Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: No, another showdown does not start. If units from both players remain at the end of combat, the attackers are recalled back to base.

Ruling: The spell does nothing (whiffs). Targets cannot be redeclared after an effect has been placed onto the chain. Sequence: - Super Mega Death Rocket is played targeting the 5 Might Unit - Retreat is played in reaction - Chain resolves backwards: Retreat removes the targeted unit - Super Mega Death Rocket resolves with an invalid target and does nothing Nuances: - The spell does not retarget to another valid unit (like the Jinx player's own unit)

Ruling: Yes, you can reveal and play the hidden card before losing it. When the temporary unit's triggered ability resolves at the start of your turn, it starts a chain which gives you a window to play the hidden card before the unit dies and you would lose control of the battleground. Sequence: - At the start of your turn, the temporary unit's triggered ability goes on the chain - This creates a window where you can play the hidden card - After the chain resolves, the temporary unit dies - If you no longer control the battleground after the unit dies, the hidden would be trashed Nuances: - A cleanup occurs when an item on the chain resolves, not just at end of turn - If you play another temporary unit during this window, it won't die until your next turn

Ruling: Once Ahri's triggered ability resolves and sets the token's Might, all subsequent Might changes work normally from that new value. The token would go to 6 Might (1 + 5) after Grand Strategem resolves. Sequence: - Ahri's triggered ability resolves, setting the token's Might to 1 - Grand Strategem grants +5 Might - Token's Might becomes 6 (the debuff is not "remembered") Nuances: - The term "buff/debuff" should be avoided when referring to Might changes, as "buff" is a keyword referring to a specific game object. Use "boost" instead for Might increases.

Ruling: Triggered abilities without the word "may" are always mandatory and must be put on the chain and resolved when possible. Nuances: - The only exception is triggered abilities that incur costs (currently only triggered abilities that target an enemy unit with deflect). You can decline the cost when finalizing the triggered ability, in which case it is retracted and never put on the chain.

Ruling: Yes, units are considered attackers even if they arrive at the location after attackers are initially declared. All attack triggers related to them fire after the cleanup that assigns them as such. Nuances: - The same principle applies to defenders - In the specific scenario asked, Shen couldn't actually be played because the player doesn't have control of the battlefield during an attack

Yes, you still successfully equip *Blade of the Ruined King* if the unit you kill for the cost is saved by *Soraka*. According to the official ruling in **FAQ #374**: "Ruling: Yes, you can save the unit with Soraka and it is still considered that you've paid the cost to equip Blade of the Ruined King." ### Why this works: 1. **Cost Payment:** When you pay the cost to equip *Blade of the Ruined King*, you are instructed to "Kill a friendly unit." 2. **Replacement Effect:** *Soraka's* ability is a replacement effect. It intercedes during the execution of the kill instruction. 3. **Rule 354.2.a:** This rule explicitly states: "Costs that are replaced with other events by replacement effects are still considered paid." 4. **Outcome:** Because the cost is considered paid, the *Equip* ability proceeds to completion, and the *Blade of the Ruined King* is attached to your chosen target. Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules.

Ruling: Yes, you can play Shen from hand onto the battlefield even after your unit retreats, because you maintain control of the battlefield until the showdown's final clean-up phase. Nuances: - The battlefield remains in your control while being contested by an opponent - If you declare Shen on the chain as a reaction to Reaver's Row, your units would still be present when Shen enters the battlefield - You can also wait for the Reaver's Row chain to resolve and then play Shen as part of a new chain

Ruling: The unit stays at one might while at the battlefield. Once it moves off the camp, it will go to 0 might. Sequence: - Additions and subtractions happen symmetrically - Example: 4m + 1 (from camp) = 5m, then 5m - 4 (smokescreen) = 1m - When the unit leaves the camp, it loses the +1 and goes to 0

