Help with magic the gathering?

Question

can you play a cards ability even on your opponents turn in magic the gathering?

like with voice of woods can you tap the five elves whenever you want?

Answer 1

any ability except for mana abilities can be used on any turn

Answer 2

Unless the ability specifically says "play this only on your turn" or "play this only when you could play a sorcery" you can play it on your opponent's turn.

Answer 3

Yes you can. You must assume that you can play any ability any time you could play an instant, unless the card says otherwise.

Voice of the woods does not have that restricction so you can play it any time you can play an instant.

Answer 4

Alright, well here what abilities you can play and when.

If the ability activates from tapping mana:

you can use it whenever you want like an instance (unless something says otherwise on the card or from something else) and it can be used right on the turn you play it.

(Example: Sensei's Divining Top has an ability where you tap 1 mana and look at the top 3 cards of your library and put them back in any order.  You can do this whenever you want, right after you play it.)

If the ability activates from tapping the card:

you must wait a until your next turn during your untap phase to begin using that specific ability (unless something says otherwise on the card or from something else).

(Example: Sensei's Divining Top also has an ability where you tap it and then you draw a card and put the card on the top of your library.  You can only start do this after your untap phase.)

If the ability activates during a specific phase:

then it can only be used during that phase and it will start right when that phase first appears (unless something else says otherwise).

(Example: Form of the Dragon has an ability where at the end of every turn, your life total becomes 5.  At the very end of the turn you played it, your life total is 5.)

Sensei's Divining Top:http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDeta...

Form of the Dragon: http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDeta...