Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: Yes, you score the 8th point and win by conquering. You only need to have scored all other battlefields in order to score the final point via conquering - you do not need to maintain control of the previously conquered battlefield. Sequence: - Conquer first battlefield, reaching 7 points - Remove unit from first battlefield (no longer controlling it) - Conquer second battlefield - Score 8th point for conquering both battlefields Nuances: - You do not need to simultaneously control both battlefields, only to have scored them both through conquering

No, you cannot play a unit onto that battlefield after moving your only unit away from it. According to the rules and established FAQs: 1. **Control Requirement:** To play a unit from your hand to a battlefield, you must currently control that battlefield. 2. **Loss of Control:** You maintain control of a battlefield only as long as you have at least one unit present there (Rule 184.4.a). If you move your last unit out of a battlefield, you immediately lose control of it (Rule 184.4.c). 3. **Ruling:** As stated in **RiftJudge FAQ #5737**: "No, you cannot play a new unit into a battlefield if you have no units there. You need to have a unit at the battlefield and be in control of it to play additional units there." **Correct Sequence:** If you wish to replace a unit at a battlefield without losing control, you must play the new unit to that battlefield *first* while the original unit is still present, and only then move the original unit away.

Ruling: No, you cannot score at the same battlefield more than once per turn. If you began your turn with control of a battlefield, you Held it for points, and you cannot conquer it again that turn. Nuances: - There is no conquering without scoring (7 points scores a draw instead of a point) - If you began a turn other than yours with control of a battlefield, left it, and returned during a different showdown, you would score a point for conquering (assuming you won the showdown)

Ruling: No. A hidden unit must be played to the battlefield where it was hidden, and this restriction cannot be overridden by Miss Fortune's ability. Sequence: - When playing a hidden unit, you must play it to the battlefield where it was hidden - Miss Fortune's ability grants permission to play units to open battlefields - The "must" requirement from hidden rules supersedes the "may" permission from Miss Fortune - This applies both to hidden units themselves and to units played via hidden spell effects Nuances: - The restriction is based on "can't beats can" as a broad method of determination - requirements trump permissions - Miss Fortune's ability adds to valid locations for normal units, but cannot override the mandatory restriction on where hidden units must be played - The hidden unit has only one valid location (the battlefield it was hidden at), and this cannot be expanded by other effects - This is not about whether hiding is valid at the new location, but about where a hidden card can be played when revealed

Ruling: No, you cannot ready 2 runes at the end of turn. You cannot score on the same battlefield twice in one turn, and conquering is a form of scoring. Nuances: - You could lose control of the battlefield by simply moving your units away, not just through losing a showdown - This restriction only applies during your own turn; if you lost and regained control during your opponent's turn, the conquer effect could trigger again (though Targon's Peak's specific effect wouldn't be useful in that case)

Ruling: No, you cannot get the conquer effect again. You can only score each battlefield once per turn, and to conquer you must be able to score. Nuances: - Even if you leave and return to a battlefield in the same turn, you cannot trigger conquer effects again if you already scored that battlefield

Ruling: You do not score a conquest point in this scenario because you were already in control of the battlefield when combat started and remained in control at the end. You never lost control. Nuances: - To score a conquest point, you must actually lose control of the battlefield and then regain it - Simply having all your units killed and then bringing in new units while maintaining control throughout does not count as conquering - In the specific scenario with Zenith Blade, the Stormbringer unit would be stunned and likely repel to base if it can't kill the defending unit

Ruling: Yes, a showdown begins when you move a unit to the now-empty battlefield. However, you cannot conquer at that battlefield (for triggers like Qiuana or Candlelit), though you can regain control. Nuances: - The showdown that occurs is not a combat - Rule of thumb: anytime a unit entering a battlefield could change its controller, do a showdown

Ruling: No, you cannot conquer the same battlefield twice in one turn. You can score each battlefield only once per turn, and conquering counts as scoring. Nuances: - Even if the battlefield becomes empty after you've already scored it, you cannot score it again that turn - This applies even if you use a different unit to move onto the battlefield

Ruling: You need to score both battlefields in the same turn to win via conquest. Simply holding one battlefield from your previous turn and conquering another on your opponent's turn does not count, because you must conquer both battlefields in the same turn. Sequence: - You held the first battlefield on your own turn, not your opponent's turn - To win on your opponent's turn, you would need to score both battlefields during that opponent's turn - If you had two Ride the Winds, you could move back and forth to score both battlefields on their turn and win Nuances: - The key requirement is that both conquers must happen in the same turn - Holding a battlefield from a previous turn does not count toward the "both in same turn" requirement

