Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: No, Fiora cannot use her ganking ability after Leona moves. All units moving to a battlefield must move simultaneously, and once Leona has completed her move, it is too late for Fiora to join even if she becomes mighty from the resulting trigger. Sequence: - Declare all units moving to the battlefield simultaneously - Complete the move(s) - Triggers (like Leona's stun or legend buffs) go on the chain - Showdown begins after triggers resolve Nuances: - Standard moves can only occur when the turn is in an open state (no chain, no showdown) - Even if a "when I move" trigger goes on the chain before showdown begins, there is no window between the trigger and showdown cleanup where another unit could perform a standard move - Spells with move effects can be used during appropriate timing windows, but standard moves cannot

Ruling: Yasuo's ability damage still happens when stunned because stun only prevents combat damage, not ability triggers. However, Yasuo's ability only triggers when he is attacking, so if Leona is attacking (stunning) him, he would be defending and his ability would not activate. Nuances: - Stun prevents combat damage but not ability triggers - Yasuo's ability only activates when he is the attacker, not when defending - If Leona attacks and stuns Yasuo, he is defending and his ability doesn't trigger regardless of the stun

Ruling: Yes to both. The attacking unit bounces back (is recalled) because a defender is now present, and Leona's controller scores the battlefield. Sequence: - During the Resolution Step, a Combat Cleanup is performed - As part of the Special Cleanup, attackers are recalled if defenders are still present at the battlefield - If any units remain at the battlefield and their controller doesn't already control it, that player establishes control - This results in a Conquer (scoring) if that player has not yet scored that battlefield this turn Nuances: - The attacking unit bounces back even though the battlefield was initially open, because Zenith Blade created a defender presence before resolution

Ruling: If Leona dies before her attack trigger resolves, the trigger resolves but does nothing because her location is 'null' and the term 'here' cannot find a legal target. Sequence: - Leona's attack trigger goes on the stack - Leona dies before the trigger resolves - The trigger resolves but her location returns as 'null' - The term 'here' cannot find a legal target - No stun occurs

Ruling: The number of buffs depends on how the stuns are created. Leona's legend ability triggers based on "when you stun one or more" units. Sequence: - If a single effect stuns multiple units (like Thwonk with repeat cost), Leona's legend triggers once because it's one spell resolving once with a doubled effect - If multiple separate effects each stun units (like Svellsongr on Leona creating multiple triggers on the chain, or multiple Leonas attacking), each separate stun effect triggers Leona's legend separately Nuances: - A repeated spell only goes on the chain once and resolves once, it just doubles the effect, so it only triggers "when you stun" abilities once - Multiple triggers that each stun will each go on the chain separately, causing Leona's legend to trigger multiple times

Ruling: Yes, Leona's continuous effect applies after all snapshot/one-time effects are calculated, reducing the stunned Ember Monk's Might to 1 regardless of buffs received earlier. Sequence: - One-time effects (like Ember Monk's +2 Might trigger) are calculated first - Continuous effects (like Leona's -8 to stunned enemies) apply after all one-time effects - Leona's reduction applies last, setting the final Might to minimum 1 Nuances: - This follows a layering system where snapshot effects resolve before continuous effects - The minimum clause in Leona's effect means the unit will have at least 1 Might after her reduction - This ruling is based on designer clarification that Leona "applies last"

No, the unit does not need to gain 5 might to increase its total might above 1. According to the **RiftJudge FAQ #450** and the principles of the layering system, Leona, Zealot’s ability is a continuous passive effect that sets a floor of 1 might for stunned enemy units. When a unit currently at 1 might (due to Leona's reduction) receives a might-increasing effect (a buff), the calculation works as follows: 1. **Application:** You apply the might buff to the unit's current might value. 2. **Continuous Effect:** Because Leona's effect is a passive, continuous ability, it reapplies after the buff is calculated. 3. **Result:** If the unit receives a +1 might buff, its might would calculate as 2. Because 2 is greater than the 1-might minimum imposed by Leona, the unit will indeed end up with 2 might. Leona's effect does not require the unit to overcome the entire "-8" penalty before it can see any increase; it simply acts as a floor of 1. Any increase that pushes the total above 1 will be reflected in the final value.

