Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: The might increase from defending bonuses counts. The unit has the increased might while the showdown is ongoing, so Challenge uses that total might. Nuances: - The +2 from Master Yi is technically not a "buff" in game terminology, though it functions as a might increase during defense

Ruling: Yes, you can choose Irelia, Fervent to trigger her ability and gain +1 Might, then decide not to move her when Reaver's Row resolves. Choosing the unit happens when placing the trigger on the chain, while the "may move" decision happens at resolution. Sequence: - When you defend at Reaver's Row, the battlefield ability triggers - You place the trigger on the chain and choose Irelia, Fervent as the target - Irelia, Fervent gains +1 Might immediately because she was chosen - If using Blade Dancer legend with an exhausted Irelia, Fervent: the legend trigger also goes on the chain, you can resolve it first to ready her, which grants another +1 Might - When Reaver's Row resolves, you decide whether to move the chosen unit to base or not Nuances: - Choosing a target and performing the effect are distinct steps in Riftbound - Targets are locked in when abilities are placed on the chain, but "may" decisions happen at resolution - Multiple triggers from the same event are controlled by the same player and can be ordered as desired on the chain - Your own abilities targeting your units do not trigger Deflect costs (Deflect only applies to opponents)

Ruling: The opponent can react before you reveal cards. Sequence: - Teemo Strategist's ability triggers - Opponent has opportunity to react - Cards are revealed and unit is targeted - Ability resolves Nuances: - If a Nocturne is revealed, it will be played immediately as it's added to the chain as a pending item, and once Teemo is done resolving, pending items are finalized in the order they were added (regardless of who has priority in combat)

Ruling: Yes, you can retreat your unit with Reavers Row before Warwick's attack resolves. Since Warwick's focus ability goes on the chain first, Reavers Row's ability goes on after and resolves first. Sequence: - Warwick's attack ability (with focus) goes on the chain first - Reavers Row's ability goes on the chain second - Reavers Row resolves first, retreating the unit - Warwick's attack resolves, but the unit is no longer present Nuances: - The retreated unit will not be destroyed because it is no longer "here" when Warwick's attack resolves

Ruling: If at the end of combat units remain from both players, then attackers recall. The stunned attacker returns to base and the defender successfully defends. Nuances: - This applies even when the defender has less total might than the attacker - When an opponent moves into an empty battlefield and applies contested status, they become the attacker for that combat - A defender can use Zenith Blade to slide into a contested battlefield after the opponent has moved there, and will still be considered the defender - If the defender stuns the attacker in this scenario, the attacker recalls and the defender conquers the battlefield

Ruling: The controller of the most recent item on the Chain becomes the Active Player, even if that item is a triggered ability. Do not ignore triggered abilities for this calculation. Nuances: - Rule 541.2 (which states triggered abilities do not affect the order of the Active Player) is likely to be deleted in future rules updates - Triggered ability rules may be reworked in the future, but no definite timeline or approach has been confirmed

Ruling: Move triggers resolve before Combat or Showdown begins. The trigger is placed on the chain as a pending item during the move, then finalized during cleanup before any staged Showdown or Combat can begin. Sequence: - Move occurs and the 'when I move' trigger is put as a pending item on the chain - Cleanup happens after the move - During cleanup, Showdowns and Combat are marked as Staged at relevant battlefields - Pending items on the chain (including the move trigger) are finalized - Showdown or Combat cannot begin yet because the state is not open (the move trigger is on the chain) - Chain resolves through FEPR to clear it - Once the chain is empty and state is Neutral Open, staged Showdown or Combat can begin Nuances: - Showdown and Combat can only begin from a Neutral Open State, so they must wait until the chain is empty