Ruling: Yes, in both cases the unit heals. Whether you remove the opponent's unit with Gust or send your own unit back to base with Fight or Flight, the unit will heal when the showdown ends. Nuances: - Removing valid units from a showdown doesn't automatically end the showdown - After using Gust to remove the opponent's unit, there is still a window (Focus) where the opponent could play cards like Hextech Ray - The showdown only ends when both players pass Focus without creating a chain

Ruling: Yes, the unit will still take the damage. The unit would have to be moved to base to avoid the damage. Nuances: - Moving between battlefields does not prevent the damage - Only moving to base would avoid the damage

Ruling: Units heal at the end of combat or end of turn. Moving to an open battlefield does not trigger healing. Nuances: - Conquering an open battlefield is not considered end of combat or end of turn, so no healing occurs from that action alone

Ruling: Yes, combat still resolves and all units in play heal during the Combat Resolution Step, even if one or both units are no longer at the battlefield. Sequence: - Unit moves in to attack, initiating combat - When I Attack ability triggers - Fight or Flight is used to move a unit back to base - Combat continues through all steps despite missing units - All units in play heal during the Combat Resolution Step Nuances: - Combat does not fizzle once initiated, even if both players no longer have units at the battlefield - The healing applies to all units in play, not just those at the specific battlefield

Ruling: Yes, the unit would receive the Ahri Might reduction again for the second attack, resulting in a cumulative -2 Might. Sequence: - Unit attacks first battlefield with Ahri units present, receives -1 Might - Unit wins combat and conquers - Unit uses Ride the Wind to attack second battlefield with Ahri units present - Unit receives another -1 Might reduction (now at -2 Might total) Nuances: - This is a Might reduction, not a "debuff" in the technical Riftbound sense, as "buff" and "debuff" are protected terms that only refer to specific card effects like Pit Rookie

**No.** If a unit is restricted from moving by an effect such as **Vex, Apathetic's** ability, it cannot be moved by *any* means, including spells or abilities. According to the **RiftJudge FAQ (id 10516)** regarding **Vex, Apathetic**: * The movement restriction imposed by Vex is "absolute for that turn." * It does not distinguish between a Standard Move and a move caused by a card effect (like *Ride the Wind*). While move effects from spells or abilities normally bypass restrictions that apply to Standard Moves (such as Ganking or the requirement to exhaust), they cannot override an explicit, absolute restriction placed on a unit by an ability like Vex's.

Ruling: Yes, you score points for both battlefields. The game does not care how you conquer a battlefield as long as you haven't already scored that specific battlefield during the current turn. Nuances: - Vi combined with Ride the Wind is noted as a particularly effective combo for this strategy

Ruling: You will win the game (assuming you had 6 points at the start of your turn). Only one unit is needed to conquer both battlefields sequentially; you do not need units on both battlefields simultaneously to win.

Ruling: No, you do not score a point if you move a unit back into the battlefield during the same showdown. Control is not checked during active showdowns, so you never lost and regained control - you maintained control throughout the showdown. Sequence: - Opponent attacks battlefield with Yasuo, killing your unit A - Control is not lost because the battlefield is contested (showdown is active) - If you move unit B into the battlefield during that same showdown and win, you don't score (no conquest occurred) - If the showdown ends first, then you move a unit back in to beat Yasuo, you would conquer and score Nuances: - Control is only checked continuously outside of showdowns or when battlefields are not being contested - During an active showdown, control status is frozen regardless of might changes

Ruling: No, Fading Memories does not trigger Immortal Phoenix. Fading Memories only grants the Temporary keyword to the target unit; the Temporary keyword itself (not the spell) is what kills the unit. Nuances: - Kills can be attributed to spells in only two ways: (1) the spell has the Kill action in it, or (2) the unit dies from damage the spell dealt in the cleanup immediately following - Reminder text in parentheses is not part of the spell's actions - Spells like Fading Memories and Imperial Decree do not trigger Phoenix because they don't directly kill units themselves

