Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, **Elder Dragon** still deals damage and its passive ability will still function, even if it is stunned by **Vex, Apathetic**. Here is the breakdown of the interaction: ### The Sequence of Events 1. **Playing Elder Dragon:** The opponent plays the Elder Dragon. Its "When you play me" triggered ability is placed on the chain. 2. **Vex's Trigger:** Vex, Apathetic's ability ("When an opponent plays a unit...") triggers and is placed on the chain. 3. **Chain Resolution:** The chain resolves in Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) order. * Vex’s ability resolves first, programmatically selecting the Elder Dragon and applying the **Stun** effect. * Elder Dragon’s "When you play me" ability then resolves, dealing 1 damage to the chosen enemy units. ### Why Elder Dragon still functions: * **Stun vs. Passive Abilities:** According to **RiftJudge FAQ #10447**, a stunned unit cannot contribute its Might to combat damage (Rule 423.1.b), but being stunned **does not** deactivate a unit's passive abilities. Because Elder Dragon's ability ("Any amount of your damage is enough to kill enemy units") is a passive ability, it remains active even while the unit is stunned. * **Dealing Damage:** The damage dealt by Elder Dragon’s "When you play me" ability is a separate game action from combat damage. Since the ability triggers and resolves as part of playing the card (which happens before Vex's stun would have any impact on the Elder Dragon's ability to "attack"), the Elder Dragon successfully deals its damage. **Summary:** Vex, Apathetic will successfully stun the Elder Dragon, preventing it from moving or contributing its Might to combat damage during the Combat Damage Step, but it does not stop the Elder Dragon from dealing the damage specified by its "When you play me" ability, nor does it deactivate the Elder Dragon's passive ability.

Ruling: Viktor does not get a Recruit from Portal Rescue itself (since Viktor is played to pending while Portal Rescue is still resolving), but Viktor does see himself being played and creates a 1M Recruit from his own ability, similar to how red Darius works. Sequence: - Portal Rescue resolves and plays Viktor to pending - Portal Rescue finishes resolving - Viktor finalizes and resolves - Viktor's ability becomes active and sees that a card (himself) was played - Viktor creates a 1M Recruit Nuances: - Viktor's ability triggers from himself because it says "when you play a card" not "when you play a spell" - Units with "when you play me" effects can see themselves being played - You cannot resolve one card while another is resolving - cards go onto the chain as pending

Ruling: After Viktor's Siphon Power is Denied and resolves, priority passes to Ahri since Viktor had priority on the previous chain. Nuances: - Viktor can cast Siphon Power in response to Ahri's legend trigger - When attacking with Recruits, it's often better to wait and cast Siphon Power in response to Ahri's trigger rather than immediately, because Ahri's reduction only procs once - if a unit is already at 1 ATK from the reduction, then gets pumped by Siphon Power, it stays pumped for the turn - If Siphon Power is cast before Ahri's reduction applies, Recruits would go from 2 ATK to 1 ATK (from Ahri) and stay at 1 ATK

Ruling: No, when Volibear's trigger is put on the chain, targets for the damage distribution must be chosen immediately and are locked in. By the time the defending player can respond to the trigger, the targets have already been selected. Sequence: - Volibear attacks and his trigger goes on the chain - The attacking player chooses targets to distribute the 5 damage among - Targets are now locked in - Priority passes to the defending player, who can now play hidden cards - The trigger resolves with the previously chosen targets Nuances: - Hidden cards can be played at any time you have priority after the turn you hide them - If a unit would die outside of a showdown (like from Falling Comet), you must respond to the effect before the unit dies to maintain battlefield control and prevent losing other hidden cards - If you wait until after the unit is dead (outside of a showdown), it's too late to prevent losing battlefield control

Ruling: Ahri deals her damage to Volibear first, then Volibear's ability kills Ahri. Sequence: - When you attack, your "when attacking" abilities get added to the chain - Then your opponent's "when defending" abilities get added to the chain - The chain resolves backwards, so Ahri's ability resolves first (dealing -2 to Volibear) - Then Volibear's ability resolves (killing Ahri)

Ruling: When an attack trigger like Volibear's creates a chain, no player can play action speed effects until the chain fully resolves. However, both players can play reactions while the chain is open. Sequence: - Volibear attacks and its trigger creates a chain - The attacking player gets first chance to play reactions - The opponent gets a chance to play reactions - The attacking player can play more reactions (players retain priority when adding to the chain until they pass) - When both players pass priority in a row, the topmost reaction resolves - After each resolution, both players get another round of opportunities to play reactions - This continues until the entire chain resolves - Only when everything on the chain is resolved and the chain closes can the attacking player play action or reaction speed effects Nuances: - Fight or Flight can be played from hidden (as a reaction) to avoid damage, but cannot be played from hand (action speed) - Ride the Wind cannot save a unit because it is always action speed - A player can play multiple reactions in a row before passing priority

Ruling: The opponent draws 1 card when multiple units move simultaneously to a different battlefield, because the trigger is templated per player, not per unit. Nuances: - If units are moved one at a time as discrete separate moves, each move would trigger a separate draw

Ruling: At the end of combat, if units from both sides remain, the attacker's units are recalled to base. Sequence: - Combat occurs between Volibear and Kayn - Kayn triggers his ability and does not take damage - Neither unit kills the other - At end of combat, attacker's units are recalled to base

Ruling: When Volibear attacks Vi in Reaver's Row, both triggers go on the initial chain with attack triggers placed before defend triggers. The defend trigger resolves first, allowing Vi to escape before Volibear's attack trigger resolves. Sequence: - Showdown starts and creates an initial chain - Attack triggers (Volibear's effect) are placed on the chain - Defend triggers (Reaver's Row effect) are placed on the chain after attack triggers - Either player may react with reaction cards - Chain resolves in reverse order, so defend trigger resolves first - Vi can escape using the Reaver's Row defend trigger - Then Volibear's attack trigger would resolve Nuances: - This interaction works the same regardless of whether the battlefield is Reaver's Row or not - the defending player can always react to Volibear's movement with reaction cards during the chain

Ruling: Volibear's damage trigger resolves before Grand Stratagem can be played. Grand Stratagem has action speed, meaning it can only be played when there is no chain. By the time the chain is empty and you can play Grand Stratagem, Volibear's trigger will have already dealt its damage. Sequence: - Volibear attacks and his trigger goes on the chain - Volibear's trigger resolves, dealing damage to units - Chain becomes empty and you gain focus - Grand Stratagem can now be played for any surviving units Nuances: - Grand Stratagem can only affect units that survive Volibear's initial damage

Ruling: Reaver's Row's "When you defend" trigger resolves first, allowing the defender to move a unit to base before Volibear's "When I attack" trigger resolves and deals damage. Sequence: - Volibear moves to Reaver's Row to initiate combat - Volibear's "When I attack" trigger is placed on the chain first (attacker places triggers before defender) - Reaver's Row's "When you defend" trigger is placed on the chain second (defender places triggers last) - Both players may play reaction cards - Chain resolves in Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) order: - Reaver's Row resolves first: defender chooses whether to move a unit back to base - Volibear's trigger resolves second: deals 5 split damage to remaining valid targets Nuances: - Targets must be chosen when triggers are placed on the chain, before any resolution occurs - If Volibear targeted a unit that was moved to base by Reaver's Row, that unit is no longer a valid target when Volibear's damage resolves and takes no damage - The key principle is that while attackers place triggers on the chain first, defenders' triggers resolve first due to LIFO resolution order

Ruling: When an equipment detaches from a unit, the unit keeps any buffs it already gained, but will not gain new buffs from future triggers since the equipment text is no longer active on that unit. Sequence: - While equipped, the unit gains the equipment's text in the bottom box - When the unit conquers while equipped, it receives the buff - If the equipment detaches (e.g., via weapon master), the unit retains the buff it already has - Future conquers by that unit will not trigger the buff effect since the equipment is no longer attached Nuances: - Equipment effects use "me" to refer to the attached unit, never to the equipment itself - Equipment text is treated like rules text on the card it's attached to - When equipment isn't attached, it becomes Inactive

Ruling: You can choose the order that multiple on attack triggers go on the chain and resolve. Both abilities trigger and go on the chain regardless of whether their conditions are currently met, because they don't target and instead do "programmable choice based on characteristics" at resolution. Sequence: - Both on attack abilities trigger when you attack - You choose the order to put them on the chain - Place Warwick's ability on the chain first, then Anivia's on top - Anivia's ability resolves first, damaging units - Warwick's ability resolves second, killing the now-damaged units Nuances: - The abilities don't require their conditions to be met when they trigger, only when they resolve - Neither ability targets, so they can be placed on the chain without preconditions being met

Ruling: No, the effect fails to destroy the opponent's units. When Warwick is bounced back to base, his effect still resolves but fails to find enemy units at the base location (since enemy units cannot be at your base). Sequence: - Warwick attacks and his effect is put on the chain - Opponent chains Fight or Flight, which resolves and bounces Warwick back to base - Warwick's effect resolves, checking for units "here" at the base - Since there are no enemy units at your base, the effect resolves doing nothing Nuances: - The effect technically still resolves (relevant for any "when an effect resolves" triggers, though none currently exist) - If Warwick were somehow moved to a different battlefield instead of base, the effect would destroy units at that new battlefield location - Most effects that say "here" fail when the source is moved to a different location - You cannot currently change battlefields in reaction, so the hypothetical battlefield-swap scenario cannot happen in practice

Ruling: When Warwick attacks and its ability triggers, only reaction spells can be played in response. You cannot play action spells before Warwick's effect resolves. You can kill Warwick with a reaction spell (like Hidden Blade played from hidden) before its effect resolves, which will prevent the effect since "here" no longer refers to a battlefield when Warwick is dead. Sequence: - Warwick moves to an occupied battlefield - Warwick's attack trigger goes on the chain - Only reactions can be played at this point - If Warwick is killed by a reaction before its effect resolves, the effect does nothing ("here" is no longer at a battlefield) - If Warwick's effect resolves while it's alive, it kills all damaged units at that battlefield Nuances: - It's generally impossible to kill Warwick before it moves if played and immediately moved, since playing a unit doesn't give a reaction window (permanents auto-resolve) - If the Warwick player combos with Blade Flurry, you can react to Blade Flurry with a reaction damage/kill spell - Hidden Blade played from hidden (reaction speed) works to kill Warwick; Hidden Blade from hand (action speed) does not - If Warwick moves to a different location after its trigger, the effect applies to that new location

Ruling: Both Recurve Bow and Warwick trigger simultaneously during the attacker definition window. Warwick's ability always triggers regardless of whether damaged units are present, then checks for damaged units on resolution. Sequence: - Both abilities trigger at the same time when Warwick attacks - You can order the triggers so Recurve Bow deals 2 damage first - Then Warwick's ability resolves and kills the damaged unit Nuances: - Warwick's trigger condition is met even if no damaged units exist at the time of triggering; the damage check happens on resolution, not on trigger

Ruling: When multiple triggered abilities on the same card have the same trigger condition, they go on the chain at the same time and the controller can order them as they please. Sequence: - Both attack triggers (Warwick's and Recurve Bow's) go on the chain simultaneously when the trigger condition is met - The controller chooses the order to place them on the chain Nuances: - Rule 356.2.b only applies when a card is resolving (being played), not to triggered abilities that occur after the card is already in play - Equipment effect text is appended to the unit's rules text while attached, making both abilities part of the same card

Ruling: Warwick's ability triggers first, then Reaver's Row triggers. They resolve in reverse order (last triggered resolves first), so Reaver's Row resolves before Warwick's ability resolves. Sequence: - Warwick's ability triggers - Reaver's Row triggers - Reaver's Row resolves - Warwick's ability resolves Nuances: - Any damaged unit that is no longer at the battlefield due to Reaver's Row (or any other effect that resolves before Warwick) will not die as a result of Warwick's ability

Ruling: The Poro ends at 4 Might. Watcher's effect applies once when it resolves, calculating the actual reduction based on each unit's current Might at that moment (respecting the minimum of 1), and that specific reduction value is what persists for the turn, not the full -3. Sequence: - Watcher resolves: 2 Might Poro receives -1 Might (not -3, because it can only go down to 1 Might minimum) - Later, when combat occurs, Poro receives +1 from Shield and +2 from Yi - Final calculation: 2 (base) - 1 (from Watcher) + 1 (Shield) + 2 (Yi) = 4 Might Nuances: - Watcher's effect is a one-time triggered effect that snapshots the actual reduction applied to each unit - A unit already at 1 Might would receive 0 reduction from Watcher and be unaffected - The "-3 to a minimum of 1" restriction only applies at the moment Watcher resolves, determining what reduction value gets snapshotted

Ruling: When Watcher's effect is applied to a 1 might unit, it snapshots at -0 (not -2) because the effect has a restriction that might cannot be reduced below 1. Future buffs like Discipline will add to the base might normally, so a 1 might unit would become 3 might (1 + 2 - 0 = 3). Sequence: - Watcher's effect applies to a 1 might unit - The reduction snapshots at -0 (not -2) due to the minimum might restriction - If the unit is later buffed (e.g., +2 from Discipline), calculate: base might + buff - snapshot reduction - Result: 1 + 2 - 0 = 3 might Nuances: - Might can go below 1 in specific scenarios where multiple buffs are removed simultaneously (e.g., when two Darius buffing a recruit are removed by Singularity, the recruit can end up with negative might) - The -0 snapshot value doesn't change after being applied - For most scenarios, might does not go below 1