Ruling: 'When I move' triggers resolve on their own chain before the showdown begins. Once that chain resolves, the showdown starts and 'When I attack' and 'When I defend' triggers go on a new chain together. Yasuo's 'When I attack' ability triggers and resolves as soon as he becomes an attacker, dealing damage before he can be killed by non-reaction speed cards like Hextech Ray, but he will die before dealing combat damage. Sequence: - Unit moves to battlefield, 'When I move' trigger goes on chain - Move trigger chain resolves (reactions can be added) - Showdown begins: 'When I attack' triggers are added to new chain - 'When I defend' triggers are added to same chain - Reactions can be added - Chain resolves in reverse order - Players pass focus back and forth, starting new chains with actions/reactions - Once both players pass in a row, combat damage is dealt Nuances: - Non-reaction speed cards cannot be played until the chain is empty, so they cannot interrupt triggered abilities - If a unit is moved into an already ongoing combat (e.g., with Ride the Wind), the move trigger goes on the same chain as the attack/defend trigger, with move resolving before attack/defend - 'When I attack' and 'When I defend' triggers only happen once per combat, even if the unit leaves and returns to the same combat - Units moved into combat after it starts still trigger their 'When I attack' or 'When I defend' abilities when they gain attacker/defender status

Ruling: 'When you play' effects trigger when the appropriate card finishes resolving. Sequence: - Play the card (e.g., Teemo from hidden) - The unit instantly resolves - Then 'When you play' triggers (e.g., Ember Monk) go on the chain - You can order simultaneous triggers as you see fit Nuances: - The play effect goes on the same chain as the unit being played (matters for focus in showdowns) - When a card finishes resolving doesn't mean its trigger has also resolved - the trigger still needs to resolve separately from the chain

Ruling: 'When attacking' effects are the first thing that enters the chain when you start a showdown. The opponent can only respond with reaction spells, and the attacker has priority to cast their own additional reaction spells first. Sequence: - 'When attacking' abilities enter the chain first - 'When defending' abilities go next - Reaction spells can be played on top of the chain - Everything resolves backwards Nuances: - The opponent cannot use non-reaction spells since the chain has already started - The attacker maintains priority to cast additional reaction spells before the opponent

Ruling: Deathknell abilities resolve at the end of the combat special cleanup, which occurs after units are healed and after attackers have been recalled (if defenders are still present). Sequence: 1. Combat damage is dealt 2. Units with lethal damage trigger their Deathknell abilities (added as pending items to the chain) 3. Units with lethal damage are moved to the trash 4. All surviving units on the battlefield are healed 5. Attackers are recalled if defenders are still present 6. Combat cleanup ends 7. Deathknell triggers resolve Nuances: - Because healing occurs before Deathknell abilities resolve, you cannot use Deathknell effects to finish off enemy units that survived combat damage, as they will be healed to full health first. - Deathknell effects resolve before a player establishes control of the battlefield and potentially conquers it.

