A turn has five phases, always in this order: beginning, precombat main, combat, postcombat main and ending (Comprehensive Rules 500.1). The beginning, combat and ending phases split into steps, ten in a normal turn, and players get priority in every phase and step except the untap step and, usually, the cleanup step. Mana Grove, a free MTG deck builder for Commander, publishes this guide to the phases and steps of a turn and cites the Comprehensive Rules for every step.
Every phase happens every turn, even when nothing happens in it. Here is the whole turn on one table, then each phase in order.
What are the phases and steps of a turn?
| Phase | Step | What happens | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning | Untap | Your permanents untap | No one |
| Beginning | Upkeep | "At the beginning of your upkeep" abilities trigger | Yes |
| Beginning | Draw | You draw a card | Yes, after the draw |
| Precombat main | None | Play a land, cast any spell; each Saga gets a lore counter | Yes |
| Combat | Beginning of combat | The last window before attacks | Yes |
| Combat | Declare attackers | You choose attackers, and they tap | Yes, after |
| Combat | Declare blockers | The defending player chooses blockers | Yes, after |
| Combat | Combat damage | All combat damage, dealt at once | Yes, after |
| Combat | End of combat | "At end of combat" abilities trigger | Yes |
| Postcombat main | None | Play a land if you haven't, cast any spell | Yes |
| Ending | End | "At the beginning of the end step" abilities trigger | Yes |
| Ending | Cleanup | Discard to hand size, damage wears off, "until end of turn" ends | Usually no one |
What happens in the beginning phase?
Three steps, in order: untap, upkeep and draw (501.1).
Untap. Phasing and the day and night check come first, then you untap your permanents, all at once (502.1 to 502.3). Nobody gets priority, so nothing can be cast or resolve here (502.4), and anything that triggers waits for the upkeep.
Upkeep. Nothing happens automatically. Abilities that triggered during the untap step and everything that says "at the beginning of your upkeep" go on the stack, then you get priority (503.1 and 503.1a). Phyrexian Arena, {1}{B}{B}, does its work here: a card and 1 life lost, every upkeep.
Draw. You draw a card, then you get priority (504.1 and 504.2). In a two-player game, the player who goes first skips this step on their first turn (103.8a).
What can you do in a main phase?
The two main phases, also called the first and second main phases (505.1), are the only phases in which you can normally cast creature, artifact, enchantment, planeswalker and sorcery spells, and only on your own turn with the stack empty (505.6a and 117.1a). They are also where you play your land: one a turn, in either main phase, with the stack empty (505.6b and 305.2). The first one opens by putting a lore counter on each of your Sagas (505.4); outside Archenemy and Attractions (505.3, 505.5), the two work the same.
What are the steps of combat?
Five, in this order (506.1).
- Beginning of combat. Players get priority before anyone attacks (507.2), so this is the last chance to tap or remove a creature before it can be declared as an attacker.
- Declare attackers. You choose your attackers, and they tap (508.1f). A creature can attack only if it's untapped and has haste or has been under your control since the turn began (508.1a). Vigilance is the keyword that skips the tap.
- Declare blockers. The defending player chooses which creatures block and which attacker each one blocks (509.1a).
- Combat damage. All combat damage is dealt at the same time (510.2). If any attacker or blocker has first strike or double strike, there are two combat damage steps: first and double strikers deal damage in the first, everyone else in the second, and double strikers in both (510.4). Give an attacker double strike with Boros Charm after blocks and it hits in both. First strike and double strike has the details.
- End of combat. "At end of combat" abilities trigger, and when the step ends, every creature leaves combat (511.2 and 511.3).
If no creature attacks, the declare blockers and combat damage steps are skipped (508.8).
What happens in the ending phase?
Two steps: end and cleanup (512.1).
End step. Abilities that trigger "at the beginning of the end step" go on the stack, and you get priority (513.1). This is when the monarch draws a card, at the beginning of their own end step (725.2).
Cleanup. You discard down to your maximum hand size, normally seven (514.1), unless a card like Reliquary Tower takes the limit away. Then damage is removed from permanents and "until end of turn" and "this turn" effects end, all at once (514.2). Nobody gets priority (514.3) unless a state-based action happens or an ability triggers; then players get priority as usual, and once they all pass, another cleanup step begins (514.3a).
When do players get priority?
The active player, whose turn it is, gets priority at the start of every step and phase except the untap step and, usually, the cleanup step, once that step's automatic actions are done and its triggers are on the stack (117.3a). With priority, you can cast an instant or activate an ability on anyone's turn (117.1a and 117.1b), which is why Counterspell, {U}{U}, can be cast on an opponent's turn and a creature cannot. When everyone passes in a row, the top of the stack resolves, or, if the stack is empty, the step or phase ends (117.4 and 500.2). Unspent mana empties at the end of each step and phase (500.5).
Does Commander change the turn structure?
No. Commander uses all the normal rules plus its own additions (903.1), and none of them touches a phase or a step. Two multiplayer rules do show up at a four-player table: nobody skips their first draw (103.8c), and since Commander's default setup lets you attack several opponents (903.2), every opponent is a defending player, so nobody picks one at the beginning of combat (802.2). How to play Commander walks through a whole game.
Frequently asked questions
How many phases are in a turn in MTG?
Five: beginning, precombat main, combat, postcombat main and ending (500.1). Each one happens every turn, even if nothing happens in it. Between them they hold ten steps, three in the beginning phase, five in combat and two in the ending phase; the main phases have no steps (505.2).
Do you get priority during the untap step?
No. No player receives priority during the untap step (502.4), so no spell can be cast and no ability can be activated or resolve. Anything that triggers during it goes on the stack at the start of the upkeep, before the active player gets priority (503.1a).
Does the player who goes first draw a card?
Not in a two-player game: the starting player skips the draw step of their first turn (103.8a). In a multiplayer game such as four-player Commander, nobody skips it (103.8c). In Two-Headed Giant, the team that goes first skips it (103.8b).
Can you cast spells during the cleanup step?
Normally not (514.3). Players get priority in the cleanup step only if a state-based action happens or an ability triggers during it. Then they can cast spells and activate abilities as usual, and once everyone passes, another cleanup step follows (514.3a).
Keep the turn order next to you
Keep the table above beside you for your first few games and the order soon runs itself. The deck builder basics cover the deck editor and its legality checks, and the Commander hub has a page for each of the most popular commanders. Create a free Mana Grove account to build with the full deck builder, and see plans and pricing for more time with Grover, Scry and Tutor.
Sources
- Comprehensive Rules, effective September 25, 2026: https://magic.wizards.com/en/rules. Read on October 26, 2026. Turn structure: rules 500.1, 500.2, 500.5, 501.1, 502.1 to 502.4, 503.1, 503.1a, 504.1, 504.2, 505.1 to 505.5, 505.6a, 505.6b, 506.1, 507.2, 508.1a, 508.1f, 508.8, 509.1a, 510.2, 510.4, 511.2, 511.3, 512.1, 513.1 and 514.1 to 514.3a. Priority: rules 117.1a, 117.1b, 117.3a and 117.4. Also rules 103.8a to 103.8c (the first draw), 305.2 (one land a turn), 725.2 (the monarch), 802.2, 903.1 and 903.2 (multiplayer and Commander).
- Mana Grove card database: the mana costs and rules text of Phyrexian Arena, Counterspell, Boros Charm and Reliquary Tower, read on October 26, 2026.
This article is updated when the Comprehensive Rules change the turn structure. The date at the top is the last revision.
