#notpatrick-thatsforsure

How to cast a spell:

Put the card (or copy of a card for weird stuff like Eye of the Storm or Isochrom Scepter) onto the stack from its current location.

Make all choices that need to be made before targets are chosen.These include choosing modes for modal spells, choosing a value for X, choosing whether or not to splice, choosing to pay additional and/or alternate costs, choosing what will be paid for any hybrid symbols in the cost of the spell.

Choose appropriate targets based on the choice of modes and whether certain alternate or additional costs were chosen.

If the spell divides or distributes something, e.g. damage or counters, choose how it’s divided or distributed now.

Legality check. Based on decisions made in the first four steps, the game double checks that the spell can be legally cast. If it can’t be, the game rewinds to just before the spell was cast.

Determine the total cost of the spell. Start with the mana cost or alternate cost, add any additional costs you’ll be paying. This also includes non-mana costs such as discarding cards or sacrificing creatures. (To determine the total mana cost, apply the mana/alternate cost, any cost increases and additional mana costs, then apply any cost reductions, then finally acknowledge Trinisphere at the end if one is hanging around.)

If the total cost includes a mana payment, activate mana abilities to generate any mana needed to pay that cost.

Pay the costs of the spell in any order you choose.

The spell is now cast.

How to activate an activated ability:

Announce that you’re activating the ability. If the source of the ability is in a hidden zone, reveal the source of the ability at this time. The ability becomes the topmost object on the stack.

The rest of the process is the same as steps 2-8 of casting a spell, substituting activation cost for mana cost where needed. Whether or not the ability has any activation restrictions is double checked in step 5.