5. Turn Structure

Rules overview

The clockwork of every turn. Five phases (Beginning, Pre-combat Main, Combat, Post-combat Main, Ending), each broken into steps. Each step has its own priority pattern and trigger windows.

If you've ever asked "when can I tap that creature down to stop it from attacking?" or "does this trigger fire before or after combat damage?", the answers live here.

What you'll find

• 500 General -- the order of phases and steps.
• 501 Beginning Phase (untap, upkeep, draw).
• 502 Untap Step -- nobody gets priority, surprisingly enough.
• 503 Upkeep Step -- the "at the beginning of your upkeep" trigger window.
• 504 Draw Step -- the active player draws a card.
• 505 Main Phase -- both the first (precombat) and second (postcombat) main phases.
• 506 Combat Phase -- the umbrella phase.
• 507 Beginning of Combat Step -- the last chance to tap creatures down.
• 508 Declare Attackers Step.
• 509 Declare Blockers Step.
• 510 Combat Damage Step -- both first-strike and regular.
• 511 End of Combat Step.
• 512 Ending Phase.
• 513 End Step -- where "at the beginning of the end step" triggers fire.
• 514 Cleanup Step -- discard down to hand size, damage wipes off, "until end of turn" effects expire.