Deathknell effects trigger when the unit is in the process of being killed and sent to the trash. According to **Rule 808.1.d**, the trigger is the unit being killed and sent to the trash. To reconcile the apparent conflict between the provided FAQs, it is important to distinguish between **triggering** (the event) and **resolving** (when the effect actually happens). ### The Triggering Process When a unit with *Deathknell* is killed (by a spell, ability, or combat cleanup), the game marks the unit for death and creates the *Deathknell* trigger. At this moment, the *Deathknell* trigger is generated as a **Pending Item** on the chain (Rule 808.1.d.2). The game notes the unit's attributes and location before it leaves the board (Rule 808.1.d.3). ### The Resolution Timing The confusion regarding "immediate" versus "pending" resolution is resolved by the game's FEPR (Finalize, Execute, Pass, Resolve) process: 1. **Pending State:** The *Deathknell* trigger is created as a "Pending Item" the moment the unit is killed. 2. **Finalization:** A Pending Item cannot be resolved until it is "finalized" and placed onto the chain as a standard, active chain item. 3. **Timing:** * **During Chain Resolution (e.g., a spell kills the unit):** Per FAQ #3119, when a unit dies during the resolution of a spell, the *Deathknell* trigger is finalized and added to the chain **before** the rest of the existing chain resolves. Because the new *Deathknell* trigger is added to the top of the chain (LIFO), it effectively interrupts the previous stack, resolving before the remaining items that were already higher on the chain than the spell that triggered the death. * **During Combat Cleanup:** Per FAQ #10444, combat is a distinct process. *Deathknell* triggers resulting from combat damage are added as pending items, but they are specifically set to resolve **after** combat healing and recall have occurred, during the combat cleanup's resolution step. ### Summary * **Does it trigger while on the board?** Yes. The trigger condition (the event of the unit being killed) occurs while the unit is technically still on the board or in the process of being removed from it. * **Does the unit go to the trash first?** The unit is moved to the trash *as part of* the kill action. The *Deathknell* trigger is recorded just before this movement (Rule 808.1.d.2) to ensure the game has the necessary information to resolve the effect later. * **Is it "immediate"?** In the context of a spell resolution (FAQ #3119), it is immediate in that it forces the *Deathknell* effect to resolve before the rest of the chain continues. It does not wait for the *entire* chain to clear, but it does wait for the game to complete the current FEPR finalization step to "finalize" the pending trigger.

You earn points from controlling a battlefield in two ways: **Conquer** and **Hold**. According to Rule 446, these are the two methods for scoring: * **Conquer:** You gain a point immediately when you take control of a battlefield that you have not already scored this turn. This happens after combat or a showdown resolves and you establish control (Rule 446.1 and 444.2.b). * **Hold:** You gain a point if you maintain control of a battlefield during your **Beginning Phase** (Rule 446.2). **Important Nuances:** * **Once per turn:** You can only score each battlefield once per turn, regardless of the method used (Rule 447). * **Timing:** Conquer points are scored immediately when control is established during your turn. Hold points are scored specifically at the beginning of your turn. * **Teammate Restriction:** In team play, if your teammate controls a battlefield during your Beginning Phase, that battlefield is disqualified from being scored by your team that turn (Rule 446.1.a and 466.8.b).

According to **RiftJudge FAQ #7835** and **#2282**, the setup process for a game of Riftbound requires that you reveal your Legend and Champion simultaneously at the very beginning of the game, before any shuffling, determining the first player, or drawing cards. The correct sequence is: 1. **Reveal Legend/Champion:** Place your Champion Legend and Chosen Champion face-down in their designated zones, then flip them over simultaneously to reveal them to your opponent. 2. **Place Battlefield:** Place your battlefield(s). 3. **Determine Starting Player:** Determine who goes first. 4. **Reveal Battlefield:** Simultaneously reveal the battlefield(s). 5. **Draw Cards:** Proceed to draw your opening hand. Performing these reveals simultaneously prevents players from counter-picking their choices based on what the opponent has selected.

Ruling: Shield and Yi Legend abilities activate when a unit gains the defender designation, which occurs before attack/defend triggers resolve. Sequence: - Unit gains defender designation - Shield and Yi Legend abilities activate (Yi only if defending alone) - Attack/defend triggers resolve Nuances: - Yi Legend ability requires the unit to be defending alone, while Shield does not have this restriction

Ruling: Attacker/Defender labels and their associated buffs are removed during post-combat special cleanup, before the on-conquer trigger is finalized to the chain. You cannot play reactions between the buff falling off and the conquer happening, as both occur during combat cleanup steps without a window for reactions. Sequence: - Combat resolves - Post-combat special cleanup occurs (Attacker/Defender labels removed, buffs fall off) - Conquer happens (still part of cleanup) - On-conquer triggers are added to chain as pending - Normal cleanup occurs (triggers finalized to chain) - Players can now respond with reactions Nuances: - If a Deathknell trigger occurs, you would be able to Gust before the conquer happens, as Deathknell triggers resolve before the conquer step - Monastery of Hirana's trigger will be added to the chain even if a non-buffed unit conquers, giving you an opportunity to play reactions after the conquer

Ruling: Targets are chosen when the card enters the chain (when you play it). You cannot change targets after they are chosen. Nuances: - If the original target becomes invalid (e.g., no longer at the battlefield) before resolution, you cannot choose a new target even if other valid targets exist

Ruling: Defending buffs to might and units with the "shield" keyword only apply at a battlefield during a combat showdown, not simply by being at a battlefield. Nuances: - You are not considered a defender if there is no combat occurring.

