Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: A showdown occurs when control of a battlefield becomes contested (when units from different players are present) or when one or more units move to an empty battlefield. Moving to reinforce a battlefield you already control does not trigger a showdown. Sequence: - Showdown during combat: occurs as a sub-phase of combat when control becomes contested - Showdown on empty battlefield: occurs as a stand-alone phase when units move to an empty battlefield (does not create combat) Nuances: - Both combat and non-combat showdowns allow players to pass focus and use actions/reactions in a priority loop - Simply reinforcing a battlefield you already control with additional units does not trigger a showdown

Ruling: An attacker is only recalled if they cannot kill the defending unit(s), which typically requires an effect that prevents the attacker from dealing combat damage (like stun). When multiple defenders are present, damage is resolved sequentially - the attacker kills defenders in order until either all defenders are dead or the attacker's might is exhausted. Sequence: - Attacker deals damage to first defender - If attacker has remaining might, damage carries over to next defender - Process continues until all defenders are killed or attacker's might is depleted - If attacker kills all defenders and has might remaining, they take control of the point - If attacker's might equals total defender might exactly, all units kill each other Nuances: - Recall is not based on having leftover might after killing some but not all defenders - Stunned units deal no combat damage, which is the primary way an attacker can fail to kill a defender and be recalled - Effects like Rune Prison can also prevent combat damage and cause recall

Ruling: Cleanups happen frequently throughout the game - after resolving playing anything, adding things to the chain, and various other times. They are automatic "blinks" or "game state checks" that ensure the game state is proper after actions occur, not something players actively do or consciously think about. Sequence: - Cleanup occurs after the resolution of playing cards and adding things to the chain - The game checks and updates various game states (damage causing death, control assignments, etc.) - If multiple combats/showdowns are staged, the turn player chooses which to resolve first Nuances: - Units already in combat don't gain attacker/defender assignment again during cleanup - they can only have it once. The assignment rule is only for units entering combat after initial moves. - When a combat is staged during a showdown (like using Ride the Wind), cleanup just means it waits until its time to be resolved. - Cleanups are conceptually similar to server ticks in online games or game state checks in other card games.

According to the Riftbound rules and official FAQs, combat damage is healed during the **Combat Cleanup** step. Here are the key details regarding this process: * **When it happens:** Combat cleanup occurs immediately after the combat damage has been dealt and the combat damage step has concluded (Rule 461.1.a). * **What it heals:** Healing during combat cleanup is **global**. It clears all marked damage from **every unit on the board**, including units that were not involved in the combat (RiftJudge FAQ ID 7750, 8993). * **Non-combat scenarios:** Combat cleanup (and therefore the associated healing) still occurs even if combat damage is not dealt—for example, if all units are removed from the battlefield by spells before the damage step occurs (RiftJudge FAQ ID 3522, 4531). * **Non-combat showdowns:** Healing does **not** occur after non-combat (uncontested) showdowns. It only happens after a combat showdown or at the end of the turn (RiftJudge FAQ ID 9016, 8993). In summary, combat damage is cleared from all units at the end of every combat showdown during the Combat Cleanup step.

Ruling: Units heal during the Combat Cleanup step, which occurs after combat damage but before control is established and conquering happens. Deathknell triggers are added as pending items during cleanup, so they resolve after all units have healed. Sequence: - Combat damage is dealt - Units that died trigger Deathknell (added as pending items) - All units heal - Deathknell effects resolve - Control is established and conquering happens (scoring) Nuances: - For Kog'Maw as a defender: deals 1 damage, dies, all units heal, then Deathknell deals 4 damage, then conquering occurs - Players must react to Deathknell before it resolves; once it resolves, there are no more windows for plays before scoring - The term "combat" is often used loosely to mean either just the damage step or the entire process from showdown through resolution

Ruling: Damage clears at the end of every combat and at the end of the turn. Sequence: - Damage dealt to a unit remains on that unit until cleared - Damage is cleared at the end of each Combat Showdown - Damage is cleared at the end of the turn Nuances: - If you damage a unit before a Combat Showdown, that damage persists and will be present when combat damage is calculated and assigned - Only Combat Showdowns clear damage; non-combat showdowns do not clear damage - When damage is cleared after a Combat Showdown, all damage is removed everywhere (not just on units involved in that combat)

Ruling: Damage falls off at the end of combat (during combat cleanup after combat damage is dealt) and at the end of the turn. There is no window to cast spells after combat damage is dealt but before damage falls off. Sequence: - Move a unit to an occupied battlefield to initiate combat - During the combat showdown phase (before combat damage), players can cast spells and activate abilities - Combat damage is dealt - Combat cleanup occurs and damage falls off Nuances: - To kill a unit with multiple damage spells, you must cast them during the showdown phase before combat damage is dealt, not after - You can cast multiple damage spells in succession during the showdown phase (though your opponent can respond) - Moving to an unoccupied battlefield triggers a non-combat showdown where players can still play spells and activate abilities

