MTG State-Based Actions: Complete Rules Guide (2026)

What State-Based Actions Are (CR 704)

The Comprehensive Rules dedicate section 704 to state-based actions. The opening rules establish the framework:

CR 704.1: State-based actions are game actions that happen automatically whenever certain conditions are met. State-based actions don't use the stack.

CR 704.3: Whenever a player would get priority, the game checks for any of the listed conditions for state-based actions, performs all applicable state-based actions simultaneously as a single event, then checks for triggered abilities.

CR 704.4: If the only difference between a state-based action and a triggered ability is the timing of resolution, treat it as a state-based action.

The mechanism is precise: state-based actions don't trigger continuously throughout play — they're checked at specific moments. Specifically, every time a player would receive priority. That includes the start of every step and phase, after every spell or ability resolves, and after certain other defined events.

When the check fires, the game evaluates all state-based action conditions simultaneously. If any apply, all of them happen at once as a single event. After the event, the game re-checks state-based actions. The loop continues until no state-based action would apply, then triggered abilities are placed on the stack and priority is given.

The Complete List of State-Based Actions

CR 704.5 enumerates every state-based action in the game. Below is the full list, with the rule citation and a plain-English explanation.

CR 704.5a — Player loss conditions. A player with 0 or less life loses the game. A player who attempted to draw a card from an empty library loses. A player with 10 or more poison counters loses. A player who has lost the game leaves the game.

CR 704.5b — Empty library check. A player who has tried to draw a card from a library with no cards in it has lost. (This is the formal "decking out" rule.)

CR 704.5c — Poison counter check. A player with 10 or more poison counters loses the game.

CR 704.5d — Token in non-battlefield zone. A token that has moved out of the battlefield ceases to exist. (This is why bouncing a token to its owner's hand removes it from the game entirely.)

CR 704.5e — Copy of a spell or ability not on the stack. A copy of a spell or ability outside the stack ceases to exist.

CR 704.5f — Creature with toughness 0 or less. A creature with toughness 0 or less is put into its owner's graveyard. (Note: this is regeneration-immune. A creature reduced to 0 toughness via -X/-X cannot be regenerated.)

CR 704.5g — Creature with damage equal to or greater than toughness. A creature with damage greater than or equal to its toughness has lethal damage and is destroyed. (Regeneration applies here.)

CR 704.5h — Damage from deathtouch source. A creature that has been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch is destroyed. (Same regeneration rules apply.)

CR 704.5i — Planeswalker with 0 loyalty. A planeswalker with 0 or less loyalty counters is put into its owner's graveyard.

CR 704.5j — The legend rule. If a player controls two or more legendary permanents with the same name, that player chooses one to keep and the rest go to the graveyard.

CR 704.5k — Aura with no legal attachment. An Aura that's attached to an illegal object or player is put into its owner's graveyard. (This is why bouncing the enchanted creature kills the Aura.)

CR 704.5m — Equipment or Fortification attached to illegal target. Equipment or Fortification attached to an illegal target becomes unattached and remains on the battlefield.

CR 704.5n — Creature attached to creature. If a creature is attached to a creature (e.g., via Animation Module), the attached creature becomes unattached.

CR 704.5p — Permanent in wrong zone. A permanent that's outside the battlefield doesn't exist as a permanent.

CR 704.5q — Counters that can't exist. A permanent with counters that can't exist (e.g., an artifact with +1/+1 counters when it's not a creature) loses those counters.

CR 704.5r — +1/+1 and -1/-1 counter cancel. If a permanent has both +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters, N counters of each type are removed simultaneously, where N is the lesser of the two.

CR 704.5s — World rule (legacy). If multiple permanents have the supertype "world," only the most recently played one stays; the rest go to the graveyard. (This rule is rarely encountered in modern play.)

CR 704.5t — Saga sacrifice. A Saga that has had its final chapter ability resolve is sacrificed.

CR 704.5u — Class enchantment level cap. A Class enchantment can't have more than its maximum level number of level counters.

CR 704.5v — Battle defeat. A battle with 0 defense counters is sacrificed.

CR 704.5w — Day/Night flip. Day becomes Night when the active player casts no spells during their turn. Night becomes Day when the active player casts two or more spells during their turn.

