Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: "When I attack/defend" triggers are triggered the first time a unit gains attacker/defender in that combat, regardless of when they enter the combat. Nuances: - The trigger activates even if the unit enters combat mid-combat, as long as it's the first time that unit gains attacker/defender status in that specific combat

Ruling: No, the Merchant ends at 4 Might, not 5. Switcheroo calculates the appropriate bonus/penalty based on the units' total Might at the time it's applied, creating a snapshot. The gear's +1 bonus is already factored into that calculation and doesn't reapply on top of Switcheroo's effect. Sequence: - Merchant starts at base 2 Might + 1 from Cull = 3 Might total - Switcheroo sees a 3 Might unit and 4 Might unit - Switcheroo applies +1 to Merchant and -1 to the other unit - Merchant now has: base 2 + 1 from Cull + 1 from Switcheroo = 4 Might total Nuances: - If Cull is removed after Switcheroo, Merchant drops to 3 Might (the Switcheroo effect doesn't recalculate) - If Cull was removed before Switcheroo then reattached after, Merchant would be 5 Might (base 2 + 2 from Switcheroo + 1 from Cull) - Switcheroo works by applying arithmetic increases/decreases in the arithmetic layer, not by literally swapping Might values in the trait layer - This applies the same way to all Might modifiers (buffs, gear, assault/shield, etc.) - none "reapply" after Switcheroo resolves

Ruling: Yes, the unit will die. When non-zero damage marked on a unit is equal to or above its might, the unit dies. Sequence: - Unit has 2 might with 1 damage marked - Opponent reduces might to 1 - Unit now has 1 damage marked and 1 might - Unit dies because damage marked equals might

Ruling: When a unit is moved away from the battlefield during combat, it loses its attacker (or defender) designation during cleanup, which turns off assault and causes it to die if it has damage equal to or greater than its base might. Sequence: - Unit takes damage during combat while assault is active - Effect moves the unit away from the battlefield and resolves - Cleanup occurs after the effect, removing the attacker/defender designation - Assault turns off - Another cleanup occurs and the unit dies from having damage equal to or greater than its might

Ruling: The unit does NOT get another +1 Might from Mask of Foresight when it returns to battlefield A. Attack and defend triggers only trigger the first time a unit gains the attacker or defender designation. When Tideturner is revealed at battlefield B, it does get +1 Might from Mask of Foresight as it becomes a defender alone at that battlefield. Sequence: - Play Tideturner at battlefield B - Tideturner WYPM goes on chain first, then Mask of Foresight trigger - All players pass - Tideturner gets +1 Might - All players pass - Tideturner and unit swap positions - The current combat at battlefield A must fully resolve before any showdown at battlefield B starts - If you still control units at battlefield B at the end of that showdown, you will score Nuances: - You don't lose control of a battlefield until the end of combat, so hidden cards stay even when units move away during combat - If this interaction happened outside of a showdown, you would lose control of the battlefield when the unit moved away

Ruling: No, the Assault bonus is lost before the Conquer occurs. When you resolve Rumble's "When I conquer" trigger to recycle a unit, that unit is no longer an Attacker, so it no longer has the Assault bonus. You will only reduce the Mech's cost by the unit's base Might (plus any other persistent buffs, but excluding Assault). Sequence: - Combat Cleanup occurs first, removing Attacker and Defender designations from all units - Assault bonus is lost at this moment (since Assault only functions while the unit maintains Attacker designation) - Establish Control happens after cleanup - Conquer occurs as part of establishing control - Rumble's "When I conquer" trigger is added to the chain and resolves - The recycled unit is evaluated at its current Might without the Assault bonus

Ruling: The unit survives and is healed. Each cleanup only kills damaged units once, so a unit that survives the initial death check is then healed in the next step of the special cleanup. Sequence: - Damaged units are checked and killed once (Lee Sin dies) - Surviving units are healed immediately in the next step (Pit Rookie heals from 3 damage back to 3 might) Nuances: - Even if a unit's might drops to equal its assigned damage after another unit dies, it does not die if it survived the initial death check