Ruling: Yes, all enemy units at that battlefield would die. Units only heal damage after combat and at end of turn, so damage persists between these timing windows. Sequence: - Play Warwick to base - Cast Flurry of Blades (damage is dealt to all units) - Attack with Warwick to a battlefield - Warwick's "when I attack" trigger can also be reacted to with Flurry of Blades for additional damage - Damage from all sources accumulates until combat ends or turn ends Nuances: - The combo works regardless of whether damage is dealt in combat or outside of combat - You can also cast Flurry of Blades in reaction to Warwick's attack trigger for additional effect

Ruling: Damage is removed from all units after combat and at the end of the turn. You cannot use combat damage and then an action spell to kill a unit because units heal before you can play an action speed card after the showdown ends. Sequence: - If you want to combine spell damage with combat damage, you must play the action spell before combat - Combat damage happens during the showdown - After the showdown resolves, all units heal (regardless of whether combat damage actually occurred) - Then you can play action speed cards Nuances: - Healing happens after any Combat Showdown (where units controlled by 2 different players are present), even if combat damage is skipped - ALL units on the board heal (at all bases and battlefields), not just the ones that were in combat

Ruling: Damage-based cleanup happens any time an item leaves the chain, not after the entire chain resolves. Nuances: - Cleanup actually happens even more often than just when items leave the chain, but for chains that's the most relevant timing

Ruling: Excess energy drains at two specific times: at end of turn and after draw for turn. Sequence: - After draw for turn - At end of turn

Ruling: Energy and power disappear at the end of each turn and at the end of each draw phase. Nuances: - You can recycle runes to float power even when not paying a cost - The draw phase clearing almost never comes up; its purpose is to prevent exhausting and recycling 2 runes in your Beginning phase with an empty rune deck, channeling those 2 runes, and having access to 14 energy in a single turn - Floating power can be useful in edge cases, such as when you have 12 runes on board and cannot reveal another rune from your rune deck for cards like Twisted Fate

Ruling: Each player's pool empties at the end of each turn and after the draw phase. Nuances: - Energy can be floated throughout a turn, allowing players to recycle runes and hold up resources until they decide to play something - The draw phase emptying prevents certain shenanigans

Ruling: Healing only happens after combat and at the end of turn. You can cast multiple action-based damaging spells before entering combat without healing occurring between them. Sequence: - Cast action spells (damage is dealt immediately) - Enter combat if desired - After combat ends, all units heal - At end of turn, all units heal Nuances: - End of combat healing affects ALL units across all battlefields, not just units in the battlefield where combat occurred - Units damaged by spells across multiple battlefields will all heal simultaneously when any combat ends

Ruling: Units only heal at the end of the turn or after a combat showdown ends. Damage from spells and abilities persists until one of these healing windows occurs. Sequence: - Spells and abilities can be played/activated during combat - Damage from these effects remains on units - Combat showdown occurs - After the combat showdown ends, all units everywhere heal - Units marked with lethal damage die and deathknell triggers are prepared just before healing Nuances: - You can damage a unit with a spell (like Hextech Ray or Falling Star) and then attack it with a smaller unit in the same combat, and the damage will still be present - Playing a spell does not create a separate combat or healing window - This applies to all spells and abilities, not just specific ones

Ruling: Energy and power in your rune pool are removed at the end of turn and in the draw phase, not during cleanup steps. Nuances: - Cleanup steps in Riftbound happen after resolving any ability, which is different from Magic: The Gathering's cleanup step - If resources were cleared during cleanup steps, you would never be able to generate resources effectively - Both players are responsible for tracking rune pool resources in a way that is clear to everyone (e.g., using dice)

Priority does not "stop" in a permanent sense; rather, it is a continuous, shifting mechanic that is managed through specific game states. Priority is passed between players to facilitate the addition of items to the chain or to signal the resolution of the chain. According to the core rules, priority passing concludes in the following specific scenarios: ### 1. Resolution of the Chain Priority passing stops when all players pass consecutively without adding any new items to the chain. At this point, the game moves from the "Pass" step to the "Resolve" step (Rule 335.1). The top item on the chain resolves, and then a new priority window opens for the next item on the chain (FAQ 6154). ### 2. End of a Showdown If the chain is empty and both players pass priority in succession, the showdown ends immediately (FAQ 8632). Once the showdown concludes, the game proceeds to combat damage resolution, and priority is no longer being passed for the purpose of adding items to that showdown's chain. ### 3. End of the Action Phase In a Neutral Open State during the Action Phase, if the turn player passes priority (choosing not to perform any discretionary actions), the turn moves to the "end of turn" stage. The non-turn player does not receive priority in this instance, and the phase ends (FAQ 7960). ### Summary of Priority Flow * **Passing:** Players pass priority to either allow an item to resolve or to pass the opportunity to act to the next player. * **Consecutive Passing:** When all players pass in sequence without adding anything to the chain, the chain resolves (Rule 335.1). * **No Priority:** If no player has priority (e.g., during the resolution of certain effects or when the game state is not in a phase that grants it), no discretionary actions can be taken (Rule 312.1.b). If you are in a specific game state and are unsure if priority should be passed, remember that **players hold priority by default**; passing is an explicit decision you make to allow the game to progress (FAQ 733).

