Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: No. By the time a Deathknell trigger is placed on the chain, the unit has already been killed and sent to the trash. Star-Crossed requires you to target units on the board, so a unit in the trash is an illegal target. Sequence: To prevent a Deathknell effect with Star-Crossed, you must: - Play Star-Crossed in response to whatever spell or ability is attempting to kill the Deathknell unit, while it is still on the board - Star-Crossed resolves first (LIFO), returning the unit to hand - The kill effect resolves but cannot kill the unit (no longer on board) - Since the unit never reached the trash, the Deathknell trigger condition is never met Nuances: - The Deathknell trigger condition specifically requires the permanent to be killed and sent to the trash - Once the unit is in the trash, it cannot be targeted by Star-Crossed

Yes, you can play **Star-Crossed** in response to an opponent playing **Thousand-Tailed Watcher**. ### Why this works 1. **Timing:** When your opponent plays **Thousand-Tailed Watcher**, it enters the battlefield and its "When you play me" ability is placed on the chain. Because this is a triggered ability, it uses the chain and can be reacted to (as confirmed by RiftJudge FAQ #6628). 2. **Reaction Permission:** Cards with the **[Reaction]** keyword can be played during Closed States (when the chain is not empty), per Rule 813.1.c.1. 3. **Targeting:** **Star-Crossed** requires both a friendly unit and an enemy unit to be played (RiftJudge FAQ #9452). As long as you have a friendly unit and the **Thousand-Tailed Watcher** (or another enemy unit) is on the board, you have valid targets. ### Chain and Resolution Riftbound uses a **Last-In, First-Out (LIFO)** resolution order, meaning the most recently added item resolves first (Rule 340.1). **Sequence:** 1. **Opponent plays Thousand-Tailed Watcher:** The unit enters play, and its "When you play me" ability is added to the chain. 2. **You play Star-Crossed:** You add **Star-Crossed** to the top of the chain in response to the Watcher's ability. 3. **Resolution:** * **Star-Crossed resolves first:** It returns your chosen friendly unit and the enemy **Thousand-Tailed Watcher** to their owners' hands. * **Watcher's ability resolves second:** Even though the **Thousand-Tailed Watcher** is no longer on the board, its ability was already on the chain. According to RiftJudge FAQ #3100, abilities do not "fizzle" just because the source unit left the board; the ability will resolve, though it may have no effect if it no longer has valid targets or if the game state has changed such that the instructions cannot be followed (Rule 359.3.e.6). Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules.

Ruling: Yes, you can play Stare Down even if there are no enemy units at the chosen battlefield. The card only requires you to choose a friendly unit and a battlefield as targets. The instruction to move enemy units operates on whatever is present at resolution; if no enemy units are there, that part of the effect does nothing, but the rest of the card (including gaining 1 XP) still resolves. Nuances: - A spell can be played as long as its targeting requirements are met, even if some instructions will have no effect at resolution. - The presence of enemy units is not a requirement to play the card, only to have units affected by the movement portion of the effect.

Ruling: No, you cannot cast Stupefy or Discipline without a valid target just to draw a card. You need a valid target to exist in order to cast the spell and put it on the chain. Nuances: - Once a spell is on the chain and resolving, it skips what it can't do if the target no longer exists or isn't valid anymore, but you still need a valid target at the time of casting.

Ruling: No, you cannot play Stupefy when there are no units on board. A valid target for the spell is required to play the card. Nuances: - The "do as much as you can" rule only applies during resolution, not when determining whether a card can be played - Even though the card text has two separate sentences (targeting a unit and drawing a card), you still need a valid target to play the spell initially

Ruling: No. Sun Disc's exhaust ability has a [Legion] requirement, which means you must have played another card this turn for the ability to be active. Sun Disc itself does not count as "another card" for its own Legion requirement. Sequence: - Play a card (either before or after playing Sun Disc) - Play Sun Disc (if you haven't already) - Exhaust Sun Disc (Legion is now active because another card was played) - Play your unit (it will enter ready) Nuances: - You need at least two cards played (one being Sun Disc, one being "another card") before exhausting Sun Disc for its ability to work. - The exhaust ability can only be activated during your Main Phase when the game state is Open.