Ruling: When Watcher applies -1 might to a 2 power unit (minimum 1), the debuff is 'snapshotted' at -1 might. When that unit later defends alone and gains +2 from Wuju Bladesman's passive, it will defend for 3 total power. Sequence: - Watcher enters and applies -1 might to the unit (reducing 2 power to minimum of 1) - The -1 debuff is locked in/snapshotted at that value - When the unit enters combat alone, Wuju Bladesman's passive activates, granting +2 might - Final defending power is 3 (1 base after debuff + 2 from Yi's buff) Nuances: - All single-use debuffs work via snapshotting - they lock in their value when applied - Wuju Bladesman's ability is passive and only applies while defending during combat - The scenario assumes Watcher enters before combat begins (Yi's buff isn't active yet)

Ruling: Last Stand snapshots the might value at the time it is played and doubles it as a static bonus. Mask of Foresight can trigger multiple times per turn, with each combat showdown adding another +1 might buff that stacks. Sequence: - Wielder defends alone at 2 base + 2 (defending alone) + 2 (Mask of Foresight) = 6 might - Last Stand is played, doubling to 12 might - After combat, Wielder loses the defending alone bonus and returns to 10 might - In the next combat showdown, Wielder gains +2 (defending alone) and +2 (Mask of Foresight triggers again) for 14 might total Nuances: - Last Stand is not a continuous passive effect that updates dynamically; it snapshots the might value when played - Mask of Foresight's "this turn" duration allows it to trigger in each separate combat showdown within the same turn

Ruling: After the first combat, Wielder of Water is at -1 might (treated as 0). In the next combat while defending alone, Wielder's might is 1 (base 2 + 2 from passive - 3 from snapshotted Smoke Screen). Sequence: - Wielder starts at 4 might (2 base + 2 from defending alone) - Smoke Screen snapshots to give -3 might (reducing to minimum 1 during combat) - After combat ends, Wielder loses the +2 might boost from passive, going to -1 might (treated as 0) - In next combat while defending alone, passive reactivates: 2 (base) + 2 (defending alone) - 3 (snapshotted Smoke Screen) = 1 might Nuances: - Might increasing effects are applied before reductions in the arithmetic layer - Negative might is treated as 0, but the underlying value can still be negative for calculation purposes - Smoke Screen's reduction persists as a snapshot across multiple combats

Ruling: Yes, the remaining Wielder would immediately get its might bonus. Passive abilities are active whenever they meet their condition, and cleanup occurs when an item on the chain resolves. Sequence: - Two Wielders are at the location - Yasuo is sent over and kills one Wielder with the attack trigger - Cleanup occurs after the trigger resolves - The remaining Wielder's conditional passive is checked and now applies since it's alone - The remaining Wielder gains the might increase Nuances: - Shield and Wielder check at the exact same times despite shield being calculated once when a unit is designated as a defender - State-based effects (like "while" conditions) are checked during cleanup - Cleanup occurs when an item on the chain resolves

Ruling: Wildclaw Shaman's ability does not require a buff to be present when the trigger goes on the chain. The buff selection happens at resolution, not when targeting to put the trigger on the chain. Sequence: - Both Cithria's and Wildclaw Shaman's "when you play me" triggers go on the chain at the same time - You can order them so Cithria's trigger resolves first - Cithria's trigger resolves and gives her a buff - Wildclaw Shaman's trigger resolves and can spend Cithria's buff Nuances: - Wildclaw Shaman's ability does not target (the unit selection and buff removal are resolution instructions, not targeting requirements) - This is different from abilities that require targets to be put on the chain (like pre-errata Salvage) - Whether targeting is required is case-by-case based on exact card wording

Ruling: Yes, Wildclaw Shaman's 'when you play me' trigger works like MTG's 'enter the battlefield' triggers, not 'cast' triggers. The unit resolves and enters the battlefield first, then its trigger goes on the chain. You can order simultaneous triggers as you want and spend buffs created by other 'when you play' triggers (like Cynthia) to pay for Shaman's ability. Sequence: - Play Wildclaw Shaman - Shaman resolves and enters the battlefield - 'When you play' triggers (Shaman's and Cynthia's) go on the chain in the order you choose - Shaman is now a valid target for reactions while its trigger is on the chain - You can spend the buff from Cynthia's trigger to pay for Shaman's ability Nuances: - Stand United is an action and must be played on an empty chain unless it has been hidden for a turn (then it gains reaction) - If Stand United is played as a reaction from hidden, Shaman must already be on the battlefield to be a valid target - Riftbound has almost no 'cast' triggers; the closest equivalent is 'on target' triggers