The **Abandoned Hall** triggered ability activates after the spell has completed its resolution, not when it is placed on the chain. Regarding your question about **Ride the Wind** and the **Abandoned Hall** buff: **Yes**, you will be able to give your unit +1 Might. ### Sequence of Events 1. **Play Spell:** You play **Ride the Wind**, choosing a unit to target. **Ride the Wind** is placed on the chain. 2. **Opportunity:** Both players have an opportunity to play [Reaction] speed cards. 3. **Resolution:** **Ride the Wind** resolves. Its effect executes: your unit is moved to the **Abandoned Hall** and readied. 4. **Trigger Condition Met:** Because **Ride the Wind** has successfully completed its resolution, the "When a player plays a spell" trigger condition on the **Abandoned Hall** is fulfilled. 5. **Trigger Placed:** The **Abandoned Hall** triggered ability is placed on the chain. 6. **Resolution:** You resolve the **Abandoned Hall** trigger. Because your unit was moved to the **Abandoned Hall** during the resolution of **Ride the Wind** (which occurred *before* this trigger was placed on the chain), it is currently at the **Abandoned Hall** and is a legal target to receive the +1 Might. *** **Key Clarifications:** * **Abandoned Hall Buff:** The buff is +1 Might. This interaction follows the current authoritative interpretation from **RiftJudge FAQ #10672**, which clarifies that the trigger occurs only after the spell resolution completes. This takes precedence over older, conflicting FAQs. Note: I could not fully verify the specific card text for "Ride the Wind" against the provided context.

Ruling: Shield is only active during a combat showdown when the unit has the defender designation. Nuances: - Shield does not activate when a unit is simply on a battlefield with no enemy units - Shield can remain active even if enemy units are killed during a showdown, staying active until the showdown fully completes - Shield does not activate for spell effects like Challenge that deal damage outside of combat showdowns - Similar to Assault, which is not active when moving to conquer an empty battlefield

Ruling: Stunned status clears at the beginning of the next Ending Step, as stated in rule 410.1.a.2. This happens before "at the end of turn" triggered abilities resolve during that step. Sequence: - Stunned status clears at the beginning of the Ending Step - "At the end of turn" triggered abilities (like Aurora) resolve during the Ending Step - Other "this turn" effects expire during the Expiration Step Nuances: - The reminder text says "this turn" but reminder text has no effect on game function per rule 134.2.d.3 - This timing means stuns clear before Aurora's end-of-turn combat trigger - If you stun a unit that enters from Aurora's trigger, it stays stunned into the next turn - This is considered unintuitive by the community and should probably be changed to expire during the Expiration Step instead

To address your questions regarding the timing of **Reaver's Row** and the use of **Falling Star**, here is the breakdown based on the official rules and Riftbound mechanics. ### 1. When does the Reaver's Row effect happen? Reaver's Row has a "When I defend" trigger. According to Rule 376.4.e, this is a **Defend Trigger**. * **Trigger Timing:** It triggers the moment a unit gains the "Defender" designation during a showdown. * **Chain Placement:** It is placed on the "Initial Chain" of the showdown. * **Resolution:** You choose a target when the trigger is placed on the chain, but you make the "may" decision (whether to actually move the unit to your base) **when the trigger resolves**. ### 2. Can you use Falling Star to prevent the retreat? Falling Star is an **Action** spell. * **Timing Restriction:** Action spells can only be played during an **Open State** (when the chain is empty). * **The Showdown Flow:** When a showdown begins, an "Initial Chain" is created containing the attack/defend triggers (including Reaver's Row). Because this chain is not empty, you **cannot** play an Action spell like Falling Star until the Initial Chain has fully resolved. * **The Interaction:** 1. The showdown starts; Reaver's Row goes on the chain. 2. Players may add **Reactions** to this chain. 3. The chain resolves (LIFO). Reaver's Row resolves, and the defender decides whether to move their unit. 4. Only *after* the chain is empty and the showdown state becomes "Open" can you play an Action spell like Falling Star. **Conclusion:** You cannot use Falling Star to "pre-emptively" kill the unit before the defender makes their choice, because the defender's choice happens during the resolution of the Initial Chain, while you are restricted to playing only Reactions. ### 3. Does moving the unit to base make Falling Star "wasted"? No. As confirmed by **RiftJudge FAQ #1465**, moving a unit to the base does not make it an illegal target for a spell that has already been played. * If you play Falling Star *after* the Initial Chain resolves (when the state is Open), and the opponent then reacts with a spell to move their unit to their base, **Falling Star will still resolve and deal damage to that unit at the base.** * The unit does not need to be at a battlefield for Falling Star to resolve; it only needs to be a valid target (a unit) when the spell is played. ### Summary of the Sequence 1. **Showdown Starts:** Reaver's Row trigger is placed on the Initial Chain. 2. **Initial Chain:** Players can only play **Reactions**. You cannot play Falling Star here. 3. **Resolution:** The Initial Chain resolves. The defender decides whether to move their unit to their base. 4. **Open State:** The chain is now empty. You now have priority and can play **Falling Star** as an Action. 5. **Opponent's Response:** If the opponent then plays a card to move their unit to their base in response to your Falling Star, the unit will still take the damage when Falling Star resolves, as it remains a legal target. Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules.

Ruling: You draw when you select targets for the spell (on cast), not when the spell resolves. If your spell gets countered, you still draw the card because the targeting already happened. Sequence: - Cast the spell and select targets - Draw the card (this goes on the chain right after the spell cast) - The spell can be countered, but the draw cannot be countered

Ruling: Units with lethal damage are killed during cleanups, which occur after every item in a chain fully resolves. If a unit becomes lethal after one effect resolves, it dies during the cleanup before the next effect in the chain can resolve. Sequence: - Opponent plays Smokescreen, reducing unit to 1 Might with 3 damage - Smokescreen fully resolves - Cleanup occurs, checking for lethal damage - Unit is killed (1 Might with 3 damage is lethal) - Discipline attempts to resolve, but unit is already dead - Discipline's draw effect still resolves (does not reference the unit) Nuances: - Effects that don't reference the dead unit can still resolve fully ("do as much as you can" rule) - When a unit dies mid-chain, later effects referencing that unit return null for its properties

Ruling: The losing player chooses who goes first after sideboarding, after command centers are revealed, and after battlefields are revealed, but before the initial draw of 4 cards. Sequence: - Sideboard - Reveal command centers - Reveal battlefields - Losing player chooses who goes first - Draw initial 4 cards

Yes, each player has the opportunity to play reactions while a chain is resolving. The chain does not resolve all at once; it resolves one item at a time, and players are given a window of priority between each resolution. According to **Riftbound Rule 340.4** and supported by multiple FAQs (such as **FAQ #2952** and **FAQ #8375**): ### The Sequence of Resolution 1. **Resolution:** The newest (top) item on the chain resolves. 2. **Priority Check:** Once that item finishes resolving, the game does **not** immediately resolve the next item on the chain. Instead, the player whose turn it is (or the controller of the next chain item) is given priority. 3. **Reaction Window:** During this window, both players have the opportunity to play **Reaction** cards or activate abilities that are legally timed to be played in a "Closed State" (i.e., while a chain exists). 4. **Adding to Chain:** If a player plays a new reaction, it is added to the top of the existing chain, and the players must pass priority again. 5. **Continue:** Once both players pass priority without adding anything new to the chain, the next item on the chain resolves, and the process repeats. ### Key Things to Remember * **"Closed State":** Because there is still at least one item remaining on the chain, the turn remains in a "Closed State." This means you can only play cards or activate abilities that have the **Reaction** keyword (Rule 309.1.a). Standard **Action** cards cannot be played during this window. * **Priority Order:** After an item resolves, the controller of the next item on the chain gets the first opportunity to play a reaction, followed by the other player. * **Final Link:** You cannot react to the resolution of the final link in a chain, as the chain becomes empty and the game returns to an "Open State" (Rule 340.2). In short: Yes, you have a window to react between every single card or ability on the chain. If you play a reaction during one of these windows, it goes to the top of the chain and will resolve before the items that were previously underneath it.

