The credits at the end got messed up when exporting the video. I went back and checked in shotcut and it looks normal there. If anyone knows what might cause this let me know!
End credits are leaving like its people needs them lol. Depending on your editing program, it could be an issue with the tracking of the credit itself. Like, if there are keyframes that got placed by accident and you made position changes that were meant for somewhere else. Since it looks like Da Vinci Resolve, it could possibly be in either the settings of the credit, or in fusion potentially.
You don’t have to learn a good poker face if your friend group knows you’re a bastard man from hell and would gladly counter a spell that gives happy chemicals just to deny any satisfaction
@@sayntfuu it's the power of blue. That's the reason we have to teach aggro/burn players to make the blue player have it. Call their bluff and sometimes you'll pay, but don't call it and you paid for free.
@@sayntfuu Just do what my Flash Shark deck does and always actually have a response. Problem solved. Granted, sometimes the response is "I cast a creature" but sometimes it isn't.
I had a game recently where I had a board wipe in hand that I was going to cast, but then the next player in order told me "don't play anything you will want to keep". Oh, ok, I'll just save this wipe for later then.
I had a game recenly where I had an instant speed discard effect and had to ask if players had priority in the draw step, because NOBODY uses it and wasn't sure.
Yeah. They don't print much instant speed discard these days specifically because of that. It was also pretty important when people played Vendillion Clique.
Only thing I'd add that is a common mistake with phases, is instant speed tap effects (or activated abilities) should be done during the "Entering Combat" phase. If your opponent has already "Declare Attackers" it is too late since the creatures will already be declared as attacking so tapping them won't stop the attack at that point. This one in particular you often have to have to interrupt someone quickly since many people often just start declaring attackers and you need to tell them you wanted to do something during the "Entering Combat" phase.
Yeah, if I have instant speed tap effects. I'll go ahead and ask my opponent to notify me when they enter combat phase. You could do this even if you don't have instant speed effects as a bluff too, although I do not do this cause I'm usually interested in mond games
Bounce spells get even more interesting especially when they have a mix of "at the beginning of combat" or "whenever this creature attacks" triggers. For Goblin Rabblemaster, you can choose to -Cast Unsummon during their first main phase to stop them from getting a goblin, but if they have mana they can just replay it before going to combat. -Cast it during the beginning of combat, which means they can't replay it, but the trigger to make a hasty goblin is already on the stack. They also won't have to attack with the goblin. -Cast it after attacks are declared meaning they are forced to attack with the goblin. They still get the Rabblemaster's pump trigger if they attack with it, but that won't do anything once it's gone.
@@seandun7083 But unless I am much mistaken (which I might be), you can always respond to phases changing, so you can bounce a creature with a combat trigger when your opponent is moving from main phase 1 to combat, so it is too late for them to recast, but they won't get a combat trigger.
@@DarkDealer666 everyone does get a chance to respond before leaving your main phase, but once the Unsummon resolves, the active player gets back priority. It is still their main phase and the stack is empty now, so they can cast sorcery speed stuff. 117.4: If all players pass in succession (that is, if all players pass without taking any actions in between passing), the spell or ability on top of the stack resolves or, if the stack is empty, the phase or step ends. 117.3b: The active player receives priority after a spell or ability (other than a mana ability) resolves. 307.1: A player who has priority may cast a sorcery card from their hand during a main phase of their turn when the stack is empty. Casting a sorcery as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 601, "Casting Spells.") Or 302.1: A player who has priority may cast a creature card from their hand during a main phase of their turn when the stack is empty. Casting a creature as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 601, "Casting Spells.")
@@seandun7083 Sure makes sense. But I was always under the impression you are responding to the changing of phases. So, they have declared they are moving from main phase 1 to combat, and that is when you cast your bounce spell. If that is the case, then once the stack emptied they would be in combat. I don't think casting an instant speed spell in response to someone declaring a change of phase would undo that change of phase, it would just mean you have a stack to resolve before you can complete the change of phase.
8:13 Finally! I remember one time as a young grinder playing in an FNM trying to explain this interaction of casting a celestial flare on somebodies end of combat after combat damage was done to kill the only surviving (very big) attacker and them just rejecting that fact that they were still attacking. They thought i was just making up rules and I am still salty I lost knowing the real rules
Speaking of timing... I see a lot of people forget to do mana accelerating stuff when casting spells or dropping those bounce lands. Float your mana, sac/bounce your tapped lands, prioritize casting the ramp you have in hand especially early game.
The most wild steps to me are the ones where you *can't* do anything, the untap step and the cleanup step. Did you know that things cannot be put on the stack during the untap step, not even triggered abilities? Things that trigger when untapped, or triggered at beginning of turn (like Night/Day) will delay until the upkeep to go on the stack. But things CAN go on the stack on the clean up step, but If anything is put onto the stack during the cleanup step, there is an additional cleanup phase afterward. So yeah, beyond knowing when each of the steps and phases are, knowing how they're different is a nuanced thing.
The Gitrog Monster taught me about cleanup step shenanigans. A full hand with a Dakmor Salvage lets you mill your entire deck and perfectly sculpt your hand when combined with a shuffle titan
By the way, Day/Night swapping is a turn based action rather than a trigger so it does actually happen during untap. Inspired does work like you said though. Also, here's a way to break that just because: Play Minion of the Wastes. Pay down to 2 life. Play Banisher Priest exiling it. Play Undiscovered Paradise. Animate Undiscovered Paradise, perhaps with Wind Zendikon. Play True Polymorph to turn your Banisher Priest into an Undiscovered Paradise. Play Archmage Ascension and get to 6 counters. Play Nefarious Lich and Enduring Angel. Tap your Polymorphed Banisher Priest for mana. Undiscovered Paradise has been errataed to no longer be a trigger (probably since they didn't want you to be able to float mana on upkeep), so pass to your next untap step where it returns to your hand. As it leaves, Minion of the Wastes comes back. As Minion enters, pay your remaining 2 life. Instead of going to 0, Enduring Angel says you set your life total to 3. Instead of gaining that 1 life, Nefarious Lich says you draw a card. Instead of drawing a card, Archmage Ascension says you search your library for a card and put it into your hand then shuffle. While searching your library, cast Panglacial Wurm. Congrats, you just cast a spell during your untap step!