Ruling: No, units do not instantly die when their might reaches 0 or lower. Units only die if they have damage markers equal to or greater than their might. Nuances: - A unit with 0 might will die if it receives any damage marker, since any amount of damage will be equal to or greater than 0

Ruling: A card with 0 might is not automatically sent to the trash. It still needs to have damage marked on it to be sent to the trash. Nuances: - Removing a buff from a 1 might unit (reducing it to 0 might) does not destroy the unit by itself

Ruling: Showdowns never stop early. Players always continue playing actions and passing focus until both players pass in succession, even if all attacking units are removed. Sequence: - Showdowns are step 1 of 3 in Combat - Even if attackers are removed, both players continue to have focus opportunities - Players must pass focus in succession to end the showdown - Only after the showdown concludes does combat proceed to subsequent steps Nuances: - If a unit is played during the same showdown (like Zenith Blade), it does not create a new combat or new showdown - Defender designation happens once at the start of combat, so playing a unit mid-showdown doesn't re-trigger defender abilities like Reaver's Row - The defender never loses their designation during the same showdown, so they cannot regain it to use location abilities again

Ruling: The rule reference to skipping to "step 4" when no units remain is incorrect. It should refer to skipping the Combat Damage Step, not skipping to step 4 (Cleanup), so that the Resolution Step still occurs. Sequence: - If no Attacking or Defending Units remain after the Showdown Step, skip the Combat Damage Step - Proceed to the Resolution Step where battlefield conquest and Contested status clearing occur - Then perform Cleanup Nuances: - The current rule text incorrectly suggests skipping directly to step 4 (Cleanup), which would bypass important Resolution Step actions like conquering the battlefield and clearing Contested status

Ruling: Yes to both. Even if all units are removed during a showdown, the player still receives focus and priority, and they retain control of the battlefield. Sequence: - Combat/showdown does not end until focus is passed consecutively by all players - Control of the battlefield is retained until end of combat - Players can still play cards (like Recruit the Vanguard) to create units on that battlefield during the showdown Nuances: - Units being removed from a battlefield during combat does not immediately end the combat or change battlefield control

Ruling: Yes, the unit heals. When a showdown begins due to contested control of a battlefield, it is a combat showdown. All damage is healed during the cleanup of a combat showdown regardless of whether any units remain or combat actually occurs. Nuances: - Moving to a battlefield with units creates Combat (with Showdown as the first phase), while moving to an empty battlefield creates only a Showdown - Only ending Combat heals units, not ending a regular Showdown - The damage step is one of the steps of Combat, not Combat itself

Ruling: Yes, the showdown continues even if all units are removed from the battlefield. Players can continue playing actions and reactions until both players pass with focus on an empty chain. Sequence: - Units are removed from the battlefield during the showdown - Players may continue to play actions/reactions - The showdown ends when both players pass consecutively with an empty chain Nuances: - You can play cards like Ride the Wind after all units have been removed, still during the same showdown

Ruling: If combat has fully resolved with no deathknell or other triggers/abilities remaining, you cannot activate the hidden unit. The hidden unit will trash. Nuances: - If there is a deathknell trigger from a unit that died, you can activate the hidden unit during the cleanup step (specifically between the special cleanup and remove control steps) before the cleanup step ends.

Ruling: The player must reveal and use the hidden Zhonyas during the showdown step (before damage is applied) if they want to use it. They cannot wait until cleanup because if all units die and they lose control of the battlefield, the hidden card is trashed before they can move it to base. Sequence: - Showdown step begins and players are given priority - Hidden cards (reactions) must be played during this step if the player wants to use them - Combat damage step occurs where units deal damage - Cleanup step occurs where hidden cards without a unit controlled by the same player are trashed - There is no reaction timing between units dying and hidden cards being trashed Nuances: - Zhonyas can be activated from anywhere (not just the battlefield) and can save any unit during cleanup - Once activated during a showdown, the Zhonyas must be used for that showdown's cleanup and cannot be saved for a future showdown in the same turn - Players can also play cards with the "action" keyword during showdown if the chain is empty

Ruling: Once a combat showdown has started, it remains a combat showdown regardless of whether units disappear from one or both sides. Combat damage and combat resolution still occur. Sequence: - Combat showdown begins - Fast spells/reactions can be played - Combat damage occurs (even if units are gone) - Combat resolution occurs - Only after combat ends do effects like Assault expire Nuances: - Cannon Barrage will deal damage even if the unit playing it has been removed - Assault bonuses persist through the entire combat sequence and only expire after combat ends, at which point healing also occurs

Ruling: Damage does not reduce a unit's Might value. An 8 Might unit with 4 damage on it still has 8 Might, but an opponent only needs 4 Might to kill it in showdown since the unit already has damage equal to the difference. Sequence: - A unit accumulates damage separately from its Might value - When damage on a unit equals or exceeds its current Might value, the unit dies - In showdown, both units deal damage to each other based on their Might values - If an 8 Might unit already has 4 damage, it only needs 4 more damage to reach its Might threshold and die Nuances: - Negative Might effects (like Stupify or Smokescreen) DO reduce current Might value, unlike damage - Might represents both offensive power and the damage threshold for death, but is not the same as HP

Ruling: Only one combat can happen at once. After the first combat finishes and you conquer, units everywhere are healed before the second combat begins. Sequence: - AoE spell damages units at multiple battlefields - First combat occurs and resolves - All units heal after conquest - Second combat begins (damaged units are now healed) Nuances: - You cannot standard move two readied units simultaneously to different battlefields - To take advantage of AoE damage at multiple battlefields, you need to kill units during or before the combat showdown at one battlefield while they are still damaged

Yes. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9631**, **RiftJudge FAQ #8979**, and **RiftJudge FAQ #92**, your **Ezreal** legend ability can still be activated if the spell you played was countered. ### Why it works The requirement for the Ezreal legend ability is satisfied the moment you choose your targets and the spell is finalized on the chain, not when the spell successfully resolves. 1. **Finalization:** When you play a spell like *Arcane Shift*, you choose targets as part of the process of finalizing it on the chain. Even if the spell is later countered (e.g., by *Defy*), the act of choosing the target has already been completed and locked in. 2. **Countering:** Per **Rule 425.1.b**, a card that is countered is not considered to have been "played" for effects that require successful resolution (like *Viktor, Innovator*), but the "choosing/targeting" action has already occurred. 3. **Activation:** Because the Ezreal legend ability specifically requires that you have "chosen enemy units and/or gear... with spells," the condition is satisfied the moment the spell finalizes on the chain, regardless of whether the spell subsequently resolves or is cleared from the chain by a counter. ### The Sequence 1. **Playing the Spell:** You play *Arcane Shift* and target an enemy unit/gear. 2. **Finalization:** As the spell is finalized on the chain, the choice of target is locked in. This satisfies the condition for Ezreal. 3. **Reaction:** Your opponent plays a counter (like *Defy*). 4. **Resolution:** The counter resolves and removes *Arcane Shift* from the chain. 5. **Activation:** Since you have already completed the "choosing" action, you may now exhaust your Ezreal legend to activate its ability and draw a card (provided you are in an **Open State** where the chain is empty and you have focus).