Ruling: The defender cannot play Fight or Flight from hidden immediately when showdown starts. The attacker gets focus and priority first in the showdown, and must pass priority (either by playing a spell/activating an ability and passing, or by passing focus directly) before the defender can play spells from hidden. Sequence: - Attacker moves unit to battlefield, showdown begins - Attacker gets focus and priority first - Attacker can play spells/activate abilities or pass focus - Defender can flip Fight or Flight from hidden only after receiving priority - After both players pass priority, spells resolve in order - Players alternate getting focus to play additional spells/abilities - If both pass, proceed to combat damage and resolution Nuances: - Fight or Flight played from hand is only playable at action speed, so it cannot be played in response to another spell during showdown - A defender could play from hidden earlier if there were triggered abilities that created a chain to respond to - The attacker cannot respond to the defender's Fight or Flight with their own Fight or Flight from hand

When your Equipment gains **Quick-Draw** from **Jax, Unmatched**, you do **not** pay the Equip cost to attach it when you play it from your hand. Here is the breakdown of how this works: 1. **Play Cost:** You must still pay the Energy and Power costs printed in the top-left corner of the Equipment card to play it. 2. **No Equip Cost:** Because the Equipment now has **Quick-Draw**, it gains the triggered ability: "When you play it, attach it to a unit you control." This triggered ability attaches the Equipment for free. You do not pay the Equip cost (the cost listed in the card's text box) for this initial attachment. 3. **Regarding "Recycle":** You only need to "recycle" cards if the specific Equipment card you are playing has a cost that explicitly requires recycling (like *Last Rites*). If the Equipment's Equip cost does not involve recycling, you do not need to recycle anything. **Summary:** You pay the card's play cost (Energy/Power), but you bypass the Equip cost entirely thanks to the **Quick-Draw** ability granted by Jax.

Ruling: You must declare targets for Fight or Flight when you finalize it (put it on the chain), before your opponent has a chance to react with other cards like Discipline. Sequence: - Finalize Fight or Flight by putting it on the chain and declaring your target - Your opponent gets priority and can play reactions - If no one plays anything else, Fight or Flight resolves and enacts its effect Nuances: - Finalize does not mean resolve - finalize is essentially the first step of playing a spell (similar to "on cast" in MTG) - All cards with targets in Riftbound require target declaration as the card goes on the chain - Some cards don't use targeting because both players make choices (like Cull the Weak)

Ruling: When you play a unit from hidden, the unit goes onto the chain and auto-resolves with no reaction window. After the unit resolves, its "when you play me" trigger goes onto the chain, and then you get priority to react first. Sequence: - Play Teemo from hidden - Teemo (as a unit/permanent) goes onto the chain and auto-resolves - Teemo's "when you play me" trigger goes onto the chain - You get priority to react first Nuances: - Focus only exists in showdowns, not outside of them - You always have priority first to react to triggers you control - Units without "when you play me" triggers (like Paaka Cub) create no reaction window at all when played from hidden

Ruling: No, you cannot play a unit to a battlefield after your ganking unit leaves it empty. When you no longer have any units at a battlefield, you lose control of it, and you can only play units to battlefields you control. Sequence: - Your unit ganks and moves to another battlefield - The original battlefield becomes empty - You lose control of that battlefield - You cannot play units there anymore Nuances: - Standard Move (like ganking) does not use the chain, so you cannot use reactions in response to play a unit - If you move with a spell (like Ride the Wind), you could play a unit with Reaction before the spell resolves, because spells create a chain

To determine how Revna the Lorekeeper's ability works, we look at the exact wording: **"When you play a spell, if you spent [4] or more, ready me."** The "spent [4] or more" refers specifically to the **energy cost of the spell you are currently playing**. Here is the breakdown of why this is the case: 1. **Ability Timing:** The ability triggers "When you play a spell." This is a triggered ability that finalizes as part of the process of playing that specific spell (or immediately after). 2. **Tracking Spent Energy:** When you are in the process of playing a card, the game tracks the resources spent to play that specific card. Since the condition is tied to the act of playing the spell, it looks at the cost paid for *that* spell. 3. **No "Turn-Long" Tracker:** The ability does not check your total energy expenditure for the entire turn; it checks the cost of the spell that triggered the ability. ### What this means for your scenarios: * **Can you play a 0-cost spell and ready her by spending [4] elsewhere?** **No.** If you play a 0-cost spell, you have not "spent [4] or more" on that spell, so the condition for the triggered ability is not met. * **How do you trigger it?** You must play a spell that has a total energy cost of at least [4] (after applying any cost increases or reductions) and successfully pay that cost. **Note on Cost Reductions:** If you have effects that reduce the cost of your spells, be aware that the condition checks the amount you **actually spent**. If a spell has a base cost of [4] but is reduced to [3] by an effect (like a discount), you have only spent [3], and Revna will not ready. Conversely, if you choose to pay optional additional costs (like [Repeat] or other added costs) when playing a spell, those costs are part of the total energy spent on that spell and will count toward the [4] energy requirement for Revna's ability.