Ruling: No, you maintain control of the battlefield and keep your hidden card. When Lillia moves and her ability triggers, the game enters a Closed State. Under current rules, you only lose control of an unoccupied battlefield during an Open State. Sequence: - Lillia moves from the battlefield - Her triggered ability becomes pending on the chain - The game enters a Closed State - Cleanup occurs, but battlefield control is not lost because the turn is in a Closed State - The triggered ability resolves, playing a Sprite token at the battlefield - You maintain control throughout due to the Closed State protection, then the Sprite token Nuances: - The previous FAQ #3008 has been deprecated due to rule updates in the Unleashed ruleset - Battlefield control can only be lost when the turn is in an Open State

Ruling: No, Lonely Poro does not draw a card. Deathknell triggers snapshot the unit's information at the moment the trigger is placed on the chain, which happens before units actually die. At that moment, Fiora is still present at the battlefield, so Poro is not alone. Sequence: - Combat damage is dealt and units are marked to die - Deathknell triggers are placed on the chain, snapshotting each unit's current state (Fiora is still present at the battlefield) - Units actually die/are moved to trash (this is when Zhonya's replacement effect recalls Fiora instead of her dying) - Deathknell triggers resolve using the snapshotted information from step 2 Nuances: - Even though Fiora doesn't actually die (she's recalled), she was present at the battlefield when Poro's deathknell trigger was created, so Poro was not "alone" - The replacement effect (recall) happens simultaneously with the actual death, but after the deathknell trigger has already been placed on the chain with its snapshotted information - "Alone" means "no other friendly units were present at my location" at the time the deathknell trigger is created, not at the time units actually go to the trash

To determine if the **Loyal Poro** dies "alone," we must look at the number of **friendly** units at its location at the moment of death. According to **Rule 741.1**: "A unit is alone when there are no other friendly units at the same location." Based on your scenario: * The **Loyal Poro** is at a battlefield. * Two **enemy** units are attacking it. * The status of the Loyal Poro depends entirely on whether you control any *other* units at that same battlefield when it dies. **The Ruling:** Whether the Loyal Poro dies "alone" is **not affected by the number of enemy units present**. Because the "alone" condition specifically checks for *other friendly units*, the presence of two enemy attackers does not prevent the Poro from dying alone. * **If you have no other friendly units** at that battlefield at the moment of death, the Loyal Poro **dies alone**. * **If you have one or more other friendly units** at that battlefield at the moment of death, the Loyal Poro **does not die alone**. As a reminder, per **FAQ #373** (which discusses the "alone" condition), this check is historical—it looks at the board state at the exact moment of death. Since enemy units are not friendly, they are ignored for this specific condition.

Ruling: You score 2 points total when conquering with Lucian equipped with both Trinity and Skyfall.

Ruling: Lucian's printed ready ability can only be used the first time he conquers each turn. You must use it when it triggers and cannot save it for a later conquest. Sequence: - When Lucian enters play exhausted, play Relentless Pursuit to move him to battlefield 1 - He conquers and triggers both his printed ready ability and Pursuit's return-to-base ability - Resolve Pursuit's ability first to move him back to base - Resolve his printed ability to ready himself - Use a standard move action to move him to battlefield 2 - He conquers again and triggers Pursuit's return-to-base ability (but not his printed ready ability) - Resolve Pursuit's ability to return him to base Nuances: - Moves granted by Relentless Pursuit do not exhaust the unit - Lucian's ready ability only triggers the first time he conquers each turn, not on subsequent conquests - When multiple "when I conquer" abilities trigger simultaneously, you can order them however you want - Relentless Pursuit's return-to-base ability lasts the entire turn and applies to all conquests that turn

Ruling: Yes, you keep the +2 energy even if Lux dies. The effect cannot be reacted to, and the energy goes into a conceptual "Rune Pool" as floating energy. Nuances: - The energy is temporary floating energy, not a rune - The Rune Pool (where all Energy and Power goes) gets cleared at the end of every turn and at the end of every draw phase - Even if someone tries to kill Lux in reaction to her trigger, you still get the energy because the effect cannot be reacted to