To answer your question: **No, healing your unit with Janna will not stop it from being killed by the Elder Dragon's play effect.** While you have the opportunity to play Janna in response to the Elder Dragon's triggered play effect, healing the unit does not prevent its death. ### Reasoning The interaction relies on the distinction between the Elder Dragon's passive ability and its triggered play effect: 1. **The Triggered Ability:** When you play Elder Dragon, its ability to deal damage to a unit is placed on the chain. 2. **The Passive Ability:** The Elder Dragon’s passive ability states that any amount of damage dealt by its controller is enough to kill an enemy unit. This modifies the definition of lethal damage for any unit that has damage marked on it by the Elder Dragon's controller. 3. **The Resolution:** * You play Janna in response to the Elder Dragon's triggered ability. * Janna resolves first: She heals your unit, removing any pre-existing damage. * The Elder Dragon's triggered ability then resolves: It deals 1 damage to your unit. * Because the Elder Dragon’s controller is the source of this damage, the passive ability immediately recognizes that the unit now has damage marked on it. * Per the modified definition of lethal damage, that 1 damage is sufficient to kill the unit. Healing the unit before the damage is dealt does not protect it because the damage event itself creates the condition—marked damage from the Elder Dragon's controller—that triggers the modified lethal threshold. ### Sequence of Events 1. **Play Phase:** Opponent plays Elder Dragon. Its triggered ability is placed on the chain, targeting your unit. 2. **Reaction Window:** You play Janna in response to the Elder Dragon trigger. 3. **Resolution:** * **Janna resolves:** Your unit is healed. * **Elder Dragon trigger resolves:** Your unit takes 1 damage. 4. **State Check:** Because the unit now has damage marked on it by the Elder Dragon's controller, the passive ability applies. Per the rules regarding passive lethal modification, since the unit has non-zero damage that is considered lethal, it is killed. Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules.

Ruling: Abilities check for legality of their target before resolving. If a unit is moved away from the specified location before the ability resolves, the ability will deal 0 damage or fail to resolve properly. Sequence: - The targeting ability is placed on the stack - A movement ability (like Fight or Flight or Flash) moves the target unit - When the targeting ability resolves, it checks if the target is still at the legal location - If the target has moved away, the ability deals no damage Nuances: - For abilities targeting "at a battlefield" (like Iron Ballista): if the unit is moved to base, it deals 0 damage; if moved to the other battlefield, it still resolves dealing damage - For abilities targeting "here" (like Volibear, Furious): if the unit is moved anywhere else, it deals 0 damage - Ride the Wind specifically cannot be used to stop these effects because it is Action speed (too slow to respond)

Ruling: The attacker wins if they have already scored the other battlefield this turn, because they score their last point (reaching 8) before the conquering triggers that would cause them to draw from an empty deck. If they haven't scored the other battlefield yet, they don't gain a point from conquering (staying at 7), but Zaun Warrens still triggers and they draw from an empty deck and lose. Sequence: 1. Attacker conquers the battlefield 2. Attacker scores (gains control and hasn't scored this battlefield yet this turn) 3. If attacker already scored the other battlefield, they reach 8 points and win 4. Conquering triggers (like Zaun Warrens) resolve 5. If attacker didn't win in step 3, they must draw from empty deck and lose Nuances: - You always score when you conquer, even at 7 points. If you're at 7 and score a battlefield without having scored the other this turn, you don't get a point, but it's still considered scoring. - Taking a battlefield you haven't yet scored this turn is always a conquer, regardless of your current score.

Ruling: The attacker is recalled back to base. Nuances: - Being recalled does not count as a move

Ruling: If there are still defending units at a battlefield after combat, then all attackers are recalled to base. This applies whether the attacker initiated combat or is defending against an attack. Nuances: - Recalls after a tied combat are not moves, so they don't cause move triggers to fire

No, you do not draw a card in that scenario. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #10124**, which specifically addresses the interaction of **Stellacorn Herder** with recall effects: 1. **Recall vs. Move:** A "Recall" (the mechanic that moves a unit back to the base after it is stunned or fails to conquer) is distinct from a "Move" action. As defined in the game rules, a recall is not a move. 2. **Trigger Condition:** Your Stellacorn Herder's ability ("When I move, draw 1") specifically triggers only upon a **Move** action. Because the unit is being recalled to the base after combat, the trigger condition is never met. This distinction is consistently applied in *Riftbound*: any ability triggered by a "move" will not fire when a unit is recalled to its base.