Yes, you can reattach that equipment to another unit on the same turn. According to **RiftJudge FAQ 9657**: > "Yes, you can equip that equipment to another unit on the same turn after the original unit dies. When the unit dies, the equipment detaches and returns to your base in a ready state, allowing you to pay its equip cost to attach it to a new unit during your Main Phase when the chain is empty." ### Sequence: 1. **Unit Dies:** When the unit dies, the attached equipment detaches and returns to your base. 2. **State Check:** Because it is no longer attached, its rules text is no longer inactive, and it becomes a ready card at your base. 3. **Main Phase:** During your Main Phase, provided the chain is empty (no showdown or other effects currently resolving), you can pay the equipment's **Equip** cost to attach it to a new unit you control. As a reminder, you must perform this action during your Main Phase when the game state is **Open** (the chain is empty). You cannot do this during a showdown or while a chain is currently resolving.

Ruling: Yes, the unit loses Temporary when Portal Rescue banishes and returns it. When game objects move from a board zone to a non-board zone, they lose all effects that were applied to them and become new game objects. Nuances: - This only works if the unit is not a token, as tokens would not return from being banished in the first place

Ruling: No, Attack triggers added after a unit has already gained the attacker designation do not trigger. The trigger condition requires the unit to gain the attacker designation while having the ability, not to gain the ability while having the designation. Sequence: - Unit is designated as an attacker - Attack triggers on that unit process at that moment - If the unit later gains new Attack trigger abilities during the same combat, those new triggers do not process - If the unit leaves and returns to the battlefield during the same combat, Attack triggers still do not process again (they only trigger the first time a unit gains attacker designation per combat) Nuances: - This ruling applies specifically to triggered abilities (like Attack triggers), not passive abilities - Passive abilities like Assault work differently - they only care whether the unit currently has the attacker designation, not the timing of when it was gained - A unit can only trigger Attack abilities the first time it gains the attacker designation in a given combat

No, when a unit is recalled to your base, any attached equipment remains attached to it. According to the RiftJudge FAQ (ID 8698): * **The unit moves from the battlefield to the base** (both are board zones). * **Gear stays attached throughout the recall.** * **The unit arrives at the base with gear still attached.** Gear only detaches when a unit moves from a board zone to a non-board zone (such as being destroyed, banished, or returned to hand). Since a recall is a board-zone-to-board-zone movement, the attachment is maintained.

Yes, *Gust* is still considered to have been played and will resolve. Here is the breakdown of the interaction: ### The Sequence of Events 1. **Initial State:** You play *Gust* targeting an enemy unit with 3 Might. Because the unit is 3 Might or less, it is a valid target. The game enters a "Closed State" (the chain exists). 2. **The Response:** You play a spell or ability that grants +1 Might to that unit. 3. **The Chain (Bottom to Top):** * *Gust* (Bottom) * Buff effect (Top) ### Resolution (LIFO - Last-In, First-Out) According to **Rule 359.3.e.7** and the mechanics of the chain, the top item resolves first: 1. **Buff Resolves:** The target unit goes from 3 Might to 4 Might. * *Note:* As you correctly identified, the unit does **not** "become Mighty" because Rule 709 defines "becoming Mighty" as a shift from less than 5 to 5 or greater. Increasing from 3 to 4 is simply an increase in current Might. 2. **Gust Resolves:** *Gust* checks its target legality upon resolution. It sees that the unit now has 4 Might. Since the targeting requirement for *Gust* is "3 Might or less," the target is no longer legal for the effect to apply. * **The Outcome:** As per **RiftJudge FAQ #5530**, the spell does not "fizzle" or go to the trash without resolving. It **successfully resolves**, but because the target no longer meets the criteria, the instruction to return it to the owner's hand is ignored (it does nothing). ### Does it count as being played? **Yes.** Even though the effect had no impact on the board state, *Gust* was successfully added to the chain, was processed by the game engine, and resolved fully. This is important for cards or triggers that care about "when a spell resolves" or "after a spell is played."