Ruling: If you have a deathknell ability, you can respond to that ability with Zhonya's hidden ability to send Zhonya back to base. Without a deathknell ability, Zhonya will be discarded when you lose the battlefield. Sequence: - Combat damage occurs - If you have a deathknell ability, it triggers - You get priority to respond to the deathknell trigger with Zhonya's hidden ability - Zhonya returns to base - Opponent gains control of the battlefield Nuances: - Deathknell is the only way to get priority in the window after combat damage but before the opponent gains control of the battlefield - Without deathknell, you go straight to the opponent controlling the battlefield without getting a chance to respond - You cannot use other reactions to activate Zhonya's hidden ability in this situation

Ruling: Yes, you score a point for holding the battlefield. The hidden unit being played resolves before the temporary unit actually dies, so you never lose control of the battlefield. Sequence: - Your turn begins - Temporary keyword triggers (token would die) - You can play the hidden token as a reaction to the Temporary keyword's triggered ability - Hidden token resolves and enters the battlefield - Temporary token dies - You maintain control throughout and score the holding point Nuances: - Reactions can be played during the Beginning Phase if a chain is open (such as when the Temporary keyword's triggered ability goes on the chain)

Ruling: Yes, you can play the unit back to the same battlefield. You cannot lose battlefield control as long as a combat is ongoing, and as long as you control a battlefield you can play units there. Sequence: - Opponent attacks into your battlefield - You play Arcane Shift targeting your only unit at that battlefield - The unit is banished (battlefield temporarily has no units) - You play the unit back to the same battlefield for free - You still control the battlefield throughout this process because combat is ongoing

Ruling: No, this cannot happen. When you play a hidden creature (or any permanent), it resolves immediately and enters the battlefield with no response window. Both creatures will already be on the board before the opponent can use their reaction to remove the initial creature. Sequence: - Hidden creature is played from hidden - The permanent goes through steps 1-6 of being played (including finalization) - Upon finalization (step 6), the permanent immediately leaves the chain and becomes a game object on the battlefield - No player can react during this process or before the permanent lands - Only after the permanent is on the battlefield can players respond to any triggered abilities it may have Nuances: - Permanents never "linger" on the chain after being finalized, unlike abilities or spells which do linger and can be reacted to - While no one can react to the permanent itself resolving, if playing the permanent triggers an ability, players can react before that triggered ability resolves - The card's controller can react during the pay costs step, but this is the only reaction window during the playing process

Ruling: You get all 3 Phoenix triggers - the one already in trash, the one discarded from hand, and the one killed from the field. Sequence: - Play Get Excited - Discard Phoenix from hand (goes to trash) - Get Excited resolves and kills Phoenix on field (goes to trash) - All three Phoenixes in trash trigger Nuances: - The Phoenix discarded as part of playing Get Excited is in the trash before the cleanup/resolution that kills the Phoenix on the field - The act of "killing" (transferring a unit from field to trash) means the killed Phoenix is also in trash when triggers are checked

Ruling: Yes, this is legal. Dropboarder's ability triggers when it enters play and only checks if you control 2 or more gear when it resolves, not when it triggers. Sequence: - Play Dropboarder with only 1 gear in play - Dropboarder's 'when played' ability goes on the chain - Respond to the ability by playing Cloth Armor (reaction) - When Dropboarder's ability resolves, you now control 2 gear and the effect happens Nuances: - The 'if' clause in Dropboarder's text is checked on resolution, not when determining if the ability triggers - This differs from templating where the 'if' comes first (like 'If you control 2 or more gear, when you play me...'), which would check the condition before the ability goes on the chain - Abilities with conditions after the comma go on the chain regardless of whether the condition is met, but do nothing if the condition isn't met on resolution

Ruling: Yes, if two units die simultaneously and you control two Zhonyas Hourglass, each Zhonyas can save one unit. X Zhonyas can save X units, even if they die simultaneously. Sequence: - When two units die simultaneously, each Zhonyas sees both death events - The controller picks which death event each Zhonyas will replace - Each Zhonyas replaces one of the deaths and is killed instead - Both units are saved Nuances: - If only one unit dies with two Zhonyas in play, the controller chooses which Zhonyas replaces the death. The second Zhonyas does nothing because the death has already been replaced by the first Zhonyas. - When multiple replacement effects would replace the same event, the owner of the object being acted on determines the order the replacement effects apply. - The second replacement effect cannot replace a death that has already been replaced.

If you counter a spell with **Repeat**, the entire spell—including the repeated execution—is countered and sent to the trash. It does not have a chance to play twice. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9005** and **Rule 820.1.d**, a spell with Repeat is finalized as a **single item** on the chain. When you pay the Repeat cost as an additional cost while playing the spell, you are simply extending that single chain item's effect to happen twice upon resolution. Because it is a single item on the chain, a counter effect (such as *Defy*) negates the entire chain item. **Rule 425.1.a** states that a countered spell does nothing and is cleared from the chain. Consequently: 1. **Single Unit of Action:** The Repeat cost is paid as an additional cost *before* the spell is finalized on the chain. You cannot wait to see if your opponent reacts before deciding to Repeat, and you cannot "split" the spell to have one part resolve if the other is countered. 2. **Outcome of Countering:** When the spell is countered, the entire object is removed from the chain and placed in your trash. Neither the original effect nor the repeated execution will occur. This is supported by **RiftJudge FAQ #256**, which confirms that if a spell with Repeat is countered, the entire spell (including the repeated portion) is countered and sent to the trash.

No, you cannot banish a spell with Jhin's legend effect if it has been countered. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8769** and **Rule 425.1.b**, a spell that is countered is not considered to have been played. Furthermore, **Rule 425.1.a** states that a countered spell is cleared from the chain. ### The Sequence 1. **Playing the Spell:** You play a spell and pay its costs. It is placed on the chain. 2. **Reaction:** Your opponent plays a card (like *Defy*) to counter your spell. 3. **Resolution:** The counter resolves, and your spell is cleared from the chain. 4. **Trigger Check:** Because the spell was countered, it is not considered to have been "played" for the purpose of triggering "When you play a spell" effects. Consequently, Jhin's ability does not trigger, and even if it did, the spell is no longer on the chain to be targeted or banished. This is consistent with **RiftJudge FAQ #9343**, which clarifies that a countered spell does not trigger "When you play a spell" effects.

Ruling: No. Teemo does not create a damage event if 0 cards with Hidden are revealed. You cannot deal 0 damage - 0 damage is not a valid damage event. Nuances: - "Deal 1 for each card revealed this way" is a single deal action, not multiple separate damage instances - The effect counts cards with Hidden and deals that much damage; if there are no Hidden cards revealed, no deal action is performed - The rules specify that only non-zero damage is valid damage (found in the splitting rules section) - With Rabadon's Deathcrown, Teemo's possible damage range is 0, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (where 0 means no damage event occurs)

If you use **Defy** to counter a card, that card is not considered to have been played. Consequently, it will not trigger any abilities that rely on a card being played, including the ability of **Darius, Trifarian** to ready himself. According to **Rule 425.1.b**: > "A card that is Countered is not considered to have been played." Furthermore, **Rule 419.4.b** states: > "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 (the first card of the turn). 2. You attempt to play a second card. 3. Your opponent plays **Defy** in response to that second card. 4. **Defy** resolves and counters the second card. 5. Because the second card was countered, it is not considered "played." 6. Since the condition "When you play your second card" was never fulfilled, **Darius, Trifarian** does not trigger and will not ready himself.

Ruling: Yes, you can summon Immortal Phoenix to your base with its effect after discarding it with "Get Excited!" to kill a unit at a battlefield. Sequence: - Discard Immortal Phoenix with "Get Excited!" - Deal damage equal to Phoenix's Energy cost to a unit at a battlefield - If that unit is killed, Phoenix's effect triggers - Summon Phoenix to your base Nuances: - The Phoenix sees that a unit was killed before it goes to the trash, allowing its effect to trigger

Ruling: After a Reaction resolves during chain resolution, you can immediately play another Reaction card (such as one you just drew) to react to earlier cards still in the chain. You do not have to wait for the entire chain to resolve. Sequence: - Reaction 3 resolves - Cleanup happens - The controller of Reaction 2 gets first priority to play reactions on top of the chain - Then the other player gets priority - Chain resolution continues Nuances: - Priority to play reactions after each card resolves goes first to the controller of the next card in the chain, then to the other player

