Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: A card that is countered is not considered to have been played, so it does not count for effects that check "if you played two cards this turn" or similar conditions. Nuances: - This applies specifically because countered cards are explicitly not considered to have been played according to the comprehensive rules.

Ruling: Yes, a card is defending alone even when there is a hidden card at its battlefield. Nuances: - A facedown card is not considered a unit, a spell, or a gear for game purposes

Ruling: Yes, a unit selected with Baited Hook counts as being played, so it will trigger effects like Darius's ready ability. You can also pay to accelerate a unit (like Kai'Sa) when it is played by Hook. Sequence: - Play Darius - Use Baited Hook on another unit - The unit played by Hook readies Darius Nuances: - Baited Hook specifically uses the word 'Play' for the unit you select, which is why it triggers play-related effects - Acceleration can be paid when a unit is played via Hook

Ruling: Units readied at the start of your turn during the awaken step get the +1 might, and units readied through effects also get the +1 might. Both types of readying trigger the ability. Nuances: - Units with Accelerate do not trigger this ability because they enter play already ready, rather than entering exhausted and then readying - You cannot ready a unit that is already ready - The card provides no tempo the turn it is played since it requires units to ready to gain the benefit

Ruling: The card targets a group of units when finalizing to the chain (on activation). On resolution, you form a subgroup from those originally targeted units that are still legal targets. Sequence: - Step one: Declare targets when the card is activated/finalized to the chain - Step two: On resolution, if any targeted unit's Might has changed, form a subgroup of only the units that still meet the targeting criteria Nuances: - You can only choose from the originally selected targets at resolution; you cannot choose new units that weren't originally targeted - If an opponent changes a unit's Might (e.g., with discipline), you must exclude that unit from the subgroup if it no longer meets the criteria

Ruling: No, cards in the deck are not considered "face-down." Face-down specifically refers to cards on the board with their back side presented. Cards played from deck (like Nocturne's banish effect) will not trigger effects that require playing cards face-down. Nuances: - Banish is not a face-down zone - Cards in deck have their back side presented but are not technically "face-down" - that term only applies to cards on the board - The "face-down" wording is likely future-proofing for cards that may be played face-down on the board in future sets

Ruling: A character with 0 Might does not die immediately. They only die if they have non-zero damage marked on them that equals or exceeds their Might. Sequence: - Might reduction reduces how much damage a unit can take before dying and reduces the damage they deal in combat - Damage is marked on units and is compared against their Might during cleanup - During cleanup, units with non-zero damage marked that equals or exceeds their Might are killed - A unit at 0 Might with no damage marked survives Nuances: - Might reduction and damage are different mechanics - reducing Might is not the same as dealing damage - A unit with damage marked still deals its full Might value in combat (damage doesn't reduce combat damage dealt) - It's possible to have units with 0 or negative Might through combinations of effects

Ruling: The combat showdown continues until both players pass focus in a row (passing while the chain is empty), not when defenders are removed. Sequence: - Attacker declares attack with three units against one defender - Defender plays Portal Rescue on their defender, killing one attacker - Defender plays second Portal Rescue (showdown still active), killing another attacker - Showdown continues until both players pass priority consecutively with empty chain Nuances: - The removal of all defending units does not automatically end the showdown

Ruling: A showdown does not close immediately when there are no units on the battlefield. It still requires all players to pass in a row (instead of starting a chain) before it closes. Sequence: - Player 1 attacks Player 2 on Reaver's row - Player 2 uses reaver's ability (removing units) - Player 1 passes - Player 2 can still play a spell with action/reaction speed (like Rebuke) - Showdown closes only after all players pass in succession

Ruling: A controlled battlefield does not count as a base. You can play units to controlled battlefields, but it remains a battlefield and does not count as your base for effects which specifically reference the base. Nuances: - You cannot use Legend Yasuo's skill to move a ganking character from battlefield to battlefield, as this would require the controlled battlefield to count as a base

