Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: When a showdown starts, all "when attacking" triggers are placed on the chain in an order chosen by the controller of those units, then all "when defending" triggers are placed on the chain in an order chosen by the defender. After triggers are arranged, the defender has priority to add reactions first (as the player who owns the top item on the chain), then the attacker can add reactions. Once both players pass without playing reactions, the chain resolves from the most recent (last) item. Sequence: - All "when attacking" triggers go on the chain, order chosen by attacker - All "when defending" triggers go on the chain, order chosen by defender - Defender has opportunity to add reactions (as owner of top chain item) - Attacker can add reactions - Once both players pass, chain resolves from last to first Nuances: - The first player able to react to items in the chain is the player that owns the top item in the chain

Ruling: When a showdown begins, the active player gains Focus which allows them to play an Action, but they can also play Reactions. The player with Focus can open a chain with either an Action or a Reaction, and can continue playing Reactions as long as they have resources. The opponent can only play Reactions when they have priority but not Focus. Sequence: - Active player gains Focus at showdown start - Player with Focus can play an Action or Reaction to start a chain - Player with Focus can continue playing Reactions before passing priority - Once priority is passed, opponent can play Reactions - Once both players pass priority consecutively, the chain resolves one link at a time - Players can play Reactions as each link resolves - After the chain fully resolves, Focus automatically passes to the next player - The new Focus player can start a new chain with an Action or Reaction - Once both players pass Focus consecutively (voluntarily), the showdown ends Nuances: - Automatic Focus passing after chain resolution does not count as voluntarily passing Focus - If you did not voluntarily pass Focus, you will get Focus back after your opponent passes or after the next chain resolves - Moving to an empty battlefield starts a non-combat showdown where you gain Focus

No, your opponent cannot play a ready unit from their base to the battlefield once a showdown has started. According to **Rule 144.1.c** (as referenced in RiftJudge FAQ ID 9703), a standard move "cannot be performed during a Showdown or Combat." Furthermore, as noted in the FAQ: * You cannot use standard moves to move units to a battlefield once a showdown has started. * You can only play or move units to a battlefield during a showdown if an effect specifically allows it (such as a spell that moves units, or a unit with an ability that allows it to be played during a showdown). Whether the unit is ready or exhausted does not change this restriction, as the standard move action itself is prohibited during a showdown.

No, **Spell 1** does not trigger **Abandoned Hall** if it is countered by **Abandon**. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #10217** and **Rule 425.1.b**, a spell that is countered is not considered to have been "played." Because the ability on **Abandoned Hall** triggers only after a spell has successfully completed its resolution process, a countered spell fails to meet the trigger condition. ### Sequence of events: 1. **Initial State:** You play **Spell 1**. 2. **Reaction:** Your opponent plays **Abandon** targeting **Spell 1**. 3. **Chain Resolution:** **Abandon** resolves first (LIFO). It counters **Spell 1** and returns it to your hand. 4. **Outcome:** Since **Spell 1** was countered, it is cleared from the chain and never finishes resolving. Consequently, the "when you play a spell" trigger condition for **Abandoned Hall** is never met.

Ruling: Yes, you can respond with a reaction (like Discipline) to boost a unit's might and prevent it from dying when damage is assigned to it. Nuances: - Units have only Might, not separate attack and health stats - A unit dies if it is assigned damage equal to or greater than its Might - "Buff" is a specific game object that gives +1 Might and stays until removed by a card effect - "Boost" refers to Might increases from non-Buff sources (like spells or abilities) - Most spell-based Might increases last until end of turn - Some abilities give conditional Might increases (e.g., while a unit is at a battlefield) - A unit can only hold one Buff at a time; attempting to Buff an already Buffed unit does nothing

Ruling: 'When you play' triggers occur when a card finishes resolving. The player who controls the spell at the time of resolution gets the triggers, not the original caster. Sequence: - Player 1 plays Void Seeker (or other spell) - Player 2 plays Mystic Reversal in response - Mystic Reversal resolves, stealing the spell - The stolen spell resolves under Player 2's control - Player 2 gets any 'when you play' triggers (like Legion or Ravenbloom Student buffs) - Player 1 gets no triggers because they never completed the process of playing the spell (having it resolve) Nuances: - If Player 2 has Ravenbloom Student, they get +2 total: one from Mystic Reversal resolving and one from the stolen Void Seeker resolving - The Ravenbloom Student trigger from Mystic Reversal goes on the chain on top of the stolen spell - Triggers that occur on 'choose' (like Dreaming Tree) happen when finalizing the spell and cannot be stolen, but the player who steals the spell can generate their own such triggers if they meet the conditions when changing targets

Ruling: When a spell deals damage to multiple units, all damage is dealt first, then the spell goes to trash, then the cleanup step runs and all units with damage >= might die simultaneously. Their 'When something dies' abilities cannot trigger because units that die at the same time do not see each other's death abilities. Sequence: - Spell deals all its damage - Spell goes to trash - Cleanup step runs - All units with damage >= might die simultaneously Nuances: - Units dying simultaneously do not see each other's 'When something dies' abilities

Ruling: The unit takes damage while still having the buff, then loses the buff after Lee Sin dies, then checks if it should die. The loss of the buff can cause the unit to die even if it survived the initial damage with the buff active. Sequence: - Lee Sin and the buffed unit take damage simultaneously - Lee Sin dies from the damage - The buffed unit loses the +2 might buff from Lee Sin - The buffed unit dies if damage >= might (now without the buff) Nuances: - A unit can survive the initial damage with the buff active but then die when the buff is removed, if the damage amount falls between its unbuffed and buffed might values

Ruling: The spell is recycled. Both Fizz's recycle effect and Abandon's return-to-hand effect are replacement effects that modify what happens when the spell leaves the chain. Regardless of which order the spell's owner applies them, the spell ends up recycled. Sequence: - When Abandon counters the spell, it would normally send the spell to the trash, but Abandon replaces this with returning it to hand - Fizz's ability creates a replacement effect that triggers whenever the spell would leave the chain for any reason - The spell's owner chooses the order to apply these replacement effects per Rule 372 - If Fizz applies first: the spell is recycled instead of going to trash, making Abandon's hand-return effect no longer applicable - If Abandon applies first: the spell would go to hand, but this still counts as leaving the chain, so Fizz's effect replaces the hand destination with recycling Nuances: - The order chosen does not matter; both paths result in the spell being recycled - Fizz's replacement effect applies to any instance of the spell leaving the chain, not just specific destinations

No, you cannot pay the same instance of the Repeat keyword multiple times. According to Rule 746.1.c.3: **"Each Repeat Cost can be paid only a single time."** While you can only pay each individual instance of Repeat once, there are two ways to execute a spell's effects more than twice: 1. **Multiple Instances:** If a spell has more than one instance of the Repeat keyword (for example, if it has the keyword printed on it and is also granted an additional instance by another card effect), you may pay for each instance separately. According to Rule 746.3, the spell's instructions will be executed an additional time for each instance of Repeat that is paid for. 2. **Granting Repeat:** As noted in Rule 746.1.c.2 and Rule 2163 (from the RiftJudge FAQ), if a spell has multiple instances of Repeat (one printed, one granted), you can pay for each separately. In all cases, you must decide whether to pay for any available Repeat costs at the time you play the spell from your hand. You cannot add Repeat retroactively once the spell is on the chain.

Ruling: The spell can no longer deal damage to the unit because it is no longer at the battlefield, but the spell still resolves as much as possible, so you still draw a card. Sequence: - Spell is cast targeting a unit at a battlefield - Opponent responds with Flash, recalling the unit to their base - Spell resolves but cannot deal damage (unit is no longer at a battlefield) - The draw card effect still resolves Nuances: - The spell is not countered entirely; it resolves as much as it can - The damage portion fails because the location requirement is no longer met - Other effects on the spell (like drawing a card) still happen

Ruling: When effects resolve that change a unit's Might, each effect is "snapshotted" when it resolves. The unit's Might is recalculated from its base value by applying all current increases first, then all current decreases. If a decrease would reduce a unit below 1 Might, that decrease is snapshotted to only reduce to 1 Might (the minimum), and subsequent increases are added normally. Sequence: - Start with the unit's printed base Might value - Apply all current increases from resolved effects - Apply all current decreases from resolved effects - If a decrease resolves and would reduce Might below 1, it gets snapshotted to only decrease to 1 Might for the rest of the turn - When the next effect resolves, recalculate from base Might using all currently active increases and decreases Nuances: - In the original example (3 Might unit, Smoke Screen resolves first reducing to 1, then Discipline adds +2): Final result is 3 Might (3 base - 2 snapshotted + 2 = 3) - Snapshotting only applies to non-passive decreases that hit the minimum threshold when they resolve - If a decrease can apply its full value without hitting the minimum, it does not get snapshotted and continues to apply its full decrease - The timing of when effects resolve matters significantly for snapshotting behavior - If decreases ever exceed increases during arithmetic, a unit can be at 0 or negative Might

Ruling: The stunned unit gets recalled back. Recall is not a move, so Vilemaw's Lair (which prevents movement) does not stop the cleanup recall that returns attacking units. Nuances: - This same principle applies to other recall effects like Zhonya's Hourglass - Vilemaw's Lair doesn't prevent Zhonya's Hourglass since hourglass recalls rather than moves

Ruling: Yes, a unit returns to base in whatever state it was in on the field unless the recall effect specifically states it changes state. Nuances: - Some recall effects explicitly change the unit's state (e.g., recalling a unit exhausted)

Ruling: Yes, you can reveal the hidden unit before the temporary token is removed. The temporary trigger can be responded to, allowing you to reveal Teemo first, which then resolves before the Sprite token is discarded. Sequence: - Temporary trigger goes on the chain during beginning phase - You have priority first and can respond by revealing Teemo - Teemo (as permanent) goes on chain and resolves - Teemo's WYPM trigger goes on chain - After all pass, Sprite temporary trigger resolves and token goes to trash - Teemo remains on battlefield and you score for holding Nuances: - If you had removed the token before revealing Teemo, you would lose control and Teemo would be discarded - Teemo will not be readied during activation phase because temporary happens during beginning phase (after awake phase)

Ruling: Both Mushroom Pouch and Temporary are triggered abilities that trigger at the start of your Beginning Phase, so you choose the order in which to put them on the chain. Sequence: - Both abilities trigger simultaneously at the start of Beginning Phase - The controlling player selects the order to place them on the chain - You can choose to have Mushroom Pouch resolve first (drawing a card before the unit dies) or have Temporary resolve first (killing the unit and trashing the hidden card without drawing) Nuances: - Temporary triggers "before scoring" but still allows player choice of ordering with other Beginning Phase triggers - You might choose not to draw first if concerned about burning out

To answer your question: Yes, you can use **Dusk Rose Lab** to kill a *Temporary* unit with *Deathknell*, which will trigger both the *Deathknell* effect and the **Dusk Rose Lab** effect (though note the Lab allows you to draw **1** card, not 2). Because both the *Temporary* keyword (which would kill the unit) and the **Dusk Rose Lab** ability trigger at the start of your Beginning Phase, you control the order in which they are placed on the chain and resolved. ### Sequence of Events 1. **Beginning Phase Starts:** Both the *Temporary* trigger and the **Dusk Rose Lab** ability trigger. As the controller of both, you choose to place the **Dusk Rose Lab** ability on the chain first. 2. **Chain Resolution:** You resolve the **Dusk Rose Lab** ability first. 3. **Cost Payment:** You kill your *Temporary* unit as the cost to use the Lab. This draws you **1 card**. 4. **Deathknell Trigger:** Because your unit was killed, its *Deathknell* ability triggers and is added to the chain as a pending item. 5. **Deathknell Resolution:** You resolve the *Deathknell* effect. 6. **Temporary Trigger:** Finally, the *Temporary* trigger attempts to resolve. Since the unit was already killed to pay for the Lab, the instruction to kill it cannot be followed and is ignored. As confirmed by **RiftJudge FAQ #9428** and **#9633**, this sequence is valid, and because the *Deathknell* trigger is created while the unit is killed, you are able to resolve it fully.