No, you cannot play *Hidden Blade* as a "Hidden" card if you are playing it via the effect of the Rek'Sai (*Void Burrower*) legend ability. Here is the breakdown of why this interaction does not work: 1. **Hiding is a distinct Discretionary Action:** According to Rule 421 and the keyword rules for **Hidden** (Rule 811), "Hiding" is a specific Discretionary Action. It is not the same thing as "Playing" a card. 2. **Prerequisites for Hiding:** The **Hidden** keyword (Rule 811.1.b) specifically allows you to hide a card *only* while that card is in your **hand** or your **Champion Zone**. 3. **Rek'Sai's Ability:** The *Void Burrower* legend ability instructs you to reveal cards from your **Main Deck** and then **play** one of them. Because the card is being played from your Main Deck—not your hand or Champion Zone—you do not meet the prerequisites to perform the "Hide" action required by the Hidden keyword. Because Rek'Sai's ability specifically instructs you to **play** the card, you must play *Hidden Blade* as a spell (paying its costs as normal) rather than attempting to hide it.

Ruling: No, this does not count as a burn out. The effect of Dazzling Aurora recycles the cards back into the deck, so you do not burn out. Sequence: - Reveal cards from your deck looking for a unit - If no unit is found, fail to find and recycle (shuffle) the revealed cards back into your library - No burn out occurs Nuances: - You do not shuffle your trash into your deck if you don't find anything with Aurora, because no burn out is performed

Ruling: An exhausted card on a battlefield can still defend in combat. Nuances: - This is similar to how moving a unit to an open battlefield exhausts it, but it can still defend

Yes, you will get the extra *Deathknell* trigger, and no, you do not need to choose who "dies first" because they die simultaneously. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9028**, **FAQ #8974**, and **FAQ #5353**, when *Karthus, Eternal* and another unit with a *Deathknell* effect die at the same time (such as from a *Falling Star* dealing lethal damage to both), the *Deathknell* effect still triggers twice. Here is the breakdown of why this works: 1. **Simultaneous Death:** When *Falling Star* resolves, it deals damage to both units. Both are killed simultaneously as a result of that spell's resolution. 2. **Passive Persistence:** *Karthus, Eternal*'s ability ("Your [Deathknell] effects trigger an additional time") is a **passive ability**, not a triggered ability. Because it is a passive, it remains active at the exact moment the *Deathknell* trigger for the *Black Rose Dignitary* is created on the chain, even though *Karthus* is being killed by the same spell. 3. **Result:** The *Black Rose Dignitary*'s *Deathknell* effect triggers once for its own death, and one additional time because *Karthus*'s passive effect is still "watching" the game state at the moment the death event occurs. Because the death is simultaneous, there is no sequencing required by you. Both units simply leave the board, and the game state processes the *Black Rose Dignitary*'s *Deathknell* twice due to the passive bonus.

Whether or not you score depends on the exact sequence of events, specifically whether you completely lose control of the battlefield before re-establishing it. According to **FAQ #1067** and **FAQ #3810**, you cannot score if you maintain control of the battlefield throughout the entire showdown. To be eligible to score via a "Conquer" (gaining control of a battlefield you did not control at the start of the current showdown), you must have completely lost control of it first. ### Key Rulings * **Maintaining Control:** If you use *Flash* to move your units to base and then *Ride the Wind* back into the *same* ongoing showdown, you never technically lost control of the battlefield. Because the showdown does not end until both players pass focus, you are still considered the defender/controller. Therefore, you will **not** score (FAQ #3810, FAQ #1067). * **Losing and Re-conquering:** If your opponent manages to remove all your units or forces you out so that you completely lose control, and the showdown ends (meaning both players have passed focus in a row), you are no longer the controller. If you then play *Ride the Wind* to move a unit back in, you start a **new showdown**. If you win this new showdown, you have "conquered" the battlefield and **will score a point** (assuming you haven't already scored it this turn) (FAQ #9424, FAQ #10791). ### Summary of Requirements to Score 1. **Lose Control:** You must have no units at the battlefield and the opponent must have established control, causing the previous showdown to end. 2. **New Showdown:** You must move a unit into that battlefield during an open state, which triggers a new showdown. 3. **Conquer:** You must win this new showdown to establish control, fulfilling the requirement for a "Conquer." If you attempt these moves *during* a single, ongoing showdown, you are considered to have maintained control throughout, and you will not be eligible to score.