To determine if a countered card counts for **Legion** or for the ability of **Chemtech Cask**, we must look at the specific requirements for each. ### 1. Does a countered card count for Legion? **Yes.** According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9461**, **#9463**, and **#9650**, a card counts toward satisfying **Legion** requirements as soon as it is **Finalized** on the chain. * **The Sequence:** When you play a card, it is a "Pending Chain Item" until you choose targets and pay all costs. At that point, it becomes a "Finalized Chain Item." * **Interaction:** **Legion** checks if a card has been **Finalized** on the turn (Rule 812.1.c). Since countering occurs after the card has been finalized, the **Legion** condition is already satisfied for that turn, even if the card is subsequently countered and removed from the chain (Rule 425.1.a). ### 2. Does a countered card count for Chemtech Cask? **No.** Based on the text of **Chemtech Cask**, a countered card does not trigger its ability. * **Card Text:** "When you play a spell on an opponent's turn, you may exhaust me to play a Gold gear token exhausted." * **The Ruling:** While **Legion** relies on the "Finalized" state of a card, **Chemtech Cask** relies on the action of "playing" a spell. According to **Rule 425.1.b**, "A card that is Countered is not considered to have been played." * **Reasoning:** Because a countered spell is not considered to have been played, the trigger condition for **Chemtech Cask** ("When you play a spell...") is never met. Therefore, the ability of **Chemtech Cask** cannot be activated if the spell it would have responded to is countered. ### Summary * **Legion:** Satisfied by the act of finalizing a card on the chain, regardless of whether that card is later countered. * **Chemtech Cask:** Does not trigger, because a countered card is not considered to have been "played." *Note: I could not fully verify the ruling regarding Chemtech Cask against the retrieved rules.*

Ruling: Yes, a countered card does satisfy Legion requirements as long as it completes the Finalized step in the chain process. Sequence: - When a card is played, it goes on the chain as a Pending Chain Item - The card becomes a Finalized Chain Item (targets chosen, costs paid) - Players have opportunity to play Reaction cards (including counters) - If countered, the card is removed during the Pass/Resolve step Nuances: - Legion specifically checks whether a card has been Finalized (Rule 812.1.c), not whether it resolved - Countering happens AFTER finalization, so the Legion condition is already met - This differs from other "when you play" effects which may require full resolution - Hiding a card is not playing a card and does not satisfy Legion

Yes, a defender must be present to have an attacker declared. According to **Rule 459.2.b** (Steps of Combat) and **RiftJudge FAQ #7651 / #10095**, the designations "Attacker" and "Defender" are only established when a **Combat** occurs. Combat specifically requires units from two opposing players to be present at the same battlefield. If you move a unit to an unoccupied battlefield, it initiates a "non-combat" Showdown. Because there is no opposing unit present to create a combat encounter, no one receives the "Attacker" or "Defender" designation. Consequently, keywords and abilities that rely on these designations—such as **Assault** (for attackers) or **Shield** (for defenders)—do not activate or apply in that scenario.

Ruling: No, the defending player does not get a conquer point. A player who begins the showdown with control of the battlefield and successfully defends it does not conquer because they already control it. Sequence: - Player begins showdown with control of the battlefield - Control cannot be lost while the battlefield is Contested - Contested status is removed at the end of showdown - Player ends showdown present at a battlefield they already control - No conquer occurs because control was never lost

Ruling: Yes, the defending unit immediately gains +2 Might from Shield 2 when Fortified Position resolves during combat. Shield is a passive ability that is always active in combat, not a trigger, and applies as soon as the unit gains it. Sequence: - Combat begins and defending units with Shield have their Might modulated - The Initial Chain is created and populated with triggered abilities like "When I defend" - Fortified Position resolves, giving a defending unit Shield 2 - That unit immediately gains +2 Might from the Shield 2 Nuances: - Shield and Assault are clarified to be active before the Initial Chain at the start of combat, but they also activate immediately whenever a unit gains them later during combat - Shield is a static combat ability, not a triggered ability

Ruling: A defied spell does not count for Darius's trigger because a spell is only considered 'played' once it completely finishes resolving. Dreaming Tree's trigger will remain regardless of what happens to the spell afterwards. Sequence: - Dreaming Tree triggers when you choose a target during the process of putting the card on the chain - The trigger remains even if the spell is countered - For Darius, the spell must completely finish resolving to count as 'played' - A countered spell does not count as 'the second card' for Darius Nuances: - The key difference is timing: Dreaming Tree triggers on choice (during casting), while Darius requires the spell to fully resolve