This is the canonical list as of 2026. The list grows occasionally as new mechanics introduce new automatic checks (Battle was added in March of the Machine; Day/Night in Innistrad: Midnight Hunt).

When State-Based Actions Fire

Understanding when the check happens is as important as knowing what each check does. State-based actions fire at these specific moments:

Whenever a player would receive priority. This includes:

• The start of each step and phase (CR 117.3a).
• After a spell or ability finishes resolving (CR 117.3a).
• After certain triggered abilities go on the stack (CR 603.3b).

Before triggered abilities go on the stack. When state-based actions and triggered abilities both apply at the same moment, state-based actions resolve first (CR 704.3).

Repeatedly until no more apply. If the first check produces a state-based action that triggers another condition, the game re-checks. The loop continues until no state-based action would apply, then triggered abilities go on the stack.

The "repeatedly until no more apply" property is what makes the +1/+1 vs -1/-1 cancel so powerful in Persist and Undying combos. The cancel happens, the creature dies, the persist trigger goes on the stack — and the entire chain processes through state-based actions before any player has a chance to interact.

How State-Based Actions Interact with the Stack

The relationship between state-based actions and the stack is one of the most-asked topics in competitive Magic. The interaction follows clear rules.

State-based actions don't use the stack. They are not spells. They are not abilities. They cannot be countered by Counterspell or Stifle or any other interaction effect. They simply happen.

Triggered abilities created by state-based actions do use the stack. When a creature dies (state-based action), any "when this creature dies" abilities trigger. Those triggered abilities go on the stack normally and can be responded to.

The order is fixed. State-based actions check first, all applicable ones fire simultaneously, then triggered abilities are placed on the stack, then priority is given. This order is non-negotiable and is why response timing in Magic feels precise.

For a deep dive on how the stack itself works and where priority windows open, see our MTG stack explained guide, which complements this state-based actions reference.

State-Based Actions and Combat

Combat is where state-based actions matter most in everyday play. The combat damage step ends with a state-based action check that destroys creatures with lethal damage.

Sequence of events during combat damage:

1. Combat damage is dealt simultaneously (CR 510.1c). All damage from all attackers and blockers is marked at once.
2. State-based actions are checked. Creatures with damage ≥ toughness are destroyed; creatures with toughness 0 or less are put in the graveyard; creatures dealt damage by deathtouch sources are destroyed.
3. Triggered abilities go on the stack. "When this creature dies" abilities, Soul Warden-style "when a creature enters" triggers, etc.
4. Priority is given.

This is why two creatures can kill each other in combat. Both deal lethal damage simultaneously; both are destroyed by the same state-based action check; neither has a chance to deal damage "first" because there is no first.

For more on how combat phases interact with state-based actions and priority, see our Magic: The Gathering phases guide.

State-Based Actions in Combo Decks

Several Magic combo archetypes are built directly on state-based action timing.

Persist combo. Murderous Redcap + Melira, Sylvok Outcast + Viscera Seer. Sacrifice the Redcap; Persist triggers; Melira prevents the -1/-1 counter; Redcap returns clean; sacrifice again. The state-based action that would normally end the loop (-1/-1 counter making Persist not trigger) is removed by Melira's static ability.

Undying combo. Geralf's Messenger or similar + -1/-1 counter source + sacrifice outlet. Sacrifice; Undying triggers; creature returns with +1/+1; -1/-1 counter source places a -1/-1; state-based action 704.5r cancels both counters; creature is now clean; repeat.

Devoted Druid + Vizier of Remedies. Devoted Druid untaps when given a -1/-1 counter; Vizier of Remedies prevents the -1/-1 counter from being placed; Devoted Druid untaps without taking the cost; infinite mana. The state-based action 704.5f (creature with toughness 0) is what would normally end the loop, but the prevention effect stops the counter from being placed.

For more on how Persist and Undying interact at the rules level, see our MTG Persist vs Undying guide.

Replacement Effects and State-Based Actions

Replacement effects modify state-based actions before they fully apply. The most common interactions:

Indestructible. A creature with Indestructible is not destroyed by lethal damage. The state-based action 704.5g still identifies the creature as having lethal damage, but Indestructible is a replacement effect that replaces "destroyed" with "nothing happens."

Regeneration. A regeneration shield replaces the next destroy event with "tap the creature, remove all damage, remove from combat." It applies during the state-based action check, before destruction completes.