Ruling: When a token unit is bounced to its owner's hand, it briefly touches the hand and then ceases to exist. It cannot be played on the next turn. Sequence: - Token unit is bounced to hand - Token briefly enters hand - Token ceases to exist

Ruling: When a unit affected by Hostile Takeover is retreated, the owner (the player whose deck the unit came from, not the controller or the owner of Hostile Takeover) exhausts the rune, and the unit returns to its owner's hand. Nuances: - Owner and controller are different: the owner is the player whose deck the unit came from, while the controller is the player who currently controls the unit and makes decisions about it. - Control of a unit can change during a game, but ownership does not. - For tokens, the owner is the player who controlled the source that played the tokens.

Ruling: If both players have units left after combat damage, the attacking unit always retreats. Nuances: - This is the default rule behavior - Specific cards (like Symbol of the Solari) can override this rule to make both units retreat

Ruling: The unit keeps any actual buff (game object) it received, but still gets -1 might from Ahri's effect. If the might was boosted through other means like Discipline, Ahri's -1 might reduction applies to the total. Nuances: - There is a distinction between "actual buffs" (game objects) and might boosts from other sources - Ahri's -1 might effect applies during combat regardless of when other might modifications occurred - A unit is considered an attacker/defender during the entire combat (showdown, combat damage, and combat resolution)

Ruling: When a unit dies and is saved by Hourglass, it is fully healed and recalled to base. Damage is cleared because otherwise the unit would still be dead. Nuances: - There is no difference between combat damage and ability damage in how Hourglass works - Damage normally only clears after combat and at the end of turn, but Hourglass is special and clears damage immediately - Stat modifications that are not damage (like -X might from cards such as Smoke Screen) remain applied after Hourglass triggers - Damage effects (like damage from Void Seeker) are cleared by Hourglass - As of the FAQ, all replacement effects like Hourglass were updated to specifically call out that they heal

Ruling: Cleanup happens every time an item on the chain resolves. If cleanup causes a deathknell trigger, that trigger is added as the most recent item on the chain. Sequence: - An item on the chain resolves - Cleanup happens immediately - If a unit died, its deathknell trigger is added to the chain as the most recent item - The chain continues resolving with the deathknell now on top

Yes, when a unit is saved by Guardian Angel, all other equipment remains attached to that unit. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #674** and **FAQ #8433**, when a unit with Guardian Angel dies, the unit never technically "dies" or leaves the board because Guardian Angel acts as a replacement effect. The unit is instead healed and recalled to the base. Because the unit remains in play (moving only between board zones), it retains all buffs, damage, exhausted status, and attached equipment. As stated in **Rule 718.6**, attached cards cannot be moved separately from the top-most card they are attached to, and since the unit itself is not leaving the board, the equipment stays attached.

Ruling: You can use Accelerate on a unit that enters play via Portal, and you must pay the Accelerate cost. Nuances: - Portal does not bypass or reduce the Accelerate cost

Ruling: No, Skyfall does not trigger the battlefield's effects. Skyfall only modifies the equipped unit's own abilities, not the battlefield's abilities. Nuances: - Skyfall changes the equipped unit's "When I hold..." effects to trigger on both conquer and hold - Skyfall changes the equipped unit's "When I conquer..." effects to trigger on both conquer and hold - The battlefield's own effects remain separate and are not affected by Skyfall

Ruling: When a unit equipped with Zero Drive dies, only the unit gets banished (not the equipment). Later, when Zero Drive is unattached, you can pay the cost and banish Zero Drive itself to play all units that died while wearing it this game for free. Sequence: - Unit equipped with Zero Drive dies - Only the unit gets banished (Zero Drive becomes unattached) - Later, when Zero Drive is unattached, you can announce you are playing its ability - Pay the power, energy, and banish Zero Drive itself as costs (all at the same time) - You can use add/reaction abilities (like exhausting for energy or recycling for power) to help pay these costs - Play all units that died while wearing Zero Drive this game for free Nuances: - You cannot use Zero Drive's ability while it is attached to a unit - This applies to all equipment - their additional abilities cannot be used while attached to a unit