@@seandun7083 yeah, I more had in mind effects that trigger with the changing of Day/Night, which reads like they happen outside of the context of steps and phases; I had to figure out *when* that actually happened for some effect that I was checking, which is when I found out about the triggers delaying to upkeep thing. As for the Panglacial shenanigans, I'll take your word for it.
Necropotence and Necromancy are the most generically powerful cards that can generate priority in cleanup. Also, by the time those triggers are on the stack, Silence/Borne effects have ended. Anything saying "until end of turn" or "this turn" ends before those triggers are on the stack.
@@seandun7083 Suppose I had a Caged Sun that was also a Forest and I named green. Then, suppose I tap it to pay for the Panglacial Wurm. Does that mean I can end the game in a draw in my untap step while at 0 life? If so, I propose to call this combo, "The Early Draw Step"
One other interesting step/ nuance is First Strike Damage being dealt before regular damage. Cards like Drana, Liberator of Malakir can change how much regular damage is dealt by your other creatures or create a whole stack of interactions as the +1/+1 counters are added to your other creatures …. Quite cool
great video! would love to share with friends hoping to get better, but i think the words "phase" and "step" are used interchangeably/ inconsistently. (4:46) - "the draw step is an often overlooked phase". it gets especially confusing around 5:21 where the combat phase is referred to as a step. everything you're saying contextually makes sense for a more experienced player, but i wanted to give this note because it might add to confusion for newer players
Thanks for the feedback! You are 100% correct. I should have been a lot more careful with my words in this video. Especially cause it's no longer future proof, if a playable card is printed that makes phases vs steps a common thing for players to think about it means this video gets worse. Love all the mtg talk on sad boyz by the way! I'm a big fan and would love to see you do more mtg stuff!
A card named "Mandate of Peace" is quite popular in my pod. I often ended up getting punished for not casting spells during MP1, and I was passing the turn with 6 or 9 mana open with nothing to cast at instant speed.
I have an Oops, All Flash deck where I cast my spells whenever the opponent passes priority. The mind games practically play themselves. Also you have steps and phases backward. Phases are big, steps are little.
I play a light paws pacify-control/voltron deck and I'll always contend that the best card in there is Sigarda's Aid because it completely changes when I'm able to be threatening. Being able to respond to a removal spell by throwing down a Captured by the Consulate on their commander only to search out an Indestructibility to effectively counter their spell is just a fantastic feeling.
I agree wholeheartedly with what you are saying. Been a couple of instances lately where I've seen people fire off their instant speed removal on their own turns because they're scared of something. Recently played a five team two headed giant and my partner was freaking out over an Enchantment the team before us played and was planning on using his Sundering Growth on. I literally explained that they just went and there are three other teams that may do something about it and to hold up the spell before they go just in case. Was promptly ignored and he removed it anyways. Take note I was playing Simic good stuff and he was playing Naya. We had all the interaction in the world for this. Another game where I was the threat. I was playing Scion of the Ur-Dragon. I had out Scion and Atarka World Render, both tapped and I had just gone and taken out a player. Player caddy corner from me casted Fall of the Hammer, an instant speed damage spell, on their turn targeting my Scion. Since I left mana up, I was able to activate Scion and turn it into Silumgar and give it hexproof. Effectively countering the spell. On my next turn I was able to go infinite with Savage Ventmaw and an Aggravated Assault. If that player would have waited, instead of acting out of fear and reflex they could have blown me out and stopped me from winning. I appreciate the content and it's really helped me improve my games quite a bit. I always feel like I walk away from your videos with something new to try or look for on my next game night. Think you can do a video analyzing combos and how to look for a weak spot? Maybe that's too broad of a subject since combos can range from two card to seven cards plus and can also be dependent on the skill level/experience of the combo player. I think sometimes people get into a combo and they think they are safe since they are going off but they are overlooking the Achilles Heel and how fragile the combo is or can be. Been more than one occasion that someone in my play group is starting to go infinite but I asked them to slow down and show me what's happening only to realize there's a point where they are 100% tapped out with an untapped affect on the stack and I snipe their key combo piece and stop the infinite chain. Maybe this falls into the category of slowing down. Because people get over excited and over extend themselves to a blowout.
I have another reason to main phase 1 creatures: incentivizing blocks. Dropping a resilient creature before swinging with the rest can move your opponent from waiting to crack back to seeking trades, because now they know they're not getting that free swing. If you can punish this with combat tricks or similar, it's a viable move.
In limited if I have enough lands on the battlefield and draw more in the late game when I’m out of gas I almost never play it in order to give the impression that I might have some interaction, a combat trick, protection, or something like that. I’m not sure how much it throws people off because it is kinda suspicious to have 2 or 3 cards in hand and not do anything for a couple turns in a row but I still do it anyways
Unless you have a card in your deck that draws 3 or more cards its never correct to play the last card in your hand if it's a land. If you draw a big spell you can always play the land when you draw the spell on the same turn. And if you draw a land you didn't need the land to cast something. I always try to remember my highest mana cost and the highest pip cost in my deck to male sure I can drop a land and cast the spell if needed
@@MenardiChan correction: if you're facing a discard-heavy deck, it can be correct to play your last card in hand when it's a land, just so they don't make you discard what could've been the 3rd land you'd get on the board bc they've made you discard 4~5 cards already by the start of your turn 3. Happens annoyingly often in standard RN. It's not uncommon for me to have to decide between discarding my 3rd land and a good 3 drop. Turn 4 topdecking is _FUn_ with a capital F U
@@CaTastrophy427 I do think you are correct. My comment was primarily from a Limited perspective. In Limited discard heavy decks are extremely rare (depending on the set ofc) and as such this habit of mine developed. I do actually don't play anything except for Limited and Commander.
@@MenardiChan Aight, commander... Tergrid decks exist. But I see your point, in limited it's much more likely that you'll be topdecking from turn 5+ onwards than before that point, unless you mulligan a few times
I hate when people rush thru steps, especially combat, it's like come on. I play primarily edh and I see someone swing a couple of creatures at one player, they'll just take the damage and then the attacking player will continue declaring other attacks. I'm pretty meticulous when declaring moving to each step and phase. I'll say Untap, Upkeep, Draw as I pass thru each one at the beginning of my turn and wait a few seconds in case someone wants to respond.