Commander to command zone. When your commander would be put into the graveyard from the battlefield, you may instead put it into the command zone (CR 903.9). This replaces the state-based action's "put into graveyard" with "put into command zone."

Phasing. A creature that's phased out is treated as though it doesn't exist for game purposes. State-based actions don't apply to phased-out creatures.

Replacement effects from -1/-1 counter prevention. Melira, Sylvok Outcast and Vizier of Remedies both prevent -1/-1 counters from being placed. This is a replacement effect that replaces the counter placement with nothing — the creature never has the counter, so the related state-based action condition never applies.

Common State-Based Action Misconceptions

Misconception 1: "I can save my creature with regeneration after combat damage." You can, but only because regeneration is a replacement effect that activates during the state-based action check. You don't get a priority window between damage being dealt and the state-based action firing — but a regeneration shield established before the damage was dealt is still active and replaces the destroy.

Misconception 2: "Lethal damage means the creature dies immediately." Damage is marked on the creature, but the creature doesn't die until the next state-based action check. This matters because abilities that care about creatures dying can sometimes be triggered by other means before the state-based action fires.

Misconception 3: "I can sacrifice my own creature in response to the legend rule." You cannot. The legend rule is a state-based action. There is no priority window between the duplicate entering the battlefield and the rule firing. You must sequence your plays so the duplicate enters when you want the legend rule to fire.

Misconception 4: "Counterspell can stop a state-based action." No. State-based actions are not spells or abilities. Counterspell counters spells. Stifle counters activated or triggered abilities. Neither stops state-based actions, which is why "if it works, it's a feature, not a target."

For a complete list of when each priority window opens and how state-based action checks integrate with the turn structure, see our Magic: The Gathering phases guide.

Strategic Applications

Skilled players exploit state-based action timing in three measurable ways.

Application 1: Sequencing for ETB triggers. When you have multiple creatures coming into play with overlapping state-based action implications, sequence them so the first one's effects are fully resolved before the next one enters. This avoids accidentally triggering the legend rule or wasting +1/+1 counters that would be canceled by -1/-1 counters from a different effect.

Application 2: Combo loop construction. Most Magic combos are state-based action exploits. The loop becomes infinite because a state-based action that would normally end the loop (death, counter cancellation, etc.) is removed or replaced by a static ability or replacement effect. Building combos requires identifying which state-based action would end your loop and finding the right effect to suppress it.

Application 3: Defensive timing. When you want to interact with an opponent's combo, target the triggered abilities (which use the stack) rather than the state-based actions (which don't). Stifle on the triggered ability is the canonical answer; trying to "respond to the state-based action" is a wasted card.

For practical applications in deck-building, see our how to build a Magic: The Gathering deck primer, which addresses sequencing and combo design.

Format-Specific Considerations

Standard. State-based actions matter most in combat-oriented matchups. Knowing when a creature dies versus survives is core skill.

Pioneer / Modern. Combo decks like Devoted Druid + Vizier of Remedies are state-based action exploits. Sideboard hate against these decks targets the triggered abilities, not the state-based actions themselves.

Commander. The legend rule (CR 704.5j) and the command zone replacement (CR 903.9) interact constantly. Multi-player state-based action checks are more complex than two-player.

Legacy / Vintage. State-based action exploits define multiple Tier 1 archetypes. Storm decks, Thoughtseize-based combo, and various reanimator builds all live on state-based action timing.

For comprehensive coverage of how state-based actions appear across the entire MTG keyword landscape, see our ultimate MTG keywords glossary.

The Bottom Line

State-based actions are the automatic, no-stack, no-response checks that keep Magic: The Gathering's rules consistent. They fire whenever a player would receive priority, all applicable ones happen simultaneously, and the check repeats until no more apply. They handle every "automatic" event in the game: lethal damage, zero loyalty, the legend rule, counter cancellations, Saga sacrifices, Battle defeats, and player-loss conditions.

Mastering state-based actions is the dividing line between casual and competitive Magic. Casual players let the rules engine run silently; competitive players sequence their plays around state-based action timing, build combos that exploit specific state-based action interactions, and time their sideboard cards to interrupt the triggered abilities that fire after state-based actions complete.

If you remember nothing else: state-based actions don't use the stack, can't be responded to, and run constantly. Build your understanding of every other Magic rule on top of that foundation.