Ruling: Units that fail to conquer Vilemaw's Lair are recalled to base, not moved. Since "recalled" and "move" are different game terms, Vilemaw's Lair's restriction does not prevent the recall. Nuances: - Units cannot use move effects (like Charm, Ride the Wind, or Tideturner) to move from Vilemaw's Lair to base - Units CAN move from Vilemaw's Lair to another battlefield using move effects like Charm or Ganking - Tideturner specifically uses the word "move" so it cannot move units from Vilemaw's Lair to base, only to other battlefields

Ruling: As the controlling player, you choose which replacement effect to apply. If you choose Guardian Angel, it is killed instead and the unit is healed, exhausted, and recalled (Zhonya's doesn't trigger). If you choose Zhonya's, the unit is recalled exhausted (Guardian Angel doesn't trigger). Sequence: If Guardian Angel is chosen: - The unit takes lethal damage and would die during Cleanup - Guardian Angel's replacement effect applies: Guardian Angel is killed instead - Guardian Angel goes to trash - The unit is healed, exhausted, and recalled to base - Zhonya's Hourglass does not trigger since the unit never died If Zhonya's is chosen: - The unit takes lethal damage and would die during Cleanup - Zhonya's replacement effect applies: the unit is recalled exhausted - Guardian Angel does not trigger since the unit never died - Guardian Angel remains equipped to the recalled unit Nuances: - When multiple replacement effects have the same trigger condition, the controlling player chooses which one to apply first - Once one replacement effect resolves and prevents the death, the other replacement effect no longer has a valid trigger condition - Guardian Angel's effect kills the gear itself, redirecting the death to the equipment rather than preventing it entirely

Ruling: When Smoke Screen or similar effects that reduce might to a minimum resolve, they snapshot the current might of the unit at that moment and calculate the reduction amount. That calculated reduction then applies as a passive modifier for the rest of the turn, regardless of any subsequent might increases or decreases. Sequence: - Determine the unit's current might when Smoke Screen resolves (including all passive bonuses currently active) - Calculate the reduction amount based on that might (reducing to minimum 1) - Apply that calculated reduction as a fixed passive modifier for the rest of the turn - Any subsequent might modifications add to or subtract from the total, but the Smoke Screen reduction amount remains constant Nuances: - Passive abilities (using "while") apply at all times their conditions are true, so they are included when calculating the snapshot - A 3 might unit reduced by Smoke Screen becomes 1 might (reduction of -2); if you then add +2 might, it becomes 3 might total - A 4 might unit (2 base + 2 from passives) reduced by Smoke Screen becomes 1 might (reduction of -3); the -3 continues to apply even if other modifiers change

Ruling: When a unit is banished and replayed, it triggers its on-play effect again and is healed from damage, but buffs do not stay on it. Sequence: - Unit is banished - Unit is replayed as a new object - On-play effect triggers - Unit enters play with full health and no previous buffs Nuances: - The banished and replayed unit becomes a 'new object', which means it is no longer the same game entity - Because it's a new object, effects targeting the original unit (like multiple instances of Icathian Rain) will no longer target it after it's banished and replayed

Ruling: The defending unit has 8 might and survives the 6 damage from Riptide Rex. Sequence: - Charm resolves, moving the enemy unit to your battlefield - Your unit gains +2 might immediately (now at 8 might) because it is defending against the charmed unit - Portal Rescue resolves and Rex is played, triggering 6 damage - The game is still in the same combat showdown, so your unit remains at 8 might - Your unit survives with 2 might remaining Nuances: - The defending unit maintains its +2 might bonus even though the rescued unit is not played onto the same battlefield