Ruling: The attacker's triggers go on the chain first (on the bottom), followed by the defender's triggers. This means the defender's triggers resolve first, then the attacker's triggers resolve second. Sequence: - Attacker's "when I attack" triggers go on chain first (bottom of chain) - Defender's "when enemy unit attacks" triggers go on chain second (top of chain) - Chain resolves top to bottom, so defender's triggers resolve first - Attacker's triggers resolve last Nuances: - In the Yasuo vs Ahri example: Ahri's -1 ability resolves first, reducing Yasuo to 5 might, then Yasuo's damage ability resolves dealing 5 damage (not 6) - This ordering is based on attacker vs defender, not turn player vs non-turn player - There was initial confusion about whether turn player or attacker determines priority, but the correct answer is that attacker's triggers go on chain first

Ruling: You must choose the target for Yasuo's ability when it goes on the chain. Your opponent can then use the battlefield effect (like Reaver's Row) to move the targeted unit back to base, causing Yasuo's ability to fizzle due to failed target legality check. Sequence: - Attacking player puts triggered abilities on the chain (Yasuo's ability) and selects targets immediately - Defending player puts triggered abilities on the chain (Reaver's Row) and selects targets - Resolve chain in reverse order: Reaver's Row resolves first, potentially moving the unit - Yasuo's ability resolves, but if the target no longer meets the "here" condition, the ability fizzles Nuances: - Discard effects do not target, so they don't require target selection when going on the chain - Only abilities that specifically target require target selection when placed on the chain

Ruling: No, you cannot use Ride the Wind to save your unit from Yasuo's 'when attack' ability because Ride the Wind is an action, not a reaction, and can only be played after the initial chain of 'when attack' abilities has resolved (after damage is dealt). However, you can use 'when defend' triggers to move either Yasuo or his target out of the battlefield before his ability resolves. Sequence: - Yasuo moves into the battlefield - All attacker 'when attack' triggers go on the chain first (including Yasuo's ability) - Then all defender 'when defend' triggers go on the chain (including battlefield abilities) - The chain resolves last-in-first-out, so defender triggers resolve before attacker triggers - If the target is moved before Yasuo's ability resolves, no damage is dealt Nuances: - The order is attacker triggers first, then defender triggers, regardless of who is the active player - You could use effects like Fight or Flight to move units out and prevent Yasuo's ability from meeting its conditions - A battlefield with 'when you defend here you may choose one unit to return to your base' can be used to move Yasuo's target before his ability resolves

Ruling: Yes, Yasuo's On Attack ability resolves on its own chain before the normal Showdown steps begin. Once that initial chain resolves, a cleanup occurs which will kill any unit with marked damage greater than or equal to its Might, removing it from play before players have the opportunity to play Action spells. Sequence: - Yasuo moves to enemy Battlefield, triggering his On Attack ability - The ability goes on the chain (only Reactions or On Defend abilities can respond) - The chain resolves, dealing damage to the targeted unit - Cleanup occurs, killing the unit if damage meets or exceeds its Might - Normal Showdown steps begin where players can play Action spells Nuances: - On Attack abilities trigger only the first time a unit gains the attacker designation per combat showdown - A unit can gain attacker status multiple times per turn, but only once per individual combat showdown - If Yasuo is moved back to base (e.g., with Ride the Wind) and the showdown resolves, moving him back to a Battlefield starts a new showdown where his ability can trigger again

Ruling: Attacker triggers go on the chain first, then defender triggers. The chain resolves in reverse order, meaning Teemo (defender) deals damage first, then Yasuo (attacker). Sequence: - Yasuo (attacker) ability goes on the chain first - Teemo (defender) ability goes on the chain second - Chain resolves in reverse: Teemo deals damage first - Then Yasuo deals damage Nuances: - If Teemo kills Yasuo before Yasuo's ability resolves, Yasuo's effect will do nothing since it deals damage "here" and Yasuo is in the trash

