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NewCommander bracket guide →The Stack & Layers
Cheat Sheet
Magic has two ordering systems. The stack orders things that happen one at a time. Layers order things that are all true at once.
Checked against the Comprehensive Rules effective August 7, 2026. Definitions here are paraphrases and every line carries the rule it came from — full source list below.
The loop
CR 117Who may act, and what has to happen before anything resolves.
↻and again
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- ↻and again — back to 1
Someone acts
Everyone passes
The top resolves
Active player first
and againAll pass on an empty stack? Nothing resolves — the step or phase just ends. 405.5
Priority
CR 117Who may act right now.
- 117.1aInstants any time you have priority. Sorceries only in your own main phase, with an empty stack.
- 117.1bActivated abilities any time you have priority.
- 117.1dMana abilities need no priority — you may activate them mid-cast.
- 117.3cAct, and you get priority again. Nobody skips ahead of you.
- 117.3dPass, and the next player in turn order gets it.
- 117.3bAfter anything resolves, the active player goes first.
- 117.3aNo priority in untap. Usually none in cleanup.
- 117.7Casting in response to something means yours resolves first.
Casting a spell
CR 601.2One uninterrupted sequence — nobody can respond until step i is done.
- aMove the card to the stack.
- bAnnounce modes, kicker, and any alternative or additional costs.
- cChoose targets.
- dDivide anything the spell divides.
- eThe game checks the spell is legal. If it is not, everything rewinds to before you started.
- fWork out the total cost.
- gTap for mana. This is the only window for it.
- hPay. No partial payments, ever.
- iThe spell is cast. Cast triggers go on the stack. You keep priority.
Activating an ability follows the same steps, b through i. 602.2b
Resolving
CR 608.2Last on, first off — one object at a time.
- 405.2Each new object goes on top of everything already there.
- 608.2aA trigger with an “if” clause checks it now, and does nothing if it is false.
- 608.2bTargets are checked again. If every one is illegal, the spell fizzles — removed from the stack, not resolved. It is not countered.
- 608.2bIf some targets are still legal, it resolves and the illegal ones are skipped.
- 608.2cInstructions happen in the order written.
- 117.2eNobody has priority while something is resolving.
- 608.2nAn instant or sorcery hits the graveyard as its last step.
Never uses the stack
CR 405.6You cannot respond to any of these.
- 405.6cMana abilities. They resolve immediately.
- 405.6bStatic abilities. Always on, never announced.
- 405.6dSpecial actions — playing a land, turning a face-down creature up.
- 405.6eTurn-based actions — untapping, the draw-step draw.
- 405.6fState-based actions — set out in full under 704.
- 405.6aEffects. Only the spell or ability that made them used the stack.
State-based actions
CR 704Checked every time a player would get priority, all at once, then again until nothing happens.
- 704.4They ignore anything that happens mid-resolution.
- 704.5a0 or less life — that player loses.
- 704.5bDrew from an empty library — that player loses.
- 704.5cTen or more poison counters — that player loses.
- 704.5f0 or less toughness — into the graveyard. Regeneration cannot save it.
- 704.5gDamage marked at or above toughness — destroyed. Regeneration can save it.
- 704.5dA token anywhere but the battlefield stops existing.
Priority
CR 117Who may act right now.
- Instants any time you have priority. Sorceries only in your own main phase, with an empty stack. 117.1a
- Activated abilities any time you have priority. 117.1b
- Mana abilities need no priority — you may activate them mid-cast. 117.1d
- Act, and you get priority again. Nobody skips ahead of you. 117.3c
- Pass, and the next player in turn order gets it. 117.3d
- After anything resolves, the active player goes first. 117.3b
- No priority in untap. Usually none in cleanup. 117.3a
- Casting in response to something means yours resolves first. 117.7
Casting a spell
CR 601.2One uninterrupted sequence — nobody can respond until step i is done.
- aMove the card to the stack. 601.2a
- bAnnounce modes, kicker, and any alternative or additional costs. 601.2b
- cChoose targets. 601.2c
- dDivide anything the spell divides. 601.2d
- eThe game checks the spell is legal. If it is not, everything rewinds to before you started. 601.2e
- fWork out the total cost. 601.2f
- gTap for mana. This is the only window for it. 601.2g
- hPay. No partial payments, ever. 601.2h
- iThe spell is cast. Cast triggers go on the stack. You keep priority. 601.2i
Resolving
CR 608.2Last on, first off — one object at a time.
