I read a lot of documents about morph but have not yet seen this in detail and would like a confirm on my interpretations of the rules:

First, it's crystal clear (to me) that you can not respond with a Shock when my opponent turns a Ainok Tracker face up.

115.3. If a player takes a special action, that player receives priority afterward.

116.4. 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.

A) Does a player have to explicitly take this priority (as in saying that he wants to take it)?

Scenario: Andrew attacks with a Hill Giant and Nigel blocks it with a face down Ainok Tracker. Still during blockers Andrew passes priority over to Nigel, where he first turns Ainok Tracker face up.

B.1: I believe at this point Nigel has priority? Correct?
B.2: If Nigel passes both players passed priority and we would go over to the Damage Step? Or is taking a special action also something we have to consider for rule 116.4, at least I would assume so?
B.3: Would that than mean that Nigel is now the first to act and that if he decides to pass (to bait a combat trick, like you normally would as NA-player) but than when Andrew does nothing that we go over to Combat Damage and the creatures would trade? So basicly the order of who passes last kind of turned around at that point?


EDIT used a bad example of morph card in my “first it's crystal clear sentance”

Edited Niki Lin (Sept. 22, 2014 10:25:08 AM)

A) Usually, players will either 1) mention they want to do something without requesting priority, or 2) ask the attacked if they have effects and then do their action. Either is fine. The only thing that is not allowed, in tournaments, is requesting the priority and doing nothing with it (in which case the priority would return to the active player in the same step or phase, as if nothing happened).

B) Yes, Nigel has priority after turning his Ainok Tracker face up. If Nigel then passes priority, Andrew will receive priority; taking a special action is not “passing priority without taking any actions in between passing”, so the Declare Blockers step doesn't end yet.

If Andrew then passes priority back without doing anything, the Declare Blockers step ends, because the stack is empty and both players have passed priority without any actions being taken in between; Nigel will not have another opportunity to do things. (This is similar to how a player who casts Time Warp and passes priority to see if his opponent counters it will not get a chance to Twincast it if their opponent just passes back.)

Daniel Kitachewsky
L4, Paris, France
Rules NetRep