The controller of the defenders gets to choose which unit to save with Zhonya's Hourglass. The attacker's damage distribution order does not restrict this choice. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #6895** and **RiftJudge FAQ #1042**, when multiple units die simultaneously from combat damage, the controller of the replacement effect (Zhonya's) chooses which death event to replace. Even though the attacker assigns damage to units in a specific order, all combat damage is dealt simultaneously (Rule 443.1.d.1.a), meaning all units that receive lethal damage die at the exact same time. ### The Sequence of Events: 1. **Showdown/Combat Damage Step:** The attacker assigns damage to your units. While they must follow rules for lethal damage assignment (Rule 443.1.d.3), this assignment is not the same as dealing damage. 2. **Simultaneous Damage:** All assigned damage is dealt simultaneously. 3. **Simultaneous Death:** If multiple units receive lethal damage, they all enter the "dying" state at the same time. 4. **Replacement Effect:** Because Zhonya's Hourglass is a replacement effect (Rule 366), it intercedes at the moment the units would die. Since the deaths are simultaneous, you, as the controller of the Zhonya's, choose which specific unit's death event to replace. **Important Note:** You must have already flipped your Zhonya's Hourglass face-up during the Showdown phase (before damage is dealt) to have it active. You cannot react to the damage being dealt itself, as that process does not pass priority (Rule 5489).

Ruling: To hide a card with the Hidden ability, you must recycle a rune (put it back in your deck) to pay the 1 Power cost, not just exhaust (tap) it. Nuances: - Exhausting runes is for gaining Energy (numbers in black circles), not Power - Power is gained by recycling runes - Hidden cards cannot be played (flipped up) on the same turn they are hidden - When flipped from hidden as a reaction, the card goes on the stack like any other reaction - Cards must be hidden at a battlefield you control, not at your base - When played from hidden as a reaction, cards must target the battlefield they are hidden at

After a chain resolves during a showdown, Focus generally passes to your opponent. However, if it was the initial chain of the showdown (triggered by 'When I Attack/Defend' abilities), Focus does not pass, and the attacker retains Focus (Rule 343.1). You cannot play multiple actions consecutively unless your opponent chooses to pass Focus back to you without acting. According to **Rule 343**: "When the last item on the chain resolves during a Showdown, Focus passes, and the next Player gains both Focus and Priority." ### Showdown Sequence 1. **Open State:** You have Focus and play an **[Action]** spell or ability. 2. **Closed State:** A chain is created. You and your opponent may add **[Reaction]** cards to this chain. 3. **Resolution:** Once both players pass priority, the chain resolves (LIFO). 4. **Focus Shift:** Immediately after the last item resolves, the state becomes **Open** again, and Focus **automatically passes** to your opponent (unless it was the initial chain). 5. **Opponent's Turn:** Your opponent now has the choice to start a new chain with an Action/Reaction or pass Focus back to you. ### Key Nuances * **Consecutive Actions:** You can only play a second action if your opponent receives Focus after your first chain and chooses to **Pass** without playing anything. * **The "Initial Chain" Exception:** If the showdown began with an "Initial Chain" (triggered by "When I Attack/Defend" abilities), Focus does **not** pass after that specific chain resolves. The attacker retains Focus to play the first Action of the showdown (Rule 343.1). * **Ending the Showdown:** The showdown only ends when both players pass Focus consecutively while the state is Open (Rule 344.3.a). Passing Focus once does not lock you out; if your opponent plays a card, you will receive Focus again after their chain resolves.

In a combat showdown, **Deathknell abilities resolve after the units are healed.** According to the official combat sequence (Rules 461.1, FAQ #9514, and FAQ #10157), the process is as follows: 1. **Combat Damage Step:** Combat damage is dealt to units (Rule 460.2). 2. **Triggering Deathknell:** Units with lethal damage trigger their *Deathknell* abilities. These triggers are added to the chain as **Pending Items** (Rule 808.1.d.2, Rule 323.4). 3. **Killing Units:** Units with lethal damage are moved to the trash (Rule 323.5). 4. **Healing:** All surviving units on the battlefield are healed (Rule 461.1.a.1). 5. **Resolution:** The game returns to the FEPR (Finalize, Execute, Pass, Resolve) process, and the *Deathknell* triggers that were added to the chain in Step 2 now resolve (Rule 808.1.d.3). ### Key Implications * **Healing First:** Because healing occurs in Step 4, any non-lethal damage on surviving units is cleared before your *Deathknell* effects resolve. You cannot use *Deathknell* effects to "finish off" enemy units that survived combat damage. * **No "Saving":** Because units with lethal damage are moved to the trash in Step 3, *Deathknell* effects cannot be used to "save" a unit that took lethal combat damage.

