Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: The showdown continues as normal with the original defender, even if they have no units on that battlefield. The defender will have a chance to play Actions and can bring the unit back before the showdown resolves. Sequence: - Attacker declares attack on defender's unit - Defender plays Ride the Wind to move their unit to a different battlefield - Showdown continues with priority passing as normal - Defender can play additional Actions (like a second Ride the Wind to bring the unit back) Nuances: - If the unit returns to the battlefield during the showdown, attack triggers will not go off again (because no attackers went anywhere) - Whether defend triggers go off again when a unit returns mid-combat is currently being revisited by the rules team

Ruling: Yes, the defending unit heals all marked damage. When the attacker is killed before the Combat Damage Step, the combat still completes and proceeds to the Resolution Step where all units heal. Sequence: - Attacker is killed by Hidden Blade combat ability - Combat Damage Step is skipped (no units remain on both sides) - Resolution Step still occurs - All marked damage is cleared from remaining units Nuances: - The Resolution Step occurs even when the Combat Damage Step does not happen

Ruling: Yes, the defending unit will heal during the Resolution step of combat. Combat is initiated when an opponent moves into your battlefield, and healing occurs in the Resolution step regardless of whether damage was dealt. Sequence: - Showdown step occurs - Damage step occurs - Resolution step occurs (unit heals) Nuances: - Combat has three steps: Showdown, Damage, and Resolution - Combat is initiated when a unit moves into the battlefield, not just when damage is dealt - Healing happens in the Resolution step even if no damage was dealt in the Damage step

Ruling: When a unit leaves a battlefield where it was defending and moves to another battlefield with enemy units, it does not become an attacker because the combat at the new battlefield is only staged (not started) due to the ongoing combat at the original battlefield. When it returns to the original battlefield, it becomes a defender again. Sequence: - Unit is defending at BF1 during combat - Unit uses Ride the Wind to move to BF2 (where enemy units are present) - BF2 becomes contested but combat cannot start because BF1 combat is ongoing - Unit loses defender designation but does not gain attacker designation (becomes neither) - Unit uses Ride the Wind to return to BF1 - Unit becomes a defender again at BF1 Nuances: - Units can be attacker, defender, or neither - If the unit stayed at BF2 and the BF1 combat resolved, then BF2's combat would start and the unit would become an attacker - After becoming an attacker at BF2, the unit could then Ride the Wind back to BF1 as an attacker - Attack/Defend triggers only trigger once per unit per combat (first time gaining the designation)

Ruling: You must still assign damage equal to the unit's full Might (5 damage to the Shen) before assigning damage to other defending units, even though the Noxian Guillotine effect would cause 1 damage to kill it. Nuances: - Lethal damage is determined by the unit's Might value, not by effects that would cause the unit to die from less damage - The Noxian Guillotine's mark-for-death effect does not change what counts as "lethal damage" for damage assignment purposes

Ruling: No. The Deathknell trigger does not resolve until after the combat has completely ended, so the newly played unit enters the battlefield after combat resolution is complete and does not trigger a new combat. Sequence: - Combat damage is dealt; the defending unit with Deathknell takes lethal damage - FEPR is skipped (Rule 460.3), so the Deathknell trigger becomes a pending item that must wait - Combat Cleanup occurs: the unit dies and all surviving units are healed (Rule 461.1.a.1) - The Resolution Step completes all outstanding tasks: Determine Combat Result, Establish Control, and Combat Ends (Rules 461.3-461.7) - Only after the combat fully ends does FEPR resume and the Deathknell trigger resolve, playing the chosen unit to the battlefield - Because the new unit was not present during the "Determine Combat Result" step, it does not cause a "No Result" scenario and no new combat is staged Nuances: - Units are healed before the Deathknell trigger resolves, but this does not affect the outcome since the trigger still waits until after combat ends - The HOT FEPR system requires all outstanding tasks in the Resolution Step to complete before returning to FEPR