Ruling: Yes, combat resolves regardless of the defender leaving the battlefield. The attacking unit retains its Assault buff and will survive any damage marked on it during combat. Sequence: - Attacker moves into battlefield and attackers/defenders are declared - Assault buff is applied to the attacker - If defender leaves the battlefield during combat, the attacker keeps its Assault buff - Combat resolves with the attacker surviving Nuances: - The Assault might increase is only removed at the battlefield of combat during a specific cleanup step - Attacker/defender designations are removed during Cleanup if units leave the battlefield of combat, but this doesn't affect buffs already applied

Ruling: You do not perform a burn out. You draw 3 cards, shuffle your Trash into your deck, and then draw the fourth card to complete the effect. Sequence: - Draw the first 3 cards from your deck - Shuffle your Trash into your deck - Draw the fourth card - The effect is now fully resolved Nuances: - Burn out only occurs if you attempt to draw while your Main Deck is empty. When you begin resolving a "draw 4" effect with 3 cards in deck, your deck is not empty at the time of the attempt, so burn out does not trigger.

Ruling: When a spell or effect instructs you to play a card, you can play any card regardless of timing restrictions or other limitations. Timing restrictions only apply when playing cards as discretionary actions on your own. Nuances: - The distinction is between playing cards when instructed by a spell/effect versus playing cards as discretionary actions - Promising Future instructs you to play a card, so normal timing restrictions do not apply

Ruling: Yes, you can Conquer the battlefield in this scenario. When you Flash out your only unit, you lose control of the battlefield. When you Ride the Wind back in and win or tie the combat, you gain control at the end of combat and can Conquer (score a point). Sequence: - Enemy attacks your controlled battlefield, making it contested - You Flash your only unit out during the combat showdown - You lose control of the battlefield immediately (no units = no control) - The combat showdown continues (contested status remains until showdown resolves) - You use Ride the Wind to return a unit to the battlefield during your next action step - You win or tie the combat - At the end of combat, you gain control of the battlefield - Because you gained control at the end of a showdown, you Conquer and score a point Nuances: - The attacker does not score when you Flash out, because the combat showdown has not yet resolved - Any Hidden cards you control would be sent to trash when you leave the battlefield (unless you react with them first) - You can only Conquer if you have not already scored from this battlefield this turn - Control can be lost during a contested showdown, but can only be gained when the showdown resolves - The combat showdown continues even after you Flash out because contested status is not cleared until the end of combat

Ruling: Yasuo's attack trigger will target the Poro (the unit already on the battlefield). The defending player can then use Ride the Wind to move Mindsplitter to that battlefield during combat. Mindsplitter will survive by killing Yasuo, but the defending player does not score a point because their control of the battlefield never dropped. Sequence: - Yasuo attacks and gains the Attacker designation during Combat - Yasuo's attack trigger goes on the chain, targeting the Poro - Defending player gets priority and can use Ride the Wind to move Mindsplitter to the battlefield - Combat resolves with Mindsplitter killing Yasuo Nuances: - Yasuo's ability does not trigger during Open Showdown, only during Combat when the unit gains the Attacker designation - No point is scored because the defending player maintained control of the battlefield throughout

Ruling: Yes, you score conquest on battlefield A after the showdowns resolve, assuming you haven't already scored it that turn some other way. Sequence: - Enemy charms your unit from battlefield A to battlefield B - You lose control of battlefield A (no units present) - You use Ride the Wind to move back to battlefield A - Two showdowns occur due to this interaction - After the showdowns resolve, you score conquest on battlefield A Nuances: - You only score if you haven't already scored battlefield A that turn through another method - The scoring happens after the showdowns resolve, not immediately when Ride the Wind resolves

Ruling: No, you do not need to retarget Gust to your own unit. When Gust resolves, it whiffs and resolves to no effect because its target is no longer legal (not at the battlefield). Sequence: - Targeting happens when the spell is put on the chain - The target cannot change after that point - If the target flashes away, it is no longer at the battlefield - When Gust resolves, it has no legal target and resolves to no effect Nuances: - This is different from Firestorm's reflexive trigger behavior