Ruling: Yes, you can repeat the spell multiple times if it has multiple instances of Repeat. Sequence: - Each instance of Repeat on a spell can be paid or not paid individually - You may choose to pay the cost for each instance separately Nuances: - This follows the pattern of other keywords like Vision that stack when it makes sense for them to do so - The ruling was initially uncertain and required waiting for official rules clarification

Yes, if you use **Gust** on **Tideturner** in response to it being played (revealed) from its hidden state, its move effect will fail to occur. According to **RiftJudge FAQ 8272** and **FAQ 31**, when Tideturner's ability attempts to resolve, it checks for information such as "my original location." Because Gust returns Tideturner to your hand (a non-board zone), that location information becomes unavailable or "null." Since the move instruction requires locations on the board to function, the ability resolves with no effect. ### Sequence of Events 1. **Tideturner is played:** You reveal Tideturner from hidden, placing it on the battlefield. Its "When you play me" ability triggers and is added to the chain. You choose a target friendly unit. 2. **Reaction:** You play **Gust** targeting Tideturner, adding it to the chain. 3. **Gust resolves:** Tideturner is returned to its owner's hand. 4. **Tideturner's ability resolves:** The ability attempts to move Tideturner and the target unit, but because Tideturner is no longer on the board to define its "original location," the instruction fails to execute. Neither unit moves. This is consistent with **Rule 359.3.e.12**, which states that if an effect checks information about a permanent whose location has changed such that the information is no longer available, the check returns "null" and the instructions relying on it are ignored.

Ruling: Yes, you can use Super Mega Death Rocket's effect with the card you just drew from conquering. The draw from conquering at 7 points happens before 'when you conquer' triggers go on the chain. Sequence: - You conquer at 7 points - You draw a card (instead of earning a point, since you can't score) - 'When you conquer' triggers (like Super Mega Death Rocket) go on the chain - You resolve Death Rocket's trigger with the card now in hand Nuances: - The draw from conquering does not use the chain - If the trigger happened in response instead of after, it wouldn't work (you'd resolve the trigger first while still having no cards)

Ruling: No, this is not true. You still draw a card from your main deck even if you have 12 runes channeled at the beginning of your turn. Nuances: - This misconception may arise from confusion with cards like Mobilize and Catalyst of Aeons - The confusion may also stem from misunderstanding the restriction on channeling more runes when at 12 (which does exist) - There are no priority windows during start of turn steps unless there is a trigger during the Beginning Phase

To answer your question: **No, you cannot move all three copies of Vex, Mocking to the battlefield simultaneously using their triggered abilities.** Here is the breakdown of why this is the case based on the rules of Riftbound: ### 1. Triggered Abilities and the Chain According to **Rule 376** (Triggered Abilities), when you stun an enemy unit, the ability on each copy of **Vex, Mocking** ("When you [Stun] an enemy unit at a battlefield, you may move me to that battlefield") triggers independently. Because these are triggered abilities, they must be placed on the chain. When multiple triggered abilities occur simultaneously, they are placed on the chain in an order chosen by their controller. ### 2. Sequential Resolution The chain resolves in **LIFO (Last-In, First-Out)** order. 1. You place the three triggers on the chain. 2. The first trigger (the one placed last) resolves. You choose to move the first **Vex, Mocking** to the battlefield. 3. The second trigger resolves. You choose to move the second **Vex, Mocking** to the battlefield. 4. The third trigger resolves. You choose to move the third **Vex, Mocking** to the battlefield. ### 3. Why they cannot move "at the same time" While you can choose to move all three, they are not moving as a single, simultaneous game action. They are moving as three separate, sequential resolutions of triggered abilities. This distinction is important because: * **State Checks:** If an effect were to occur between the resolution of the first and second trigger (e.g., a reaction spell played by your opponent), the game state would be updated before the next **Vex** moves. * **Standard Move vs. Triggered Move:** The rules for simultaneous movement (such as **Rule 144.3**) apply to the **Standard Move** action, which is a specific game action you perform during your Main Phase. Triggered abilities that move units are distinct from the Standard Move action and resolve individually as items on the chain. **Summary:** You can move all three copies of **Vex, Mocking** to the battlefield, but they will arrive one by one as each triggered ability resolves from the chain.