Ruling: Yes, you can play Sun Disc followed by Noxus Hopeful, and Noxus Hopeful will come in ready with reduced cost. Sequence: - Play Sun Disc (it counts itself towards Legion effect when played) - Tap Sun Disc - Play Noxus Hopeful with reduced cost and ready (since the gear doesn't come in exhausted, and Noxus Hopeful is the 2nd card played)

Ruling: No. Shield is a passive ability keyword, not a triggered ability. It does not go on the chain and cannot be responded to. The Shield bonus is automatically applied the moment a unit acquires the Defender designation, which happens before the Initial Chain is created. Sequence: - The Defender designation is applied (Rule 459.2.b.4) before any "When I Attack" or "When I Defend" triggers are placed on the chain - If a unit is moved into the battlefield later during the showdown, it gains the Defender designation during the cleanup phase following the action that moved it (Rule 459.2.b.4.a) - Shield's Might bonus is immediately applied as a passive effect when the designation is acquired - Any Switcheroo played afterward will snapshot the current Might values, which already include the Shield bonus Nuances: - There is no window where a unit exists as a defender without the Shield bonus already being applied - The Shield bonus remains on the original unit as a continuous passive effect even after Switcheroo resolves

Ruling: No. The Syren's activated ability cannot be used during a Showdown. Gear abilities can only be activated during an Open State in your Action Phase, not during a Showdown. Sequence: - The Syren must be played to your Base during an Open State on your turn (before any Showdown begins) - The Syren's ability can only be activated during an Open State in your Action Phase - Once a Showdown has started, you cannot activate Gear abilities Nuances: - The Syren's "Move to base" effect is a standard Move, not a Recall, because it uses the keyword "Move" - As a Move (not a Recall), it can be prevented by effects that restrict movement and will trigger "when a unit moves" abilities - Gear cards cannot be played from hand during a Showdown - they require an Open State during your Action Phase

No, you cannot play Tideturner hidden in the base. According to Rule 737.1.b, the **Hidden** keyword allows you to hide a card facedown specifically at a **battlefield** you control. It does not allow you to hide cards in the base. Furthermore, as clarified in the official FAQ: * **Ruling:** Tideturner can only be played at the battlefield where it was hidden, not into the base to switch with units on other battlefields.

Ruling: A unit will trigger its "when I defend/attack" abilities whenever it becomes a defender or attacker, so you don't need to worry about missing the initial chain. Nuances: - You can use Tideturner to swap a unit into the defender position and still trigger its "when I defend" ability

Yes, you can play the Sand Soldier tokens created by **Arise!** to a battlefield you control. According to standard rules for playing units, you are permitted to play units directly to any battlefield you already control. While tokens are not cards, Rule 182.1.a states that they are played following all applicable steps for playing a card. As confirmed by **RiftJudge FAQ #7225**, you are not restricted to playing units (or tokens) only at your base; you can play them directly to any location you control, including battlefields. When **Arise!** resolves, it creates the Sand Soldier tokens. As the controller of the effect that created them, you then place them onto the board at valid locations you control, such as your base or a battlefield you control.

Ruling: You can only play Twisted Fate if your color identity includes purple. Nuances: - While Twisted Fate's abilities care about other colors, his color identity requirement still restricts which decks can include him - In sealed format you can use any 3 colors, which provides more flexibility than constructed

Ruling: Yes, you can play units and gear after completing a showdown. Your action phase ends only when you stop taking actions, and there is no required order for actions. Sequence: - Complete a showdown - Play units/gear if you have the runes - Start another showdown if desired - Continue taking any actions in any combination - Pass turn when you choose to stop taking actions Nuances: - You can start multiple combats/showdowns in a single turn if able - The turn structure is extremely unstructured after the initial ABCD phases - Actions can be taken in any combination as much as you want/are able to

Yes, you can play Wallop at 0 energy, provided you pay its optional additional cost. According to the card's text, Wallop has a base energy cost of 2. However, it includes the following ability: "As you play this, you may spend a buff as an additional cost. If you do, ignore this spell's cost." When you choose to pay this optional additional cost by spending a buff, the spell's energy cost is ignored (effectively reduced to 0), allowing you to play it even if you have no energy available.