- Each new object goes on top of everything already there. 405.2
- A trigger with an “if” clause checks it now, and does nothing if it is false. 608.2a
- Targets are checked again. If every one is illegal, the spell fizzles — removed from the stack, not resolved. It is not countered. 608.2b
- If some targets are still legal, it resolves and the illegal ones are skipped. 608.2b
- Instructions happen in the order written. 608.2c
- Nobody has priority while something is resolving. 117.2e
- An instant or sorcery hits the graveyard as its last step. 608.2n
Never uses the stack
CR 405.6You cannot respond to any of these.
- Mana abilities. They resolve immediately. 405.6c
- Static abilities. Always on, never announced. 405.6b
- Special actions — playing a land, turning a face-down creature up. 405.6d
- Turn-based actions — untapping, the draw-step draw. 405.6e
- State-based actions — set out in full under 704. 405.6f
- Effects. Only the spell or ability that made them used the stack. 405.6a
State-based actions
CR 704Checked every time a player would get priority, all at once, then again until nothing happens.
- They ignore anything that happens mid-resolution. 704.4
- 0 or less life — that player loses. 704.5a
- Drew from an empty library — that player loses. 704.5b
- Ten or more poison counters — that player loses. 704.5c
- 0 or less toughness — into the graveyard. Regeneration cannot save it. 704.5f
- Damage marked at or above toughness — destroyed. Regeneration can save it. 704.5g
- A token anywhere but the battlefield stops existing. 704.5d
The seven layers
CR 613Every continuous effect applies in this order, every time the game looks. Not the order they were played — this order.
The stack decides what order effects are created in. Layers decide what order they apply in — and when a spell resolved only breaks ties between effects in the same layer.
Applied in this order
Layer 1Has its own sublayers. What comes out of it is the copiable values. 613.2 · 613.2c
Layers 2–6Characteristic-defining abilities apply first, then everything else in timestamp order. 613.3
Layer 7Has its own sublayers, and they run in this order regardless of when each effect arrived. 613.4
Inside any one layer
- Earlier timestamp applies first. 613.7
- Unless one effect depends on another — then it waits, and timestamps are overridden. 613.8
Worked example — inside layer 7
613.4Four effects, every one of them a power and toughness effect — so all four land in layer 7 and the only question is which sublayer. Played in one order, applied in another: the game keeps no running total, it walks the layers from the printed values every time it looks.
Gray Ogre2/2
Played in this order
Applied in this order
- 1Bond Beetle puts a +1/+1 counter on it
- 2Giant Growth gives it +3/+3
- 3Glorious Anthem gives your creatures +1/+1
- 4Ovinize sets base P/T to 0/1
- Printed on the card2/2
- 7b4Ovinize sets the base0/1
- 7c1 2 3The three pumps pile on5/6
0+1+3+1 = 5 · 1+1+3+1 = 6
Ovinize was cast last, and it applies first. 7b runs before 7c, so it jumps the queue over all three pumps and becomes the base they build on.
Ovinize also removes abilities, which happens back in layer 6. Gray Ogre has none, so it changes nothing here.
Inside any one layer
- Earlier timestamp applies first. 613.7
- Unless one effect depends on another — then it waits, and timestamps are overridden. 613.8
Worked example — inside layer 7
613.4Four effects, every one of them a power and toughness effect — so all four land in layer 7 and the only question is which sublayer. Played in one order, applied in another: the game keeps no running total, it walks the layers from the printed values every time it looks.
Gray Ogre2/2
Played in this order
Applied in this order
- 1Bond Beetle puts a +1/+1 counter on itA counter modifies P/T: it adds to the current values rather than replacing them.
- 2Giant Growth gives it +3/+3Modifies P/T, adding on top of whatever the creature already is.
- 3Glorious Anthem gives your creatures +1/+1A static ability, but it still only modifies P/T. Same sublayer as the other two.
- 4Ovinize sets base P/T to 0/1Sets P/T instead of adding to it — which is what puts it in 7b.
- Printed on the card2/2Where every recalculation starts. Not a layer — this is the card itself.
- 7b4Ovinize sets the base0/1Setting runs first, so the printed 2/2 is replaced outright. Nothing is lost yet.
- 7c1 2 3The three pumps pile on5/6Modifiers run after, adding to whatever 7b left behind — not to the printed 2/2.
7b base, then the 7c modifiers in play order
| Power | 0 | +1 | +3 | +1 | = 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toughness | 1 | +1 | +3 | +1 | = 6 |
Played in this order
- 1Bond Beetle puts a +1/+1 counter on it7cA counter modifies P/T: it adds to the current values rather than replacing them.
- 2Giant Growth gives it +3/+37cModifies P/T, adding on top of whatever the creature already is.