Want to know a really weird one that people get wrong ALL the time? Sphinx of the Second Sun. Read the card. Ok, now read the card again more closely. Seriously, read it again. The trigger states, at the BEGINNING of your Post-Combat Main Phase, there is an additional beginning phase AFTER this phase, meaning, if you play the Sphinx in your Post-Combat Main Phase instead of your Pre-Combat Main Phase, the trigger does not occur! As well as the additional phase that it provides occurs AFTER your Post-Combat Main Phase per how the ability is phrased!!
Blue / black player here. I think the best time to cast spells is when it appears that anyone at the table is happy. I don't like happy opponents...or other people playing Magic.
In my Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty Deck I play big spells before main phase because otherwise any cascades into combat tricks or protection spells are wasted, so I think that could be another big reason to play spells in MP1 with any cascade/discover type spells.
Two extra tips I would submit: Since additional combat effects seem to be more and more prevalent with each set that comes out, it's important to note that creatures do not heal combat damage until the Clean-up phase of the end step. Say an opponent has Aggravated Assault and Sanctum Weaver for infinite combat steps, you can play Flawless Maneuver on the first combat and point out to that player that your defenders will eventually kill all of their attack creatures because your creatures cannot die from the damage they receive. Another thing to note is that all of your phases on each turn always occur. Unless an effect is preventing them from occurring, you will always have a combat step each turn even if you choose not to attack with anything. This is relevant if you have, for example, Preston Garvey, Minuteman on the field. At the beginning of your combat phase, he puts a Settlement Aura on a land you control. At the end of your first main, you move to combat, get a Settlement, and then you can simply declare no attackers if it is unsafe to do so, and then proceed to your 2nd Main. Any triggers that occur on your turn at the beginning of combat (or on each combat step, for that matter) will always occur regardless of whether there is any actual combat or not.
Mostly, except for blockers and damage. 506.1: The combat phase has five steps, which proceed in order: beginning of combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, and end of combat. The declare blockers and combat damage steps are skipped if no creatures are declared as attackers or put onto the battlefield attacking (see rule 508.8). There are two combat damage steps if any attacking or blocking creature has first strike (see rule 702.7) or double strike (see rule 702.4).
Batwing Brume is a fun card, and extra fun to use at the end of combat step. Literally had a game the other night where i needed the go-wide deck to take out the life-gain deck for me to sneak over the top for a win, was awesome. Go-wide swung at Life-gain for lethal, then i Batwing'd at the end of combat for Go-wide to take lethal! Remaining player just sat their and clapped 😂
You mentioned playing on upkeeps before opponents draw step, but I also think players underutilize their own upkeep to manipulate their top deck before draws. A scry or surveil on upkeep is really useful, especially if you’re digging for something that you need on that turn.
8:43 It actually comes up pretty frequently in cEDH! An unblocked card being returned to hand by Sakashima's Student & having the Student enter as a copy of a mana-producer (either the Sticker Goblin or, more typically, Dockside) will generate infinite mana with that loop. Even if that initial attacker does not have Ninjutsu, if Yuriko is in the command zone, her Commander Ninjutsu can also be exploited for this loop. This is typically ran in Yuriko, who also runs a couple of incidental infinite mana outlets in its other enablers (Spectral Sailor) that can then present a line into Thoracle or a Doomsday pile that typically ends the game on the spot. It's a really fun combo that gets to win off the back of your opponent's board state by exploiting the exact mechanics of how the combat step works, and really shows how understanding the game better allows for more optimized lines of play when you'd think there'd otherwise be none.
1 survivor, from the new duskmourn 2 you should do a video on the verbal economy, such as people passing their turn before you get a chance to do something between phases,
Abuse cast triggers and beneficial additional costs. If you cast say a Bone Shards, and you target the blue player's best creature knowing they have a counter spell, but you have a Dargo, The Shipwrecker or similar creature in hand (or especially command zone), they might counter the removal, allowing you to cast Dargo for cheaper and evade a counter, or they might let your destruction resolve, expecting to need to counter the Dargo, and then you can pass or cast something else.
Laelia and Neheb are great inclusions into any deck with red to train yourself to do this. Since both give you access to more resources only during your 2nd main it trains you to save up your non-necessary (like creatures with haste) spells for it
8:45 - actually, sakashima’s student can infinite ninjutsu with a second ninja if there’s a dockside extortionist in play to copy and net positive treasures. i have not pulled this off but i play cedh yuriko and it’s only a matter of time.
Point about surgical extraction and the draw step, this was in modern around 2017 and Izzet Phoenix was popular. I was playing grixis death shadow, I knew they had 3 phoenix’s in grave, on their draw step I hit one in the grave and they unfortunately drew the final Phoenix. It won me the game because they had three instants or sorceries to cast to make the phoenix’s live in grave.
That sounds like an interesting way to use Maze of Ith! I'll have to check the rulebook in order to know exactly which rule to cite if (when) someone tries to contest such a play.
I didn't realize the thing about creatures still attacking after damage. That'll definitely help when I'm playing my mono-red deck and cast Blood Frenzy on a creature that's attacking me. I just treated it as a conditional 4 life tax on having cheap, non-damage-based, spot removal in red for creatures.
8:47 actually, as I understand it, you can activate ninjutsu on a SINGLE card repeatedly, allowing you to use a ninja to bounce all your creatures to hand before a board wipe.
Only if the boardwipe is happening during combat, after blocks, and only for your unblocked creatures, but yeah you can pick up multiples with one ninja.
If you have a Mystical Tutor in your opening hand, play it turn one to get a Force of Will/Foil/whatever, so your opponent(s) is/are aware you could counter a spell at any time going forward.
I tend to try to cast my creatures with summoning sickness after my combat phase in second main phase to no t risk losing them to a board wipe when I attack!
While not really about phases, it's always blown my mind that there's a interaction window between taking damage and considered dead, so you can chump block and then use a sac outlet to remove your "dead" blocker for benefit rather than letting an opponent creatures "kill" it.
Absolutely great video, been looking for an explanation like this for a long time ^.^ would love to see a similar video on priority, optimal timings that with that in mind, etc, since i have never been able to wrap my head around it completely >.
maybe a bit straightforwardly obvious, but main phase 2 can also be useful due to 'start of combat' triggers happening even if you don't swing. For example, in an Arahbo deck I have, there's several cards that key off of the power of a target creature I control. Even if I don't swing with any of my creatures, one of them is still getting +3/+3 from Arahbo until the end of that turn, so I may as well cast something like Rishkar's Expertise in main phase 2 and get 3 extra cards for free.