Ruling: You can target a stunned unit with Zenith Blade. The stun effect does nothing (and doesn't trigger "when you stun" effects), but you can still move a friendly unit because the card doesn't require the stun to succeed. Nuances: - Stunned units are valid targets for stun effects unless the card explicitly requires an unstunned unit - Stunning an already stunned unit doesn't trigger "when you stun" effects - The rules explicitly allow targeting a stunned unit with a stun effect

Ruling: Yes, you can play Zhonya's Hourglass hidden to base, but you must reveal it (at reaction speed) before it can save anything. It will save the next unit that dies after being revealed. Sequence: - Play Zhonya's Hourglass hidden to base - Reveal it at reaction speed before a unit dies (you cannot wait until a unit is already dying) - Once revealed and in play, it will save the next friendly unit that dies Nuances: - You never choose which unit to save unless multiple units die simultaneously, in which case you choose which one to save - Zhonya's must be revealed before it can affect anything - you cannot reveal it after damage has been calculated and a unit is dying - The card must be in play (revealed) for its ability to work - There are pending clarifications about whether Zhonya's only affects units at the battlefield where it was hidden

Ruling: Yes, you can play a Hidden card in response to a Temporary keyword trigger because playing a Hidden card is at Reaction speed, and Reactions can be played whenever there is a chain. Sequence: - At start of turn, Temporary starts a chain as a pending item - This opens up an opportunity to play a Reaction - Reveal the Hidden card as a Reaction - Hidden card resolves first, then Temporary resolves Nuances: - The card must have been Hidden on a prior turn, not the current turn - For abilities that require targets (like blue Teemo's damage effect), the ability won't activate if there are no valid targets on the battlefield, even if other parts of the ability text are separated by periods - Purple Teemo will still get the +3 stat bonus when played from Hidden in this scenario

Ruling: Yes, you can play a Hidden unit in response to a Deathknell trigger after your last unit dies in combat. The Deathknell trigger is finalized on the chain after the special cleanup completes but before contested status is removed, allowing you to retain control of the Battlefield and play Hidden units there. Sequence: - Combat damage is assigned - Special cleanup occurs (units die, damage heals) - Deathknell triggers are finalized on the chain - Priority passes and you can react with Hidden units or other Reaction-speed effects - After the chain resolves, contested status is removed - If a unit was played, a new combat begins with the same attacker and defender Nuances: - The "Combat Cleanup" section (440.1) is not itself a cleanup - only the special cleanup invoked within it (440.1.a) is an actual cleanup - Removing contested status (440.1.b) happens after the special cleanup and after any chains resolve - You maintain control of the Battlefield as long as it remains contested, which persists until after Deathknell triggers resolve - This ruling was confirmed to have a rules error that would be corrected in version 1.2 - Kog'Maw's Deathknell damage occurs after units heal because healing happens during the special cleanup, but before the trigger resolves

Ruling: You cannot play Reactions after the final card in a chain resolves because there is no longer a chain. Dazzling Aurora's triggered effect creates a chain that can be Reacted to before it resolves, but not after. Sequence: - Dazzling Aurora's triggered effect goes on the chain - Players can play Reactions while the chain is resolving (starting with the player who owns the trigger) - Aurora resolves and the unit enters play - If the unit has a "When You Play Me" trigger, that creates a new chain with Reaction opportunities - If the unit has no such trigger, no further Reactions are possible Nuances: - Reactions can only be played while there is still at least one item on the chain - After a chain fully resolves, there is no chain and therefore no Reaction window - Priority may pass to the next player during showdown, or remain with the active player during their action phase