Ruling: Kha'Zix's ability does not trigger because the Recruit token is created before combat begins. Eye of the Herald's "When I move" trigger resolves completely before combat designations are assigned, so by the time Kha'Zix checks whether an enemy unit is alone, the Recruit token already exists at the battlefield. Sequence: - The enemy unit with Eye of the Herald moves to the battlefield - Eye of the Herald's move trigger goes on the chain and resolves, creating the Recruit token - The chain empties and combat begins - Combat designations (Attacker/Defender) are assigned - Kha'Zix checks his trigger condition, but the enemy is no longer alone - Kha'Zix's ability does not trigger

When an enemy uses **Falling Star** on a unit with 3 Might equipped with **Guardian Angel**, the interaction is determined by the fact that **Guardian Angel** acts as a **replacement effect** for the "die" event. Here is how the sequence unfolds: ### The Sequence 1. **Playing Falling Star:** Your opponent plays the spell, targeting your unit with both instances of 3 damage. The spell is placed on the chain. 2. **Resolution:** The spell resolves, dealing 3 damage, then another 3 damage (total 6 damage). 3. **Applying Damage:** * Because your unit takes lethal damage (6 damage to a 3 Might unit), it would normally die. * **Guardian Angel** triggers as a replacement effect at the moment the unit would die. It replaces the "death" event with: *kill the Guardian Angel, heal the unit, exhaust the unit, and recall the unit to its controller's base.* ### The Result * **The unit survives:** The death event was prevented and replaced. The unit is healed and moved to your base. * **Guardian Angel is destroyed:** Only one instance of the effect is needed to replace the single "death" event. * **The unit does not "die twice":** The second instance of 3 damage does not kill the unit again because the unit is already safe, healed, and recalled to your base, and the "death" event was already replaced. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9721** and **Rule 373**, replacement effects replace the event that would have happened. Since the unit's death was replaced by the gear's effect, it never actually dies, meaning there is no second "death" for the unit to undergo. *** *This is my interpretation based on the mechanics of replacement effects (Rule 373) and the provided FAQs. No official rule states the damage happens as two distinct "death" events; the damage is simply dealt, and the replacement effect handles the outcome of the unit reaching lethal damage.*

Yes, an exhausted unit can enter combat if moved by a card effect, and it will become an attacker in that combat. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8385**, exhausted units can enter combat if they are moved there by card effects, as being exhausted only prevents regular (standard) moves, not movement by other methods. When a unit is moved to a battlefield occupied by an opponent's units, it triggers a combat (or showdown) and gains the **attacker designation**. Because it is gaining the attacker designation for the first time in this new combat, it will trigger any "When I Attack" abilities it possesses, even if it had previously attacked in a different combat earlier that turn. **Key points to remember:** * **Exhaustion State:** Moving a unit via a card effect does not change its ready/exhausted state (unless the effect specifically says so). * **Attacker Designation:** Per the **Patch Notes (2025-10-24)**, "Attack and Defend triggers can happen once per combat, specifically the first time something gains the attacker or defender designation during that combat." Since this is a new combat, the unit gains the designation again and its triggers will activate. * **Standard Moves:** You cannot perform a *Standard Move* with an already exhausted unit because exhausting the unit is the cost for that action (Rule 143.2). However, this restriction does not apply to moves caused by spells or abilities.