Ruling: Move effects trigger before the combat flowchart begins (before showdown). If you remove the unit in response to the move trigger, no combat showdown will start because Staged Combats that stop being Staged before the Steps of Combat are initiated are not resolved or executed. Sequence: - Unit moves, triggering any move effects - Move trigger goes on the chain - Players may respond (e.g., with Gust) - Chain resolves - If unit is still staged for combat, showdown begins with the combat flowchart - If unit was removed, no showdown occurs Nuances: - The initial chain with attack/defend triggers is already part of the showdown - Gusting a unit during the attack/defend trigger chain does not stop the showdown that has already started - However, gusting during the move trigger (before showdown starts) prevents the showdown entirely

Ruling: You get priority in four windows: (1) On your turn during action phase when it's not a showdown and there's nothing on the chain, (2) During a showdown when you have focus and there's nothing on the chain, (3) When a chain item resolves and you control the new topmost item, (4) When there is a chain and a player passes you priority. You don't get priority at end of turn unless a chain item is created then. Sequence: - When an opponent plays a card, they hold priority first - When they pass priority to you, you can respond - During showdowns, focus passes back and forth between players until both pass without starting a chain - After each chain link resolves, cleanup happens (damage/death checks) Nuances: - During window 1 (action phase, your turn, no showdown), you can play base speed, action, or reaction cards/abilities - During window 2 (showdown with focus), you can play action or reaction cards/abilities - During windows 3 and 4 (chain active), you can only play reaction cards/abilities - Even the defender can have focus during a showdown to start a new chain with an action spell - Units die either when a kill action happens or during cleanup after damage greater than or equal to their might is marked on them

Runes are recycled to pay for a card's Power cost during the **"Pay the card's costs"** step of playing a card. According to **Rule 354.1**, when playing a card, you must pay the combined Energy cost and Power cost. During this specific step, you may use activated abilities with the **[Reaction]** tag—such as the "Recycle this" ability found on all Basic Runes—to add resources to your Rune Pool to cover those costs. ### The Sequence of Paying Costs: 1. **Determine Total Cost:** You first calculate the base cost of the card and apply any modifiers (increases, decreases, or discounts). 2. **Pay Costs:** This is the step where you actually provide the resources. * If you need Power of a specific Domain, you can use the **[Reaction]** ability on a rune (either ready or already exhausted) to recycle it. * Recycling the rune adds the corresponding Power to your Rune Pool, which is then immediately spent to satisfy the card's Power cost. * As noted in **Rule 403.3**, the action of recycling must be able to be completed for the cost to be paid. ### Key Nuances: * **State of the Rune:** You can recycle runes in either state (ready or exhausted). If you have an exhausted rune, you can recycle it to pay for a Power cost (RiftJudge FAQ #4296, #4065). * **Timing:** Recycling is a reaction ability. You perform this action while you are in the process of paying the costs for the card you are playing. * **Rune Deck:** When a rune is recycled, it is returned to the bottom of your Rune Deck, not the Main Deck (**Rule 403.1.b**).