Yes, your unit will die. In *Riftbound*, there is no "HP" stat; units have a **Might** value, and damage is tracked separately as **marked damage**. A unit is killed when it has non-zero damage marked on it that is equal to or greater than its current Might. According to **Rule 143.2.a** and multiple FAQs (such as **FAQ 8256**): * Your unit has 1 damage marked on it. * Your opponent reduces its Might by 4. * Even if the unit's Might was originally high, if it is reduced to a value less than or equal to the damage marked on it (in this case, 1 or less), the unit dies during the next cleanup. Since you mentioned the unit had 1 damage marked on it and received a -4 Might reduction, its current Might is now less than or equal to the damage marked on it, causing it to be killed.

Ruling: You cannot legally cast the spell targeting that unit. The game requires you to look ahead and determine that paying the cost (spending the buff) will cause the unit to die during cleanup, making it an illegal target before the spell can resolve. Sequence: - You choose targets for the spell - You pay costs (spending the buff) - The game checks legality of all choices - The legality check determines the unit will die during the next cleanup due to the paid costs - Since the target will deterministically become illegal, you cannot make this choice Nuances: - If Zhonya's Hourglass is in play (preventing the unit from leaving the board when it dies), the target may be legal if the spell can target units in base - This is different from a situation where a target becomes illegal after a spell is already finalized - the issue here is that the illegality is deterministic at the time of making choices during finalization - Targets are chosen before costs are paid, but legality is checked again after costs are paid

Ruling: Yes, the unit dies. If a unit has damage markers on it equal to or greater than its might, it dies. Sequence: - Unit has 5 damage and 6 might - Stupefy reduces might (presumably to 5 or below) - Damage markers (5) now equal or exceed might - Unit dies

Ruling: Yes, the unit still has the Buff status and Sett Legend's ability can be used to remove it and recall the unit. Receiving negative stat modifications does not remove the Buff status. Nuances: - Buff is a specific status that exists independently from the actual stat modification it provides - Buff status functions like a counter that cannot be stacked, and this counter persists even when the unit's stats are reduced by other effects

Ruling: Imperial Decree does not change what counts as lethal damage for might allocation. You must still assign enough damage to kill a Tank unit according to normal combat rules before you can assign damage to other units, even with Imperial Decree active. Sequence: - When attacking with multiple units in one combat against a Tank unit with Imperial Decree active, you must assign all damage to the Tank unit until it would be destroyed - Only after assigning lethal damage to the Tank can you assign remaining damage to other units - To kill multiple units with Imperial Decree when Tank is present, you need separate combats (e.g., push one token, deal 1 damage and kill it, then push a second token in a separate combat to deal 1 damage to another unit) Nuances: - Two separate combats can achieve killing multiple units with Imperial Decree, but one combat cannot if Tank is blocking

No, a unit with **Weaponmaster** cannot always equip gear for free. According to **Rule 747.1.c** and the associated FAQs, Weaponmaster functions as follows: * **Cost Reduction:** Weaponmaster allows you to pay the equipment's Equip cost reduced by [A] (1 power). * **Not Free by Default:** If an equipment has an Equip cost of 2 power, Weaponmaster reduces it to 1 power. It only becomes "free" (0 power) if the original Equip cost was exactly 1 power. * **Non-Power Costs:** If an equipment has a non-power cost (such as requiring a unit to be killed or another specific condition), those costs must still be paid in full. Weaponmaster only reduces the power portion of the cost. * **No Cost:** If an equipment has no Equip cost at all, Weaponmaster cannot be used to attach it, as there is no cost to pay or reduce (Rule 747.1.c.4). In summary, Weaponmaster provides a discount, not an automatic "free" equip for every piece of gear.

Ruling: Your opponent gets to choose which of the rules they will follow. They either need to assign damage to it first or assign damage to it last. Nuances: - When a unit has only these effects and no other friendly units, it is both first and last, so there are no problems.

