Discussion Forum

[QUOTE=olataro]If i were to tap an opponent's land using its ability during my opponents turn, can my opponent use that tapped land for mana?[/QUOTE]

He can tap in response to get its mana, yes. He has to use it pretty quickly, though, or he loses it.

500.4. When a step or phase ends, any unused mana left in a player’s mana pool empties. This turn-based action doesn’t use the stack.

A good time to do that to him is during his upkeep step (after he untaps but before he draws). That way he can't use that mana during his main phase, where it could help him play creatures, artifacts, enchantments, and sorceries.

Sigh, how about artifacts that needs tap to activate? Can i prevent him from activate it by tapping?

[QUOTE=olataro]Sigh, how about artifacts that needs tap to activate? Can i prevent him from activate it by tapping?[/QUOTE]

Not generally, no. Activated abilities can be used any time you could play an instant, unless they say otherwise (like Proteus Staff or the first ability of Muse Vessel).


Bear in mind, tapping land during your opponent's upkeep can be a good play. Sure he can use instants/abilities in response, but his own upkeep usually isn't the best time for him to do so, and then that mana won't be available for spells that will actually develop his board position.

Trust me, you can do terrible things to people with Mishra's Helix, and by far the most evil use of Opposition has always been to tap down lands. Rishadan Port was banned from Standard in its day. Messing with a man's mana is dirty fighting: nasty but effective.

Of course, a more directly defensive use of the Certarch is to tap a nasty creature early in your opponent's turn to keep it from attacking (and from blocking during your turn).

Haha, i know this is stupid....but what is upkeep phase? hahaha, i just played 2 weeks ago, so i am not sure about the terms.

BUt wouldnt he be able to tap it for mana even though i tap it for him? or mana tapped in upkeep phase doesnt count for mana?

maybe you should consider reading the game rules before asking these specific questions.

at least learn the proper turn order and all the official terminology.

sry...........

[QUOTE=olataro]what is upkeep phase? [/QUOTE]

The upkeep step occurs just after you untap at the beginning of your turn but before you draw your card for the turn. Usually, nothing happens during this step, but certain cards have abilities that trigger then, like Ajani's Mantra and Molten-Tail Masticore.

Whether there are any abilities triggering or not, though, players get a chance to play things each upkeep. This is a good time for you to do certain things to your opponent, such as tapping his permanents or casting Silence.

[quote]mana tapped in upkeep phase doesnt count for mana? [/quote]

Every time a step or phase ends, any unspent mana vanishes.

So if your opponent taps a land for mana during his upkeep, he has to spend it during his upkeep (before he draws) or the mana is lost. See the rule (500.4) I quoted above.


Here is the turn structure:

Beginning Phase

Untap Step
You untap all permanents you control. No one gets to play anything now.

Upkeep Step
Abilities that trigger at the beginning of the upkeep trigger and go on the stack. Then players get a chance to cast instants and activate abilities.

Draw Step
You draw a card. Then, if there are abilities that trigger at the beginning of the draw step (like with Howling Mine), they go on the stack. Then players get a chance to cast instants and activate abilities.

Main Phase (pre-combat)

This is where you can cast anything; creatures, sorceries, whatever. You can play a land. Abilities that you can only activate "as a sorcery" (like equip) can be activated now. And so on.

This is also known as the "precombat main phase," as referenced by cards like Magus of the Vineyard.

Combat Phase

Beginning of Combat Step
Abilities that trigger "at the beginning of combat" (like with Battle-Rattle Shaman) go on the stack. Then players get a chance to cast instants and activate abilities.

If you're the defending player, this is your last chance to use tap effects (like that of the Certarch) on a creature to prevent it from attacking.

Declare Attackers Step
The active player announces which of his untapped creatures, if any, will be attacking. Those creatures become tapped. Abilities that trigger "when [something] attacks" go on the stack. Then players get a chance to cast instants and activate abilities.

If no attackers were declared, skip ahead to the end of combat step.

Declare Blockers Step
The defending player announces whether and how each of his untapped creatures blocks. Abilities that trigger on blocking (like with Ichorclaw Myr or Loyal Sentry) go on the stack. Then players get a chance to cast instants and activate abilities.

Combat Damage Step
Players announce how their creatures assign combat damage. Then all that damage is dealt at once. Then, once state-based actions are checked (most relevantly, creatures that just received lethal damage are destroyed), players get a chance to cast instants and activate abilities.

If any of the attacking or blocking creatures have first strike and/or double strike, there are two combat damage steps. In the first, only creatures with first strike or double strike assign damage. In the second, the rest of the creatures, plus those with double strike, assign theirs.

End of Combat Step
Abilities that trigger "at end of combat" go on the stack. These will mostly be delayed triggers, like that set up by Arrogant Bloodlord's ability (the Bloodlord's ability triggers during the declare blockers step, but its effect creates a "delayed triggered ability" that does not itself trigger until the end of combat step). Then players get a chance to cast instants and activate abilities.

Main Phase (post combat)

After combat, the main phase resumes. Don't forget this; often it's best to play creatures after combat; they can't attack this turn anyway and if you attack with a bunch of land untapped it might make your opponent suspect you have instants up your sleeve (and hey, you might).

This is also known as the "postcombat main phase," as referenced in World at War.

Ending Phase

End Step
Abilities that trigger "at the beginning of the end step" (like with Putrefax or the delayed triggered ability created by Argent Sphinx's activated ability) go on the stack. Then players get a chance to cast instants and activate abilities.

Cleanup Step
If the active player has too many cards in his hand, he discards down to his maximum hand size (seven by default). Then, simultaneously, all damage is removed from all permanents and all "until end of turn" and "this turn" effects end.

Normally, players do not get a chance to play things now. The exception is if a triggered ability goes off (like if the discarding triggers Liliana's Caress); then players get a chance to respond with instants and activated abilities.

If this happens, the cleanup step repeats itself. It will keep repeating itself until things go smoothly enough that no one gets a chance to play anything.

Then the turn ends.