Ruling: You cannot play a Reaction spell at the end of your opponent's turn unless there is something to react to (like an End of Turn trigger or something in the chain). Reaction spells can only be played when the chain is not empty and you have priority, not during your opponent's action phase when nothing is happening. Sequence: - Basic spells can only be played during your turn, during your action phase, when the chain is empty - Spells with the [Action] keyword can also be played during a showdown on any player's turn when you have focus and the chain is empty - Spells with the [Reaction] keyword can be played in all the above situations plus when the chain is not empty and you have priority Nuances: - Despite cards saying "(play at any time)" for the Reaction keyword, you still need something to react to - The end of a showdown is often the latest opportunity to play a Reaction on an opponent's turn, but it must be played within the showdown itself - If the active player has no more actions and no End of Turn triggers, the non-active player never gains priority to cast a Reaction spell - You cannot react to the opponent ending their turn itself

Ruling: Yes, you can play the card. Players will do as much as they can. Nuances: - If any player doesn't have a unit, they simply can't kill one, but the card can still be played

Ruling: You can only play cards after combat damage if there is a triggered ability that results from the combat damage. If no triggered ability occurs, the showdown ends immediately. Sequence: - Combat damage is dealt - All units heal - If triggered abilities exist from the damage, they are added to the chain and players can respond - If no triggered abilities exist, the showdown ends Nuances: - A common example is flipping a hidden Teemo in response to a Deathknell trigger to stage a new showdown - Effects like Kog'Maw's triggered ability are added to the chain after units have already healed, so he cannot finish off units damaged in combat

Ruling: Yes, you can play the card even with 1 or 0 cards in hand. You discard as many cards as you can, then draw 2 if Legion is active. Sequence: - Discard as many cards as you can (0, 1, or 2 depending on what's in hand) - Draw 2 cards (if Legion is active) Nuances: - In Riftbound, you do as much as you can when resolving card effects

Ruling: Yes, you can play a card with a discard cost even when you have no cards in hand. Nuances: - If Legion triggers (presumably a draw effect), you still draw 2 cards even if you had no cards to discard.

Ruling: Yes, you can play a card drawn mid-chain in response to cards still on the chain. When your Discipline resolves and you draw a card, if your opponent passes priority while their Discipline is resolving, you can play the newly drawn card (like Deny) on their Discipline. Sequence: - Opponent plays Discipline and passes priority - You play Discipline and pass priority - Opponent passes priority - Your Discipline resolves and you draw a card (e.g., Deny) - Opponent's Discipline begins resolving - Opponent can play a new card or pass priority - If opponent passes priority, you can play the card you just drew on their Discipline

Ruling: Yes, after each element on the chain resolves, there is a window where both players get priority and can play reactions before the next element resolves. Sequence: - The chain begins resolving from top to bottom - After each individual element resolves, both players can add items to the chain - Any newly added cards go on top of the current chain - Resolution continues with the new top element Nuances: - The phrase "the chain ends" when resolution begins is misleading - it only means players can't add things initially, but priority returns after each resolution - In the example: after Consult the Past (2) resolves and draws Discipline, Player B can play Discipline before Consult the Past (1) resolves, placing it on top of the remaining chain

Ruling: Yes, you can play a card that says "up to 2 units" and choose to target 0 units. Nuances: - "Up to 2 units" means 0-2 units, not 1-2 units

Ruling: Yes, you can play multiple copies of the same gear. There is no legendary rule or uniqueness rule that prevents this in Riftbound. Nuances: - The Unique keyword exists in the game, but it only restricts having more than one copy in your deck, not on the board - If you could copy a gear or if your opponent has one out, there's no competition for a "unique slot" on the board