Ruling: Yes, the damage clears. Even though the defending unit moved to base using Reavers Row's ability, a combat showdown was already started, and after the showdown concludes all units will be healed. Sequence: - Opponent uses damage spell on your unit - Opponent attempts to battle on Reavers Row - You use Reavers Row's "when defending" ability to move your unit to base - Combat showdown still occurs - After showdown concludes, all units heal (damage clears)

Ruling: Yes, the unit dies. Damage is "marked" on units rather than reducing their Might directly. When a unit's Might becomes less than or equal to the damage marked on it, the unit dies during cleanup. Sequence: - Unit starts at 8 Might with 6 damage marked on it - TTW reduces the unit's Might by 3, bringing it to 5 Might (minimum 1 Might only prevents going below 1) - During cleanup after TTW's effect resolves, the game checks if marked damage (6) is greater than or equal to the unit's Might (5) - The unit dies because marked damage exceeds its current Might Nuances: - Damage doesn't reduce a unit's Might value; it exists as a separate "marked" value tracked on the unit - The "minimum of 1 Might" clause on TTW only prevents the Might reduction itself from going below 1, it doesn't protect the unit from death due to marked damage

Ruling: Yes, the unit dies. When damage marked on a unit is greater than or equal to its Might, it dies. Might values can change, and if they decrease while damage is marked, it can kill the unit. Sequence: - A 4 Might unit has 3 damage marked on it from a spell - Watcher is played, reducing the unit's Might to 1 - The unit now has 3 damage marked and 1 Might - Since damage (3) >= Might (1), the unit dies Nuances: - There is no "health" stat in Riftbound; damage and Might are separate values - Damage marked on a unit does not reduce its Might value - A unit dies when damage marked equals or exceeds its current Might, regardless of how the Might changed

Ruling: Yes, the unit dies. Damage marked on a unit remains until it is cleared during combat cleanup or at end of turn. If a unit's might is reduced below its marked damage (even outside of combat), it dies. Sequence: - Opponent deals 6 damage to Kayn (6 might) - Player buffs Kayn to 8 might with Discipline - Opponent uses Smokescreen, reducing Kayn to 4 might - Kayn still has 6 damage marked on it - Since marked damage (6) exceeds current might (4), Kayn dies Nuances: - Smokescreen reduces might to a minimum of 1, meaning it cannot reduce a unit's might below 1 - Damage marks persist and are only cleared at combat cleanup or end of turn, not when might changes

Ruling: Yes, if you target an opponent's unit that has deflect with a gear's effect, it counts as an ability and you must pay the deflect cost. If the unit is yours and it's your own gear, you don't have to pay because deflect only applies to opponents' effects. Nuances: - Deflect only triggers when opponents target the unit - Your own gear targeting your own unit with deflect does not trigger the deflect cost

Yes, you must pay the Deflect cost for each time the spell chooses your unit. According to **Rule 735.1.c**, the Deflect keyword functions as: > "Spells and abilities an opponent controls that choose me cost an amount of Power equal to [Deflect Value] more to play as an additional cost **for each time they choose me.**" ### Key Mechanics: * **Per-Targeting Cost:** Deflect is not a "once per spell" cost. If a spell (or a spell with the *Repeat* keyword) chooses a unit with Deflect multiple times, the Deflect cost must be paid for every individual instance of targeting. * **Timing:** These costs are mandatory additional costs that must be paid during the process of playing the card (Rule 353.2.a.2). If you are playing a spell with *Repeat* and choose to pay the *Repeat* cost, you are effectively choosing to execute the spell's instructions twice. If both of those executions target the same unit with Deflect, you must pay the Deflect cost twice. * **Finalization:** Because Deflect is an additional cost paid when the spell is played (finalized), you cannot retroactively apply it if a unit gains Deflect after the spell is already on the chain (see FAQ #1720). **Summary:** If a spell targets your unit twice (whether through *Repeat* or multi-target effects like *Icathian Rain*), you must pay the Deflect cost twice.