Ruling: Lux does not draw a card. A card is not considered "played" for trigger purposes until it resolves, and Mystic Reversal returns Singularity to hand before it resolves. Nuances: - The card is put on the chain when announced from hand, but "play" for trigger purposes means resolution - If this interaction happens on Dreaming Tree (targeting your own unit), Lux still draws because Dreaming Tree triggers on announcement. After Mystic Reversal changes targets to Ahri's units, Ahri also draws from Dreaming Tree.

Ruling: Mask of Foresight does not trigger and does not give the remaining unit +1 might. The trigger condition for Mask ("when I attack/defend alone") must be met at the moment units are designated as attackers/defenders, which only happens during the initial chain of a showdown. Sequence: - Units are designated as attackers/defenders (this is when "when I attack/defend" triggers check) - If a unit is alone at this moment, Mask triggers and goes on the stack - If Mask triggered, it will give +1 might to "that unit" (the specific unit that triggered it) when it resolves, even if that unit is no longer alone - If a unit was not alone when designated, Mask does not trigger at all - Moving units in or out of the battlefield after designation does not create new Mask triggers Nuances: - Mask does not target, so it doesn't check conditions again on resolution - it will resolve and give might to the unit that triggered it even if the battlefield state has changed - The might goes specifically to "that unit" (the one that triggered Mask), not to whichever unit happens to be alone when it resolves - If the unit that triggered Mask is removed before Mask resolves, the effect fizzles and no other unit gets the might - A hidden unit revealed after designation was not alone when it became a defender, so it cannot trigger Mask or receive might from an existing Mask trigger

Ruling: When Mask of Foresight triggers on your alone unit entering combat, that unit receives +1 Might for the rest of combat regardless of whether it becomes not-alone afterwards (like flipping Tideturner). However, if you use Fight or Flight after combat has already started, you miss the trigger window for Mask of Foresight since it's a "When" triggered ability. Sequence: - Opponent moves to contest, triggering combat - Mask of Foresight triggers ("When" ability) because your unit is alone - The +1 Might buff is applied to your unit - You can then flip Tideturner and the Poro keeps the +1 Might - The buff persists because the resolution text has no "alone" condition Nuances: - "When/At" are Triggered Ability keywords that require specific timing windows - "While/If" are Passive Ability keywords that continuously check conditions - If you play Fight or Flight as an action after combat has started, the new unit misses the Mask trigger window since combat already began

Ruling: No, Mask of Foresight does not trigger. The trigger condition checks whether the unit is alone when it is initially assigned as attacker/defender at the start of combat. Moving another unit away afterward does not change the attacker/defender status or cause the trigger to check again. Sequence: - When combat starts, all units are assigned as attackers and defenders - At that moment, Mask of Foresight checks if the unit is alone - If the unit is not alone when assigned, the trigger does not go on the chain - Moving units away later does not cause the trigger to re-evaluate Nuances: - Attack/defend triggers can only be fulfilled once per unit per combat - If a different unit is moved onto the battlefield alone after the initial assignment (during or after the initial chain), that unit's Mask of Foresight would trigger - The same unit cannot trigger its attack/defend ability multiple times in the same combat, even if it leaves and re-enters the battlefield

Ruling: No, the bonus does not disappear when Mask of Foresight is removed. It is a triggered ability, not a passive effect. Nuances: - If it were a passive effect, the static bonus would disappear immediately when the item is removed - Triggered abilities persist for their duration even after the source is removed (like a timed debuff that continues even if the caster dies) - Passive aura effects would disappear immediately when removed (unlike triggered effects)