Ruling: If you have 6 points at the beginning of your turn and conquer 2 battlefields, you score 2 points and win with 8 points total. You do not need to be at 7 points first. Nuances: - The only scenario where scoring does not get you a victory point is if you are at 7 points and conquer a battlefield where you have not scored at all other battlefields this turn - in this case you get a draw instead of a point, but this still counts as "scoring" - If you are at 7 points and begin your turn with a hold (control of a battlefield from the start of your turn), you win immediately - Having control of a battlefield is not the same as "holding" - holding specifically means beginning your turn with control of a battlefield

Ruling: Yes, if you have 7 points and hold a single battlefield at the start of your turn, you win the game. The only restriction for the final point is that you cannot win by conquering a single battlefield alone - you must conquer both battlefields on the same turn to win via conquest. Nuances: - Points earned from champion abilities (like Green Ahri or Tryndamere) can be your 8th point and are not restricted - You can win by holding one battlefield for your 8th point - You can win by conquering both battlefields on the same turn - You can win via burnout for your 8th point - Any point source other than a single conquest can be your final point

Ruling: Yes, Cithria gets a buff from Wildclaw Shaman being played. You can choose the order in which "when you play" effects are added and resolved. Sequence: - Both "when you play" effects trigger in the same timing window - You can choose to resolve them in either order - You can resolve Wildclaw Shaman's effect first (giving Cithria a buff), then spend that buff to ready and buff the Shaman - Or you can resolve Cithria's effect first to give the Shaman a buff, then trigger the Shaman's effect to spend it Nuances: - The buff does not need to be present when you play Wildclaw Shaman; both effects are in the same timing window so you can order them as needed

No, moving **Draven, Audacious** to an occupied battlefield and winning the combat does not automatically put you at 8 points to win the game if you started at 6. Here is the breakdown of why this happens based on the rules and game flow: ### 1. Draven's Ability Triggers First According to **RiftJudge FAQ #7648** and **#9116**, **Draven, Audacious**'s ability triggers during the **Combat Special Cleanup**, which occurs *before* the **Conquer** scoring event for that battlefield. * **Sequence:** 1. You move Draven to the occupied battlefield, initiating a showdown. 2. You win the combat. 3. Draven’s triggered ability resolves, awarding you 1 point. 4. Your total points increase from **6 to 7**. 5. After the combat concludes and the battlefield is cleared of opposing units, you successfully **Conquer** the battlefield (the scoring event). ### 2. The Conquer Scoring Event After Draven's ability has already brought you to 7 points, you then attempt to score the battlefield via the **Conquer** action. * **Rule 466.1.b.2** states that if you are at 7 points and attempt to gain a point through a **Conquer** action, you only score the 8th point if you have already scored **every other battlefield** on the board that turn. * **The Result:** If you have not scored all other battlefields this turn, you **do not** gain the 8th point from the Conquer action. Instead, per Rule 466.1.b.2, you **draw a card**. ### Summary * **Draven's Point:** You reach 7 points via his triggered ability. * **The Conquer:** You do not reach 8 points from the conquer unless you have already scored every other battlefield in the game this turn. * **Result:** You remain at 7 points and draw a card. You do not win the game immediately in this scenario unless you satisfy the final point restriction for the Conquer action. *This interpretation is based on Rule 466.1.b.2 and the logic established in RiftJudge FAQs #9116 and #9136.*

Ruling: No, you cannot order both draws after Divine Judgement. The draw triggered by Promising Future will happen before Divine Judgement resolves, and the draw triggered by Divine Judgement will happen after it resolves. Sequence: - Promising Future begins resolving - Divine Judgement is added to the pending chain during Promising Future's resolution - Promising Future finishes resolving - Lux's trigger from Promising Future and Divine Judgement are finalized onto the chain - Lux's trigger from Promising Future resolves (first draw happens) - Divine Judgement resolves - Lux's trigger from Divine Judgement resolves (second draw happens) Nuances: - Nothing can go onto the chain while something is resolving; items go onto the pending chain first and are finalized once the resolving item finishes - Since Divine Judgement is already pending when Promising Future finishes, Lux's trigger from Promising Future must go on top of it

