When is the Cleanup Step in MTG? How does it Work?
The cleanup step in Magic: The Gathering happens right after the end step, and it’s the final part of a player’s turn. Though it might look like a quick formality, it handles some important details that keep the game running smoothly. You might not notice it at first when you’re just starting out, but it’s there, always making sure everything is in order for the next turn.
The main purpose is to reset certain things in the game state. Damage gets removed from creatures, and effects that last “until end of turn” go away. If these didn’t clear up, you’d have some very strange board states by the time it’s your turn again. And nobody wants to deal with a lingering “until end of turn” bonus three turns later because it never properly ended.
Hand Size Adjustment
One of the most visible tasks in the cleanup step is adjusting your hand size. By default, each player can only keep up to seven cards in hand at the end of their turn. If you somehow ended up drawing a handful of extra cards, maybe from a crazy draw spell or a bunch of triggered abilities, you’ll need to discard down to that maximum. This doesn’t use the stack, so other players don’t get a chance to respond. It’s a quick action that just happens, and it ensures nobody ends their turn with an unfair stockpile.
Sometimes it can be hard to choose what to discard, especially if your hand is packed with cards you really like. But that’s part of the strategy. Maybe you’re forced to throw something away now so you can keep a stronger option for later. It’s moments like these that can add tension even to something as routine as the cleanup step.
Simultaneous Actions
Right after you handle your hand size, a couple of actions happen at the same time. All damage marked on permanents is removed, and every effect that says “until end of turn” or “this turn” ends. So if your creature had a temporary buff or was about to die because it took lethal damage earlier, all that is cleared out now. It might be reassuring to see your board in a nice, tidy state at the end of the turn. Nobody likes rummaging through layers of leftover effects when it’s time to start a fresh turn.
These simultaneous actions also don’t use the stack, so you won’t see players casting spells or activating abilities in response to a creature’s damage going away. It just all disappears in one swift move.
Priority and Exceptions
Normally, no one gets to cast spells or activate abilities during the cleanup step. The game wants to reset cleanly and move on. However, there are exceptions. If something triggers at the beginning of the cleanup step, or if a state-based action needs to happen (like a creature dying because it has zero toughness), the game will handle those first. Then the active player actually gets priority—meaning they can cast spells or activate abilities. It’s rare, but it does happen.
If anything goes on the stack, you resolve it, pass priority around the table, and once that’s all done, you repeat the cleanup step. It can be amusing when the game tries to proceed to the next turn but keeps getting pulled back because something else triggered. But that’s how Magic stays consistent. It won’t move on until everything is fully resolved.
Example Scenario
Imagine you have a creature with an ability that triggers when it dies. Earlier in the turn, it was destroyed, and the ability says it will trigger “at the beginning of the next cleanup step.” So you reach the cleanup step, and that ability suddenly needs to go on the stack. Now, players can respond to it. If someone wants to cast a spell or do something else, this is their window. Once the stack is clear, the game tries another cleanup step. If nothing else triggers this time, the turn finally ends.
This sequence might feel odd the first time you see it happen. You might think, “Wait, aren’t we done with the turn already?” But it makes sense that Magic ensures every effect, ability, and potential action is handled before moving on. It keeps things fair and avoids confusion about leftover triggers.
It’s easy to overlook the cleanup step when you’re focused on your big plays, but it’s a key part of ensuring each turn ends on the right note. From discarding down to the proper hand size to wiping away temporary effects, it creates the blank slate your opponent needs to start their turn. And who knows—you might even find a few clever tricks to pull off in that rare moment when cleanup step triggers actually pop up. That’s one way to surprise someone who thinks all the action is already done.