No, you cannot use a hidden *Emperor's Divide* to prevent Blitzcrank from returning to his owner's hand after he holds. According to the official rulings regarding Blitzcrank's "When I hold" ability: 1. **Timing:** Blitzcrank's ability to return to hand triggers during the **Scoring Step** of the Beginning Phase. 2. **Reaction Window:** There is no window to react to the "When I hold" trigger unless another ability *also* triggers during the Beginning Step (such as a *Temporary* unit being sacrificed). If no other abilities trigger, the "When I hold" ability goes on the chain and resolves immediately. 3. **Effect Persistence:** Once Blitzcrank's "When I hold" trigger is on the chain, he will return to his owner's hand regardless of where you move him. Moving him to the base with *Emperor's Divide* after the trigger is on the chain will not stop the ability from resolving. **Summary of the sequence:** * **Beginning Step:** If no other abilities trigger, you have no opportunity to play *Emperor's Divide*. * **Scoring Step:** Blitzcrank holds, and his "return to hand" ability triggers and is placed on the chain. * **Resolution:** Even if you were to play *Emperor's Divide* in response to that trigger, the "return to hand" ability is already on the chain and will resolve, returning Blitzcrank to his owner's hand. This is based on the FAQ ruling: *"Once Blitzcrank's trigger is on the chain, he will bounce back to hand regardless of where you move him."*

Ruling: Yes, you can play a hidden Fight or Flight in response to a burn spell to move Teemo away before he takes damage, and he will not be damaged because he is no longer a valid target at the battlefield. Sequence: - Opponent casts burn spell targeting Teemo at a battlefield - You play hidden Fight or Flight as a reaction (hidden cards gain Reaction keyword) - Teemo moves away from the battlefield - Burn spell resolves but cannot deal damage because Teemo is no longer "a unit at a battlefield" Nuances: - Fight or Flight normally says "Play on your turn or in showdowns" but gains Reaction while hidden, allowing it to be played at any time a Reaction can be played - The burn spell requires the target to be at a battlefield when it resolves

Ruling: No. When a unit with Deathknell is killed, the Deathknell trigger is added to the chain as a pending item before the unit moves to the trash. By the time you have priority to react to the Deathknell trigger, the unit is already dead and in the trash. Playing Zhonya's Hourglass at this point will not save the unit because the death event has already occurred and there is nothing for the replacement effect to replace. Sequence: - Unit is instructed to be killed - Deathknell trigger is added to the chain as a pending item - Unit is moved to the trash (death completes) - Deathknell trigger finalizes on the chain - Priority opens for reactions - If Zhonya's is played now, it enters play but the unit remains dead Nuances: - Zhonya's replacement effect only applies to death events that "would" occur, not events that have already completed. - During combat, you can still play hidden cards even after your only unit dies because battlefield control is locked until combat ends. Outside combat, losing your only unit at a battlefield causes you to lose control and discard hidden cards before you can react.

Ruling: You can play a hidden Zhonya's in response to a Deathknell trigger during combat, but it won't save the unit because the unit is already dead. The Zhonya's will be played to your base instead. Sequence: - Unit dies during combat and Deathknell triggers - You can respond to the Deathknell trigger by playing the hidden Zhonya's - Zhonya's enters your base (not the battlefield) - The unit remains dead and is not saved Nuances: - This only works during combat, where battlefield control is locked until the end of combat - Outside of combat, if the dying unit was your only unit at the battlefield, you immediately lose control of the battlefield and the hidden card gets trashed before you can play it - You play the gear directly to base; there is no recalling involved and you cannot play the gear to the battlefield

Ruling: Yes to both questions. You can play a hidden card from Battlefield B during a showdown on Battlefield A, and you can also play a hidden card from Battlefield B during your turn without any showdowns or chains happening. Nuances: - The card must have been hidden on Battlefield B in a previous turn

Ruling: You cannot play a hidden card on the same turn that you hid it. Nuances: - This timing restriction applies even if you're trying to use the hidden card as a react at a different battlefield than where you hid it - The mechanic works similarly to MTG's Foretell

