I'm trying to get a better understanding of the concept of priority which seems to be a constant theme in Magic the Gathering that is often skipped in announcing because it seldom is relevant. I have a few questions.
1. I play Oracle of Mul Daya and reveal the top of my library. It is a nonland card. Then I cast Rampant Growth and shuffle my library. I reveal the top card of my library and it is a Forest card. Then my opponent casts Lightning Bolt targeting Oracle of Mul Daya. Can I play the Forest card on top of my library (or one from my hand) before my Oracle of Mul Daya is dealt damage and dies?
2. I play Oracle of Mul Daya and reveal the top of my library. It is a Forest card. I play it from the top of my library. The card on top of my library is now a Wasteland. My opponent casts Go for the Throat targeting Oracle of Mul Daya. Would this prevent me from playing the Wasteland from the top of my library?
3. I control six lands and before I play a land, I cast Nissa, Vastwood Seer during my main phase and fetch my library for a forest. Can my opponent remove Nissa, Vastwood Seer before I play a land and she transforms to Nissa, Sage Animist?
4. It is my main phase and I control 6 lands and Nissa, Vastwood Seer. I play a land and transform her into Nissa, Sage Animist. Can my opponent Lightning Bolt her before I use her plus ability to reduce her loyalty to 0. My understanding is that I would be able to use her plus ability first. If this is true, please explain why because that doesn't seem intuitive because planeswalker abilities are only to be activated as if they were sorcery spells. I think this has to be with priority but I want to be able to understand it so I can explain it.
Can someone please explain in detail what happens in these scenarios and why? Please cite specific rules if possible. I would also appreciate analogies or metaphors that aren't exactly related to the rules but may help me understand how this works better.
Also feel free to include any other rulings or interesting rules that may not be intuitive regarding Oracle of Mul Daya/Exploration effects, playing lands, or responding to planeswalker loyalty abilities.
1. Yes, assuming you haven't played any lands this turn before this scenario. You shuffle your library when Rampant Growth resolves, after which you reveal the top card of your library (C.R. 608.2c; see also C.R. 701.14c, 701.14a). Then Rampant Growth goes to the graveyard (C.R. 608.2k) and the active player (here, you) gets priority (C.R. 116.3b). Since you have priority, you can play a land at this time (C.R. 116.1c, 115.2a). And no other player has priority to cast spells, including Lightning Bolt (C.R. 116.1a).
2. Playing a land is a special action (C.R. 115.2a), and "(i)f a player takes a special action, that player receives priority afterward" (C.R. 115.3). Thus, your opponent doesn't have priority to cast spells, including Go for the Throat (C.R. 116.1a).
3. When Nissa enters the battlefield, its first ability will trigger and go on the stack (C.R. 603.2, 603.3). Since the ability goes on the stack, you won't meet the timing requirement to play lands under C.R. 115.2a, and your opponent will have priority to cast spells in response to that ability before that ability resolves (C.R. 116.7, 116.3d).
4. Once a land you control enters the battlefield and you control seven or more lands (including the new land), Nissa's second ability will trigger and go on the stack (C.R. 603.2, 603.3, 603.6a, 603.4). Every other player will have priority to cast spells in response to that ability before that ability resolves (C.R. 116.7, 116.3d). For example, that ability will do nothing if you no longer control seven or more lands when that ability resolves (due to that ability's intervening "if" clause) (C.R. 608.2a).
All of your questions boil down to the same answer. After any spell or ability resolves the active player gains priority. You can only play lands while you have available land drops and have priority. The opponent only gains priority when you pass priority to them, meaning you(the active player) always have the first chance to take actions. For any effect to resolve both players must pass priority without doing anything, the same is true for moving between phases and steps. While nearly every action requires passing priority, special actions don't; the most common special action is playing a land, the active player maintains priority while playing lands.
1. Opponent can't cast lightning bolt until they have priority. They gain priority at several points during these events but the specific point at which bolt is cast here can't happen. Rampant growth has just resolved meaning you(active player) have priority and can play lands, once you pass priority your opponent can bolt and you can't play lands in response to the bolt.
2. Again the opponent can't act until you pass priority and while most actions involve passing priority playing a land doesn't, so you can play as many lands from the top of your library as you have lands and land drops without ever passing priority.