Ruling: No, you cannot play Cruel Patron to the battlefield by sacrificing Machine Evangel. When you sacrifice the Evangel as an additional cost, you lose control of the battlefield before Cruel Patron resolves, so it will be played to your base instead. Sequence: - You pay the additional cost (sacrifice Machine Evangel) - You lose control of the battlefield - Cruel Patron resolves and is played to your base (since you no longer control the battlefield) Nuances: - The sacrifice cost is paid before the card is "played", which is why you lose battlefield control before Cruel Patron resolves - This interaction was apparently allowed in early development but was later changed

Whether or not the **Tideturner** successfully swaps depends entirely on who is the **Turn Player** (the player whose turn it is currently). Both **Vex, Apathetic**'s ability and **Tideturner**'s "When you play me" ability are triggered abilities that occur simultaneously when Tideturner is played. Per Rule 303.2.a, turn order dictates the resolution sequence via the Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) rule for the chain. ### The Scenarios #### 1. If the Turn Player plays Tideturner: 1. **Chain Placement:** The Turn Player's Tideturner trigger is placed on the chain first. The Non-Turn Player's Vex, Apathetic trigger is placed on top. 2. **Resolution:** Vex's trigger resolves first. Tideturner becomes [Stunned] and gains the restriction that it cannot move for the remainder of the turn. 3. **Outcome:** When Tideturner's trigger attempts to resolve, the swap fails because Tideturner is restricted from moving. #### 2. If the Non-Turn Player plays Tideturner: 1. **Chain Placement:** The Turn Player's Vex, Apathetic trigger is placed on the chain first. The Non-Turn Player's Tideturner trigger is placed on top. 2. **Resolution:** Tideturner's trigger resolves first. The swap completes successfully. 3. **Outcome:** After the swap is complete, Vex's trigger resolves, stunning Tideturner at its new location. ### Summary * **If you are the Turn Player:** The effect is effectively cancelled (the swap fails) because Vex stuns you before the move can occur. * **If you are the Non-Turn Player:** The swap will successfully execute before Vex stuns your Tideturner. *This interpretation is based on the interaction between triggered abilities, turn order (Rule 303.2.a), and RiftJudge FAQ #10318.*

To answer your question, we must look at how costs are finalized and how Vex, Cheerless interacts with mandatory costs like **Deflect**. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8596** and **FAQ #9668**, you do **not** simply pay 2 Energy and ignore the Deflect cost. Here is the step-by-step breakdown of how your final cost is calculated: ### 1. Start with Base Cost * **Base Cost:** 3 Energy. ### 2. Apply Additional Costs (Deflect) * **Deflect:** This is a mandatory additional cost. If the unit has *Deflect 1*, you must add 1 Power to the cost of the spell. * **Current Total:** 3 Energy + 1 Power. ### 3. Apply Discounts (Vex, Cheerless) * **Vex, Cheerless:** Her ability reduces the cost of friendly spells by 1 Energy and 1 Power (down to a minimum of 1 Energy). * **Calculation:** (3 Energy + 1 Power) - (1 Energy + 1 Power) = **2 Energy + 0 Power**. ### Final Result You must pay **2 Energy**. You do **not** avoid the cost of choosing the unit; rather, the Deflect cost (1 Power) is added to your spell's total cost first, and then Vex's discount is applied to that new total. This effectively offsets the Deflect cost, leaving you to pay the discounted base cost of the spell. **Key Nuances:** * **Mandatory:** Deflect is a mandatory additional cost that must be included in your cost calculation before any discounts are applied (Rule 356.4 / FAQ #8596). * **Minimums:** Vex's "minimum 1 Energy" restriction applies only to the spell's base cost, not the total cost including additional costs. Because your final cost is 2 Energy, this requirement is satisfied. * **Order of Operations:** Per Rule 356.4, discounts to the total cost are applied after all additional costs have been summed.

Ruling: You can only reveal a hidden Zhonya's after your unit dies if the battlefield is contested AND there is a deathknell ability (or similar chain-forming effect) that gives you an opportunity to react. If your only unit dies to combat damage with no deathknell triggers, you have no opportunity to react before combat resolves, and the hidden card will be discarded when you lose control of the battlefield. Sequence: - Unit dies to combat damage - If battlefield is contested AND a deathknell trigger exists, you can react during the chain and reveal Zhonya's - If battlefield is not contested OR no deathknell exists, cleanup occurs immediately - Hidden cards are discarded when battlefield controller loses control during cleanup Nuances: - Facedown cards aren't gear, spells, or units - they're just facedown cards - Gear (including Zhonya's when revealed) is always played to base, never to battlefield - During contested battlefields, control can't change, which prevents the cleanup step from discarding hidden cards - This applies during both combat and showdowns

