Stack Examples

The stack · intermediate

Worked examples for common stack situations.

I cast Llanowar Elves.
Stack: [Llanowar Elves]
You cast Counterspell targeting it.
Stack: [Counterspell, Llanowar Elves]
I have priority. I pass.
You pass. Stack resolves top-down.
Counterspell resolves -> Llanowar Elves goes to my graveyard (it was countered, not destroyed).

You attack me with a Serra Angel.
I have priority before declare blockers. I cast Doom Blade targeting Serra Angel.
Stack: [Doom Blade]
You have no responses. Doom Blade resolves -> Serra Angel goes to graveyard.
We never get to declare blockers because there's no attacker anymore. (Combat damage step still happens; nothing deals damage.)

You cast Path to Exile targeting my Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger.
Stack: [Path to Exile]
I have priority. I activate Phyrexian Altar: "{T}, sacrifice a creature: Add one mana of any color."
Stack: [Phyrexian Altar's mana ability, Path to Exile]
Wait -- mana abilities don't use the stack! They resolve immediately. So in fact:
I sacrifice Ulamog -> mana ability resolves -> Ulamog (a commander) goes to my command zone via the commander replacement effect, never reaches graveyard.
Path to Exile then tries to resolve, but its target is gone -> Path to Exile is countered by game rules ("if all targets are illegal, the spell is countered on resolution").

I attack with Goblin Rabblemaster.
"Whenever Goblin Rabblemaster attacks, create a 1/1 red Goblin creature token that's tapped and attacking."
That trigger goes on the stack at the same priority window as declare attackers.
You can cast a spell to kill the Rabblemaster in response. The Rabblemaster dies, but the trigger is already on the stack and will still resolve -- you get a Goblin token. (Triggered abilities are independent of their source after they trigger, mostly.)

The stack resolves top-down: last in, first out.
Triggers go on the stack the next time someone gets priority, not instantly.
A spell or ability remembers its targets when it goes on the stack; targets are checked on resolution and again when the spell/ability tries to do something to them.

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