Ruling: No, you cannot pay the Repeat cost after a spell is Defied. Repeat is an additional cost that must be paid before the spell is finalized onto the chain. Sequence: - Declare you are casting the spell - Decide whether to pay the Repeat cost - Finalize the spell onto the chain - Opponent can then Defy the spell Nuances: - If you pay Repeat, the spell counts as one spell with a bigger effect box doing the same thing twice, and can still be Defied as a single spell

No, the attacker does not get another priority opportunity. According to the rules of a showdown, the showdown ends immediately once both players pass priority in succession without adding any new items to the chain. **Sequence of events:** 1. **Attacker passes priority:** The attacker chooses not to play an action or reaction. 2. **Defender passes priority:** The defender also chooses not to play an action or reaction. 3. **Showdown ends:** Because both players have passed priority consecutively while the chain is empty, the showdown concludes immediately. No further actions or reactions can be played, and the game proceeds to combat damage resolution. As stated in the FAQ: "Once both players pass priority in order during a showdown, the showdown ends. The attacker cannot open a new chain after both players have passed."

Ruling: When an opponent attacks a battlefield you control, you retain control of it while it is simultaneously in a contested state. You can use abilities that require control of the battlefield (like Ornn's Forge) when defending. Nuances: - A battlefield can be both controlled by a player and in a contested state at the same time

Ruling: Shield is a passive/continuous ability that applies when a unit is designated as a defender, not a trigger. Whether Shield applies depends on the timing and who becomes the attacker/defender. Sequence: - When opponent moves to an empty battlefield, a regular showdown begins - If you use Ride the Wind during that regular showdown to move Lee Sin there, he is NOT designated as a defender for that regular showdown, so Shield does not apply - Once the regular showdown ends, if both units are still present, a combat showdown begins immediately - In this combat showdown, Lee Sin becomes the defender (since opponent applied contested status), so Shield now applies and grants +1 might Nuances: - If you move Lee Sin outside of the regular showdown (after opponent already controls the battlefield), you become the attacker when applying contested status, so Lee Sin would not gain might from Shield - When a combat showdown would start during an existing regular showdown, it is marked as pending until the regular showdown ends

Ruling: Ride the Wind cannot be used to escape Hidden Blade because Ride the Wind is an action, not a reaction. Actions can only start chains, not be added in the middle of an existing chain. Once Hidden Blade is revealed and starts a chain, only reactions can be added to that chain before it resolves. Nuances: - If the original target of Hidden Blade becomes invalid (e.g., through a reaction like Flash that moves the unit), Hidden Blade does not kill any unit. You do not have to select another target. - Targets for Hidden Blade are declared when you finalize the spell (add it to the chain), not when it resolves.

Ruling: Yes, the combat showdown still goes through its full processes and healing occurs at the end, even if one or both units are removed before combat damage. Once a combat showdown has started, healing will always occur at the end of it regardless of whether units remain. Sequence: - Challenge is played and kills the attacking unit - The combat showdown continues, passing focus and priority as normal - When the combat showdown ends, healing occurs Nuances: - Combat damage specifically refers to the combat damage step at the very end of a combat showdown - Challenge itself is not a combat - Even if no units remain on one side, the combat still happens (it's just very one-sided) - Healing only occurs after combat showdowns, not after non-combat showdowns

Ruling: You cannot cast Face Breaker without paying the Deflect cost. Deflect increases the cost of your spell or ability, and you cannot put it on the chain unless you also pay the Deflect cost. Nuances: - Face Breaker does not use the word "choose" or "target", but it still counts as choosing a game object in Riftbound's rules system - Any instruction that tells you to do something with a single game object is considered a choice (and therefore subject to Deflect) - This is different from Magic: The Gathering, where "target" must be explicitly stated

Yes, you can use an **Action** spell when an opponent moves a unit to an empty battlefield, even if it is not your turn. According to **Rule 732.1.b**, the **Action** keyword grants a card or effect permission to be played or activated during **Showdowns**, regardless of whose turn it is. ### How the Interaction Works: 1. **Showdown Begins:** When an opponent moves a unit to an empty battlefield, a **Showdown** is initiated. 2. **Open State:** Because no chain exists at the start of this Showdown, the game is in an **Open State**. 3. **Playing the Action:** As long as the game is in an Open State (no chain exists), you have the opportunity to play an **Action** spell. 4. **Chain Formation:** Once you play your **Action** spell, it is placed on the chain, and the state becomes **Closed**. While the chain is closed, only **Reaction** spells can be played by either player until the chain resolves. 5. **Resolution:** Once the chain resolves, the state returns to **Open**, and players may again play **Action** spells if they have focus. This is supported by the general mechanics of Showdowns, where players are granted the opportunity to interact with the game state regardless of whose turn it is, provided they have the appropriate timing (Action vs. Reaction). *Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules.*

