Cleanups and the chain

The last three lessons were about players choosing when to act. This one is about the things that happen whether or not anyone chooses: actions a player is told to take, and the cleanups that run between chain items.

Chosen and instructed

Track 1 called the things you do in your Main Phase discretionary actions, and playing a card is one of them.¹Rule 419.2. This is a Discretionary Action. Open in the rules browser The player with Priority can take appropriately timed discretionary actions²Rule 312.1.a. The player with Priority can take appropriately timed Discretionary Actions. Open in the rules browser, and if no player has Priority, no player can take them.³Rule 312.1.b. If no player has Priority, no player can take Discretionary Actions. Open in the rules browser

Limited Actions work the other way. They can be taken only when a player is instructed to take them by an effect, or at their set occasion in the turn: you draw in your Draw Phase or when a spell or ability tells you to, and at no other time.⁴Rule 410.2.b. These actions can only be taken when a player is instructed to do so as the execution of an effect or during their specified occasion during the turn.Example: A player may Draw during the Draw Phase on their turn or when instructed to do so by a spell or ability. They can't choose to Draw at any other time. Open in the rules browser A player can always take a Limited Action they are instructed to take, and make its choices, regardless of Priority.⁵Rule 312.1.b.1. Players can always take and make choices for Limited Actions when instructed, regardless of Priority. Open in the rules browser Playing a card can be one of these too: when a game effect has a card played as part of its resolution⁶Rule 419.3. Game effects may result in cards being played as part of their resolution. Open in the rules browser, that play is treated as a Limited Action.⁷Rule 419.3.a. This treats Play as a Limited Action. Open in the rules browser

Cleanups and chain items

A cleanup, the housekeeping pass from Winning at 8, is a task. Several moments on a chain call for one. A cleanup is made a task after the turn changes to or from an Open or Closed State⁸Rule 319.1. After the game transitions to or from an Open or Closed state Open in the rules browser, after a Pending item is added to the chain⁹Rule 319.3. After a Pending Item is added to the Chain Open in the rules browser, after a Pending item becomes Finalized¹⁰Rule 319.4. After a Pending Item becomes a Finalized Item on the Chain Open in the rules browser, and after a chain item is removed from the chain for any reason.¹¹Rule 319.5. After a Chain Item is removed from the Chain for any reason Open in the rules browser

Cleanups and chain items keep out of each other's way. While a cleanup is occurring, chain items cannot be finalized or resolved.¹²Rule 320. While a Cleanup is occurring, Chain Items cannot be Finalized or Resolved. Open in the rules browser New Pending items can still be added, but Finalized items cannot be executed, and Priority and Focus are neither passed nor given.¹³Rule 320.1. New Pending Items can be added, but Finalized Items cannot be executed and Priority and Focus are not passed or awarded. Open in the rules browser

The other way round, a cleanup cannot occur while a chain item is resolving.¹⁴Rule 321. Similarly, while Chain Items are Resolving, a Cleanup cannot occur. Open in the rules browser An event during the resolution that calls for a cleanup makes that cleanup an outstanding task instead.¹⁵Rule 321.1. If an event occurs during the Resolution of a Chain Item that qualifies for a Cleanup, that Cleanup will be made an Outstanding Task. Open in the rules browser During FEPR, the current step is completed first, and then play pauses while the tasks it incurred are completed.¹⁶Rule 334.2.a. During the FEPR process, new Tasks may be incurred. Complete the current step of the process and then pause and complete the necessary Tasks before continuing. Open in the rules browser And if an event during a cleanup calls for another cleanup, another one runs immediately after the first completes, repeating until a cleanup changes nothing.¹⁷Rule 322. If an event occurs during a Cleanup that qualifies for a Cleanup, another Cleanup will occur immediately after the first completes, repeating until a Cleanup occurs with no new change in the game’s state. Open in the rules browser

That is why a spell that deals lethal damage kills nothing while it resolves. The unit is killed in the cleanup step labelled 3b¹⁸Rule 323.5. 3b. All Units that have LethalDamage marked on themare killed and placed in their owners' Trash. See rule 142.4. For more information on lethal damage. Open in the rules browser in The resolution step, and no cleanup can occur until the spell has finished resolving.¹⁴Rule 321. Similarly, while Chain Items are Resolving, a Cleanup cannot occur. Open in the rules browser

When a target becomes illegal

When a card chooses specific game objects to affect, it targets them, unless the rules say otherwise.¹⁹Rule 355.7. When a card Chooses one or more specific Game Objects to affect, it is Targeted unless indicated otherwise by the rules in this section. Open in the rules browser A spell's wording sets the requirements its targets must meet: a spell that refers to a "unit at a battlefield", for instance, can target a unit only if it is at a battlefield.²⁰Rule 355.9.b. It meets all targeting restrictions. e.g., A unit is a valid target for a spell that refers to a “unit at a battlefield,” “enemy unit,” “unit you control,” or “unit with Might 4 or greater” only if it meets the appropriate criteria. e.g. A unit that reads “I can’t be chosen by enemy spells or abilities.” is not a valid target for any enemy spell or ability, even if it meets other targeting restrictions. Open in the rules browser

A common way to answer a spell is to make its target illegal. A target is illegal as the spell resolves if it no longer meets the spell's targeting requirements²¹Rule 359.3.e.2. A target is illegal as the spell resolves if it no longer meets the targeting requirements of the spell, or if it has changed Zones to or from a Non-Board Zone. Open in the rules browser, or if it has changed zones to or from a Non-Board Zone. A spell with a target that must be at a battlefield, for instance, loses that target if the unit is moved to its base first.

The spell still resolves even if some or all of its targets are illegal.²²Rule 359.3.e.1. The spell resolves even if some or all of its targets are illegal. Open in the rules browser Instructions that can't be followed are ignored²³Rule 359.3.e.6. Instructions that can't be followed, either because of illegal targets or other circumstances, are ignored.Example: A player plays Ride the Wind choosing to move their unit at Vilemaw’s Lair to base. Base is a legal move destination for Ride the Wind, but on resolution of Ride the Wind’s effect, the move instruction will be ignored because Vilemaw’s restriction makes the instruction impossible. Open in the rules browser, and an illegal target is unaffected by the spell as it resolves. The rules' own example still carries out the spell's other instruction, the one that did not need that target.²⁴Rule 359.3.e.5. If any of the spell's targets are no longer legal, those game objects, players, or zones are unaffected by the spell as it resolves. Any instructions related to an illegal target can’t be followed.Example: A player plays Void Seeker, a spell that says "Deal 4 to a unit at a battlefield. Draw 1." The unit's controller uses a Reaction to move the unit to their base. Since the unit is no longer a legal target, it is not dealt any damage. Void Seeker's controller still draws 1.Example: A player plays Bellow’s Breath targeting a unit in combat that reads in part “I can’t be chosen by enemy spells and abilities unless I’m in combat.” In reaction, that unit’s controller plays Flash, moving the unit to their base. The unit is no longer in combat, so it is no longer a legal target for Bellow’s Breath. The unit will be unaffected by Bellow’s Breath as it resolves.Example: A player plays Hidden Blade from the facedown zone at a battlefield, targeting an enemy unit. In reaction to Hidden Blade, their opponent plays Tideturner from facedown at another battlefield, choosing to swap locations with the unit Hidden Blade targeted. When Hidden Blade resolves, the chosen unit is no longer at the appropriate battlefield, so any instructions related to that unit are ignored. Open in the rules browser