Ruling: Yes, the unit still receives the +1 might bonus from Mask of Foresight even after being returned to base by Fight or Flight. Sequence: - Player 2 moves a single unit to attack Player 1's battlefield - Mask of Foresight triggers and goes on the chain/stack - Player 1 plays Fight or Flight, which resolves and returns the attacking unit to base - Mask of Foresight effect resolves, giving the unit +1 might for the turn Nuances: - The trigger condition (attacking alone) only needs to be true when the effect goes on the chain, not when it resolves - No validation check occurs upon resolution for this effect - The unit retains the +1 might bonus for the turn even though it's no longer attacking - If the same unit is sent back to attack alone again, Mask of Foresight will trigger again

Ruling: Units heal at the end of combat (during the combat resolution step), not at the end of the combat showdown. This healing occurs regardless of what happens to the units during combat. Sequence: - Combat showdown occurs (first step of combat) - Combat damage step occurs (second step) - Combat resolution step occurs (third step) - units heal here Nuances: - If a showdown occurs outside of combat (open showdown), no healing happens - Healing happens even if units are killed, moved, or otherwise affected during the combat showdown - A unit can be damaged during combat showdown and still need to survive combat damage to benefit from healing

Ruling: Yes, Miss Fortune can ready the unit that moved with her to the battlefield, and that unit will be ready at the battlefield. Sequence: - Exhaust all units being moved together (as the cost of the standard move) - Move them all to the destination - Resolve any move effects (including Miss Fortune's ready ability) - Start a showdown if needed Nuances: - The unit being readied doesn't get readied until after the move is complete, but since all units move together as a group in one action, the readied unit still arrives at the battlefield ready - This only works for units moved together with Miss Fortune; you cannot ready an already exhausted unit and have it join the move

Ruling: No, by the time Ms. Fortune Captain's move trigger resolves, a showdown is already staged, so the readied unit cannot join the same combat. Sequence: - Ms. Fortune Captain moves to attack a battlefield - The showdown is staged - Ms. Fortune Captain's move trigger resolves - Any unit readied by the trigger cannot join the already-staged showdown

Ruling: Yes, Mundo survives. Unchecked Power marks 12 damage on Mundo and moves to trash (triggering Mundo's passive +1 power) before the cleanup occurs that would check for lethal damage. Sequence: - Unchecked Power resolves, marking 12 damage on Mundo - Unchecked Power moves to trash - Mundo gains +1 power passively (now at 13 power) - Cleanup occurs when Unchecked leaves the chain - Mundo has 13 power with 12 marked damage and survives Nuances: - Cleanups do not happen in the middle of card resolution - The passive power gain from the card entering the graveyard occurs before the cleanup that checks for lethal damage

Ruling: When the card leaves trash, Mundo's might becomes 0. If a third Smokescreen is played while Mundo is at 0 might, he remains at 0. Sequence: - Mundo starts at 6 might base - His ability increases him to 7 might (while card is in trash) - Two Smokescreens resolve, each "snapshotting" their decreases, reducing him to 1 with a total snapshotted decrease of -6 - When the card leaves trash, the -6 decrease no longer has the "minimum of 1" limitation, so Mundo goes to 0 might - A third Smokescreen played at this point would snapshot as -0, leaving Mundo at 0 Nuances: - Units can have 0 or less might without dying - Units only die from non-zero damage, not from having 0 might - The "minimum of 1" limitation on Smokescreen only applies when the effect resolves and snapshots; once snapshotted, the decrease persists without that limitation

Ruling: The owner of Time Warp does not take two additional turns. They take one extra turn (from Time Warp) followed by their regular turn. Sequence: - Opponent's current turn completes - You take an extra turn (from the reversed Time Warp) - You take your regular turn - Opponent takes their regular turn - Normal turn order resumes Nuances: - The extra turn from Time Warp is inserted immediately after the current turn, followed by what would have been your regular turn in the rotation