Ruling: No, the Leona stun does not occur before the defender's move. "When I attack" effects go on the chain before "when I defend" effects, and are resolved after. Sequence: - "When I attack" effects (like Leona's stun) go on the chain first - "When I defend" effects (like Reavers Row's move) go on the chain second - The chain resolves in reverse order, so the defender's move happens first, then the stun

Ruling: A lane is captured after damage assignment, which occurs only after both players have passed priority consecutively without playing cards. Units must survive through all chains (including any chains the opponent initiates after receiving focus) before the lane is captured. Sequence: - Combat is initiated and chains resolve - Both players must pass priority consecutively - Damage assignment occurs - Lane conquest/capture happens Nuances: - There is no limit to the number of chains that can occur - If both players pass consecutively, showdown ends - If the attacker (who has priority first) passes without playing anything and the opponent also passes, the attacker does not get another chance to play something

Ruling: Defender/attacker status only exists during combat (conquer attempts). You are not considered a defender or attacker when targeted with spells outside of combat. Sequence: - Combat begins when a unit moves to an occupied battlefield (or when an open showdown resolves with units present) - A combat showdown starts at this point - Attacker and defender are assigned during this showdown - The combat damage step occurs as one of the last parts of combat Nuances: - If a player tries to take an open battlefield and the opponent uses something like Ride The Wind to move a unit there, no units are attackers or defenders during the open showdown itself - When the open showdown resolves completely, a combat showdown immediately begins - The player who contested the battlefield first becomes the attacker; the opponent who moved in becomes the defender - Defenders are defined as the unit(s) at the battlefield that did not originally put the battlefield in Contested Status

Ruling: No, spending the buff after conquering will not kill the unit. Damage is healed before the conquer happens. Sequence: - Damage is healed from the unit first - Then the conquer effect occurs

Ruling: All damage (both combat damage and spell/ability damage) is healed at the end of combat and at the end of turn. There is no difference between combat damage and spell damage. Nuances: - You can damage an enemy unit with spells/abilities before combat to set it up to be destroyed during combat

Ruling: First player is determined after battlefields are placed. Battlefields are placed face-up in the battlefield zone (a public information zone) before turn order is chosen. Sequence: - Legend revealed - Chosen Champion revealed (already set during deck registration, modified during sideboarding) - Battlefields chosen and placed face-up - Decks shuffled and presented - Turn order determined (first player chosen) - Opening hands drawn - Mulligans Nuances: - Many players incorrectly hide battlefields and reveal them after choosing turn order, but this is not supported by the rules - Battlefields are public information once placed in the battlefield zone, so there is no rule requiring them to be "revealed" - they are simply placed face-up - During sideboarding (between matches), you do not know your opponent's battlefield before making sideboard decisions

In Riftbound, rewinding a game state is considered an extreme remedy for handling errors and is governed by strict policies found in the Tournament Rules. Here is a summary of when and how rewinding is allowed: ### 1. Simple Rewinds (Minor Errors) Any judge may perform a "simple rewind" of the most recent action completed or one currently in progress. * **Definition:** This involves rewinding only the last action (such as playing a card or activating an ability) to the state before that action began (e.g., before the card was put on the chain). * **Player Choice:** Once rewound, the player may opt not to take the action at all, or take the action again while making different decisions (Rule 701.5.b.2). ### 2. Complex Rewinds (Extreme Circumstances) For rewinds more complicated than a simple one, only the **Head Judge** or designated appeals judges (at high OPL) may authorize them. * **Criteria:** These are authorized only in "extreme circumstances" where leaving the game in its current state is substantially worse than rewinding (Rule 701.5.a). * **Procedure:** Each action since the error must be reversed in the correct sequence, starting with the most recent one (Rule 701.5.d). ### 3. Tactical Reversals (Not a Judge Call) Players are permitted to reverse their own most recent action to make a different decision (or choose not to take it) **without a judge** in specific scenarios, provided no new action has been taken by either player: * **Immediate change:** The player communicates a choice (e.g., targeting a unit for a spell or placing a unit on a battlefield) and immediately changes their mind (Rule 509.4). * **Resource Management:** A player may reverse a decision to exhaust or recycle runes before taking a new game action (Rule 509.4.d). ### Important Restrictions * **Angle Shooting:** Players may not change decisions based on an opponent's physical reaction or as a response to an opponent starting to take a game action (Rule 509.5). * **Information Gain:** If a player has learned the identity of a card in a deck during an error, it should be shuffled into the random portion of the deck to prevent an unfair information advantage (Rule 701.5.d.4). * **Complexity:** If a rewind is not possible (e.g., the game state has progressed too far or information has been permanently revealed in a way that cannot be randomized), judges will instruct players to continue playing from the current state (Rule 702.16.c.2). *** *Note: This information is based on the Tournament Rules 2026-04-29. If you have a specific situation regarding a card error or game state issue, please provide the details so I can check for specific remedy guidelines.*

Ruling: Repeat is an optional additional cost paid during the pay costs step of playing a spell. It creates one spell and one chain item, so there is no opportunity for your opponent to react between the initial effect and the repeat effect. Sequence: - When playing the spell, during the pay costs step, choose whether to pay the base cost or add the Repeat cost - If Repeat is paid, the spell goes on the chain as one item that will execute its effect twice - The opponent can only respond once the spell is on the chain, same as with any non-repeated spell Nuances: - Repeat can only be paid once per spell - Playing a spell with Repeat still only counts as playing the spell once