Ruling: When a unit with Shield leaves the battlefield during combat, it immediately loses the bonus Might from Shield. However, the attacking unit with Assault retains its bonus Might until the showdown ends (as long as it remains on the battlefield). Sequence: - Combat starts with Shield Poro defending (3 Might) and Assault Poro attacking (3 Might) - Shield Poro is moved from battlefield using a spell/ability - Shield Poro immediately drops to 2 Might - Assault Poro remains at 3 Might for the duration of the showdown Nuances: - The Assault unit only retains its bonus Might if it stays on the battlefield - This ruling is explained in the Core Rules FAQ

Yes, you can. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9457**, it is possible to play the same *Defy* again after *Abandon* resolves. This is because the chain is a sequence of items that resolve one by one, rather than a single immutable block. When an effect (like *Abandon*) resolves and returns your card to your hand, the chain remains active (assuming other items are still on it), and you receive a new priority window to play reactions. ### Sequence of Events: 1. **Initial State:** Your opponent plays a spell (**Spell A**). 2. **Your Response:** You play **Defy** targeting **Spell A**. * *Chain (bottom to top):* [Spell A] -> [Defy] 3. **Opponent's Response:** Your opponent plays **Abandon** targeting your **Defy**. * *Chain (bottom to top):* [Spell A] -> [Defy] -> [Abandon] 4. **Resolution of Abandon:** **Abandon** resolves first (LIFO - Last-In, First-Out). It returns your **Defy** to your hand. * *Chain (bottom to top):* [Spell A] 5. **Priority Window:** Because **Spell A** is still on the chain, the game enters a priority window. Since you now have **Defy** back in your hand, you may play it again to target **Spell A**. * *Chain (bottom to top):* [Spell A] -> [Defy] 6. **Final Resolution:** Your new **Defy** resolves and counters **Spell A**. This is allowed because **Defy** is a [Reaction] spell, which can be played whenever you have priority, including during the priority windows that open up while a chain is still resolving.

Ruling: No, you cannot react to the unit dying by flipping Blastcone Fae to keep a unit in the battlefield. Sequence: - You can react before Unchecked Power resolves (but then Blastcone Fae would die to the spell) - Or you get priority after Unchecked Power resolves (but by then your unit is already dead and the hidden card is already in the trash due to cleanup after spell resolution) Nuances: - Hidden cards are sent to trash during cleanup after spell resolution, before you get priority again

Ruling: When a hidden Blastcone Fae is played and then killed by Cannon Barrage in response, its ability still goes on the chain but resolves without effect because it cannot get information about "here" (the battlefield) since the permanent is no longer on the board. Sequence: - Blastcone Fae is played from hidden - Its "when played" trigger activates and targets must be chosen from the associated battlefield - The ability goes on the chain - Opponent can respond with Cannon Barrage, which goes on the chain - Cannon Barrage resolves first, killing Blastcone Fae - Blastcone Fae's ability still resolves, but does nothing because it specifies "here" and the permanent is no longer on the board Nuances: - Hidden cards' "when played" triggered abilities must target units at the associated battlefield - Abilities that enter the chain always resolve even if the permanent is removed, but abilities that specify "here" won't resolve fully if the permanent is no longer on the board - This applies to "when played" triggers specifically, not all triggered abilities

Ruling: Hidden Blade will mistarget and have no effect. The unit will not be killed and no cards will be drawn. Sequence: - Hidden Blade is played hidden, targeting a unit at a specific battlefield - Before Hidden Blade resolves, the targeted unit moves to a different battlefield - When Hidden Blade resolves, it mistargets because the unit is no longer at the original battlefield - No unit is killed and no cards are drawn Nuances: - Hidden cards that target have the implicit text "here" added to their targeting requirements - The target must remain at the same battlefield (the "here" requirement), even though it hasn't changed zones - Moving to a different battlefield makes the target no longer legal, even if it's still on the battlefield

Ruling: When Teemo dies before his reveal effect resolves, the effect still resolves and reveals the top 5 cards, but it cannot deal any damage because the damage targets an enemy unit "here" (where Teemo is) and Teemo is no longer anywhere. Sequence: - Teemo is revealed at the battlefield and his effect triggers - Cannon Barrage kills Teemo before his effect resolves - Teemo's effect still resolves and reveals the top 5 cards - No damage is dealt because Teemo is no longer at a location

Ruling: No, the trigger will not activate twice in the same showdown.