Technically you have to let the player decide all attacks at all players before you can do anything. All attacks occur simultaneously, and the player whose turn it is has priority until they've finalized all of their attacks, and then put all of the resulting attack triggers on the stack.
Not sure if you would categorize them as what you call "Craterhoof effects" and it's quite obvious, but you might want to cast anything that adds damage to your attacks before combat. Things like lords, artifacts if you control Karnstructs and similar things, depending on the game state.
I kind of want to make a Moraug deck where everything has vigilance, just to mess with people and make them think I keep making mistakes by playing a land in main phase 1.
That's why I don't overthink blue players with untapped mana. If they have it, they have it. The pressure of not wanting your stuff countered is like 75% of a Blue deck's power, in essence one single Counterspell is stopping way more than 1 spell from ever being fired off.
The amount of guys i see on arena Brainstorming on endstep when they dont have a fetch or similar to play next turn is wildly high. People do not know how to brainstorm and there aint no way this many guys are mana screwed going into turn 3
"Infinite ninjutsu will probably never come up" I have a ninja commander deck capable of infinite ninjutsu combo. It juust needs dockside and 3 other pieces and enough mana from dockside to actually work. It's extra difficult now because I removed dockside from the deck. Can still get it with a clone though. It will happen one day!!
@@fasterbuilder11 it was the title of last weeks vid. I usually copy over some of the data from the previous video for tags and description elements. Accidentally copied the title.
I had a game where i obtained infinite treasures thanks to sakashima's student ETB as a dockside then I spent the treasures to ninjutsu the original ninja and I repeated the process
The extensive detail of interactions you can do within each phase is nice, but my god is it a pain in the butt trying to explain why things work to less knowledgeable players.
One thing to note about holding up instants and abilities for an opponent's endstep; if that opponent concedes at sorcery speed, you will not get priority. You could miss out on casting something or cracking a fetch because the player to your right has had enough! It's something you have no control over, and in many ways it's still correct to wait until the player on your right's endstep to perform actions, but it's something to be aware of.
That's actually not true. When a player concedes/loses the game, the rest of their turn still happens without them and priority gets passed during each phase like normal >>> 800.4j: If a player leaves the game during their turn, that turn continues to its completion without an active player. If the active player would receive priority, instead the next player in turn order receives priority, or the top object on the stack resolves, or the phase or step ends, whichever is appropriate.
You don't get a chance to do anything if someone skips their turn to untap Time Vault, though obviously most people aren't playing formats where that matters.
@@seandun7083 at what point does the player get the choice to untap Time Vault? At whatever point that is, is there no round of priority passed around? Multiplayer game with Time Vault not banned??? Commander cube maybe?
@@joedoe7572 it's a replacement effect that says "if you would begin your turn while Time Vault is tapped, you may skip that turn. If you do, untap Time Vault" so it doesn't cause a round of priority. The player before takes their cleanup, then surprise, your turn is skipped. I've been playing a bit of Canadian Highlander with proxied decks. It's a 1v1 20 life format which is still 100 card singleton with a Vintage banlist, but a points list rather than a restricted list. Certain powerful cards cost points to include and you can have up to 10 points worth of cards in your deck. Time Vault is 7.
That turn chart looks really familiar...it was incorrect the last time i saw it and it is still wrong. Very irresponsible. Mana empties and the end of steps and phases. Combat PHASE has multiple STEPS, etc..
The chart is just reminding you that between each phase in combat mana empties. Not that mana only empties then. If there is something else wrong let me know but the chart is accurate.
@thetrinketmage again, Combat Phase has multiple Steps, not Phases, and you are overestimating people. I literally has someone reference a 2018 TH-cam video to try and justify a play that hasn't been valid since 2020. At the very least they were using an accurate reference for 2018. If someone referenced your video about mana they would be entirely wrong.
One important thing not touched upon is doing actions in your opponents second main phase. If you have a flicker spell that says "return at the beginning of the next end step", casting that during their end step could screw over an entire turn. I recently had a game where someone tried to sneak attack in an Etali during my end step, then exiled it with a "return next end step" card. Then he untapped, put etali back into play and tried to combo off. Until I pointed out that etali would return NEXT end step. So he didn't have it in play during his main phases. This can also be used really well with cards like Sneak Attack, reanimate effects that only last until the nest end step etc.
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The credits at the end got messed up when exporting the video. I went back and checked in shotcut and it looks normal there. If anyone knows what might cause this let me know!
Skill issue
End credits are leaving like its people needs them lol.
Depending on your editing program, it could be an issue with the tracking of the credit itself. Like, if there are keyframes that got placed by accident and you made position changes that were meant for somewhere else. Since it looks like Da Vinci Resolve, it could possibly be in either the settings of the credit, or in fusion potentially.
Honestly, seeing it drift off was hilarious.
I am infamous for holding an island in hand with two untapped on board. Use that fear to your advantage. Learn a good poker face as well.
You don’t have to learn a good poker face if your friend group knows you’re a bastard man from hell and would gladly counter a spell that gives happy chemicals just to deny any satisfaction
Lol yeah, unless I need it I always have a land in hand just hanging out. I love when my opponents ask how many cards I have
@@sayntfuu it's the power of blue. That's the reason we have to teach aggro/burn players to make the blue player have it. Call their bluff and sometimes you'll pay, but don't call it and you paid for free.
@@sethb3090 Shhhhhhhhhhhh. Don't let out our secrets. :)
@@sayntfuu Just do what my Flash Shark deck does and always actually have a response. Problem solved.
Granted, sometimes the response is "I cast a creature" but sometimes it isn't.
I had a game recently where I had a board wipe in hand that I was going to cast, but then the next player in order told me "don't play anything you will want to keep". Oh, ok, I'll just save this wipe for later then.
Whenever I'm teaching someone magic, one of my first tips is "do everything at the last possible moment." It's a complete game-changer.
I'm the local blue mage. i LOVE when opponents think the one land in my hand is a counterspell
I had a game recenly where I had an instant speed discard effect and had to ask if players had priority in the draw step, because NOBODY uses it and wasn't sure.
Yeah. They don't print much instant speed discard these days specifically because of that. It was also pretty important when people played Vendillion Clique.