3. Same answer as before but significantly less relevant. They can't cast a spell in this exact scenario but they have two different points where they can cast a spell denying you your transformation. When Nissa's ability is on the stack they will gain priority and be able to cast a spell to deal with her before you can play a land. And when her ability triggers they will gain priority so they can cast a spell to deal with her before she flips.
4. I'm going to pretend that a normal walker resolved as opposed to the Nissa due to the option of killing her before she flips. When anything resolves the active player(you in this situation) gains priority. So you have the chance to activate abilities before the opponent gets to do anything, and because the loyalty adding or removing is a cost it is done when you activate the ability not when it resolves.
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1. I play Oracle of Mul Daya and reveal the top of my library. It is a nonland card. Then I cast Rampant Growth and shuffle my library. I reveal the top card of my library and it is a Forest card. Then my opponent casts Lightning Bolt targeting Oracle of Mul Daya. Can I play the Forest card on top of my library (or one from my hand) before my Oracle of Mul Daya is dealt damage and dies?
2. I play Oracle of Mul Daya and reveal the top of my library. It is a Forest card. I play it from the top of my library. The card on top of my library is now a Wasteland. My opponent casts Go for the Throat targeting Oracle of Mul Daya. Would this prevent me from playing the Wasteland from the top of my library?
3. I control six lands and before I play a land, I cast Nissa, Vastwood Seer during my main phase and fetch my library for a forest. Can my opponent remove Nissa, Vastwood Seer before I play a land and she transforms to Nissa, Sage Animist?
4. It is my main phase and I control 6 lands and Nissa, Vastwood Seer. I play a land and transform her into Nissa, Sage Animist. Can my opponent Lightning Bolt her before I use her plus ability to reduce her loyalty to 0. My understanding is that I would be able to use her plus ability first. If this is true, please explain why because that doesn't seem intuitive because planeswalker abilities are only to be activated as if they were sorcery spells. I think this has to be with priority but I want to be able to understand it so I can explain it.
Can someone please explain in detail what happens in these scenarios and why? Please cite specific rules if possible. I would also appreciate analogies or metaphors that aren't exactly related to the rules but may help me understand how this works better.
Also feel free to include any other rulings or interesting rules that may not be intuitive regarding Oracle of Mul Daya/Exploration effects, playing lands, or responding to planeswalker loyalty abilities.
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2. Playing a land is a special action (C.R. 115.2a), and "(i)f a player takes a special action, that player receives priority afterward" (C.R. 115.3). Thus, your opponent doesn't have priority to cast spells, including Go for the Throat (C.R. 116.1a).
3. When Nissa enters the battlefield, its first ability will trigger and go on the stack (C.R. 603.2, 603.3). Since the ability goes on the stack, you won't meet the timing requirement to play lands under C.R. 115.2a, and your opponent will have priority to cast spells in response to that ability before that ability resolves (C.R. 116.7, 116.3d).
4. Once a land you control enters the battlefield and you control seven or more lands (including the new land), Nissa's second ability will trigger and go on the stack (C.R. 603.2, 603.3, 603.6a, 603.4). Every other player will have priority to cast spells in response to that ability before that ability resolves (C.R. 116.7, 116.3d). For example, that ability will do nothing if you no longer control seven or more lands when that ability resolves (due to that ability's intervening "if" clause) (C.R. 608.2a).
1. Opponent can't cast lightning bolt until they have priority. They gain priority at several points during these events but the specific point at which bolt is cast here can't happen. Rampant growth has just resolved meaning you(active player) have priority and can play lands, once you pass priority your opponent can bolt and you can't play lands in response to the bolt.
2. Again the opponent can't act until you pass priority and while most actions involve passing priority playing a land doesn't, so you can play as many lands from the top of your library as you have lands and land drops without ever passing priority.
3. Same answer as before but significantly less relevant. They can't cast a spell in this exact scenario but they have two different points where they can cast a spell denying you your transformation. When Nissa's ability is on the stack they will gain priority and be able to cast a spell to deal with her before you can play a land. And when her ability triggers they will gain priority so they can cast a spell to deal with her before she flips.
4. I'm going to pretend that a normal walker resolved as opposed to the Nissa due to the option of killing her before she flips. When anything resolves the active player(you in this situation) gains priority. So you have the chance to activate abilities before the opponent gets to do anything, and because the loyalty adding or removing is a cost it is done when you activate the ability not when it resolves.