Ruling: The hidden card goes to the trash. Hidden cards can never be played the same turn they are hidden. Sequence: - Player hides a card on a battlefield with their unit - Opponent uses Charm to force their unit to that battlefield - Both units die in combat - The hidden card goes to trash without being played Nuances: - This applies regardless of why the unit dies on the same turn the card was hidden

Ruling: No, the monk does not move. When tideTurner is removed before its trigger resolves, "my original location" cannot be determined because "my" is no longer resolvable during resolution. Nuances: - The same ruling applies if tideTurner is killed instead of gusted - the monk does not move - If tideTurner is moved to the same location as the targeted unit (e.g., both at base) before resolution, no one moves because tideTurner's "original location" becomes that shared location

Ruling: You cannot use both abilities with a single tap. Each tap ability requires its own separate exhaust cost, so you must choose which one to use. Nuances: - The abilities require you to exhaust the legend as a cost; they are not triggered effects that happen "when you exhaust"

Ruling: The non-combat showdown completes first. After both players pass focus consecutively and the non-combat showdown ends, a new combat showdown begins because control cannot be determined with units from different players on the battlefield. Assault and Defender bonuses apply during the combat showdown. Sequence: - Non-combat showdown continues until both players pass focus consecutively - Non-combat showdown ends - Combat showdown begins (because control cannot be determined) - Assault and Defender bonuses now apply - When attacking/defending triggers occur when the combat showdown begins Nuances: - A showdown cannot become a different type of showdown; one must end before another begins - If a unit with Assault or Defender is added to an ongoing combat showdown, they gain their bonus immediately upon entering

Yes, your **Yone, Blademaster** will be killed. ### Analysis To determine if a unit is killed, we look at **Rule 428.1.a.2** (Passive Kill) and the *Lethal Damage Modification* FAQ: A unit is killed if it has non-zero damage marked on it that is greater than or equal to its current Might. **Sequence of Events:** 1. **Rocket Barrage:** Once the effect resolves, Yone has 4 damage marked on him. Because his Might is greater than 4, he is not killed at this moment. 2. **Frigid Touch:** This effect reduces Yone's Might by 2. 3. **Resulting State:** Yone’s Might is reduced to 3. 4. **Check for Death:** Because Yone has 4 damage marked on him and his current Might is 3, the damage exceeds his Might. ### Conclusion **Yes, your Yone, Blademaster will be killed.** Under this game state, he has 4 damage marked on him and his reduced Might is 3. Since the damage marked is greater than his current Might, he meets the criteria for a **Passive Kill** per Rule 428.1.a.2. Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules.

Ruling: No, you cannot score another point. Each battlefield can only be scored once per turn, regardless of whether you score from holding it or conquering it. Nuances: - Even if a battlefield becomes neutral mid-turn after you already scored from holding it, moving back onto it does not grant an additional point in the same turn.

Ruling: Yes, the opponent wins. Shen will be present during the holding step in the beginning phase, so control is maintained and the opponent gains a point going to 8, winning the game. Sequence: - Sprite Mother's ability triggers at the base - Opponent plays Shen there via reaction - During the holding step in the beginning phase, Shen is present - Control is maintained and the opponent gains a point - Opponent goes from 7 to 8 and wins

Ruling: The player scores their 8th point and wins immediately. To gain the final point by conquering, you must score all other battlefields that turn, which happens when you hold one battlefield during the beginning phase and then conquer the second battlefield by ganking. Sequence: - Player scores 7th point during beginning phase by holding first battlefield - Player moves ganking unit to empty battlefield, conquering it - Player has now scored every battlefield this turn (one through hold, one through conquer) - Player scores the final point and wins immediately Nuances: - The key requirement is that the player must have scored every battlefield through either method (hold or conquer) during the same turn to win via conquering - If a player conquers but has not scored every battlefield that turn, they only draw a card instead of winning