To address your question regarding the interaction between *Mystic Reversal*, *Discipline*, and *Irelia, Fervent*, we must look at the timing of "choose" triggers and the mechanics of control changes. ### The Ruling **Yes, *Irelia, Fervent*'s ability triggers, and it remains on the chain even if *Mystic Reversal* is played.** According to **FAQ #636** and **FAQ #6315**, "choose" triggers occur during the finalization of a spell (when targets are locked in). Because this happens before the opponent has an opportunity to play a *Reaction* like *Mystic Reversal*, the trigger is already placed on the chain. Once a trigger is on the chain, it is independent of the spell that caused it. Even if the spell is later countered or stolen, the trigger remains on the chain and will resolve. ### Sequence of Events 1. **Player A plays *Discipline*:** They choose *Irelia, Fervent* as the target. 2. **Finalization:** The spell is finalized. *Irelia, Fervent*'s ability triggers because she was chosen. This trigger is placed on the chain. 3. **Player B plays *Mystic Reversal*:** They target *Discipline* in response to the spell (but after the trigger has been placed). 4. **Resolution of *Mystic Reversal*:** Player B gains control of *Discipline*. They may choose new targets for the spell. 5. **Resolution of the Chain:** * The chain resolves in LIFO (Last-In, First-Out) order. * *Irelia, Fervent*'s trigger (placed in step 2) resolves, giving her +1 Might. * *Discipline* (now controlled by Player B) resolves with its new target. ### Addressing Your Specific Points * **Does *Irelia, Fervent* still trigger?** Yes. The trigger occurs at the moment of finalization. It is already on the chain before *Mystic Reversal* can be played. * **Does *Irelia, Blade Dancer* trigger?** Yes. Per FAQ #6256 and FAQ #220, *Irelia, Blade Dancer* triggers when a unit is chosen by a spell. The same logic applies: if the condition was met during finalization, the trigger is already on the chain and will resolve regardless of who controls the spell at the time of resolution. * **Does the original player still get the benefit?** Yes. Because the trigger was placed on the chain by the original player when the spell was finalized, they are the "accountable player" for that trigger (Rule 506.1). The trigger will resolve for them, even if the spell itself is stolen and resolves for the opponent. *Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules.*

Yes, you will still draw from Nidalee, Cat Form, provided she remains on the battlefield after combat and you are declared the winner. ### Explanation According to Nidalee's ability, she triggers when she "wins a combat," which is defined as "remaining after combat." When your opponent uses **Sacrifice** on their unit, that unit is sent to the trash as a cost (Rule 357). Because that unit is no longer on the battlefield during the Combat Cleanup phase (when combat results are determined), your Nidalee is effectively the only unit remaining at the battlefield. ### Sequence of Events 1. **Combat Damage Step:** Combat damage is dealt. If your opponent's unit is not destroyed by combat damage, it remains on the battlefield. 2. **Sacrifice Reaction:** In response to something (or during the showdown), your opponent plays **Sacrifice**. The unit is killed as a cost and moved to the trash before **Sacrifice** even resolves. 3. **Battlefield State:** Because the opponent's unit has been removed from the battlefield, your Nidalee remains at the battlefield alone. 4. **Combat Cleanup:** The game determines the winner. Since your Nidalee remains at the battlefield and the opponent’s unit does not, Nidalee meets her win condition. 5. **Trigger:** Her ability triggers ("When I win a combat, draw 1"), and you draw a card. Even though the opponent’s unit died due to **Sacrifice** rather than combat damage, the outcome is the same regarding the win condition: Nidalee "remained" at the battlefield after combat, and the opposing player's units did not. *This is my interpretation based on Rule 461.3 and the logic established in FAQ #10248 regarding combat results. No official FAQ exists for this specific interaction with Sacrifice.*

No, Nidalee, Cat Form will not draw a card in this scenario. ### Explanation According to Nidalee's card text, her ability triggers when she **wins a combat**. The text clarifies, "(I win if I remain after combat.)" In your scenario, Nidalee is "pushed back to base" (recalled). Per the rules for combat showdowns, if a unit is recalled from the battlefield, it is no longer present at the battlefield for the final combat cleanup/resolution steps. Because Nidalee is not present at the battlefield when the combat result is determined, she does not "remain" at the battlefield after combat. Therefore, she does not meet the condition to win the combat, and her ability will not trigger. ### Sequence of Events 1. **Combat Damage Step:** Combat damage is dealt. If Nidalee is not destroyed by Galio (or vice-versa), both units remain. 2. **Recall Effect:** Some effect pushes Nidalee back to her base (e.g., an effect like Symbol of the Solari, or a recall effect triggered by the combat state). 3. **Determine Winner (Rule 461.3):** The game checks the status of the battlefield. Since Nidalee has been recalled to her base, she is no longer at the battlefield. 4. **Result:** Because she is no longer present, she cannot be considered to have "remained" at the battlefield, failing the win condition for her ability. No draw occurs. This is consistent with the established logic that a unit must be present at the location of the combat during the resolution step to be considered the winner.

