← Announcements
Rules Update 0.4 The Stack
2026-10-10 · RulesVersion 0.4 — the Stack is now a rule
The Stack is no longer just teaching vocabulary. It is now a defined part of the rules: Core Rulebook Section 17.2 and the The Stack section of the Condensed Rules.
What the Stack is
The Stack is where plays and activated abilities wait before they happen. It is not a zone — it is a pending-play area with a response window.
What can go on it:
- A play — a card you play from your hand (creature, spell, enchantment, or weapon).
- An activated ability — an ability you choose to use and pay for, such as Sacrifice, attacking with a Weapon, or switching an Enchantment's active ability.
It resolves last in, first out. The most recently added item resolves first, then the one before it, and so on. After each item resolves, both players get a fresh priority window.
What does not go on the Stack
- Triggered abilities. Anything starting with When, Whenever, or At runs on the separate Ability Stack-Chain (Section 17.1), with no priority window inside it.
Priority
Priority is held by the current player and is not freely passable. The opponent receives priority only:
- in response to an initiated action (playing a card, activating an ability, harvesting, shattering, switching an Enchantment, or changing phases),
- when an item on the Stack resolves, or
- when a phase changes.
Priority windows exist in every phase.
Other clarifications
- A play is not "cast" or "played" until it resolves — that is, until it lands. So "When you cast a spell" and "When you play a creature" triggers fire when the play resolves.
- A play or ability with no legal target at resolution fizzles — it does nothing and leaves the Stack.
- "When this attacks" triggers are handled the moment attackers are declared, before the defending player receives priority.
- Replacement effects are unchanged and are still not covered by the once-per-chain limitation.
Two systems, two names
The Stack and the Ability Stack-Chain are two different systems. Do not treat them as one system with two names. The Stack (plays and activated abilities) has response windows; the Ability Stack-Chain (triggered abilities) does not.
Where to read it
- Core Rulebook — Section 17.2 (The Stack), plus updates to Section 17, Section 18, and the turn/priority summary.
- Condensed Rules — The Stack section plus the priority and quick-reference updates.
This is in Version 0.4.
Tell us how it feels in play. Discord