Ruling: No, Yasuo does not deal damage before the unit retreats. The Reaver's Row defend trigger resolves before Yasuo's attack trigger, allowing the defender to return the targeted unit to base before Yasuo's damage resolves. Sequence: - Yasuo moves to attack a unit at Reaver's Row, beginning a showdown - Attack and defend triggers are placed on the chain (active player's triggers first, then non-active player's triggers) - Triggers resolve in reverse order (last in, first out) - Reaver's Row defend trigger resolves, allowing the defender to return the unit to base - Yasuo's attack trigger attempts to resolve, but the target has already been returned to base - Board returns to open state, then active player gets first opportunity to play action spells Nuances: - The order of triggers on the chain is determined by active player vs non-active player (active player's triggers go on the chain first, resolve last) - If the defender chooses not to use Reaver's Row ability when it triggers, they cannot use it later in that same showdown - Reactions can interrupt most things before they resolve, but actions need a cleared stack to be played - When Reaver's Row triggers, you choose which unit you might want to retreat, but you only decide whether to actually use the ability once it resolves

Ruling: Yasuo's "when I attack" ability goes on the chain and can be reacted to. If you react with Smokescreen to reduce his might by 4, Yasuo's ability will deal damage equal to his current might when it resolves (2 damage instead of 6). Sequence: - Yasuo attacks and his "when I attack" ability triggers and goes on the chain - You can react with Smokescreen to reduce Yasuo's might by 4 - When Yasuo's ability resolves, it checks his current might and deals that much damage (2 damage after Smokescreen) Nuances: - The ruling at the local event that Yasuo deals his printed damage regardless of might reduction was incorrect

Ruling: When Yasuo attacks and his trigger goes on the stack, you have priority and can play Reaction speed cards (but not Action speed cards) before the trigger resolves. After the trigger resolves, you gain focus and priority to play Action/Reaction speed cards during the Showdown. Sequence: - Move Yasuo to occupied Battlefield, initiating a showdown - Yasuo's attack trigger goes on the stack. You have priority - When you pass, your opponent has a chance to play Reaction Spells - Yasuo's ability resolves if you both pass priority - You now have focus and priority and can play Action/Reaction spells Nuances: - You can 'hold priority' to play Reaction speed cards before passing - This allows you to pump Yasuo's Might (e.g., with Discipline) before the attack trigger resolves

According to the rules and FAQs for *Yasuo, Remorseful*, here is the ruling on your question: **Ruling:** When *Yasuo, Remorseful* moves to an occupied battlefield, the Showdown begins immediately with an **Initial Chain**. During this Initial Chain, **only Reaction speed cards can be played**. You cannot play Action speed cards until the Initial Chain has fully resolved and the pile is free. **Sequence of Events:** 1. *Yasuo, Remorseful* moves to an occupied battlefield, initiating a Showdown. 2. The Showdown begins with an **Initial Chain**. 3. *Yasuo's* "When I attack" trigger is placed on the Initial Chain. 4. Only **Reaction** speed cards can be played in response to this trigger. **Action** speed cards cannot be played at this time. 5. Once the Initial Chain resolves (and the stack is empty), the state becomes Open. 6. Only after the Initial Chain resolves does the attacker gain Focus and the opportunity to play Action speed cards. **Summary:** The opponent cannot play Actions before the Initial Chain resolves. They must wait until the Initial Chain is empty and the attacker has gained Focus to play Action speed cards. *Reference: This ruling is based on the provided FAQ which states: "Only Reactions can be played in response to the Initial Chain; Actions cannot be played until after the Initial Chain resolves and the attacker gains Focus."*

Yes, Yasuo (Remorseful)'s "When I attack" ability will trigger, but it will fail to resolve successfully. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8014** and **#4699**, here is the sequence of events: 1. **Move:** Yasuo moves to the battlefield, which triggers his "When I attack" ability. 2. **Trigger:** Yasuo's attack trigger is placed on the chain. 3. **Reaction:** The opponent uses *Fight or Flight* (played from hidden) to move Yasuo back to his base. 4. **Resolution:** When Yasuo's attack trigger attempts to resolve, it checks for the target "here" (at the battlefield). Because Yasuo is no longer at the battlefield, the ability has no valid source location to evaluate, the target becomes illegal, and the ability whiffs (deals no damage). **Key Rule:** As noted in **RiftJudge FAQ #1545** and **#948**, Riftbound abilities recheck their conditions upon resolution. Because Yasuo's ability specifies "here," he must be present at the battlefield when the ability resolves for the damage to be dealt. Since he was moved to his base by *Fight or Flight* before the trigger resolved, the condition fails.

