strike again) in the second.
This is the step where commander damage is dealt, and where the monarch and the initiative change hands.
End of combat
“At end of combat” abilities trigger. When this step ends, every creature is removed from combat.
Postcombat main phase
Also called the second main phase. It works like the first, minus the archenemy and Saga actions. If you didn’t play a land in your first main phase, you can play it now.
Ending phase
End step
“At the beginning of your end step” abilities trigger, then players get priority. The monarch draws here.
Cleanup
Three things happen:
- If you have more cards in hand than your maximum hand size (normally seven), you discard down to it.
- Damage on every permanent wears off.
- All “until end of turn” and “this turn” effects end.
Normally nobody gets priority in the cleanup step. If something triggers or a state-based action happens, players do get priority, and then there’s another cleanup step afterwards.
Mana empties between every step
Unspent mana leaves your mana pool at the end of every step and phase (rule 500.5), not only at the end of the turn. Mana you add in your upkeep is gone by the draw step.
Extra phases and steps
Some cards add to the turn:
- Relentless Assault and Aggravated Assault add an extra combat phase and an extra main phase after the current main phase.
- Sphinx of the Second Sun adds a whole extra beginning phase after your postcombat main phase: untap, upkeep and draw again.
- Paradox Haze gives the enchanted player an extra upkeep step every turn.
- Obeka, Splitter of Seconds gives you one extra upkeep step for each point of combat damage it deals to a player.
And Sundial of the Infinite goes the other way: it ends the turn on the spot, skipping everything that’s left except the cleanup.
Keeping track at the table
In a 4-player Commander game the hard part isn’t the steps, it’s remembering whose turn it is and how long it’s been going.
Lotus has a turn tracker that shows whose turn it is and counts the turns. You can also turn on a timer per turn. A long press moves it back to the previous player if someone tapped too early.