Ruling: The unit dies. Noxian Guillotine's delayed trigger is placed on the chain when combat damage is dealt, then resolves after combat cleanup completes. Zhonya's Hourglass replaces the death from lethal damage during combat cleanup (healing and recalling the unit), but Guillotine's 'kill' effect still resolves afterward and kills the unit regardless of whether it was healed. Sequence: - Combat damage is dealt (step 443.1.e) - Noxian Guillotine's delayed trigger is placed on the chain as a pending item - Combat cleanup occurs (step 444), including checking for lethal damage - If the unit would die from lethal damage, Zhonya's Hourglass replaces that death, healing and recalling the unit - After combat cleanup completes, Noxian Guillotine's 'kill' trigger resolves - The unit is killed by Guillotine's effect Nuances: - Guillotine's trigger condition ("when it takes damage") is evaluated when the trigger is placed on the chain, not when it resolves. Healing the unit afterward doesn't prevent the kill effect. - The same interaction applies to Imperial Decree. - No standard cleanup occurs between combat damage (443.1.e) and combat cleanup (444) - combat cleanup is the only cleanup that happens at this point. - This means units targeted by Guillotine/Decree are killed after the recall check on ties, which can affect battlefield control outcomes.

Ruling: Both are passive effects that apply simultaneously in the arithmetic layer. You add all bonuses first, then subtract all penalties, with a minimum of 1 might. Sequence: - Start with base might - Add all bonuses (including Yi's +2) - Subtract all penalties (including Leona's -8) - Apply minimum of 1 might Nuances: - Yi's ability is a "While" effect, not a "When" effect, so it applies continuously - In the arithmetic layer, addition comes before subtraction - You need the base might plus additions to total more than 8 to avoid being reduced to 1 might by Leona's effect

Ruling: The exhausted/ready state of a unit does not affect the state of its attachments and vice versa. When a unit is exhausted, its attachments remain ready unless separately exhausted. Nuances: - Currently this distinction has no gameplay impact, so while players should be reminded of the correct procedure, it should not significantly impact their game at tournaments - If a player exhausts both unit and attachment together when only the unit should be exhausted, this would technically be a general gameplay error that could be rewound, but enforcement should be lenient given the rule's current irrelevance

Ruling: Dragon Rage fully resolves before any triggers (like Showdown from Might or Ahri Legend's effect) resolve. Sequence: - Dragon Rage effect completes entirely - Triggers that were created during Dragon Rage (Showdown, Ahri Legend's effect, etc.) then resolve Nuances: - The Showdown trigger from Might and Ahri Legend's trigger are both pending until Dragon Rage finishes resolving

Ruling: Units only exhaust to move when using the standard move limited action. When moved by abilities or effects outside of the standard move action, units do not exhaust themselves from the movement. Nuances: - A unit moved by an ability while readied can then be exhausted to use the standard move action to move again - Yasuo's ability can be used on an exhausted card

Ruling: Both scenarios work as described. When a unit is moved into a controlled battlefield, a Combat showdown begins with the controller of the moved unit being the attacker. Sequence: - When a unit moves into a controlled battlefield, it becomes contested - A Combat showdown begins - The controller of the unit that moved into the battlefield is the attacker - The controller of the battlefield is the defender - Combat abilities trigger based on attacker/defender status Nuances: - Damage on units only clears after the end of a Combat showdown or at the end of the turn, so damage dealt before combat (like from Stormbringer) persists during the combat - Moving a unit into an already contested battlefield is possible but would almost always result in you being the defender instead

Ruling: Yes, Ahri Legend triggers for each unit the first time that unit gains attacker status during each combat, regardless of whether it enters during the initial chain or later via effects like Ride the Wind. Sequence: - When units initially attack a battlefield defended by Ahri Legend, each attacking unit triggers Ahri's ability once and gets -1 might - If additional units are moved into the same combat later (e.g., via Ride the Wind), each of those units also triggers Ahri's ability once when they first gain attacker status - Each unit can only trigger Ahri's ability once per combat, even if that unit somehow leaves and re-enters the same combat Nuances: - Attack triggers occur "when a unit gains the Attacker designation for the first time during a combat" - The "once per combat" restriction applies per unit, not per ability - Ahri Legend can trigger multiple times in one combat for different units - If a unit somehow loses and regains attacker status in the same combat, it will not trigger attack triggers again

Ruling: The unit stays ready when recalled. Recall purely relocates the unit to base and does not affect it in any other way. Nuances: - Units only exhaust as payment to do a standard move, not as a result of being recalled