Ruling: You cannot react with Fight or Flight before the opponent locks in the target and destination for Charm. Once those choices are locked in, even if you use Fight or Flight, Charm cannot retarget, so the unit would stay at base. Sequence: - Opponent declares Charm and locks in target/destination - Fight or Flight cannot be used to react before these choices are locked - If Fight or Flight is used after choices are locked, Charm cannot retarget - The unit remains at base

Ruling: When multiple Zhonyas are present and a unit dies, only one Zhonya gets destroyed because after the first replacement effect resolves, nothing has died so the second Zhonya doesn't trigger. If multiple units die simultaneously and multiple Zhonyas are present, you can choose different targets for each Zhonya. Sequence: - When a unit dies with multiple Zhonyas present, order your replacement effects - The first Zhonya replacement resolves, destroying that Zhonya and saving the unit - Since nothing died after the first replacement, the second Zhonya does not trigger - If multiple units die at once, you can order replacements to have different Zhonyas save different units Nuances: - Zhonya is noted as a hotly debated topic that may need official Riot clarification - The replacement effects section does not directly answer these specific scenarios

Ruling: No. If you can't channel a rune because your rune deck is empty, you don't do anything at all. You do not draw an extra card as a replacement.

Ruling: Yes, having three Vanguard Helms in play when a buffed unit dies gives you three buffs that can be shared between whatever remaining units you have.

Ruling: Both Sun Disc effects apply to the same next unit redundantly. The second effect does not carry over to a subsequent unit. Sequence: - Tap both Sun Discs, creating two delayed passive abilities - When you play the next unit, both delayed passive abilities see it and apply - Both effects make the unit enter ready (redundantly) - Both effects are consumed on that one unit Nuances: - To have two units enter ready, you must tap one Sun Disc, play a unit, then tap the second Sun Disc, and play another unit - Sun Disc creates a delayed passive ability (similar to Ravenborn Tome), not a replacement effect or trigger - The effect specifies "the next" unit, which means each effect only applies to the next unit it sees, not subsequent units - Even though applying both effects to one unit is redundant, the game has no way to know this in advance

No, you cannot. According to **Rule 811.1.d.2**: "If a hidden spell or a play effect of a hidden permanent chooses any targets, those targets must be chosen from among options at that battlefield, unless the ability explicitly restricts targeting in a way that makes this impossible." Since **Back Off** is a spell that targets a unit and does not contain any targeting restriction that forces it to target a different battlefield, you are required to choose a target at the same battlefield where the card was hidden. This is also supported by **RiftJudge FAQ #10524**, which explicitly states: "No, you cannot use a hidden **Back Off** to target a unit at a different battlefield."

Yes, you can do that. You can reveal (flip) a hidden Zhonya's Hourglass at any time you have priority to play a reaction, even if no unit is currently dying. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #1981** and **#1959**: * Gear cannot exist at battlefields. When Zhonya's Hourglass is unhidden/played from a battlefield, it immediately recalls to your base. * You can reveal and play a hidden Zhonya's at any time you can use a reaction, not just in response to a unit dying. **Sequence:** 1. You have priority (e.g., during an open state on your turn, or in response to a chain item). 2. You reveal the hidden Zhonya's Hourglass. 3. Because it is Gear and cannot exist at a battlefield, it is immediately recalled to your base. **Important Nuances:** * **Timing:** You cannot reveal a card on the same turn you hid it (standard hidden rules). * **Priority:** On your turn, you can do this at any time you have priority. On your opponent's turn, you must wait for a chain or showdown to have the priority required to play a reaction. * **No Death Required:** You do not need a unit to be dying to trigger this; the act of revealing it is sufficient to send it back to your base.

Ruling: When you lose control of a battlefield (by having no units there), any card hidden to that battlefield goes to the trash. You lose control immediately when your last unit dies, unless the battlefield is Contested (which only happens during showdowns). Sequence: - Your last unit at the battlefield dies - You immediately lose control of the battlefield (unless it's Contested during a showdown) - The hidden card goes to the trash Nuances: - During a showdown, you don't lose control of the battlefield until the showdown is done, even if all your units die - A battlefield can only be Contested during showdowns - This rule applies outside of combat/showdown timing as well