Ruling: Yes, the opponent can trigger and play the Nocturne. Even though you revealed it with your effect, all players looked at it, so the owner can trigger and play it. Nuances: - This is similar to Promising Future in 1v1 where the Nocturne is looked at by the opponent but not chosen as the free card - Nocturne is receiving errata and doesn't work as a trigger in its current form

Ruling: A player who casts two Time Warps in one turn gets two additional extra turns. Nuances: - The rules do not explicitly address how "non-standard" turns should be handled - This ruling is based on a consensus that Houston is currently using - The "Eyes for Houston" article (a riot document, but not official rules) supports this consensus

Ruling: Yes, the player scores the battlefield again. The only restriction is that you cannot score the same battlefield multiple times in the same turn. Nuances: - It does not matter if you conquered the battlefield on a previous turn - It does not matter if you had a unit there at the start of the turn - The restriction is only about scoring the same battlefield multiple times within a single turn

Ruling: No, you cannot retrieve Mega Death Rocket with its own 'when you conquer' ability in this scenario. Sequence: - You conquer the battlefield and gain the point - The 'when you conquer' trigger window opens - At this point, Mega Death Rocket is not yet in the trash (it will be discarded as part of resolving Zaun Warrens' effect) - Since Mega Death Rocket is not in the trash when the 'when you conquer' trigger window is active, it cannot be retrieved Nuances: - The conquer point is gained before the discard effect resolves - Cards must already be in the trash when the 'when you conquer' trigger window opens to be eligible for retrieval effects

Ruling: During combat, you maintain control of a battlefield even if all your units are removed, until combat fully resolves. This allows you to use your hidden card even without units present. Sequence: - Combat is initiated at a battlefield - If all defending units are removed during combat (e.g., by a spell like Void Seeker) - The controlling player still maintains control until combat finishes resolving - The controlling player can still flip and use their hidden card - Only after combat fully resolves does the player lose control if they have no units remaining Nuances: - Outside of combat, losing your last unit causes immediate loss of control and the hidden card is discarded - This rule prevents exploits like using Ride the Wind to remove a unit, lose control, return the unit, and score again - Hidden cards are tied to battlefield control, not directly to having units present (during combat)

Ruling: No, ending your turn with no abilities activating does not create an opportunity for your opponent to play a spell. There needs to be something on the stack (like abilities, spells, or combat) for your opponent to respond to. Nuances: - Playing units or gear creates a chain, but no priority is given before they resolve - Actions like playing a unit, drawing a card, or generating energy/power don't create response opportunities by themselves - If a unit has a "When you play" ability, that ability initiates a new chain after the permanent resolves, which does pass priority - Movement itself doesn't create a response opportunity, but on-move effects do create a stack

Ruling: No, you do not score a point. Control of the battlefield does not change, so you do not conquer it. Sequence: - If you flip Teemo in response to Blitzcrank's pull (before it resolves), Teemo enters the battlefield while you still control it - Since you already controlled the battlefield, this is not a conquest and does not score a point - If you tried to flip Teemo after the pull resolves and the battlefield becomes empty, the hidden card would be discarded as part of cleanup before you could play it Nuances: - Hidden cards are discarded during cleanup when a battlefield becomes empty, so timing matters for when you flip the hidden card

Ruling: Triggered abilities that award points are missed triggers and are not given back under current rules. Only Conquering and Holding are "scoring" - other point-gaining effects are triggered abilities that can be missed. Nuances: - The trigger still "counts" as having happened for game purposes (if the game tracks number of triggers), but the owner missed resolving it and does not get the points - Rule 702.3.a does not apply to these cases - it only applies to actual "scoring" from Conquering or Holding - Forgetting to score from Conquering/Holding is a game mechanic error with its own penalty, not a missed trigger

Ruling: If your final point comes from conquering a battlefield, you need to have scored both battlefields that turn to win. If your final point comes from holding a battlefield, you just get it. Sequence: - If you are at 7 points and conquer a battlefield, check if you also held or conquered the other battlefield that same turn - If yes to both battlefields that turn, you win - If you reach 8 points through hold rather than conquer, you win immediately Nuances: - The distinction only matters when the winning point comes from conquering a battlefield - In the specific scenario asked (7 points, holding one battlefield, conquering the other), the player would win because they held one battlefield and conquered the other in the same turn