Ruling: Spells go to the trash after they resolve, not immediately when played. Sequence: - When a spell is played, it enters a temporal zone called the Chain - The spell remains in the Chain zone until it resolves - After resolution, the spell moves to the trash Nuances: - This matters for effects that count cards in trash or return cards from trash to hand - For example, Convergent Mutation is not in the trash when it resolves, so it doesn't count toward its own Might bonus calculation

Units do not heal after a *Challenge* spell is played. According to the FAQ regarding *Challenge*: * **Ruling:** Units do not heal after using *Challenge*. They remain damaged until they heal after combat or at the end of turn. * **Nuances:** *Challenge* is not combat, so it does not trigger the healing that occurs after a combat showdown. As established in the game rules, units only heal at two specific times: 1. **During a Combat Cleanup:** This occurs after any combat showdown resolves. 2. **At the end of each player's turn:** This occurs during the End of Turn Cleanup step (Rule 142.3.b and Rule 317.2.b). Damage from spells and abilities (including *Challenge*) persists on units until one of these two healing windows occurs.

Ruling: Units heal at the end of combat and at the end of turn. A unit damaged by a spell outside of a showdown would not heal until one of these two timing windows occurs. Sequence: - Damage remains on units until end of combat or end of turn - At end of combat, all units at all locations heal - At end of turn, all units heal Nuances: - Damage is cleared after combat showdowns specifically, not after all showdown types - When damage is cleared after combat, it affects all units everywhere, not just units that participated in that combat

Units heal damage at two specific times during the game: 1. **During a Combat Cleanup:** This occurs after any combat showdown resolves. When a combat showdown ends, all units on the board (not just those involved in the combat) heal all damage. 2. **At the end of each player's turn:** This occurs during the End of Turn Cleanup step. **Key points regarding healing:** * **Global Healing:** When healing occurs after a combat showdown, it applies to every unit on the board, regardless of their location (base or battlefield) or whether they participated in the combat. * **No Immediate Healing:** Units damaged by spells or abilities outside of a showdown do not heal immediately. They remain damaged until the next combat showdown occurs or until the end of the turn, whichever happens first. * **Non-Combat Showdowns:** Units do not heal during non-combat (uncontested) showdowns. Healing only occurs after combat showdowns and at the end of the turn. According to **Rule 142.3.b**: "Damage is Healed from Units at two specific times: 142.3.b.1. At the end of each player's turn. 142.3.b.2. During a Combat Cleanup."

Units heal damage at two specific times during the game, as defined in **Rule 142.3.b**: 1. **During a Combat Cleanup:** This occurs after any combat showdown resolves. When a combat showdown ends, all units on the board (not just those involved in the combat) heal all damage. 2. **At the end of each player's turn:** This occurs during the End of Turn Cleanup step. **Key points regarding healing:** * **Global Healing:** When healing occurs after a combat showdown, it applies to every unit on the board, regardless of their location (base or battlefield) or whether they participated in the combat. * **No Immediate Healing:** Units damaged by spells or abilities outside of a showdown do not heal immediately. They remain damaged until the next combat showdown occurs or until the end of the turn, whichever happens first. * **Non-Combat Showdowns:** Units do not heal during non-combat (uncontested) showdowns. Healing only occurs after combat showdowns and at the end of the turn.

Ruling: Targets are never selected on resolution. Dragon's Rage targets a unit on activation (the unit to be moved and the destination), and then creates a reflexive trigger that targets another unit at the destination. Sequence: - First part: On activation, target an enemy unit and declare a destination. This moves the unit. - Second part: After the move resolves, a reflexive trigger enters the chain that targets an enemy unit at the previously declared destination to deal damage. - You can respond to either part of Dragon's Rage. Nuances: - If no move is performed, the reflexive trigger never enters the chain. - To counter Dragon's Rage, move the targeted unit to the destination before the first part resolves - this prevents the move from happening and stops the reflexive trigger from entering the chain. - Moving the unit in response to the first part won't prevent the move if the origin and destination are still different. - A move requires choosing an origin and destination that are different from each other. - If the unit is moved to a battlefield, you can use Flash in response to the reflexive trigger. If moved to your base, Flash will not save the unit.