Ruling: Fortified Position activates during the Initial Chain, which happens before the main showdown phase. "When you Defend" is an Initial Chain trigger that resolves before players can use Actions. Sequence: - Opponent moves their unit to attack, triggering a showdown - Initial Chain triggers occur: "When I Attack" triggers first, then "When I Defend" triggers (like Fortified Position) - Initial Chain resolves in reverse order (Fortified Position gives +2 Might to the defending unit) - Attacker has first Focus and priority to play Actions/Reactions - Players alternate playing Actions until both pass - Combat damage is dealt - Damage is cleared, then attacked/defender tags are cleared Nuances: - The attacker always has first Focus during showdown, not the defender - The attacker also has priority to play Reactions to the Initial Chain

Ruling: During a losing showdown, the last moment to play a hidden card is at action speed timing when the defender has priority, before both players consecutively pass priority without doing anything (which would complete the showdown). Sequence: - Showdown is initiated - Players alternate getting priority at action speed timing - The defender (player with the hidden card) gets priority - This is the last moment to play the hidden card - If both players consecutively pass priority without doing anything, the showdown completes and damage is assigned Nuances: - Hidden cards gain the ability to be played at reaction speed - Hidden cards with location-relevant effects gain the additional text "here" (only affecting the battlefield where they are hidden) - The hidden card must have legal targets to be played, otherwise it moves to the graveyard when the battlefield changes state - If there's already a chain/spell being cast, that's never the "last moment" - you can respond to that chain before it resolves

Ruling: You can recycle a rune whenever you have priority (even without paying for anything) because recycling is a reaction ability that adds power to your pool. During combat, the last opportunity is when you have focus after your opponent's chain resolves, when your opponent passes focus to you, or after the initial chain if you are the attacker. Sequence: - Sivir's trigger occurs when an enemy dies (even if she's already exhausted) - In response to her trigger, you can recycle a rune - Then exhaust Sivir to create a gold token - When her trigger resolves, she readies Nuances: - You need priority to use reaction abilities like recycling - Deathknell or other triggers can create additional opportunities to recycle - Recycling a rune adds power to your pool (like floating mana in MTG) - If an ability specifically says "spend" the power (like Sivir Mercenary), you must actually use the power for a cost, not just recycle

Ruling: When Baited Hook kills a unit with Deathknell and plays a new unit from your deck, the Deathknell trigger becomes pending first, then the new unit is played. The chain resolves in LIFO (Last In, First Out) order, so any "When You Play Me" ability on the new unit resolves before the Deathknell trigger. Sequence: - Baited Hook kills the targeted unit (Deathknell trigger becomes pending) - Baited Hook continues resolving and plays a unit from your deck - The played unit enters play and finalizes immediately - If the played unit has a "When You Play Me" ability, it becomes pending on the chain - The chain resolves in reverse order: WYPM ability first (if any), then Deathknell trigger Nuances: - The Deathknell trigger is created first but resolves last due to LIFO ordering - The unit played from Baited Hook finalizes immediately upon entering play, before any abilities resolve

Ruling: Yes, you can play reaction spells in response to Merchant's move trigger to empty your hand before it resolves, allowing you to discard 0 cards and draw 1 card. Sequence: - Move Merchant to battlefield - Merchant's move trigger goes on the stack - In response, you can play as many reaction spells as you want (potentially emptying your hand) - Resolve all reaction spells - Resolve Merchant's move ability (if hand is empty, discard 0 and draw 1) Nuances: - Action spells cannot be played onto a chain in response to cards/effects - You cannot "forget" the trigger and resolve it later after playing spells - this would be considered a missed trigger and would not be allowed in tournament play

Ruling: The triggered abilities do not occur simultaneously. Traveling Merchant's move trigger resolves first as a separate chain, then after resolution the showdown begins with attack/defend triggers forming the initial chain. Sequence: - Traveling Merchant's move trigger goes on the chain and resolves - After TM trigger resolution, showdown begins - Attack and/or defend triggers from both units go on the chain as the initial chain - Priority passes and reactions can be played before the initial chain resolves - After initial chain resolves, attacker keeps focus (but focus only allows playing Actions) Nuances: - Traveling Merchant is present at the battlefield when its trigger finalizes onto the chain - Move triggers resolve before defense and attack triggers - Focus only lets you play Actions, not other card types

Ruling: Yes, you discard nothing from your empty hand, then draw 1 card. Nuances: - If the card text said "discard 1 to draw 1" (with the word "to"), you would not be able to draw without discarding