Ruling: No burnout is triggered. You only look at/reveal as many cards as are available in your deck (4 cards in this example). A burnout only occurs if the deck is completely empty when attempting to look/reveal cards. Nuances: - When looking at or revealing cards, those cards remain in the deck (they don't move to another zone like drawing does) - Since the cards stay in the deck while being looked at, the deck is not considered empty during the look/reveal action - This means you cannot trigger a burnout mid-reveal unless your deck was already empty before starting the reveal

Ruling: Yes, you win immediately when you conquer the other battlefield after already holding one battlefield and having 7 points.

Ruling: Yes, you win immediately upon reaching 8 points. If you hold one battlefield during ABCD and then conquer two other battlefields during your action phase, you score points for each conquest and win as soon as you reach your 8th point. Sequence: - Score 6 points by holding the first battlefield during ABCD (the beginning of your turn) - Conquer the second battlefield during action phase to reach 7 points - Conquer the third battlefield during action phase to reach 8 points and win immediately Nuances: - You can only score a given battlefield once per turn, so you cannot both hold and conquer the same battlefield in one turn - Holding occurs during ABCD, which is part of your turn (specifically the start of turn) - A full turn consists of ABCDAE (awaken, beginning, channel, draw, action, ending)

Ruling: Trinity Force triggers after gaining points from holding the battlefields. Since you reach 7 points from holding both battlefields before Trinity Force triggers, you win the game immediately. Sequence: - Gain 2 points from holding both battlefields (5 → 7 points) - Win the game immediately upon reaching 7 points - Trinity Force trigger does not resolve Nuances: - The only restriction to scoring the final point is that it cannot be from a single conquer, unless you held the other battlefield

Ruling: Yes, the player wins the game. Holding a battlefield and scoring from it counts as scoring that turn, so if you then conquer the other battlefield in the same turn, you have scored both battlefields (through either method) that turn and win the Final Point. Sequence: - Player starts turn at 6 points while controlling a battlefield - Player scores 7th point by holding that battlefield - Player conquers the other battlefield during that same turn - Player wins the Final Point because they scored both battlefields (one by holding, one by conquering) in the same turn

Yes, the second part of *Piercing Light* will still resolve and deal 2 damage to the unit in your base. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #813**, **#10942**, and **#10240**, the word "then" in *Piercing Light* is a timing instruction rather than a condition that requires the first target to remain valid or present at the battlefield for the second part of the effect to resolve. *Piercing Light* follows "Do As Much As You Can" (DAMAYC) logic. ### Sequence of Events: 1. **Opponent plays *Piercing Light*:** They declare their targets (a unit at a battlefield and a unit at a base) and place the spell on the chain. 2. **You respond:** You play *Hidden Blade* from its hidden state as a [Reaction], targeting the unit at the battlefield. 3. **Chain resolves (LIFO - Last In, First Out):** * ***Hidden Blade* resolves first:** It kills the targeted unit at the battlefield. * ***Piercing Light* resolves next:** Even though its first target is no longer on the board, the spell proceeds to the second part of its instruction and deals 2 damage to the second target you chose (the unit in your base), provided that target is still legal. This is consistent with Rule 359.3.e.8, which states: "If an instruction has more than one Target and fewer than all of the Targets become Invalid or Unavailable by the time the spell is finished being played, the instruction will execute, with only the Targets available and valid being operated on."

No, that unit will not die from *Imperial Decree*. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8633** and **#9561**, *Imperial Decree* only creates a triggered ability that kills units that take damage **after** the card has resolved and its effect has become active. It does not look back in time to check for damage that occurred before the card was played. ### Why it doesn't die: 1. **Event vs. State:** The trigger condition for *Imperial Decree* is the event of "taking damage." If a unit was already damaged before the spell resolved, that damage event has already passed, so the condition is not met. 2. **No Retroactive Effect:** *Imperial Decree* does not check the current state of damage on units; it only monitors for new damage events occurring while its effect is active. **Note:** If that same unit were to take **additional** damage later in the same turn while *Imperial Decree* is active, the trigger would fire at that time and kill the unit.

