What are Spells on the Stack?
Spells on the stack refer to magical effects that are waiting to resolve, allowing players to respond to actions before they take full effect, and enabling interactive gameplay even with instantaneous effects. The stack system is an imaginary place where spells and abilities go when waiting to resolve, creating an ordering of how things resolve, starting with the most recent ability or spell added to the stack.
Understanding the Stack
Introduction to the Stack
To delve deeper into the concept of spells on the stack, it’s essential to understand how the stack works and its role in Magic: The Gathering. The stack is a fundamental mechanism that allows players to interact with each other’s spells and abilities in a meaningful way.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is a Spell on the Stack Cast?
A spell is considered cast when it is placed on the stack and its costs are paid, but it is not yet resolved.
2. What Counts as a Spell?
In MTG, a spell is any type of card cast by a player, including instants, sorceries, and creatures, but excluding land cards.
3. Is a Spell on the Stack a Permanent?
A card is only a spell when it is on the stack; in most other zones, it is simply a card or a permanent when on the battlefield.
4. How the Stack Works in Magic: the Gathering
The stack works by maintaining a “last in, first out” (LIFO) order, where the most recent spell or ability added to the stack is the first to resolve.
5. What Happens to Spells on the Stack if a Player Dies?
When a player leaves the game, all spells and abilities controlled by that player on the stack cease to exist.
6. Can You Counter a Spell on the Stack?
Yes, countering happens when a counterspell resolves, not when the target attempts to resolve.
7. Is Copying a Spell Playing a Spell?
No, copying a spell is not the same as playing a spell, as copies go to the stack differently.
8. Is a Permanent Considered a Spell?
No, permanents are not spells, although any card can become a permanent once it enters the battlefield.
9. Does Playing Count as Casting a Spell?
No, playing refers to putting a land onto the battlefield from the hand, while casting refers to putting a spell onto the stack.
10. Do Activated Abilities Go on the Stack?
Yes, activated abilities go on the stack when they are activated and their costs are paid.
11. Can Sorceries Go on the Stack?
Yes, sorceries can go on the stack when they are cast, and they resolve according to the LIFO order.
12. What is Stack Manipulation?
Stack manipulation refers to the process of adding or removing spells and abilities from the stack to change the order of resolution.
13. What is the Priority of Spells?
After casting a spell, the player gets priority, allowing them to respond to the spell before it resolves.
14. Can You Cast a Spell and Then Move?
Yes, a player can cast a spell as a standard action and then take a move action, but they cannot move and then cast and then move again.
15. Do Copied Spells Count as Spells?
Yes, copies of spells are themselves spells, even though they have no spell card associated with them, and they can be countered or resolved like any other spell.