Ruling: The original player who played the unit remains the controller of the triggered ability. Taking control of the unit does not change the controller of the trigger. Sequence: - Player plays a unit with a 'when you play me' trigger - The trigger is created and its controller is established as the player who played the unit - Opponent takes control of the unit with Hostile Takeover - The trigger remains controlled by the original player Nuances: - Triggered abilities behave like activated abilities once on the chain - The controller of a trigger is established when it goes on the chain and does not update in real time - If controller updated in real time, removing a unit in reaction to its trigger would make the trigger uncontrolled and cause issues with target definitions (like 'enemy') - Reflexive triggers generated by spells would have no defined controller by the time they finalize if controller updated in real time, since the spell would already be in the trash

Ruling: When a unit is recalled, it keeps everything except assigned damage. The card does not actually leave the board when recalled, so recall does not change anything on the card. Nuances: - Recall is not a move - The unit maintains its ready/exhausted state - Buffs and counters are retained - Movement tracking (like Yasuo's move count) is retained

Ruling: Recall always sends units to the base, not to their previous battlefield location. Nuances: - This clarification is present in the updated 1.1 version of the core rules, but was unclear in earlier versions

Ruling: Recalls do not change the state of a permanent unless specified, so the unit maintains its current ready/exhausted state. Nuances: - If a unit was readied by an effect like Ride the Wind before attacking, it will still be ready after being recalled - The recall itself does not exhaust the unit

Ruling: When a unit is returned to a battlefield during an ongoing showdown, it does not trigger the unit's showdown ability because it is still the same showdown with the same attacker and defender roles. The original controller never loses control of the battlefield. Sequence: - Player B attempts to conquer Battlefield A, triggering a showdown - Player B activates Fight or Flight, returning Yasuo to base - Player A activates Ride the Wind, moving Yasuo back to Battlefield A - The showdown continues with the same attacker/defender roles - Yasuo's showdown ability does not trigger Nuances: - Even though the defending player momentarily didn't have units at the battlefield, they never lose control of it - No new showdown is triggered when the unit returns - The returning player does not get to surprise defense

Ruling: When a unit is saved by Zhonya's or Guardian Angel (the death is replaced and prevented), the unit doesn't die, so equipment remains attached. Nuances: - When multiple replacement effects (like both Zhonya's and GA) would prevent the same death, you choose which applies first; the second replacement effect won't trigger since the death has already been prevented by the first one.

Ruling: Yes, all equipment stays attached because the unit never died - it was just recalled to base and healed. Nuances: - All buffs and might changes from spells also remain on the unit - This applies to both Zhonya's and Guardian Angel save effects

When an attacking unit is stunned during combat but is not killed, the outcome depends on whether any defending units remain at the battlefield after combat concludes. According to **Rule 461.1.a.2** and **FAQ 7302**, if defending units are still present at the battlefield after combat, the attacking units are recalled to their base. In summary: * **If defending units remain:** The attacking units are recalled to base (Rule 461.1.a.2). * **If no defending units remain:** The stunned attacking unit remains on the battlefield and successfully conquers it, as stun only prevents dealing combat damage and does not prevent conquest (FAQ 3409). Note that being recalled in this manner does not count as a move (FAQ 6909).

Ruling: If both players have units remaining at a battlefield at the end of combat, the attacker's units are recalled to base. Sequence: - Combat resolves with stunned unit(s) not dealing damage - If units from both players remain alive at the battlefield - The attacker's units are recalled to base - The defender retains the battlefield

Ruling: When a unit moves out of the battlefield during a showdown, it loses its attacker status at the next regular cleanup. Once it loses attacker status and returns to its base might, if it has damage equal to or greater than its might, it dies. Sequence: - Unit moves into battlefield and gains attacker status - During showdown, unit gains might (e.g., from Cleave) and takes damage - Unit uses ability to move back to base - At next regular cleanup, unit loses attacker status - Unit reverts to base might - If damage equals or exceeds current might, unit dies Nuances: - Combat cleanup only occurs after the showdown completely ends, not during it - Regular cleanup handles the loss of attacker/defender status when a unit leaves the battlefield during a showdown