Ruling: Not So Fast counters the entire spell including all Repeat effects. Repeat does not add separate triggers, so the whole spell is countered as one. Sequence: - Missile Barrage is cast with Repeat effect - Not So Fast is played in response - The entire spell (both the initial effect and the Repeat effect) is countered Nuances: - This applies regardless of whether Repeat targets two different units or the same unit twice - The spell is treated as a single spell with combined energy cost and power for purposes of cards like Defy

Ruling: The Trifarian War Camp passive buff applies to Noxian Drummer as soon as it arrives, making it 4 might. Since Gust can only target units with 3 or less might, Noxian Drummer is not a valid target for Gust. Nuances: - Gust checks for valid targets after the unit has already received location-based buffs from being "here"

Ruling: Yes, the opponent can play Hidden Blade to kill Drummer before the token spawns, and if Drummer dies this way (from a hidden Hidden Blade), the token will not be spawned because the game cannot determine "here" anymore. Sequence: - Zenith Blade fully resolves, moving Drummer to the battlefield - Drummer's move trigger goes on the chain - The controller of the trigger (Drummer's controller) gets priority first - Then the opponent gets priority and can play Hidden Blade as a reaction - If both players pass, the trigger resolves - If Drummer was killed by Hidden Blade as a reaction, the token does not spawn Nuances: - If Hidden Blade is played as an action (not as a reaction from being hidden), the token still spawns even if Drummer dies - The key difference is whether Hidden Blade was played as a reaction from being hidden versus as a normal action

Ruling: No. Rockfall Path states "Units can't be played here," and Noxian Drummer's ability instructs you to "play a 1 might Recruit unit token here." According to the "can't beats can" principle, the restriction on Rockfall Path takes precedence and prevents the token from being played there.

Ruling: When Noxian Drummer moves to a battlefield, her triggered ability goes on the chain. If the opponent reacts with Fight or Flight (played from hidden) to move her to base before the trigger resolves, the trigger still resolves and creates one token at the base (where Drummer currently is). No showdown begins because the battlefield is no longer contested. Sequence: - Noxian Drummer moves to battlefield - Her triggered ability goes on the chain - Opponent plays Fight or Flight from hidden in reaction to the trigger - Fight or Flight resolves, moving Drummer to base - Drummer's trigger resolves, creating a token "here" at base - No showdown occurs Nuances: - The move itself cannot be reacted to, but the triggered ability can be reacted to - Only one token is created total (not two), because Drummer only triggers when moving to a battlefield, not when moving to base - "Here" refers to Drummer's current location when the trigger resolves (the base)

Ruling: The token would not be created because Noxian Drummer is no longer on the board when the ability resolves, so "here" cannot be determined. Nuances: - A unit that is no longer on the board has no location - Spell and ability instructions are checked for legality both at trigger time and at resolution time - Units in hand return "null" for "here"

Ruling: No, the opponent cannot activate Zhonya to save their unit if it dies in combat with Noxus Saboteur. Sequence: - Combat damage occurs - Units are removed from the board - No window exists between these steps for the opponent to react and activate Zhonya

Ruling: The Clockwork Keeper does not die. After combat damage is assigned and units are killed, they are immediately healed before any other game state checks and before any abilities are able to enter the chain. Sequence: - Combat damage is assigned to all units simultaneously - Units that received lethal damage are killed - All units are immediately healed - Game state checks and abilities occur after healing Nuances: - You cannot assign over-damage to a unit; once lethal damage is assigned to a unit, you must assign remaining damage to the next unit - The written rules initially suggested the Clockwork would die, but the FAQ clarified that healing occurs before the buff is removed, so the Clockwork survives