Ruling: The unit would have -1 Might (which is then treated as 0 for purposes like damage calculation). Might modifications apply to the actual current value, not the value it's treated as. Sequence: - All Might modifications are calculated using effect layers based on the unit's actual current Might value (including negative values) - The modifications are applied to create the computed Might value - Only after all calculations are complete, if the final Might is negative, it is treated as 0 for purposes such as combat damage or lethal damage calculation Nuances: - "Treated as 0" and "being 0" are different - the game tracks negative Might values internally - Math/calculation is not considered a "purpose" under the rule - the treating as 0 only applies when the Might value is being used for game effects, damage, etc. - You must first make up for negative Might before you can increase it to a positive value

Ruling: The unit stays alive at 0 might. Units only die if their damage is equal to or greater than their might, so a unit with 0 might and no damage on it will not die. Nuances: - While might reduction effects state that minimum might is 1, this minimum is only checked when the reduction is applied. If a unit later loses a buff, it can drop below 1. - Any might value below 0 is treated as 0.

Ruling: The unit has shield 3. Shield values stack additively when multiple sources grant shield to the same unit.

Ruling: Yes, the unit retains assigned damage until the end of Combat. Sequence: - Opponent casts spell dealing damage to unit in Reaver's Row - Unit is pulled back from Reaver's Row - Damage remains on the unit until Combat cleanup - Damage is removed during the cleanup step at the end of Combat Nuances: - The Showdown that started with the Initial Chain (including Reaver's Row) is designated as part of Combat because the opponent moved into a controlled battlefront - Combat doesn't end until all steps are completed, including the cleanup that removes damage from everything

Yes, you can play a unit with **Ambush** to that battlefield, even if another unit is being moved away from it by *Charm* or *Gust*. ### Reasoning According to **Rule 822.1.b** and **FAQ #8743**, Ambush allows you to play a unit as a **[Reaction]** to any battlefield where you already control units. 1. **Valid Location:** Even if a spell like *Charm* or *Gust* is targeting a unit at that battlefield, your other units remain at that battlefield while the spell is on the chain. Because you still control units there, that battlefield remains a valid location for you to play your Ambush unit. 2. **Reaction Timing:** Because Ambush grants the unit **[Reaction]** timing, you can play it while the game state is **Closed** (which is the case whenever a spell like *Charm* or *Gust* is on the chain). 3. **Independence:** The fact that a unit is being moved away does not invalidate the battlefield as a destination for your Ambush unit, as long as you still control at least one unit there at the moment you play the Ambush unit. ### Sequence of Events * **Opponent's Action:** Your opponent plays *Gust* (or *Charm*) targeting your unit at the battlefield. This is added to the chain. * **Your Reaction:** You play your Ambush unit to that same battlefield. Because you still have other units there, this is a legal play. * **Chain Resolution (LIFO - Last In, First Out):** * The **Ambush unit** finishes finalizing and enters the battlefield first. * Then, the opponent's spell (*Gust* or *Charm*) resolves. If it still has a valid target (the unit it originally targeted), it will move that unit. **Important Note:** As long as you have at least one unit remaining at the battlefield after the spell resolves, you maintain control of that battlefield. If the unit being moved was your *only* unit, you would lose control of the battlefield in the cleanup step (Rule 187.4.c), but your Ambush unit will have already landed, ensuring you maintain presence and control.

Ruling: Both Ahri, Inquisitive and Nine Tailed Fox trigger when a unit is forced to move onto the same battlefield, as combat starts and designations are assigned. The moved unit does get Assault bonuses if they have it. Sequence: - Unit is charmed/forced to move to battlefield where Ahri is - Combat starts when two units exist on the same battlefield - Attacker and defender designations are assigned - Ahri, Inquisitive and Nine Tailed Fox both trigger Nuances: - Assault is not a trigger, it is a passive ability - Units have Assault bonuses from the moment they gain the Attacker designation

Ruling: Yes, combat cleanup still occurs even when the combat damage step is skipped, so units heal marked damage at that time. Sequence: - Combat damage step is skipped when no units deal combat damage - Combat cleanup step still occurs - Units heal marked damage during combat cleanup Nuances: - Units heal to 0 marked damage (not to a specific health value, as units don't have health in Riftbound)

