<p>Jefromi's answer is absolutely correct.</p>

<p>But to clarify a small point: tapping your lands does not use the stack at all. This is important for spells with Split Second. If tapping lands used the stack, then you wouldn't be able to tap your lands once a Split Second spell was on the stack.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-20T23:07:03.567Z
Not sure how often this would ever come up, but for what it's worth, this is in general true for mana abilities, not just tapping lands. Mana abilities are anything that could produce mana, doesn't target, and is not a planeswalker loyalty ability, so for example, this covers Llanowar Elves but not Deathrite Shaman (which targets).
Cascabel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-18T20:07:06.877Z
2013-09-18T20:07:06.877Z
Daniel Grace
<p>It sounds like your opponent played a card like <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Early%20Frost">Early Frost</a>, which taps (up to) three target lands. (Side note: lands are not mana, they produce mana.) When this happens, it doesn't resolve immediately; it goes onto the stack. At that point, you have the opportunity to respond with things that can be done at &quot;instant speed&quot;, activating abilities and playing instants.</p>
<p>So yes, you can respond by playing an instant, tapping those three lands for mana to pay for it. You can also simply respond by tapping the lands for mana and leaving it in your mana pool, if you'd like to play something later during the current step and phase. Either way, when Early Frost actually resolves after your spell resolves, it will still tap those three target lands, but they're already tapped, so nothing really happens.</p>
<p>If your opponent really wants to stop you from playing an <em>instant</em> with that mana, the only way they can really do it is tap your lands down at a time when you wouldn't want to play your instant. For example, if it needs to get cast during combat, they could tap your lands before combat. But it's a lot more straightforward to use it to prevent casting a non-instant spell, by tapping down lands during upkeep.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-16T13:57:01.613Z
This is perfect, thank you. Unless anyone disagrees I have chosen as answer
Michael
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-16T13:59:38.107Z
btw, sorry about calling it mana, I get the terminology mixed sometimes
Michael
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-16T17:28:05.190Z
@Michael That's something almost everyone gets confused about. No worries. ;)
Alex P
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-16T17:29:43.230Z
@Michael Yeah, a lot of people will say "tapping mana to pay for a spell" to mean using mana-producing abilities (especially if some of it is mana-producing creatures), but in rules text, everything is very precise - cards say lands when they mean lands - and that precision can help you sort things out when you have a rules question!
Cascabel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-15T19:47:55.273Z
2013-09-16T14:55:39.693Z
2013-09-16T14:55:39.693Z
Cascabel
<p>The other player plays a spell which makes me tap 3 lands.  I want to play another instant on top of his instant using the 3 mana from the lands that will be tapped. Can I?</p>

<p>To simplify:</p>

<ol>
<li>me: I have 3 lands</li>
<li>opponent: plays instant, taps 3 lands</li>
<li>me: Wants to play instant on the same stack</li>
<li>me: instant needs those 3 mana he is going to take</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-15T18:53:26.663Z
Can you clarify what you mean by "lose 3 mana"? Like, [Mana Leak](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=241831)?
Alex P
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-15T19:16:41.207Z
I'm sorry, tbh I can't remeber what it is, all it did was tap 3 of my mana, I was wondering if I play a card that requires mana that is now tapped is it resolved BEFORE the mana is tapped as it is now on top of that card in the stack
Michael
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-16T04:01:00.630Z
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/794-priority-and-the-stack.html
Cascabel
<magic-the-gathering>
Can I tap land for mana AFTER opponent tapped those lands if it's in the same stack?
Michael
# Can I tap land for mana AFTER opponent tapped those lands if it's in the same stack?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-09-15)

The other player plays a spell which makes me tap 3 lands. I want to play another instant on top of his instant using the 3 mana from the lands that will be tapped. Can I?

To simplify:

1. me: I have 3 lands
2. opponent: plays instant, taps 3 lands
3. me: Wants to play instant on the same stack
4. me: instant needs those 3 mana he is going to take

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Can you clarify what you mean by "lose 3 mana"? Like, [Mana Leak](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=241831)?  
> **username_0**: I'm sorry, tbh I can't remeber what it is, all it did was tap 3 of my mana, I was wondering if I play a card that requires mana that is now tapped is it resolved BEFORE the mana is tapped as it is now on top of that card in the stack  
> **username_2**: http://www.mtgsalvation.com/794-priority-and-the-stack.html  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2013-09-15. Score: 14 | Accepted answer

It sounds like your opponent played a card like [Early Frost](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Early%20Frost), which taps (up to) three target lands. (Side note: lands are not mana, they produce mana.) When this happens, it doesn't resolve immediately; it goes onto the stack. At that point, you have the opportunity to respond with things that can be done at "instant speed", activating abilities and playing instants.

So yes, you can respond by playing an instant, tapping those three lands for mana to pay for it. You can also simply respond by tapping the lands for mana and leaving it in your mana pool, if you'd like to play something later during the current step and phase. Either way, when Early Frost actually resolves after your spell resolves, it will still tap those three target lands, but they're already tapped, so nothing really happens.

If your opponent really wants to stop you from playing an *instant* with that mana, the only way they can really do it is tap your lands down at a time when you wouldn't want to play your instant. For example, if it needs to get cast during combat, they could tap your lands before combat. But it's a lot more straightforward to use it to prevent casting a non-instant spell, by tapping down lands during upkeep.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This is perfect, thank you. Unless anyone disagrees I have chosen as answer  
> **username_0**: btw, sorry about calling it mana, I get the terminology mixed sometimes  
> **username_1**: @username_0 That's something almost everyone gets confused about. No worries. ;)  
> **username_2**: @username_0 Yeah, a lot of people will say "tapping mana to pay for a spell" to mean using mana-producing abilities (especially if some of it is mana-producing creatures), but in rules text, everything is very precise - cards say lands when they mean lands - and that precision can help you sort things out when you have a rules question!  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2013-09-18. Score: 2

Jefromi's answer is absolutely correct.

But to clarify a small point: tapping your lands does not use the stack at all. This is important for spells with Split Second. If tapping lands used the stack, then you wouldn't be able to tap your lands once a Split Second spell was on the stack.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Not sure how often this would ever come up, but for what it's worth, this is in general true for mana abilities, not just tapping lands. Mana abilities are anything that could produce mana, doesn't target, and is not a planeswalker loyalty ability, so for example, this covers Llanowar Elves but not Deathrite Shaman (which targets).  

---

