<p>Twincast copies Lightning Bolt, dealing 3 damage to whatever target you choose, then the original Lightning Bolt resolves as usual - a total of 6 damage. The first sentence of your question pretty much explains why. To be specific (and correct the detail about priority):</p>
<ul>
<li>You cast Lightning Bolt, putting it onto the stack.</li>
<li>You gain priority before your opponent does. (Note that by default, it's assumed that you pass it - if you want to hang onto it, you should say so explicitly.)</li>
<li>You cast Twincast, targeting Lightning Bolt. (The stack now has Lightning Bolt and Twincast on it.)</li>
<li>You and your opponent both pass priority.</li>
<li>Twincast resolves. It creates a copy of Lightning Bolt, optionally with a new target, and puts it on the stack. (The stack now has the original Lightning Bolt and the copy on it. Just one copy - not sure why you asked if it'd copy it twice.)</li>
<li>You and your opponent both pass priority.</li>
<li>The copy resolves, dealing 3 damage to whatever target you chose.</li>
<li>You and your opponent both pass priority.</li>
<li>The original resolves, dealing 3 damage.</li>
</ul>
<p>For the record, the relevant rules about who gets priority when:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>116.3b The active player receives priority after a spell or ability (other than a mana ability) resolves.</p>
<p>116.3c If a player has priority when he or she casts a spell, activates an ability, or takes a special action, that player receives priority afterward.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is slightly important in this case because it means that you have to cast Twincast <em>before</em> you see if your opponent wants to respond to Lightning Bolt; if you pass priority to them before casting Twincast and they do nothing, then you've both passed and Lightning Bolt will resolve.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-24T12:50:23.627Z
Worth mentioning that in tournaments (and often in casual play), priority is passed by default unless you state that you want to keep it.
GendoIkari
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-24T04:30:41.510Z
2015-05-24T15:09:26.847Z
2020-06-17T09:01:24.697Z
Cascabel
<p>I understand that every card that is put onto the stack is resolved in the opposite order that it is put on (meaning the first card to be put onto a stack is the last one to be resolved), but here is my question.</p>
<p>Say I cast a <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Lightning%20Bolt">Lightning Bolt</a>. That goes onto the stack. My opponent passes priority back to me. Then, I cast <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Twincast">Twincast</a>, and that also goes onto the stack. Would Twincast copy Lightning Bolt, effectively doing an additional 3 damage to my opponent?</p>
<p>Or, would Lightning Bolt Resolve, do 3 damage, then Twincast would resolve and do nothing?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-24T15:51:38.237Z
The whole point of Twincast is that it copies a spell on the stack.  They wouldn't have printed it if it does nothing
Zags
<magic-the-gathering><mtg-stack>
How does stacking and resolving work exactly?
Christiaan V
# How does stacking and resolving work exactly?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-05-24)

I understand that every card that is put onto the stack is resolved in the opposite order that it is put on (meaning the first card to be put onto a stack is the last one to be resolved), but here is my question.

Say I cast a [Lightning Bolt](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Lightning%20Bolt). That goes onto the stack. My opponent passes priority back to me. Then, I cast [Twincast](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Twincast), and that also goes onto the stack. Would Twincast copy Lightning Bolt, effectively doing an additional 3 damage to my opponent?

Or, would Lightning Bolt Resolve, do 3 damage, then Twincast would resolve and do nothing?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering, mtg-stack

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The whole point of Twincast is that it copies a spell on the stack.  They wouldn't have printed it if it does nothing  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-05-24. Score: 5

Twincast copies Lightning Bolt, dealing 3 damage to whatever target you choose, then the original Lightning Bolt resolves as usual - a total of 6 damage. The first sentence of your question pretty much explains why. To be specific (and correct the detail about priority):

* You cast Lightning Bolt, putting it onto the stack.
* You gain priority before your opponent does. (Note that by default, it's assumed that you pass it - if you want to hang onto it, you should say so explicitly.)
* You cast Twincast, targeting Lightning Bolt. (The stack now has Lightning Bolt and Twincast on it.)
* You and your opponent both pass priority.
* Twincast resolves. It creates a copy of Lightning Bolt, optionally with a new target, and puts it on the stack. (The stack now has the original Lightning Bolt and the copy on it. Just one copy - not sure why you asked if it'd copy it twice.)
* You and your opponent both pass priority.
* The copy resolves, dealing 3 damage to whatever target you chose.
* You and your opponent both pass priority.
* The original resolves, dealing 3 damage.

For the record, the relevant rules about who gets priority when:

> 116.3b The active player receives priority after a spell or ability (other than a mana ability) resolves.
>
> 116.3c If a player has priority when he or she casts a spell, activates an ability, or takes a special action, that player receives priority afterward.

This is slightly important in this case because it means that you have to cast Twincast *before* you see if your opponent wants to respond to Lightning Bolt; if you pass priority to them before casting Twincast and they do nothing, then you've both passed and Lightning Bolt will resolve.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Worth mentioning that in tournaments (and often in casual play), priority is passed by default unless you state that you want to keep it.  

---