Yes, the player still draws a card. According to the rules and established game mechanics (as seen in similar interactions like the *Traveling Merchant* FAQ), when a unit is played, its "When you play me" ability triggers and is placed on the chain. Because the ability has already triggered and been added to the chain, it will resolve regardless of whether the unit is subsequently removed from the battlefield by a reaction like *Gust*. **Sequence:** 1. The player plays *Lecturing Yordle*. 2. The "When you play me, draw 1" ability triggers and is placed on the chain. 3. The opponent reacts with *Gust*, targeting the *Lecturing Yordle*. 4. *Gust* resolves first (as it is the most recent item on the chain), returning the *Lecturing Yordle* to the owner's hand. 5. The "draw 1" ability then resolves, and the player draws a card.

Ruling: Yes, if Time Warp is played on turn 4 of the 5 additional turns, the extra turn granted counts as the 5th turn and the game ends after that turn. Nuances: - The rule does not specify which players take the turns, only that there are 5 turns total regardless of who takes them - This would theoretically also apply to 2v2 tournaments, though those formats may have modifications

Yes, you can react to the activation of **Vanguard Armory**, but you cannot react to the act of playing the Vanguard Armory card itself. Here is the breakdown of the timing: ### 1. Playing Vanguard Armory (The Card) When a player plays a permanent (such as the gear **Vanguard Armory**) from their hand, it is placed on the chain and resolves immediately. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #7617** and **Rule 359**, playing a permanent does not pass priority on the chain, so there is no window for your opponent to react to the card entering play. ### 2. Tapping Vanguard Armory (The Ability) Once the **Vanguard Armory** is in play, its ability—which requires exhausting (tapping) the card—is an **Activated Ability**. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8476**: * Activated abilities use the chain. * When the controller exhausts the **Vanguard Armory** to use its ability, that effect is placed on the chain as a pending item. * Once the ability is on the chain, the state becomes "Closed," granting you an immediate window of priority to play **Reactions** or other fast-speed effects to interact with that ability before it resolves (e.g., to remove the Vanguard Armory or counter the ability if you have a legal reaction). **Summary of the sequence:** 1. **Player A plays Vanguard Armory:** It enters play immediately; no reaction window. 2. **Player A activates the ability (taps):** The ability goes on the chain. 3. **Priority passes to you:** You may now play a **Reaction** to the ability currently on the chain.

No, a card that is defied (countered) does not count as a card played for the purposes of **Darius, Trifarian**'s ability. According to **Rule 425.1.b**: > "A card that is Countered is not considered to have been played." Additionally, **Rule 419.4.b** clarifies: > "If a game effect prevents the resolution of the card—for example, because the card was countered—the card wasn't played and no abilities that trigger on playing cards trigger." **Sequence of events:** 1. You play a card. 2. Your opponent plays **Defy** in response. 3. **Defy** resolves and counters your card. 4. Because the card was countered, it is negated and cleared from the chain; it is never considered "played." 5. Since the condition "When you play a second card" requires a card to successfully resolve and enter the board, **Darius, Trifarian** will not trigger if a previous card was countered, as that countered card did not increment your "cards played" count.

Ruling: The showdown continues even if there are no opposing units. It only ends after all players pass Focus in succession. Sequence: - Combat once started will resolve even if there are no opposing units - When the last item on the chain resolves during a showdown, Focus passes to the next player - Players continue to have the opportunity to play spells or activate abilities - The showdown only closes if all players pass Focus without playing a spell or activating an ability Nuances: - Focus does not pass when the last item on the Initial Chain resolves; instead the player with Focus proceeds with play