Ruling: You can play a Hidden card like you would a Base Speed card on your turn (popping it without doing anything), but otherwise you must follow normal Reaction rules. Nuances: - Hidden cards cannot be played on the same turn they were hidden - During showdowns, you need both focus and priority to play reactions - On your turn, you can pop a hidden card without other actions - In a showdown when you have priority, you can play it - On a closed chain when you have priority, you can play it

Yes, you can play a hidden card at Battlefield 1 while a showdown is occurring at Battlefield 2. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #2813** and **Rule 811.1.c.3**, playing a card from hidden opens a chain and functions as a Reaction. You can play a reaction at any time you have priority, regardless of which battlefield the showdown is happening at, provided you follow the specific targeting restrictions associated with hidden cards. **Key considerations for this interaction:** * **Targeting:** Per **Rule 811.1.d.2**, if your hidden card (or its "When you play me" ability) requires a target, that target must be at the battlefield where the card was hidden (BF1). You cannot target units at BF2 with a card hidden at BF1, unless the card has special targeting text that overrides this (like *Tideturner*). * **Non-targeting effects:** If the card does not target (e.g., drawing cards), it can be played from BF1 without restriction while the showdown occurs at BF2. * **Location:** If the hidden card is a permanent (a unit or gear), it must be played to the battlefield where it was hidden (BF1). This is confirmed by **RiftJudge FAQ #7354**, which states: "You can play a hidden card from Battlefield B during a showdown on Battlefield A, and you can also play a hidden card from Battlefield B during your turn without any showdowns or chains happening."

Ruling: No, you cannot hide a card at a battlefield where you already have a hidden card to implicitly overwrite it. You must first play (reveal) the existing hidden card and let it resolve before you can hide another card at that battlefield. Sequence: - Play and resolve the existing hidden card first - Then you can hide a new card at that battlefield Nuances: - Each battlefield has its own facedown zone which can only contain 1 hidden card per player (except Bandle Tree which allows 2) - You can only hide a card to a battlefield you control - Hiding a card is base speed and does not use the chain - Hidden cards can be played anytime you could play a reaction, starting the turn after it's hidden - Revealing a hidden card counts as playing it (triggers play effects)

Ruling: Yes, the attacker can play action spells like Cleave after the opponent's chain resolves and focus returns to them. A showdown only ends when both players pass in a row without starting a chain. Sequence: - Player A (attacker) starts showdown and can play a spell or pass - Focus goes to Player B (defender) who can play a spell or pass - When a chain closes, focus goes to the next player in turn order - Each focus allows a player to start one chain - Players alternate gaining focus until both players pass in a row - Only then does the showdown end Nuances: - "One chain per focus" is the correct way to think about it - When a chain closes, the next player "gains" focus (not "passes" focus) - this distinction matters because passing focus without playing anything is what closes the showdown - Cleanup happens instantaneously when spells resolve, so units can die mid-showdown before you regain focus - Action speed spells cannot be played during an opponent's chain - you would need reaction speed to respond during their chain

Ruling: Yes, you can play a reaction after one reflexive trigger resolves but before the second one resolves. Sequence: - First reflexive trigger resolves - Players can play reactions - Second reflexive trigger resolves

Ruling: No, you cannot play a reaction at end of turn if there are no end of turn triggers. You can only play reactions when you get priority, which happens in showdowns or when a spell/ability is on the chain. Nuances: - You can play reactions in response to end of turn triggers like Dazzling Aurora or Annie Legend's ability to ready runes - Some keywords are abilities you can react to (like Deathknell and Equip which are activated abilities) while others are passive and cannot be reacted to (like Shield and Assault) - Equip being an activated ability that can be responded to is not widely apparent to players