Ruling: You choose and pay the amount of power when Bullet Time resolves, not when it is played. The amount you pay becomes the amount of damage it deals. Nuances: - Abilities that have 'may' in them always make that choice on resolution

Ruling: You choose targets for Falling Star when you play it, but damage is allocated when it resolves. This means the opponent can see which units are targeted before deciding whether to use En Garde. Sequence: - Play Falling Star and declare targets (e.g., unit A for 3 damage and unit B for 3 damage, or unit A for both instances of 3 damage) - Opponent can react with En Garde or other responses based on the declared targets - Falling Star resolves and deals the damage to the targeted units Nuances: - You can target the same unit with both instances of 3 damage to ensure it dies - The opponent can see your targeting choices before deciding whether to use En Garde, allowing them to avoid wasting protection on a unit that would die anyway

Ruling: You declare targets when Volibear attacks (when the ability goes on the stack). The opponent can then react knowing what your targets are. When the ability resolves, you distribute the damage among the chosen targets. Sequence: - Declare any number of targets (0-5) when Volibear attacks - Opponent can react knowing what the targets are - When the ability resolves, distribute damage to all chosen targets Nuances: - Each chosen target must receive at least 1 damage if possible - You cannot choose multiple targets and then only damage one of them - You can deal more than 1 damage to each target

Ruling: You choose the battlefield when putting Bullet Time on the chain (during finalize), not on resolution. Sequence: - Put Bullet Time on the chain AND choose the battlefield - Players have a chance to react - Bullet Time resolves: pay the runes and deal damage Nuances: - Paying runes and dealing damage happens on resolution, but battlefield selection happens earlier during finalize

Ruling: You choose the target when the ability triggers. You decide whether to move the unit or not when the ability resolves. Sequence: - Step 1: Choose target when ability triggers - Step 2: Decide whether to move the targeted unit when ability resolves Nuances: - This timing structure (making necessary choices on trigger, then deciding optional effects on resolution) applies to other similar effects in the game

Ruling: You must choose to repeat when you pay the cost of playing the spell, as part of finalizing the card. The repeated spell creates one chain item with its effect twice, not two separate activations. Sequence: - Play the spell with Repeat - Decide right then whether to pay the Repeat cost - If paying Repeat, finalize the effect twice as one chain item - Opponent then gets priority to respond Nuances: - There is only one activation, not two separate ones - If the repeated spell is countered, you do not get the Repeat cost refunded (like any other additional cost) - The Repeat additional cost is not factored into base cost thresholds for effects like Defy

Ruling: You decide play order after determining battlefields. The sequence is: reveal legends, choose champions, determine battlefields, then decide play order. Sequence: - Reveal Legends - Choose Champions - Determine Battlefields - Decide Play Order - Resolve Mulligans - Start the Game

Ruling: You declare targets when you put the spell or ability on the chain, not when it resolves. Nuances: - Any effect that asks you to choose an object on the board (in any wording) requires a target - Cards like "Deal 3 to a unit" and "Choose an enemy unit" both use the same targeting timing despite different wording - If a target becomes invalid before the spell resolves (e.g., a unit is retreated from the battlefield), the spell does not affect that target

Ruling: Targeting and costs occur when an effect goes on the chain. Choices that are part of the effect (not costs) occur upon resolution. Sequence: - When playing a card: Declare targets and pay costs - Upon resolution: Make choices that are part of the effect text Nuances: - Target on resolution may occur when a prior effect in resolution is needed to be able to target - Split damage effects target units on play, but the actual distribution between those units is decided on resolution - Secondary targets (like Dragon's Rage's second unit) are chosen on resolution - Effects like "discard 1" that are part of the effect text (not costs) have the choice made at resolution

