Greetings Fellow Judges,

This is my first Forum post, so I apologize in advance for any unpleasantries.

To preface my query, allow me to explain the situation where this contradiction in the Comprehensive Rulebook (CR) was discovered.

I was battling a fellow PlanesWalker who controlled the enchantment Braid of Fire



My opponent thought they could carry excess mana (generated from the Braid of Fire) over from their upkeep step, through their draw step, and into their pre-combat main phase.
I promptly told them about Turn-Based Actions and showed them section 703 of the CR, specifically rule 703.4p

703.4p When each step or phase ends, any unused mana left in a player’s mana pool empties. See rule 500.4.

I then showed him rule 500.4

500.4. When a step or phase ends, any unused mana left in a player’s mana pool empties. This turn-based action doesn’t use the stack.

Upon request, I then showed him section 503 Upkeep Step, this is where he pointed out a contradiction in the CR, specifically with rule 503.1

503.1. The upkeep step has no turn-based actions. Once it begins, the active player gets priority. (See rule 116, “Timing and Priority.”)

Since rule 503.1 explicitly states that the upkeep step has no turn-based actions, one can interpret the rules such that rule 703.4p/500.4 do not apply to the upkeep step.
I was perturbed after having this inherent contradiction pointed out to me.
What do you guys think? Is this interpretation correct or does WotC need to edit this rule so it, instead, says something along the lines of

503.1. The upkeep step has no turn-based actions other than the turn-based action described by rule 500.4. Once it begins, the active player gets priority. (See rule 116, “Timing and Priority.”)

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and if you respond, thank you for responding as well.
Have a great day :D

Edited Sam Sprague (Feb. 17, 2017 08:51:26 AM)

Sam, it's not a contradiction - but, taken out of context like this, it might seem as such. Look also at the Untap and Draw steps, specifically 502.1, 502.2, and 504.1; each of those paragraphs describe turn-based actions - specifically, phasing, untap, then drawing for the turn.

When you look at all of 500 as a whole, you'll see that the wording in 503.1 just clarifies that Upkeep does not include any “native” turn-based actions, unlike upkeep and draw steps, which do.

The wording in 503.1 is not intended to say that turn-based actions can't occur.

And, to confirm your original point - you were correct, the mana from Braid of Fire must be used in Upkeep, before drawing for the turn. Your friend could not “float” that mana into their Main Phase (unless he or she also controls Kruphix, God of Horizons - and even then, it'd be colorless, not R).

d:^D