Ruling: No, Darius does not get the effect. A countered card does not resolve and is not considered "played" for the purpose of "when you play" type conditions. Nuances: - Cards with "when you target" triggers (like Dreaming Tree) still activate even if the card is countered by Defy, because the targeting happens before the counter - Cards with "when you play" triggers do not count countered cards toward their conditions

Ruling: Dragon's Rage will still fully resolve even if the targeted unit is killed and moved with The Boss in response. The unit remains a valid target because it's the same game object and hasn't changed zones, and Dragon's Rage has no targeting restrictions beyond "enemy unit." Sequence: - Dragon's Rage targets an enemy unit and chooses a destination - If Hidden Blade kills the unit and The Boss moves it to base in response - Dragon's Rage still resolves and attempts to move the unit - If the unit is already at the chosen destination, the movement can't happen (movements require different origin and destination) - The reflexive trigger still goes on the chain using the originally chosen destination - The reflexive trigger resolves normally Nuances: - Even if the movement doesn't actually occur (because the unit is already at the destination), the reflexive trigger still uses the originally chosen destination and proceeds normally - Using Hidden Blade and The Boss will not prevent any part of Dragon's Rage from happening

Ruling: Yes, both Hopefuls die. When Watcher resolves and reduces their might to 1, lethal damage is checked during cleanup after the effect, and the Hopefuls have 3 damage marked with only 1 might, so they are killed. Sequence: - Falling Star deals 3 damage to both 4-might Hopefuls (they survive with 3 damage marked) - Thousand-Tailed Watcher is played and resolves, reducing their might to 1 - During cleanup after the Watcher effect, lethal damage is checked - Hopefuls now have 1 might with 3 damage marked, so they die Nuances: - This same interaction applies to other damage-then-might-reduction combos (e.g., Hextech Ray followed by Stupify on a Hopeful also kills it) - The order of playing cards matters for preventing opponents from making incorrect decisions about unit survival

Ruling: Yes, Singularity still kills the unit. Sett's legend ability only saves the unit from Hidden Blade's effect, but Singularity has not yet resolved and the unit is still in a targetable zone. Sequence: - Singularity is cast targeting the buffed unit - Hidden Blade is revealed in response, targeting the same unit - Sett's legend ability is used to save the unit from Hidden Blade - Hidden Blade resolves (unit survives due to Sett, controller still draws because Hidden Blade can gain information about who controlled the unit) - Singularity resolves and kills the unit Nuances: - Hidden Blade's draw effect works as long as it can gain information about who controlled the targeted unit when it resolves, even if the unit doesn't die - If the unit becomes an illegal target before Hidden Blade starts resolving, no draw occurs - If the unit is moved to a different zone by another effect after Hidden Blade starts resolving (not by Hidden Blade itself), the controller would not draw

Ruling: No, an empty battlefield is not considered conquered. A player loses control of a battlefield when they move all their units away from it. Nuances: - A card requiring "an enemy contested battlefield" would not be usable on an empty battlefield, even if the opponent previously held it - When a player enters an empty battlefield that they don't hold, they will score a point for contesting it

Ruling: Yes, you can score a conquering point even though your opponent already scored from that battlefield this turn. You can score on your opponent's turn. Sequence: - Opponent conquers battlefield with 1 unit and scores a point - Opponent uses Charm to drag your unit into that battlefield - You become the attacker (since opponent controls the battlefield) - If you win the showdown, you can score a conquering point Nuances: - Each player can score 1 point per battlefield per turn (not 1 point total between both players) - The Charm target becomes the attacker because the opponent controls the battlefield