That infographic might be wrong. The combat phase has steps (not phases). And the mana pool empties at the end of each step and phase.
Only thing I'd add that is a common mistake with phases, is instant speed tap effects (or activated abilities) should be done during the "Entering Combat" phase. If your opponent has already "Declare Attackers" it is too late since the creatures will already be declared as attacking so tapping them won't stop the attack at that point. This one in particular you often have to have to interrupt someone quickly since many people often just start declaring attackers and you need to tell them you wanted to do something during the "Entering Combat" phase.
Yeah, if I have instant speed tap effects. I'll go ahead and ask my opponent to notify me when they enter combat phase. You could do this even if you don't have instant speed effects as a bluff too, although I do not do this cause I'm usually interested in mond games
Bounce spells get even more interesting especially when they have a mix of "at the beginning of combat" or "whenever this creature attacks" triggers. For Goblin Rabblemaster, you can choose to
-Cast Unsummon during their first main phase to stop them from getting a goblin, but if they have mana they can just replay it before going to combat.
-Cast it during the beginning of combat, which means they can't replay it, but the trigger to make a hasty goblin is already on the stack. They also won't have to attack with the goblin.
-Cast it after attacks are declared meaning they are forced to attack with the goblin. They still get the Rabblemaster's pump trigger if they attack with it, but that won't do anything once it's gone.
@@seandun7083 But unless I am much mistaken (which I might be), you can always respond to phases changing, so you can bounce a creature with a combat trigger when your opponent is moving from main phase 1 to combat, so it is too late for them to recast, but they won't get a combat trigger.
@@DarkDealer666 everyone does get a chance to respond before leaving your main phase, but once the Unsummon resolves, the active player gets back priority. It is still their main phase and the stack is empty now, so they can cast sorcery speed stuff.
117.4: If all players pass in succession (that is, if all players pass without taking any actions in between passing), the spell or ability on top of the stack resolves or, if the stack is empty, the phase or step ends.
117.3b: The active player receives priority after a spell or ability (other than a mana ability) resolves.
307.1: A player who has priority may cast a sorcery card from their hand during a main phase of their turn when the stack is empty. Casting a sorcery as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 601, "Casting Spells.")
Or
302.1: A player who has priority may cast a creature card from their hand during a main phase of their turn when the stack is empty. Casting a creature as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 601, "Casting Spells.")
@@seandun7083 Sure makes sense. But I was always under the impression you are responding to the changing of phases. So, they have declared they are moving from main phase 1 to combat, and that is when you cast your bounce spell. If that is the case, then once the stack emptied they would be in combat. I don't think casting an instant speed spell in response to someone declaring a change of phase would undo that change of phase, it would just mean you have a stack to resolve before you can complete the change of phase.
8:13 Finally! I remember one time as a young grinder playing in an FNM trying to explain this interaction of casting a celestial flare on somebodies end of combat after combat damage was done to kill the only surviving (very big) attacker and them just rejecting that fact that they were still attacking.
They thought i was just making up rules and I am still salty I lost knowing the real rules
Couldn’t you have called a judge or something?
Speaking of timing... I see a lot of people forget to do mana accelerating stuff when casting spells or dropping those bounce lands. Float your mana, sac/bounce your tapped lands, prioritize casting the ramp you have in hand especially early game.
The most wild steps to me are the ones where you *can't* do anything, the untap step and the cleanup step. Did you know that things cannot be put on the stack during the untap step, not even triggered abilities? Things that trigger when untapped, or triggered at beginning of turn (like Night/Day) will delay until the upkeep to go on the stack.
But things CAN go on the stack on the clean up step, but If anything is put onto the stack during the cleanup step, there is an additional cleanup phase afterward.
So yeah, beyond knowing when each of the steps and phases are, knowing how they're different is a nuanced thing.
The Gitrog Monster taught me about cleanup step shenanigans. A full hand with a Dakmor Salvage lets you mill your entire deck and perfectly sculpt your hand when combined with a shuffle titan
By the way, Day/Night swapping is a turn based action rather than a trigger so it does actually happen during untap. Inspired does work like you said though.
Also, here's a way to break that just because:
Play Minion of the Wastes. Pay down to 2 life.
Play Banisher Priest exiling it.
Play Undiscovered Paradise.
Animate Undiscovered Paradise, perhaps with Wind Zendikon.
Play True Polymorph to turn your Banisher Priest into an Undiscovered Paradise.
Play Archmage Ascension and get to 6 counters.
Play Nefarious Lich and Enduring Angel.
Tap your Polymorphed Banisher Priest for mana.
Undiscovered Paradise has been errataed to no longer be a trigger (probably since they didn't want you to be able to float mana on upkeep), so pass to your next untap step where it returns to your hand.
As it leaves, Minion of the Wastes comes back.
As Minion enters, pay your remaining 2 life.
Instead of going to 0, Enduring Angel says you set your life total to 3.
Instead of gaining that 1 life, Nefarious Lich says you draw a card.
Instead of drawing a card, Archmage Ascension says you search your library for a card and put it into your hand then shuffle.
While searching your library, cast Panglacial Wurm.
Congrats, you just cast a spell during your untap step!
@@seandun7083 yeah, I more had in mind effects that trigger with the changing of Day/Night, which reads like they happen outside of the context of steps and phases; I had to figure out *when* that actually happened for some effect that I was checking, which is when I found out about the triggers delaying to upkeep thing.
As for the Panglacial shenanigans, I'll take your word for it.
Necropotence and Necromancy are the most generically powerful cards that can generate priority in cleanup.
Also, by the time those triggers are on the stack, Silence/Borne effects have ended. Anything saying "until end of turn" or "this turn" ends before those triggers are on the stack.
@@seandun7083 Suppose I had a Caged Sun that was also a Forest and I named green. Then, suppose I tap it to pay for the Panglacial Wurm. Does that mean I can end the game in a draw in my untap step while at 0 life? If so, I propose to call this combo, "The Early Draw Step"
One other interesting step/ nuance is First Strike Damage being dealt before regular damage. Cards like Drana, Liberator of Malakir can change how much regular damage is dealt by your other creatures or create a whole stack of interactions as the +1/+1 counters are added to your other creatures …. Quite cool
great video! would love to share with friends hoping to get better, but i think the words "phase" and "step" are used interchangeably/ inconsistently. (4:46) - "the draw step is an often overlooked phase". it gets especially confusing around 5:21 where the combat phase is referred to as a step. everything you're saying contextually makes sense for a more experienced player, but i wanted to give this note because it might add to confusion for newer players
Thanks for the feedback! You are 100% correct. I should have been a lot more careful with my words in this video. Especially cause it's no longer future proof, if a playable card is printed that makes phases vs steps a common thing for players to think about it means this video gets worse.