Ruling: Drawing a card at 7 points is a replacement for winning a point. It happens simultaneously with the conquer, before conquer triggers. Sequence: - The draw happens simultaneously with the conquer - Conquer triggers occur after - You cannot order the draw with conquer triggers because the draw happens before them Nuances: - This is not a replacement effect in the technical rules sense, but rather a replacement for winning the point itself - It does not use the chain

You decide whether to pay for Draven, Vanquisher's triggered ability on resolution, not when the ability is placed on the chain. According to the official FAQ for Draven, Vanquisher: * **Sequence:** When Draven attacks or defends, his triggered ability is automatically added to the chain. You do not pay the cost at this time. * **Resolution:** When the ability resolves, you are then given the opportunity to decide whether to pay the 1 Fury Power. If you choose to pay it, Draven gains +2 Might for the turn. Because the cost is paid on resolution, you can wait to see if the opponent uses any defensive abilities (such as moving a unit away) before deciding whether to spend the power. The "may" in the ability text is part of the effect's instructions, making it a "cost within instructions" that is decided when the ability resolves.

Ruling: You pay power for Bullet Time on resolution, not on cast, because it is not an additional cost effect. Nuances: - You cannot respond with a buff to your unit after the power cost is paid because the spell is already resolving at that point.

Ruling: You pay the power cost for Bullet Time upon resolution, not when casting it. You can use reaction-speed add abilities (both exhausting runes for energy and recycling runes for power) during Bullet Time's resolution when paying the power cost. Sequence: - Cast Bullet Time, paying only its base energy cost and choosing a target battlefield - Players pass priority and Bullet Time begins to resolve - During resolution, you can exhaust runes for energy and/or recycle runes for power - You then pay any amount of power and deal that much damage to all enemy units at the chosen battlefield Nuances: - If Bullet Time is countered, you do not pay any power (unlike additional costs which are paid when casting) - Your opponent cannot see how much power you will pay before deciding whether to respond to Bullet Time - Rule 416.3 allows using reaction-speed add abilities any time spells or abilities require resources to be paid, which applies during Bullet Time's resolution - This works the same way as blue Teemo - the amount is not declared until resolution

Ruling: You pick the unit when you place the spell on the chain, not when it resolves. Sequence: - Choose the target when placing the spell on the chain - Target legality is checked at that time (must be legal when chosen) - Target legality is checked again when the spell resolves to ensure the target is still legal Nuances: - You cannot choose an illegal target initially with the intention of making it legal later - If your opponent reacts to raise their units' might after you've chosen the target, the target has already been selected

Ruling: You score a conquer point immediately when you take control of a battlefield (after combat/showdown resolves), not at the end of your turn. You then score a hold point if you still control that battlefield at the beginning of your next turn. Sequence: - Move units to battlefield - If contested, resolve showdown/combat - If your units control the battlefield, score a conquer point (once per battlefield per turn) - Continue with rest of turn - At the beginning of your next turn, if you still control the battlefield, score a hold point Nuances: - The conquer point is scored before your turn ends, not at the end of turn - You can only score one conquer point per battlefield per turn

Ruling: You score a point if you control a battlefield at the START of your turn, not at the end of your turn. Nuances: - This timing distinction is critical for determining win conditions and whether a player can recover from a losing position

Ruling: Targon's Peak creates a delayed trigger when you conquer. You select the runes at the end of turn when the delayed trigger goes onto the chain, not when you conquer. Sequence: - When you conquer, the "When you conquer" trigger goes on the chain with no targets and resolves, creating a delayed trigger for end of turn - At end of turn, the delayed trigger activates and goes onto the chain - You choose your targets (0-2 runes) when the delayed trigger is placed on the chain at end of turn - When it resolves, the chosen runes ready immediately Nuances: - This is different from Dark Child/Green Sona which explicitly trigger at end of turn as their primary trigger - Under the new tournament rules for missed triggers, you don't need to announce the conquer trigger since it has no immediate observable impact; you only need to announce at end of turn when readying runes - The delayed trigger behaves like any other triggered ability when it goes on the chain at end of turn