Ruling: Yes, if a unit's might is reduced below the amount of damage on it, the unit dies. Nuances: - This interaction is noted as a reason why Kai'sa is particularly strong

Ruling: Yes, the watcher heals back to full health. Once combat has been initiated, you always go through all combat steps including Resolution, where healing occurs. Sequence: - Combat is initiated (Showdown phase begins) - Before Damage step, the recruit is removed via Void Seekers - Combat continues through all phases - During Resolution phase, healing happens - The watcher heals from 1 health back to full (7 health) Nuances: - Combat consists of three main parts: Showdown, Damage, and Resolution - Many players incorrectly think only the Damage step counts as "combat" - Healing occurs during Resolution regardless of whether damage was actually assigned in the Damage step

Ruling: Yes, the unit will die at cleanup. Damage does not decrease Might - it is marked separately. At cleanup, if a unit has damage marked greater than or equal to its current Might, it dies. Sequence: - Unit takes damage (damage is marked, but Might stays the same) - Stupefy reduces the unit's Might by 1 - At cleanup, marked damage is compared to current Might - If marked damage >= current Might, the unit dies Nuances: - This does NOT count as Stupefy killing the unit (relevant for effects like Phoenix)

Yes, if an enemy unit already has damage marked on it, it will die the moment you play **Elder Dragon**. ### Why this happens: 1. **Passive Ability:** Elder Dragon has the ability: *"Any amount of your damage is enough to kill enemy units."* This ability modifies the game's definition of "lethal damage." As long as you are the controller of the damage marked on a unit, that unit is considered to have lethal damage if its marked damage is non-zero (even if that damage is only 1). 2. **State Check:** Because damage persists on units until the Ending Phase (unless healed), the game state constantly evaluates whether any units have "lethal" damage. 3. **Interaction:** As soon as Elder Dragon enters the battlefield, its passive ability becomes active. The game immediately performs a check. If an enemy unit already has damage marked on it that was dealt by you (the controller of Elder Dragon), that damage is now considered lethal due to the passive ability, and the unit is killed. ### Key Clarifications: * **"Your damage":** This interaction only applies to damage that **you** dealt. If the damage on the unit was dealt by your opponent to their own unit (or by a battlefield effect controlled by the opponent), Elder Dragon's passive ability does not apply, as it only modifies the threshold for "your" damage. * **Timing:** This process happens as soon as Elder Dragon enters play, which occurs before any reactions can be played to its triggered "When you play me" ability. This is consistent with **RiftJudge FAQ #10640**, which confirms that Elder Dragon’s passive ability applies to damage already marked on units before it entered play, causing those units to die during the cleanup that occurs immediately upon the Elder Dragon entering the battlefield.

Ruling: Focus still passes to the defending player even if their unit dies during the showdown. Showdowns only end when both players pass focus without creating a chain, never sooner. Sequence: - Attacker uses an action (e.g., Void Seeker) to kill the defending unit - Defender passes priority and the action resolves, killing their unit - Focus passes to the defender, who can still play actions - Showdown continues until both players pass focus without creating a chain Nuances: - A player whose unit died can still play actions when they receive focus, such as playing a Zhonya's Hourglass that was hidden at the battlefield

Ruling: All triggered abilities still resolve as much as they can, even if the unit dies. However, if the ability requires valid targets or references the unit's location, those parts will fail if the target is no longer valid or the unit is no longer at the specified location. Sequence: - The ability triggers and goes on the stack - If the unit is killed before resolution, the ability still resolves - The game checks if targets are still valid and if location references can be satisfied - Effects that don't depend on invalid targets or locations still apply Nuances: - Abilities that reference "here" or a specific battlefield location (like "a unit at my battlefield") will fail if the unit is no longer at that location - Abilities with simple effects like "draw 1" that don't reference location or require targets will fully resolve - Targeting must still be valid at resolution for that part of the ability to do anything