Ruling: The battlefield becomes uncontrolled when the last unit leaves. When a unit enters that battlefield, a showdown occurs because the player is attempting to gain control of a battlefield they don't control. However, the player does not score or conquer again because they already scored from that battlefield this turn. Sequence: - Player scores hold point from battlefield - Player moves last unit out, battlefield becomes uncontrolled - Player moves another unit into the battlefield - Showdown occurs (non-combat) - If player gains control, no additional scoring occurs Nuances: - The showdown is non-combat - The restriction on scoring/conquering applies because the battlefield was already scored this turn

Ruling: Yes, both players can score at the same battlefield during a single turn. Each player may only score once per battlefield per turn, but this limit applies separately to each player. Sequence: - Player A charms Player B's unit to an empty battlefield on Player A's turn - Player B scores a point for capturing that battlefield - Player A then conquers that same battlefield later in the same turn - Player A also scores a point Nuances: - Points are never taken away in this game - The "once per battlefield per turn" restriction applies to each player individually, not to the battlefield itself

Ruling: No, you cannot score the same battlefield twice in one turn. A battlefield can only be conquered and scored once per turn, regardless of units moving in and out. Nuances: - Even if you move a unit out and then move a different unit back in, you do not score again - This prevents exploiting unit swapping for free points each turn

No, **Unyielding Spirit** does not stop units from dying to the effect of **Imperial Decree**. ### Reasoning * **Imperial Decree** creates a triggered ability that instructs the game to "kill" a unit when it takes damage. * **Unyielding Spirit** specifically prevents "spell and ability damage." * According to **RiftJudge FAQ #2547** and **#6839**, Unyielding Spirit does not prevent "Kill" or "Banish" effects. Because Imperial Decree's effect is a **Kill instruction** (Rule 415.1.a.1.a) rather than an instruction to "deal damage," it is not affected by the damage prevention provided by Unyielding Spirit. In short, Unyielding Spirit only protects units from effects that deal damage directly; it does not protect them from effects that directly kill them.

Ruling: Yes, you can score a point on a battlefield during your opponent's turn even if you already scored on that battlefield during your own turn. Nuances: - Each player can score 1 point per battlefield per turn - Both players can score on the same battlefield within the same turn cycle (one on each player's turn) - The scoring limit is per-player per-turn, not a universal turn restriction

Ruling: Yes, the opponent can use the drawn Defy on Smoke Screen. Players get reaction windows at each chain link as it resolves, not just when the entire chain resolves. Sequence: - Player plays Smoke Screen, starting a chain - Opponent reacts with Discipline (chain is now: Smoke Screen > Discipline) - Chain begins resolving with Discipline (the last item added) - Discipline resolves: a unit gets +2 and draws Defy - Priority passes to players for reactions before the next chain link resolves - The opponent can now play the drawn Defy to react to Smoke Screen - If both players pass, Smoke Screen would then resolve Nuances: - The chain resolves one link at a time, not all at once - Players get reaction windows after each individual chain link resolves, before moving to the next link

Ruling: No, you cannot use standard action moves (including limited move actions) while inside a showdown or while a chain is resolving. Sequence: - Zenith Blade is used on Lee Sin as the first action of the turn - Sett is moved into the battlefield, creating a showdown with Lee Sin - The board enters contested state - No limited actions can be performed anymore - When I attack and when I defend triggers begin

No, the player does not receive the buff from **Abandoned Hall**. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #10217** and **Rule 425.1.b**, a spell that is countered is not considered to have been "played." Because the triggered ability on **Abandoned Hall** requires a spell to have successfully completed its resolution process to count as having been "played," a countered spell fails to meet the trigger condition. ### Why this happens: 1. **Countering:** When a spell is countered (e.g., by an opponent's [Reaction] spell), it is cleared from the chain and removed from the game process immediately. 2. **Resolution:** Because the countered spell never finishes its resolution process, it is not considered to have been "played" in the eyes of the game rules. 3. **Trigger Failure:** Since the trigger condition "when you play a spell" is never met, **Abandoned Hall's** ability never enters the chain. This interaction is consistent across multiple FAQs, including **RiftJudge FAQ #10782** and **RiftJudge FAQ #10646**, which confirm that countering a spell negates the ability to trigger "when you play a spell" effects.