Ruling: Yasuo is the attacker and Leona is the defender because Yasuo applied contested status to the battlefield first. Both units get Mask of Foresight triggers when combat begins. Yasuo's attack trigger (dealing 7 might with mask) kills Leona (at 7 might with shield passive, mask, and Radiant Dawn buff), even though Yasuo is stunned by Zenith Blade. Sequence: - Yasuo moves to battlefield, starting a non-combat showdown - Zenith Blade resolves during the non-combat showdown, stunning Yasuo and moving Leona to the battlefield - Leona Radiant Dawn legend trigger resolves during Zenith Blade resolution, buffing Leona - Players pass focus in succession and the non-combat showdown closes - Combat showdown begins with Yasuo as attacker (the player who applied contested) and Leona as defender - Initial chain populates: both Mask triggers go on the chain first (players order their own triggers), then Yasuo's attack trigger - Yasuo deals 7 might (6 base + 1 mask) killing Leona at 7 might (4 base + 1 shield + 1 Radiant Dawn + 1 mask) Nuances: - Yasuo does not get a Mask trigger during the initial non-combat showdown, only when combat begins - The attacker is always the player who applied contested to the battlefield, regardless of when other units join - A non-combat showdown must close before a combat showdown can begin; showdowns do not transition directly from one type to another - Being stunned does not prevent Yasuo's attack trigger from activating - Mask of Foresight triggers when you are alone at a battlefield when combat initiates, regardless of how combat is initiated

Ruling: Yes, Yasuo must choose his target before the defender makes their choice. Attacker triggers go on the chain first, including all ordering and targeting decisions. Sequence: - Attacker's triggered abilities (Yasuo Remorseful) go on the chain first - Attacker makes all choices including targeting before finalizing - Defender's triggered abilities go on the chain second - Defender then makes their choices (which unit to retreat) - Chain resolves in reverse order (defender's ability resolves first, then attacker's)

Ruling: The ability deals damage equal to Yasuo's might at the time the ability resolves, not when it triggers. If you increase his might with a discipline in response to the trigger, the ability will deal the increased damage. Sequence: - Yasuo Remorseful moves to battlefield and attack trigger goes on the chain - You can react by playing a discipline to increase his might - The discipline resolves first, increasing Yasuo's might - Yasuo's attack trigger resolves, dealing damage equal to his current might value Nuances: - There is no mechanism in the rules that "saves" or "locks in" the might value when the trigger goes on the chain - The ability text is only executed when it resolves, so that's when the might value is checked

Ruling: Merchant's on-move trigger resolves completely before the showdown begins (you cannot start combat with a chain). During the showdown's initial chain, the defender controls the order of all their triggered abilities, regardless of whether they trigger on attack or defend. Sequence: - Yasuo + Merchant move - Merchant trigger goes on chain and resolves (outside showdown) - Showdown begins with initial chain - Attacking player (with Focus) adds their triggers first (Yasuo trigger) - Defender adds all their triggers and chooses their order (Ahri Legend trigger, Ahri Champion trigger, Battlefield trigger) - Chain resolves Nuances: - The defender chooses the order for all abilities they control that trigger, not just on-defend triggers - Ahri leader creates separate triggers for each attacking unit (one for Yasuo, one for Merchant), resulting in 4 total defender triggers

Ruling: Attack triggers go on the chain first, then defend triggers. They resolve in reverse order (first in, last out). Sequence: - Attacking player (with Focus) places triggered abilities on the chain first - Non-defender players place triggers in turn order - Defending player places triggers last (including both Ahri legend and unit triggers) - Chain resolves in reverse order, so defend triggers resolve before attack triggers Nuances: - The defending player chooses the order of their own triggers when placing them on the chain - If Blitzcrank or Charm pulls a unit in, that unit becomes the attacker (arrives at a battlefield controlled by another player, making them apply contested status) - The Ahri legend trigger is treated as a defend trigger and resolves along with other defend triggers

Ruling: Yes, Reaver's Row can save Jinx. When both effects trigger, they go on the chain with the attacker's ability (Yasuo) first, then the defender's ability (Reaver's Row) on top. The chain resolves backwards, so Reaver's Row moves Jinx to base first, then Yasuo's ability tries to resolve but Jinx is no longer there, causing it to fizzle/resolve to no effect. Sequence: - Both abilities trigger when attackers and defenders are assigned - Yasuo's ability goes on the chain first, targeting Jinx - Reaver's Row goes on the chain on top, targeting Jinx - Chain resolves backwards: Reaver's Row moves Jinx to base - Yasuo's ability tries to resolve but Jinx is not at the battlefield anymore - Yasuo's ability fizzles/resolves to no effect Nuances: - Yasuo's ability specifies "here" (the battlefield location), so if the target moves, the ability cannot resolve properly