Ruling: The ability resolves to no effect (whiffs). Since killing Overzealous Fan is a cost-within-instruction required to move the unit, and Fan cannot be killed because it's no longer on the battlefield, the effect cannot be performed. Sequence: - Overzealous Fan's ability triggers and is finalized - Opponent reacts with Gust, returning Fan to hand - Fan's ability resolves but cannot kill Fan (it's not on battlefield) - The unit is not moved to owner's hand Nuances: - This applies to any effect worded as "do X to do Y" - the first part is a cost paid during resolution that is required for the second part to occur - The ability has already triggered and finalized by the time you react to it

Ruling: Yes, a showdown will start and you'll gain a point if you re-establish control. Sequence: - P1 retreats their unit from BF2 in response to charm - Cleanup establishes the battlefield as uncontrolled immediately after the retreat effect resolves - When P1's unit arrives at BF2, a showdown starts - P1 can score if they re-establish control Nuances: - P1 lost control of the battlefield when they retreated the unit, even though they controlled it at the start of the turn - The battlefield becomes uncontrolled in the window between the retreat resolving and the arriving unit

Ruling: No, P2 cannot prevent the loss at this point. The opponent wins because they don't need to be in control of both battlefields to win - they just need to score a point from both battlefields on the same turn. Nuances: - P2 should have played Gust during the initial showdown with the Poro at an earlier time to prevent this situation

Ruling: Yes, Phoenix can trigger its ability to summon itself from the discard after Hidden Blade fully resolves. Sequence: - Hidden Blade is played targeting Phoenix - Phoenix is killed and sent to the discard - Draw 2 cards - Hidden Blade fully resolves - Phoenix is now in the discard and its triggered ability can be put into the chase - If you pay for Phoenix's triggered ability, it will successfully be played from the discard Nuances: - You must fully resolve an effect before putting a triggered ability into the chase, which is why Phoenix's ability can only trigger after Hidden Blade completely resolves

Ruling: Yes, the unit at the base still takes 2 damage. The "then" in the spell text is a timing instruction, not a condition that requires the first target to still be valid. Nuances: - This ruling can be extrapolated from similar card interactions like Traveling Merchant - The removal of the first target does not invalidate the second part of the effect

Ruling: No, bouncing Pit Rookie with Gust does not prevent the buff. The buff still applies to the targeted unit because once the ability becomes a chain item, its source doesn't matter anymore. Sequence: - Pit Rookie is played - Pit Rookie's when played buff ability goes on the chain and targets a unit - Gust is played in response to bounce Pit Rookie - Gust resolves, returning Pit Rookie to hand - The buff ability still resolves and applies to the target Nuances: - You are responding to the unit's when played effect, so you will know the target of the buff before you can play Gust - The ability resolves as long as it has a valid target, regardless of whether the source unit is still in play

Ruling: Player 1 would draw, not win. You need control of both battlefields simultaneously to score the 8th point, not just to have scored at each battlefield at different times. Sequence: - Player 2's Showdown 1 on Battlefield A resolves first, giving control to Player 2 - Player 1 now has control of the other battlefield only - Player 1 does not have control of both battlefields simultaneously - Player 1 draws instead of winning Nuances: - If Player 1 could somehow return to Battlefield A and conquer it again in the same turn, then they would win

Ruling: The player who plays Mystic Reversal gains control of Defy, but since there is only one legal target on the chain (Dragon's Rage) and Defy says "a spell" not "an enemy spell", they must still target Dragon's Rage with Defy. Nuances: - Mystic Reversal gives control of the spell to its caster, but does not allow retargeting if only one legal target exists - Defy's targeting restriction is "a spell" rather than "an enemy spell", so it can target your own spells