- 3Glorious Anthem gives your creatures +1/+17cA static ability, but it still only modifies P/T. Same sublayer as the other two.
- 4Ovinize sets base P/T to 0/17bSets P/T instead of adding to it — which is what puts it in 7b.
Applied in this order
- Printed on the card2/2Where every recalculation starts. Not a layer — this is the card itself.
- 7b4Ovinize sets the base0/1Setting runs first, so the printed 2/2 is replaced outright. Nothing is lost yet.
- 7c1 2 3The three pumps pile on5/6Modifiers run after, adding to whatever 7b left behind — not to the printed 2/2.
7b base, then the 7c modifiers in play order
| Power | 0 | +1 | +3 | +1 | = 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toughness | 1 | +1 | +3 | +1 | = 6 |
Ovinize was cast last, and it applies first. 7b runs before 7c, so it jumps the queue over all three pumps and becomes the base they build on.
Ovinize also removes abilities, which happens back in layer 6. Gray Ogre has none, so it changes nothing here.
Timestamps
CR 613.7Inside one layer, the earlier timestamp applies first — so the tie-break is only usable if you know when each effect got stamped. Most of these are re-stamps: the same permanent takes a new timestamp every time one of them happens.
- 613.7dAn object is stamped when it enters a zone. That is the one most effects inherit.
- 613.7bAn effect from a resolving spell or ability is stamped when it is created.
- 613.7aAn effect from a static ability takes the object's timestamp, or the timestamp of whatever created the ability, whichever is later.
- 613.7eAn Aura, Equipment, or Fortification is re-stamped every time it becomes attached.
- 613.7fA permanent is re-stamped every time it turns face up or face down.
- 613.7gA double-faced permanent is re-stamped every time it transforms or converts.
- 613.7cA counter is stamped as it goes on. Put a second counter of the same kind on, and every counter of that kind takes the new stamp together.
- 613.7mTwo things stamped simultaneously break the tie in APNAP order — active player's first, in that player's chosen order.
- 613.7nAn object's own static ability beats a resolving effect that lands at the same moment.
Terms & Topics
- Priority
- The right to act. The player who has it may cast a spell, activate an ability, or take a special action; everyone else waits. Nothing on the stack resolves until every player passes it in turn. 117.1
- Fizzle608.2b
- What the table calls a spell whose targets have all become illegal. It leaves the stack without resolving and without being countered. 608.2b
- Timestamp
- When an object or effect got its stamp. Inside one layer, earlier applies first. Auras and Equipment get a new one each time they attach; permanents get one each time they turn face up or transform. 613.7
- Dependency
- If applying one effect would change what another one does, the second waits for the first — even when its timestamp is earlier. Effects in a dependency loop just use timestamps. 613.8
- Copiable values
- The object as it stands after layer 1 and nothing more. Counters, pumps, and control changes are not copiable, which is why a copy of a buffed creature arrives unbuffed. 613.2c
- Characteristic-defining abilityCDA
- An ability on the object that defines one of its own characteristics — “this creature's power is equal to the number of Islands you control.” It applies before other effects in its layer. 604.3
- Last known informationLKI
- If an ability's source has left the zone it was in, the game uses what it last looked like there. 608.2b
- Special action
- An action that does not use the stack and cannot be responded to. Playing a land is the one that comes up every turn. 116
- Mana ability
- An ability that produces mana, does not target, and is not a loyalty ability. It resolves the moment it is activated — there is no window to respond to it. 605.1
- State-based actionsSBA
- Checks the game runs itself, every time a player would get priority — lethal damage, zero toughness, zero life. Nobody puts them on the stack and nobody can respond to them. 704.3
- APNAP
- Active player, non-active player. The order things are put on the stack, and the order simultaneous choices get made, when more than one player is involved. 101.4
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Where this comes from
Every rule number on this page was checked against the Comprehensive Rules text rather than written from memory, because section numbering moves between revisions. This sheet is a paraphrase and a snapshot; the rules document is the authority.
- Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules08.2026
The rules text every number on this sheet was checked against, effective August 7, 2026. Wizards revises it with each set release, and section numbering does move — the link always points at the current revision.
- Comprehensive Rules, searchable — Yawgatog
An unofficial mirror of the rules text with an anchor on every rule and a linked glossary, which the official .txt has neither of. Every rule number on this page links here. It tracks the official text but it is not the authority — the Wizards link above is.
- Judge Academy — rules resources
Where to go when a real table argument outruns a one-page sheet.
- Magic Rules Q&A
Drilling ground for exactly the interactions this sheet covers. Not affiliated with Wizards or with PlayIRL.