When a unit equipped with a piece of gear that has a **Deathknell** ability dies, the **Deathknell** effect triggers because the unit itself has gained that ability. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8441**: * **Deathknell** abilities found in the "Effect Text" (bottom box) of a gear are appended to the unit while the gear is equipped. * The unit gains the **Deathknell** ability, not the gear itself. * When the unit dies, the unit's **Deathknell** triggers. * If the gear itself is killed in isolation (e.g., by a card like *Salvage*), it is no longer attached to a unit, so the effect is no longer active and does not trigger. In summary, the **Deathknell** effect activates because the unit (which has gained the ability) is dying. The gear does not need to be "killed" for the effect to trigger; rather, the gear's effect is active *because* it is attached to the unit at the moment the unit dies. If the unit dies, the gear is typically detached and recalled to its owner's base during the next cleanup (Rule 435.1).

Ruling: Yes, the moment you lose control of a battlefield, all hidden cards there get discarded. Nuances: - You can react to whatever moved/killed your unit by playing the hidden card as a reaction before losing control of the battlefield

Yes, you must declare the target in your trash at the time you play *Heedless Resurrection* and place it on the chain. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9523** and **Rule 355.10.a**, when playing a spell that targets a card in a public zone (such as your trash), you must declare that target during the finalization process—before the spell is actually played and before your opponent has the opportunity to react. The sequence works as follows: 1. **Declare/Finalize:** You announce you are playing *Heedless Resurrection*. You select a unit card currently in your trash as the target. 2. **Lock-in:** Targets are locked in at this stage (Rule 355.15). You cannot change this target later, nor can you wait to see if your opponent reacts before choosing it. 3. **Cost:** You pay the additional cost (killing a friendly unit) to finalize the spell to the chain. 4. **Chain/Reaction:** The spell is now on the chain, and your opponent has the opportunity to play *Reactions*. 5. **Resolution:** *Heedless Resurrection* resolves. Because the target was already chosen and locked in during Step 1, it must be the same unit you initially declared. Because the unit you intend to kill to pay the cost must be on the board (and not in the trash) at the time you initiate the spell, and targets must be declared before paying costs, you cannot kill a unit and then immediately target that same unit in the trash with the same *Heedless Resurrection*.

Ruling: Once a showdown starts, it continues until both players pass priority consecutively, even if all units are removed from the battlefield before damage calculation. Sequence: - Showdown begins when units meet at a battlefield - Players can play actions and pass priority - Showdown ends only when both players pass consecutively - If units remain from both sides, proceed to damage calculation - After damage calculation completes, the showdown is over Nuances: - If you lose control of a battlefield during the showdown (before damage calculation), you cannot play units to that battlefield - they would be played to base or another controlled battlefield instead - Once damage calculation has occurred and units kill each other, you are no longer in a showdown and cannot play showdown-specific cards

Ruling: A showdown only ends when both players pass focus in a row without starting a chain. It does not care if one or both players no longer have units there. Nuances: - Players can still play spells, actions, and reactions during the showdown as long as it is still ongoing, even if no units remain on the battlefield

Ruling: A showdown continues as long as players take actions. The showdown only ends when both players pass in sequence without playing any spells or abilities. Sequence: - Player A takes an action (plays spell/ability) and passes - Player B receives focus and takes an action, then passes - Player A receives focus again and can take another action - This continues until both players pass consecutively without taking actions Nuances: - You can use a reaction in response to an opponent's action even after you've already passed - After a chain resolves and priority passes back to you, you can still use action spells - At the start of a showdown, the attacker has priority

Ruling: No, once a showdown begins it continues until both players pass consecutively instead of starting a chain. Removing the unit does not end the showdown early. Sequence: - A showdown begins when a unit moves to a battlefield (assuming no triggers are responded to that would prevent staging) - Players may play actions and pass focus back and forth - The showdown only ends when both players pass in a row without starting a chain - This is true even if the unit is removed from the battlefield during the showdown Nuances: - If a unit has a "when I move" trigger and an opponent responds to that trigger with removal (like Gust), the showdown never begins at all - it will be staged and then unstaged during cleanup after the removal resolves

Ruling: Showdowns only end when both players pass focus without starting a chain. It does not matter if no units are currently attacking. Nuances: - Even if all attacking units are removed from the battlefield during a showdown (such as being pushed back), the showdown phase continues until both players consecutively pass - Units can still heal from combat damage during the showdown even after attackers are removed, as long as the showdown phase hasn't ended

Ruling: Showdowns do not occur mid-chain. The chain must fully resolve before a showdown starts. Sequence: - Player A uses a spell to move their unit from battlefield back to base - Player B reacts by moving a unit to the same battlefield - The chain resolves completely - After chain resolution, a showdown occurs where Player B attempts to conquer the now-open battlefield while Player A's unit is at base

Ruling: Yes, a showdown occurs when you move a unit to a battlefield even if there are no enemy units present, and players can use action spells during the showdown.