Ruling: You tap Kaisa at the point when you play Hextech Ray, paying 1 energy and declaring the target. Kaisa's "add" ability can be activated during the process of paying costs for cards. Sequence: - Opponent moves into a battlefield and passes priority - You gain priority and focus during the showdown - You tap Kaisa while playing Hextech Ray at action speed, paying 1 energy and declaring the target - Pass priority to opponent who can respond with a reaction or pass - If opponent passes, Hextech Ray resolves Nuances: - "Add" abilities can be activated during paying costs for cards

Ruling: Effects that last "until the end of this turn" expire when you pass to another player. Sequence: - You pass turn to the other player - Any "at the end of turn" triggers resolve (like Dazzling Aurora) - Then the turn ends and the effect expires Nuances: - The effect ends after your portion of the turn, not after both players have acted

Ruling: Ahri's effect triggers when attackers and defenders are established, before "when I attack" effects. It is a defender trigger that resolves before attacker triggers in the initial chain (LIFO order). This trigger can be missed if not declared in time. Sequence: - Attackers and defenders are established - Ahri's effect triggers (defender trigger) - Initial chain forms with attacker triggers, then defender triggers - Chain resolves LIFO (defender triggers resolve before attacker triggers) Nuances: - The Ahri player can miss the timing if they do not declare the -1 effect when appropriate - If the opponent plays too fast or skips combat steps (shortcuts), the defending player is entitled to intercept and rewind to proper order to activate Ahri's effect - The trigger can only be missed if enough time was given and the defender failed to declare it before the opponent begins stating actions/reactions to start a chain

Ruling: Assault is a passive ability that applies as soon as a unit gains the attacker designation. By the time Ahri Nine-Tailed Fox's ability goes on the chain, the unit already has the attacker designation and thus already has the Assault bonus. Sequence: - Unit moves to battlefield and gains attacker designation - Assault bonus applies immediately - Ahri's ability triggers and goes on the chain - Ahri's ability resolves, reducing Might by 1 Nuances: - If Cleave is played after Ahri's trigger resolves (using the first focus of combat), a unit with base 3 Might will be at 4 Might (3 base + 3 Assault - 1 Ahri + 1 Cleave) - If Cleave is played before moving the unit to battlefield to begin combat, the unit will be at 3 Might (4 base from Cleave + 3 Assault - 1 Ahri - 3 from Assault wearing off after Cleave resolves pre-combat)

According to Rule 807.1, **Assault** is a passive ability that functions as: *"While I am an attacker, I have +X [M]."* Key details regarding when it applies: * **Attacker Designation:** Assault applies as soon as a unit gains the "Attacker" designation during combat. * **Passive Ability:** Because it is a passive/continuous ability, it applies automatically and does not use the chain. You cannot respond to a unit gaining or losing its Assault bonus. * **Open Battlefields:** Assault does not apply when moving to an open (unoccupied) battlefield, because a showdown on an open battlefield does not involve combat, and therefore the unit does not gain the "Attacker" designation. * **Combat Transitions:** If you move a unit to an open battlefield (no combat) and the opponent later plays a unit there (e.g., via Ambush), the showdown transitions to combat. At that moment, your unit gains the "Attacker" designation, and the Assault bonus becomes active. * **Duration:** Assault remains in effect as long as the unit maintains the Attacker designation for that combat.

Ruling: Teemo chooses a single target when his ability enters the chain (when Deflect costs must be paid), then reveals Hidden cards to determine how much damage that target takes. Sequence: - Teemo's ability enters the chain - Teemo chooses one target and pays any Deflect costs - Hidden cards are revealed - Damage equal to the number of Hidden cards revealed is dealt to that target Nuances: - Teemo does not ping multiple times like Icathian Rain; he deals all damage to one target - The interaction with Void-Gate effects was initially answered incorrectly in this thread and was later corrected in a separate discussion