Love all the mtg talk on sad boyz by the way! I'm a big fan and would love to see you do more mtg stuff!
A card named "Mandate of Peace" is quite popular in my pod. I often ended up getting punished for not casting spells during MP1, and I was passing the turn with 6 or 9 mana open with nothing to cast at instant speed.
That's actually so funny, and probably one of the few exceptions to this logic.
I have an Oops, All Flash deck where I cast my spells whenever the opponent passes priority. The mind games practically play themselves.
Also you have steps and phases backward. Phases are big, steps are little.
I play a light paws pacify-control/voltron deck and I'll always contend that the best card in there is Sigarda's Aid because it completely changes when I'm able to be threatening.
Being able to respond to a removal spell by throwing down a Captured by the Consulate on their commander only to search out an Indestructibility to effectively counter their spell is just a fantastic feeling.
Love it! My signature is my all instants Derevi voltron deck. If had people too scared to swing when all I have is a 5/6 bird and 6 untapped lands
I agree wholeheartedly with what you are saying. Been a couple of instances lately where I've seen people fire off their instant speed removal on their own turns because they're scared of something.
Recently played a five team two headed giant and my partner was freaking out over an Enchantment the team before us played and was planning on using his Sundering Growth on. I literally explained that they just went and there are three other teams that may do something about it and to hold up the spell before they go just in case. Was promptly ignored and he removed it anyways. Take note I was playing Simic good stuff and he was playing Naya. We had all the interaction in the world for this.
Another game where I was the threat. I was playing Scion of the Ur-Dragon. I had out Scion and Atarka World Render, both tapped and I had just gone and taken out a player. Player caddy corner from me casted Fall of the Hammer, an instant speed damage spell, on their turn targeting my Scion. Since I left mana up, I was able to activate Scion and turn it into Silumgar and give it hexproof. Effectively countering the spell. On my next turn I was able to go infinite with Savage Ventmaw and an Aggravated Assault. If that player would have waited, instead of acting out of fear and reflex they could have blown me out and stopped me from winning.
I appreciate the content and it's really helped me improve my games quite a bit. I always feel like I walk away from your videos with something new to try or look for on my next game night.
Think you can do a video analyzing combos and how to look for a weak spot? Maybe that's too broad of a subject since combos can range from two card to seven cards plus and can also be dependent on the skill level/experience of the combo player. I think sometimes people get into a combo and they think they are safe since they are going off but they are overlooking the Achilles Heel and how fragile the combo is or can be.
Been more than one occasion that someone in my play group is starting to go infinite but I asked them to slow down and show me what's happening only to realize there's a point where they are 100% tapped out with an untapped affect on the stack and I snipe their key combo piece and stop the infinite chain.
Maybe this falls into the category of slowing down. Because people get over excited and over extend themselves to a blowout.
I think I have made a video about combos but it’s super old… maybe time for an update
I have another reason to main phase 1 creatures: incentivizing blocks. Dropping a resilient creature before swinging with the rest can move your opponent from waiting to crack back to seeking trades, because now they know they're not getting that free swing. If you can punish this with combat tricks or similar, it's a viable move.
In limited if I have enough lands on the battlefield and draw more in the late game when I’m out of gas I almost never play it in order to give the impression that I might have some interaction, a combat trick, protection, or something like that. I’m not sure how much it throws people off because it is kinda suspicious to have 2 or 3 cards in hand and not do anything for a couple turns in a row but I still do it anyways
Unless you have a card in your deck that draws 3 or more cards its never correct to play the last card in your hand if it's a land. If you draw a big spell you can always play the land when you draw the spell on the same turn. And if you draw a land you didn't need the land to cast something. I always try to remember my highest mana cost and the highest pip cost in my deck to male sure I can drop a land and cast the spell if needed
@@MenardiChan correction: if you're facing a discard-heavy deck, it can be correct to play your last card in hand when it's a land, just so they don't make you discard what could've been the 3rd land you'd get on the board bc they've made you discard 4~5 cards already by the start of your turn 3.
Happens annoyingly often in standard RN. It's not uncommon for me to have to decide between discarding my 3rd land and a good 3 drop. Turn 4 topdecking is _FUn_ with a capital F U
@@CaTastrophy427 I do think you are correct. My comment was primarily from a Limited perspective. In Limited discard heavy decks are extremely rare (depending on the set ofc) and as such this habit of mine developed. I do actually don't play anything except for Limited and Commander.
@@MenardiChan Aight, commander... Tergrid decks exist. But I see your point, in limited it's much more likely that you'll be topdecking from turn 5+ onwards than before that point, unless you mulligan a few times
I hate when people rush thru steps, especially combat, it's like come on. I play primarily edh and I see someone swing a couple of creatures at one player, they'll just take the damage and then the attacking player will continue declaring other attacks. I'm pretty meticulous when declaring moving to each step and phase. I'll say Untap, Upkeep, Draw as I pass thru each one at the beginning of my turn and wait a few seconds in case someone wants to respond.
Want to know a really weird one that people get wrong ALL the time? Sphinx of the Second Sun.
Read the card. Ok, now read the card again more closely. Seriously, read it again.
The trigger states, at the BEGINNING of your Post-Combat Main Phase, there is an additional beginning phase AFTER this phase, meaning, if you play the Sphinx in your Post-Combat Main Phase instead of your Pre-Combat Main Phase, the trigger does not occur! As well as the additional phase that it provides occurs AFTER your Post-Combat Main Phase per how the ability is phrased!!
Huh. Never noticed that about Mana Drain. Not that I've ever cast it myself, but watching videos with it. I wonder how many times they got that wrong
Blue / black player here. I think the best time to cast spells is when it appears that anyone at the table is happy.
I don't like happy opponents...or other people playing Magic.