Yes, you can play a reaction if your opponent attaches a gear using an **Equip** ability. According to **Rule 818.1**, **Equip** is an activated ability. Activating an ability follows the same process as playing a card, which includes adding a pending item to the chain and creating a closed state (Rule 150.2.a, Rule 386–389). Because the ability is placed on the chain, it creates a window for players to respond with reactions before the ability resolves. ### The Sequence: 1. **Activation:** Your opponent activates the **Equip** ability on their gear, choosing a target unit. 2. **Chain Starts:** The Equip ability is placed on the chain. 3. **Priority:** The state becomes **Closed**. You now have the opportunity to play a **[Reaction]** card or activate a **[Reaction]** ability. 4. **Resolution:** If you play a reaction (such as a spell to remove the target unit), your reaction will resolve first (LIFO - Last In, First Out). If the target unit is removed or the ability is countered, the Equip ability will fail to resolve on that unit. **Important Note:** This applies specifically to the **Equip** activated ability. If a gear is simply being played to the board (not using an Equip ability to attach), it enters the chain and resolves immediately, skipping the opportunity for reactions (see FAQ 5130 and 8333).

Ruling: You cannot play a reaction to Brynhir herself being played (she resolves immediately as a unit), but you can play a reaction to her play effect when it's on the chain. Sequence: - Brynhir is played and resolves immediately to the battlefield - Her play effect goes on the chain - Reactions can be played in response to the play effect on the chain - Once the play effect resolves, no more cards can be played that turn Nuances: - Units resolve as soon as they're finalized to the chain, so the unit itself cannot be reacted to - The play effect lingers on the chain separately and can be reacted to

Ruling: Yes, you can play reactions in response to Jinx Legend's triggered ability. The trigger occurs at the start of your turn regardless of hand size, and both players can play reactions at this time. Sequence: - Jinx Legend's "At start of your turn" ability triggers - Both players can play reactions at this time - When the ability resolves, it checks hand size (draws if one or less cards, does nothing if more than one) Nuances: - The hand size only matters when the ability resolves, not when it triggers - This applies similarly to other beginning/end step triggers like Annie's - This gives opponents opportunities to react that they wouldn't normally have during end steps

Ruling: No, you cannot play reaction speed effects during your opponent's turn unless they are responding to something on the chain. Priority only passes during showdowns or when an ability/spell are used, not between phases. Nuances: - Playing a unit without an enter effect does not give your opponent a window to react, as units resolve immediately - Playing a unit with an enter effect does give priority to the opponent - This is different from Magic where instant speed effects can be played between phases or at end of turn

Ruling: No, you cannot play a reaction spell at the end of an opponent's turn without something to react to. You need something to initiate a chain or showdown in order to react during your opponent's turn. Nuances: - If a vanilla permanent (no effects) is played, you cannot respond with a reaction because no effect is on the stack - When a permanent is cast, it goes on the chain and leaves immediately, creating a brief window to react - Once a permanent enters the battlefield (ETB), there is no chain unless it triggered an ETB effect

Ruling: You do not get priority during your opponent's turn unless triggers occur or a showdown happens. Focus passes between relevant players until both pass without doing something; after your opponent plays something and the chain resolves, Focus automatically goes back to you. Sequence: - Player moves units to battlefield and passes Focus - Opponent plays action/reaction spell and chain resolves - Focus automatically returns to the active player - Players continue passing Focus until both pass without action - Then proceed to combat damage step Nuances: - Reaction spells like Consult the Past cannot be played at the end of an opponent's turn without something creating a chain for it to react to - You need triggers or showdown to occur during opponent's turn to gain priority

Ruling: Yes, you can play reaction spells during a showdown even when there is no combat. Both players get an opportunity to play spells (action and reaction speed) during any showdown, which only ends once both players have passed on an empty chain. Nuances: - The showdown chain exists regardless of whether combat actually occurs - Both action speed and reaction speed spells can be played during the showdown

Ruling: You cannot play a reaction spell like Wind Wall without a legal target, even if you want to trigger other effects that care about playing spells. Nuances: - This applies even when you would benefit from playing the spell for secondary effects (such as boosting a unit that gains +1 when you play a spell)

Ruling: Yes, you can play a reaction to Arena's Greatest trigger during any player's beginning phase, not just the first player's. Nuances: - The trigger creates a chain, which allows for reactions to be played in response