Ruling: Yes, the defender can move the targeted unit to base with Reavers Row before Yasuo's damage resolves, causing Yasuo's ability to fail because its target is no longer present. Sequence: - When Yasuo attacks, both "when I attack" and "when I defend" triggers go on the chain - Each ability targets a unit when going on the chain (Yasuo targets who to damage, Reavers Row targets who to move) - Triggers resolve in reverse order - Reavers Row resolves first, moving the unit back to base - Yasuo's ability resolves second, but its target is no longer present so it cannot deal damage Nuances: - The attacker (Yasuo player) must choose their target before the defender chooses their target for Reavers Row - The defender can always avoid the Yasuo hit if they want by moving the targeted unit

Ruling: All attack and defend triggers go on the chain first (attacker's triggers, then defender's triggers in defender's chosen order), but nothing resolves until players pass priority. The attacker gets priority first and can play reactions before any triggers resolve, and players get additional priority windows as each ability resolves from the chain. Sequence: - Yasuo attacks (ability on stack) - Defender orders their triggers: Ahri Legend and Ahri Inquisitive abilities go on stack in defender's chosen order - Attacker gets priority and can play reactions to the chain - Players continue adding to the chain until both pass priority - Chain resolves last-in-first-out, with priority windows after each resolution Nuances: - There is only ever one chain at a time in Riftbound - The chain can be added to before things resolve - In this scenario, the Ahri player can play reactions like Smokescreen to reduce Yasuo's ability damage before it resolves

Ruling: The attacking Yasuo's ability triggers and kills the defending Yasuo before they deal combat damage to each other. Sequence: - Yasuo attacks - Yasuo's ability triggers - The defending Yasuo is killed by the trigger - No combat damage is dealt between them Nuances: - Combat still technically occurs (relevant for cards that care about winning combats), but no combat damage is exchanged in this scenario

Ruling: Yes, Yasuo's attack trigger deals 6 damage to Darius before the showdown begins, killing him. Darius does not deal damage back to Yasuo because he is dead before damage assignment occurs. Sequence: - Yasuo moves to the battlefield - Yasuo's attack trigger goes on the stack, dealing 6 damage to Darius (5 might), killing him - Showdown starts - Damage of units at the battlefield gets assigned to the other side - Units with damage equal to their might die - Since Darius is already dead at the damage assignment step, Yasuo only takes damage from the remaining defender Nuances: - You can play Reactions to the attack trigger to increase Darius's might and potentially save him from the initial 6 damage

Ruling: No, Actions cannot be played while there's a chain resolving. The opponent can only use Reactions to save their unit, not Actions. Sequence: - Yasuo moves to battlefield and triggers "When I attack" - The attack/defend triggers from the initial chain resolve (killing the 4 might unit) - After the chain resolves, both players get a window to play Actions/Reactions - Combat continues even if only one player has units at the battlefield Nuances: - The opponent cannot use Actions like Fight or Flight to save their unit during the chain resolution - After the chain resolves, the opponent can still use their focus to play a unit at the battlefield (if they control it) using an Action/Reaction during the combat showdown - Combat doesn't automatically end just because only one player has units at the battlefield

Ruling: Yasuo becomes the defender because the opponent is the player who applied Contested to the battlefield. His ability does not trigger because he is the defender, not the attacker. Sequence: - Yasuo is moved into a battlefield with an ongoing open showdown initiated by the opponent - During the open showdown, Yasuo is not yet a defender since there's no combat - After the open showdown completes, a combat showdown will be marked as pending and will initiate - Yasuo will be the defender in the combat showdown Nuances: - Yasuo is only considered a defender once the combat showdown starts, not during the open showdown itself

Ruling: No, Yasuo does not deal damage when he is killed before his trigger resolves. When Yasuo goes to the trash after being killed, "here" becomes null and he misses his targets. Sequence: - Ezreal's trigger resolves first, dealing damage - Yasuo is killed and goes to the trash - Yasuo's trigger attempts to resolve but fails because he is no longer "here" Nuances: - This same principle applies to any effect that moves a unit away from the battlefield (like Zhonya's moving a unit to base) - the unit will miss targets because it is no longer "here"

Ruling: Yasuo will not trigger his "when I attack" ability because he gains the defender designation, not the attacker designation, when moved to a battlefield that is already being contested. Nuances: - Units gain attacker or defender designation based on when they arrive at the battlefield, not based on which player is the turn player - The unit that moves to the battlefield last gets the defender designation in a showdown