Ruling: Yes, if Player 2 wins the combat showdown and is the only remaining player with units at the battlefield, they score. Sequence: - Player 1 moves to empty battlefield A, starting a non-combat showdown - Player 2 uses Ride the Wind to move a unit into battlefield A during the non-combat showdown - A combat showdown is marked as pending - Resolve the non-combat showdown completely - The game sees units from opposing players remain, triggering the combat showdown - If the Ride the Wind player wins the combat showdown and is the only player with units remaining, they score Nuances: - Player 1 (who moved to the empty battlefield first) is the attacker in the combat showdown, as they applied the contested state to the uncontrolled battlefield - Player 2 (the Ride the Wind player) is the defender in the combat showdown - Player 2 does not score from the original non-combat showdown, only from the combat showdown if they win it

Ruling: Yes, Player 2 can draw from Discipline as it resolves and then play a Defy (or other reaction) they drew to respond to Void Seeker before it resolves. Sequence: - Player 1 plays Void Seeker targeting an enemy unit - Player 2 plays Discipline in response - The chain resolves last in first out, so Discipline resolves first - Player 2 draws from Discipline - After Discipline resolves, the owner of the next item (the attacker) gains priority and can pass - Player 2 then has another opportunity to play a reaction, including anything drawn off Discipline - If Player 2 plays Defy, it goes on the chain before Void Seeker resolves Nuances: - Players have opportunities to play reactions as the chain is resolving, not just when initially building the chain

Ruling: Fight or Flight will still resolve and move the targeted unit back to base even though it moved to a different battlefield via Tideturner. Spells don't fizzle in Riftbound - they always resolve, though they might resolve with no effect. Nuances: - If Fight or Flight were played as a hidden card (rather than from hand), it would have the targeting restriction 'here' and the target would become illegal when moved to a different battlefield, causing it to resolve with no effect. - The key distinction is whether Fight or Flight was played from hand (works as described) or was already hidden at the battlefield (would not work).

Ruling: Yes, Player B still draws from Dreaming Tree. Once En Garde finalizes and enters the chain, Dreaming Tree's trigger happens based on the unit being chosen, regardless of where the unit moves afterward. Sequence: - Player B plays En Garde on their unit at battlefield with Focus - En Garde finalizes and enters the chain - Dreaming Tree triggers because a unit at battlefield was chosen - Player A plays Force of Flow in reaction window to move the unit to base - When Dreaming Tree resolves, the draw still happens Nuances: - Dreaming Tree triggers off of choosing the unit, not the unit's location at resolution - Dreaming Tree's instruction doesn't check for location when it resolves - it simply draws 1 card once triggered

Ruling: No, Player A does not draw 2 cards. When the unit is returned to hand by Retreat, it becomes a different object and Hidden Blade can no longer find the controller of the unit it was trying to kill. Sequence: - Player B casts Hidden Blade targeting Player A's unit - Player A responds with Retreat, returning the unit to hand - Hidden Blade resolves but mistargets because the unit has left the board - Hidden Blade cannot kill anything and cannot find the controller of something it didn't kill - No cards are drawn Nuances: - When cards move from a board zone to a non-board zone, they are considered different objects - This applies even if the destination is a public zone like discard - Replacement effects like Zhonyas or Sett work differently because they change Hidden Blade's effect to recall the unit itself, allowing Hidden Blade to track the information since the spell itself moved the object - Control only applies to game objects on the board; once something leaves the board, the concept of control no longer applies

Ruling: When Player A uses Mystic Reversal on Player B's Gust, they gain control of the spell but must still choose a valid target. Since the only valid target is Player A's own 3 Might unit, Mystic Reversal becomes a waste and the 3 Might unit still gets bounced. At high OPL, this is a misplay and does not warrant a judge-initiated rewind. Sequence: - Player B plays Gust - Player A reacts with Mystic Reversal, taking control of Gust - Player A must make new choices but cannot choose "no target" to fizzle the spell - Player A must target their own 3 Might unit (the only valid target) - The 3 Might unit is bounced Nuances: - You cannot choose "no target" when taking control of a spell with Mystic Reversal if valid targets exist - the same targeting rules apply as if playing from hand - At low OPL, a rewind might be appropriate since there's no information gain - If both players agree to a rewind, they will likely do so regardless of official ruling once the judge leaves