In my Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty Deck I play big spells before main phase because otherwise any cascades into combat tricks or protection spells are wasted, so I think that could be another big reason to play spells in MP1 with any cascade/discover type spells.
Two extra tips I would submit:
Since additional combat effects seem to be more and more prevalent with each set that comes out, it's important to note that creatures do not heal combat damage until the Clean-up phase of the end step.
Say an opponent has Aggravated Assault and Sanctum Weaver for infinite combat steps, you can play Flawless Maneuver on the first combat and point out to that player that your defenders will eventually kill all of their attack creatures because your creatures cannot die from the damage they receive.
Another thing to note is that all of your phases on each turn always occur. Unless an effect is preventing them from occurring, you will always have a combat step each turn even if you choose not to attack with anything. This is relevant if you have, for example, Preston Garvey, Minuteman on the field. At the beginning of your combat phase, he puts a Settlement Aura on a land you control. At the end of your first main, you move to combat, get a Settlement, and then you can simply declare no attackers if it is unsafe to do so, and then proceed to your 2nd Main. Any triggers that occur on your turn at the beginning of combat (or on each combat step, for that matter) will always occur regardless of whether there is any actual combat or not.
Mostly, except for blockers and damage.
506.1: The combat phase has five steps, which proceed in order: beginning of combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, and end of combat. The declare blockers and combat damage steps are skipped if no creatures are declared as attackers or put onto the battlefield attacking (see rule 508.8). There are two combat damage steps if any attacking or blocking creature has first strike (see rule 702.7) or double strike (see rule 702.4).
The raid mechanic you find on stormfleet cards gives you advantage for using them in .an phase 2 if you attacked in the previous combat
Batwing Brume is a fun card, and extra fun to use at the end of combat step.
Literally had a game the other night where i needed the go-wide deck to take out the life-gain deck for me to sneak over the top for a win, was awesome. Go-wide swung at Life-gain for lethal, then i Batwing'd at the end of combat for Go-wide to take lethal! Remaining player just sat their and clapped 😂
@@brendans1983 nice!
You mentioned playing on upkeeps before opponents draw step, but I also think players underutilize their own upkeep to manipulate their top deck before draws. A scry or surveil on upkeep is really useful, especially if you’re digging for something that you need on that turn.
8:43
It actually comes up pretty frequently in cEDH!
An unblocked card being returned to hand by Sakashima's Student & having the Student enter as a copy of a mana-producer (either the Sticker Goblin or, more typically, Dockside) will generate infinite mana with that loop. Even if that initial attacker does not have Ninjutsu, if Yuriko is in the command zone, her Commander Ninjutsu can also be exploited for this loop.
This is typically ran in Yuriko, who also runs a couple of incidental infinite mana outlets in its other enablers (Spectral Sailor) that can then present a line into Thoracle or a Doomsday pile that typically ends the game on the spot.
It's a really fun combo that gets to win off the back of your opponent's board state by exploiting the exact mechanics of how the combat step works, and really shows how understanding the game better allows for more optimized lines of play when you'd think there'd otherwise be none.
5:12 You're killing me. Players get a combat _phase_ with 5 _steps_ inside it.
1 survivor, from the new duskmourn
2 you should do a video on the verbal economy, such as people passing their turn before you get a chance to do something between phases,
Just to add something: In the cleanup step, triggers could still happen and priority will be in place
Abuse cast triggers and beneficial additional costs. If you cast say a Bone Shards, and you target the blue player's best creature knowing they have a counter spell, but you have a Dargo, The Shipwrecker or similar creature in hand (or especially command zone), they might counter the removal, allowing you to cast Dargo for cheaper and evade a counter, or they might let your destruction resolve, expecting to need to counter the Dargo, and then you can pass or cast something else.
Gotta say I really like the background for the thumbnails with the faded art it looks really good! Keep up the good work! 💪
Laelia and Neheb are great inclusions into any deck with red to train yourself to do this. Since both give you access to more resources only during your 2nd main it trains you to save up your non-necessary (like creatures with haste) spells for it
Final Word Phantom is a really cool card for learning how good the end step can be
8:45 - actually, sakashima’s student can infinite ninjutsu with a second ninja if there’s a dockside extortionist in play to copy and net positive treasures. i have not pulled this off but i play cedh yuriko and it’s only a matter of time.
Point about surgical extraction and the draw step, this was in modern around 2017 and Izzet Phoenix was popular. I was playing grixis death shadow, I knew they had 3 phoenix’s in grave, on their draw step I hit one in the grave and they unfortunately drew the final Phoenix. It won me the game because they had three instants or sorceries to cast to make the phoenix’s live in grave.
That sounds like an interesting way to use Maze of Ith! I'll have to check the rulebook in order to know exactly which rule to cite if (when) someone tries to contest such a play.
the new printing of reconnaissance uses reminder text that explains the sudo vigilance
I didn't realize the thing about creatures still attacking after damage. That'll definitely help when I'm playing my mono-red deck and cast Blood Frenzy on a creature that's attacking me. I just treated it as a conditional 4 life tax on having cheap, non-damage-based, spot removal in red for creatures.
That card did unfortunately get errataed to only be castable before damage.
8:47 actually, as I understand it, you can activate ninjutsu on a SINGLE card repeatedly, allowing you to use a ninja to bounce all your creatures to hand before a board wipe.
Only if the boardwipe is happening during combat, after blocks, and only for your unblocked creatures, but yeah you can pick up multiples with one ninja.
This is the video I've wanted most for a long time other than a video dedicated to priority.
If you have a Mystical Tutor in your opening hand, play it turn one to get a Force of Will/Foil/whatever, so your opponent(s) is/are aware you could counter a spell at any time going forward.
I tend to try to cast my creatures with summoning sickness after my combat phase in second main phase to no t risk losing them to a board wipe when I attack!
While not really about phases, it's always blown my mind that there's a interaction window between taking damage and considered dead, so you can chump block and then use a sac outlet to remove your "dead" blocker for benefit rather than letting an opponent creatures "kill" it.
You can chump block and then sacrifice before damage is dealt, but you cannot sacrifice a creature that has received lethal damage.
@@RibusPQR Thank you for the correction!