Ruling: Yes, combat heals all units everywhere, not just units involved in the specific showdown. Nuances: - This applies regardless of which battlefield the showdown occurs on - All units are healed, even those not participating in any combat

Ruling: When a unit moves to a battlefield, a showdown begins automatically. However, you can move any number of your units together to the same destination with one standard move action. Sequence: - Multiple units can be moved simultaneously to the same battlefield as part of a single move action - Units moving together can come from different locations (base, other battlefields) - All units arrive together before the showdown begins Nuances: - Units must all be going to the same destination - Each individual move must be otherwise legal - This applies regardless of where units are moving from (e.g., two units from base and one from another battlefield with ganking can all move together)

Ruling: A showdown does not start if you move units to a battlefield you control, even if you've already scored at it. However, if you move all units out and lose control, then move back in later, a showdown will start (though you won't score another point or get conquering procs). Sequence: - If you maintain control of a battlefield, moving units in or out does not trigger a showdown - If you move all units out, you lose control of the battlefield - When you move units back in after losing control, a showdown begins - Control is contested and a showdown starts, but you don't score again or trigger conquering effects Nuances: - A showdown only begins when control of a battlefield is contested and the turn is in a neutral open state - Moving back to a previously scored battlefield after losing control gives the enemy a chance to play an action/reaction - You can regain control of a battlefield you already scored at in the same turn (units are not recalled)

Ruling: No, a showdown does not start when you move a unit to a battlefield you already control. Nuances: - A showdown only starts when a battlefield is contested, meaning it has a unit from a player who doesn't control that battlefield - A showdown also starts when attempting to conquer an empty battlefield (since the unit is at a battlefield it doesn't control) - You can directly play units from your hand to battlefields you control without triggering a showdown

### Ruling: Does a spell countered by Abandon count toward Jhin, Virtuoso? **No, a spell countered by Abandon does not count toward Jhin, Virtuoso's legend ability.** According to **Rule 425.1.b**, "A card that is Countered is not considered to have been played." Because Jhin's ability explicitly requires you to "play a spell" to trigger, a spell that is countered fails to meet this condition. ### Analysis of the Interaction 1. **Countering Mechanism:** When a spell is countered, it is cleared from the chain and its effects do not resolve. Per **Rule 425.1.a**, the countered spell does nothing. 2. **Jhin's Trigger:** Jhin's legend ability ("When you play a spell...") only triggers when a spell is successfully played. Since the rules state that a countered card is not considered to have been played, the trigger condition is never met. 3. **Replacement Effects:** The destination of the countered card (whether it is sent to the trash or returned to the owner's hand) is irrelevant to Jhin's condition. The critical factor is that the act of playing the card was negated by the counter effect. The replacement effect on *Abandon* simply alters the zone the card enters after being countered; it does not retroactively change the fact that the spell was countered and therefore never "played." *** *Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules, as the exact text of Abandon was not provided in the source documentation.*

No, a spell that gets countered (defied) does not count toward the cost reduction of **Battering Ram**. According to **Rule 425.1.b**: "A card that is Countered is not considered to have been played." Because the spell never finishes the process of being played, it does not count toward conditions that check if you have played a certain number of cards that turn. Therefore, it will not trigger the cost reduction ability of **Battering Ram**.

Ruling: Target requirements are checked again at resolution. If a spell targets "a unit at a battlefield" without specifying which battlefield, the target remains valid even if it moves to a different battlefield, and the effect will resolve normally. Nuances: - If the target moves to base or becomes otherwise invalid (not at any battlefield), the target becomes invalid and the instruction will not execute - The effect still technically resolves even with invalid targets, but the instruction doesn't execute (this matters for cards that care about resolution like Darius Trifarian or Ravenbloom Student) - Cards with location restrictions like "Here" (such as cards played from Hidden) require the target to be at the same specific battlefield upon resolution, or the target becomes invalid

Ruling: Move effects from spells or abilities allow movement from battlefield to battlefield without ganking and do not exhaust the unit unless explicitly stated. Only standard moves require exhausting and are restricted by ganking rules. Sequence: - Standard move: requires exhausting the unit and follows ganking restrictions for battlefield-to-battlefield movement - Spell/ability move: does not require exhausting and has no destination restrictions unless stated in the effect Nuances: - The exhausting cost and battlefield-to-battlefield restriction only applies to standard moves, not to move effects from spells or abilities

Ruling: Yes, a stunned Yasuo still triggers his 'when I attack' ability and deals his might damage. Combat damage and ability damage are different, and stun only prevents combat damage. Sequence: - When Yasuo is moved to attack (such as via Charm), his 'when I attack' trigger goes off - A showdown still occurs with Yasuo labeled as the Attacker - Yasuo's ability resolves and deals might damage - The stun prevents only combat damage, not ability damage Nuances: - Might damage from abilities is not impacted by the stunned status - The distinction between combat damage and ability damage is critical here

Ruling: No. A stunned unit does not contribute its Might to damage in the combat damage step. Only non-stunned attacking units contribute their Might to the total combat damage dealt. Nuances: - While a stunned unit must still receive damage equal to or greater than its full Might value to be killed, it does not deal its Might as damage to the opponent. - In the example scenario with a stunned 7 Might unit and a non-stunned 4 Might unit attacking, only 4 total damage would be dealt to the defending battlefield.

Yes, a stunned unit deals damage when targeted by the spell **Challenge**. According to **FAQ 3841** and **FAQ 6766**, a stunned unit can deal damage via the spell **Challenge** because the Stun condition only prevents combat damage, not damage dealt by card effects. **Reasoning:** * **Rule 410.1.b** states: "A Stunned Unit does not contribute its might to damage in combat." * Because Stun is specifically restricted to combat damage, it does not prevent a unit from dealing damage when instructed to do so by a card effect like **Challenge**. Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules due to conflicting information in the provided documentation.

Ruling: The symbol means recycle 1 of any color. Nuances: - This is not an exhaust effect

Yes, a token unit counts as a unit for Xin Zhao's ability. According to Rule 179.1.d, a token unit is a unit and follows all rules for its type unless otherwise specified. Since Xin Zhao's ability requires "two or more other units," a token unit satisfies this requirement. However, please note the following clarification from the official FAQs regarding Xin Zhao: * **Xin Zhao does not count himself.** You must have two *other* units in your base in addition to Xin Zhao for him to enter ready.

Ruling: Trigger effects are added to the existing chain as the top item. There can only ever be one chain at a time. Sequence: - When a trigger occurs while a chain is in progress, it is added to the current chain as the top item - If multiple triggers occur simultaneously, they are put on the chain in turn order - Each player orders the triggers they control as they like Nuances: - Once a chain fully resolves (all items complete), a new action can start a new chain - During showdowns, after an action resolves and its chain is done, the next action starts a new chain

Ruling: Triggered abilities do not fizzle in Riftbound when their source is removed. The ability still resolves, but may not produce a result if it references the source's current state or location. Sequence: - Triggered ability goes on the stack - Source permanent is removed from battlefield - Ability still resolves (does not fizzle) - Ability checks for conditions at resolution - If ability requires source to be in a specific location (like "here"), the condition is not met and no effect occurs Nuances: - The ability technically resolves even though it produces no result - Abilities that reference the source's current battlefield position will fail their condition check if the source is no longer there

Ruling: No, Spirit's Refuge does not stack Deflect because it says "they have Deflect if they didn't already." This prevents multiple instances from the same source from stacking. Nuances: - Rule 721.2 allows Deflect to stack when granted by multiple sources, but is currently designed for future-proofing when more Deflect cards are added - The "if they didn't already" restriction in Spirit's Refuge's rules text prevents stacking - This differs from Green Lee Sin's buff stacking because Lee has ability text "I can have any number of buffs" which overrides the usual restriction - If Spirit's Refuge did not have the "if they didn't already" clause in its rules text, then Deflect would stack - Restrictions in reminder text (in brackets) do not function the same as restrictions in rules text