Absolutely great video, been looking for an explanation like this for a long time ^.^ would love to see a similar video on priority, optimal timings that with that in mind, etc, since i have never been able to wrap my head around it completely >.
maybe a bit straightforwardly obvious, but main phase 2 can also be useful due to 'start of combat' triggers happening even if you don't swing. For example, in an Arahbo deck I have, there's several cards that key off of the power of a target creature I control. Even if I don't swing with any of my creatures, one of them is still getting +3/+3 from Arahbo until the end of that turn, so I may as well cast something like Rishkar's Expertise in main phase 2 and get 3 extra cards for free.
Technically you have to let the player decide all attacks at all players before you can do anything. All attacks occur simultaneously, and the player whose turn it is has priority until they've finalized all of their attacks, and then put all of the resulting attack triggers on the stack.
Super useful, I'm at the beginning of the video, true that I'm used to play in main phase one haha
Another banger video. I knew most of this already (big yugioh player here), but it's good to have insight
Not sure if you would categorize them as what you call "Craterhoof effects" and it's quite obvious, but you might want to cast anything that adds damage to your attacks before combat. Things like lords, artifacts if you control Karnstructs and similar things, depending on the game state.
Saving this for my 10 minute drive to work in the morning
Loved the podcast with Elk and I can't wait for episode 2 to come out!! This will hold me over though
Sphinx of the second sun + shadow of the second sun will trigger on the second main phase of that same turn if played in main phase 1
Great info thank you
I kind of want to make a Moraug deck where everything has vigilance, just to mess with people and make them think I keep making mistakes by playing a land in main phase 1.
That's why I don't overthink blue players with untapped mana. If they have it, they have it. The pressure of not wanting your stuff countered is like 75% of a Blue deck's power, in essence one single Counterspell is stopping way more than 1 spell from ever being fired off.
The amount of guys i see on arena Brainstorming on endstep when they dont have a fetch or similar to play next turn is wildly high. People do not know how to brainstorm and there aint no way this many guys are mana screwed going into turn 3
Blue players live rent-free in my head. Even when I resolve a game-winning spell, I just think the blue player chose not to cast a counterspell.
imagine leaving open mana up
"Infinite ninjutsu will probably never come up"
I have a ninja commander deck capable of infinite ninjutsu combo. It juust needs dockside and 3 other pieces and enough mana from dockside to actually work. It's extra difficult now because I removed dockside from the deck. Can still get it with a clone though. It will happen one day!!
Ooooh new trinket mage tech vid >:)
Tymna the weaver baby. Or really any card that draws cards in combat
Did the title get mixed up?
oops... fixed now
What did it used to say?
@@fasterbuilder11 it was the title of last weeks vid. I usually copy over some of the data from the previous video for tags and description elements. Accidentally copied the title.
I had a game where i obtained infinite treasures thanks to sakashima's student ETB as a dockside then I spent the treasures to ninjutsu the original ninja and I repeated the process
Nah, I went straight to combat one time and got blown out by momentary truce. Never happening again
Do you mean Mandate of Peace? I can't find Momentary Truce.
@@seandun7083 that one yes
Kirri uses postcombat main phase
The extensive detail of interactions you can do within each phase is nice, but my god is it a pain in the butt trying to explain why things work to less knowledgeable players.
Video TLDR: Read your cards, read the rulebook, and listen to Melvin.
Raid mechanic as a whole cares about main phase 2 as well, lots of good timing that needs to be targeted
You've earned this comment due to levelling up skills
Is this the right video title?
yea my bad
What did it say?
@@fasterbuilder11 Should cards be designed for EDH?
"Why no one plays Abzan in commander"
Any card with raid is much better in main phase 2
8TH!!
this is so basic that I'm surprised people don't play like this
naheb
FIRSTTTT
FIRST REPLY!!!!
Comment
One thing to note about holding up instants and abilities for an opponent's endstep; if that opponent concedes at sorcery speed, you will not get priority. You could miss out on casting something or cracking a fetch because the player to your right has had enough! It's something you have no control over, and in many ways it's still correct to wait until the player on your right's endstep to perform actions, but it's something to be aware of.
That's actually not true. When a player concedes/loses the game, the rest of their turn still happens without them and priority gets passed during each phase like normal
>>> 800.4j: If a player leaves the game during their turn, that turn continues to its completion without an active player. If the active player would receive priority, instead the next player in turn order receives priority, or the top object on the stack resolves, or the phase or step ends, whichever is appropriate.
@@joedoe7572 Well I've been burned by this on MTGO a lot recently so maybe it ought to be refined in the MTGO code!
You don't get a chance to do anything if someone skips their turn to untap Time Vault, though obviously most people aren't playing formats where that matters.
@@seandun7083 at what point does the player get the choice to untap Time Vault?
At whatever point that is, is there no round of priority passed around?
Multiplayer game with Time Vault not banned??? Commander cube maybe?
@@joedoe7572 it's a replacement effect that says "if you would begin your turn while Time Vault is tapped, you may skip that turn. If you do, untap Time Vault" so it doesn't cause a round of priority. The player before takes their cleanup, then surprise, your turn is skipped.
I've been playing a bit of Canadian Highlander with proxied decks. It's a 1v1 20 life format which is still 100 card singleton with a Vintage banlist, but a points list rather than a restricted list. Certain powerful cards cost points to include and you can have up to 10 points worth of cards in your deck. Time Vault is 7.
That turn chart looks really familiar...it was incorrect the last time i saw it and it is still wrong. Very irresponsible.
Mana empties and the end of steps and phases. Combat PHASE has multiple STEPS, etc..
The chart is just reminding you that between each phase in combat mana empties. Not that mana only empties then. If there is something else wrong let me know but the chart is accurate.
@thetrinketmage again, Combat Phase has multiple Steps, not Phases, and you are overestimating people. I literally has someone reference a 2018 TH-cam video to try and justify a play that hasn't been valid since 2020. At the very least they were using an accurate reference for 2018. If someone referenced your video about mana they would be entirely wrong.
Only 200 views in 10mins bro fell off
One important thing not touched upon is doing actions in your opponents second main phase. If you have a flicker spell that says "return at the beginning of the next end step", casting that during their end step could screw over an entire turn. I recently had a game where someone tried to sneak attack in an Etali during my end step, then exiled it with a "return next end step" card. Then he untapped, put etali back into play and tried to combo off. Until I pointed out that etali would return NEXT end step. So he didn't have it in play during his main phases.
This can also be used really well with cards like Sneak Attack, reanimate effects that only last until the nest end step etc.