Ruling: Yes, a unit with Zhonya's Hourglass deals its combat damage before being recalled to base when it dies in combat. Sequence: - Combat damage is assigned to units on both sides simultaneously - Damage is dealt to all units at the same time - Units with lethal damage are then killed - Zhonya's Hourglass triggers when the unit is killed, recalling it to base Nuances: - If the unit dies through other means before reaching the combat damage step, it will be recalled by Zhonya's and won't contribute damage to combat - Zhonya's does not target; it applies automatically to the first unit killed, with player choice if multiple units die simultaneously

No, a unit does not gain the might bonus from **Assault** when moving to an empty battlefield. According to **Rule 807.1.c**, **Assault** is functionally short for "While I am an attacker, I have +X Might." **Rule 807.1.d** clarifies that a unit only gains the "Attacker" designation during **Combat**. As established by RiftJudge FAQs (e.g., FAQ #9076, #863), moving a unit into an unoccupied (empty) battlefield initiates a **non-combat showdown**, not a combat. Because there is no opposing unit present to create combat, your unit does not receive the "Attacker" designation. Since it is not an attacker, the **Assault** ability remains inactive, and the might bonus is not applied.

No, a unit does not gain the additional might from **Assault** if it moves to an empty battlefield. According to Rule 733.1.c, **Assault** is functionally short for "While I am an attacker, I have +X [M]." Rule 733.1.d further clarifies that "Being an attacker means the Unit has gained the Attacker designation during Combat." Because combat only occurs when units controlled by opposing players are present at the same battlefield, moving to an empty battlefield does not initiate combat and does not grant your unit the Attacker designation. Consequently, the Assault ability remains inactive, and the might bonus is not applied.

Ruling: No, a unit does not have defender status when targeted by a spell outside of combat, so Yi's passive does not apply. Sequence: - Defender status is applied when units move to a battlefield where combat is in progress and their controller is the defending player - OR when combat is initiated at the battlefield they are at and their controller is the defending player - Outside of these specific scenarios, units do not have defender status Nuances: - Being targeted by a spell does not grant defender status, even if the unit is on a battlefield

No, a unit does not have the **Assault** bonus when it moves into and conquers an open (unoccupied) battlefield. According to **Rule 807.1.c** and **Rule 807.1.d**, **Assault** is functionally short for "+X Might while I am an attacker," and a unit only gains the "Attacker" designation during **Combat**. As established by the **RiftJudge FAQs (e.g., FAQ #863, #9076)**, moving into an unoccupied (open) battlefield initiates a **non-combat showdown**, not a combat. Because there is no opposing unit present to create combat, your unit does not receive the "Attacker" designation. Since it is not an attacker, the **Assault** ability remains inactive, and the might bonus is not applied. Even if you successfully establish control of the battlefield and perform a **Conquer** at the end of the showdown, the **Assault** ability will not have been active during the move or the resulting showdown.

No, a unit does not have to be "holding" **Dusk Rose Lab** for its ability to trigger, nor does the battlefield need to be conquered. According to the card text, **Dusk Rose Lab** is a Battlefield card with the following ability: *"At the start of your Beginning Phase, you may kill a unit you control here to draw 1."* Here is the breakdown of how this works: 1. **Trigger Condition:** The ability triggers automatically at the start of your Beginning Phase, regardless of whether you have conquered the battlefield or are currently "holding" it. The only requirement is that the battlefield is under your control (as it is a battlefield you are using). 2. **The "Chain" (Stack):** When the Beginning Phase starts, this triggered ability is placed on the chain. Because it says "you may," it is an optional triggered ability. You choose whether to place it on the chain when the condition is met. 3. **Requirement:** The only requirement for the ability to function is that you must have a unit you control at that battlefield location to kill as a cost when the ability resolves. As confirmed by **RiftJudge FAQ #9428** and **#9473**, this ability triggers at the start of your Beginning Phase, and you have the opportunity to resolve it then. You do not need to have conquered the battlefield to trigger this effect.

Ruling: Units do not heal after chain resolution. Units only heal at the end of combat and at the end of turn. Nuances: - Cleanup does occur after an item on the chain resolves - Cleanup includes units dying from damage and showdowns starting, but not healing

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 healing that occurs after combat - Units heal only after combat and at the end of turn