Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: When an equipment detaches from a unit, the unit keeps any buffs it already gained, but will not gain new buffs from future triggers since the equipment text is no longer active on that unit. Sequence: - While equipped, the unit gains the equipment's text in the bottom box - When the unit conquers while equipped, it receives the buff - If the equipment detaches (e.g., via weapon master), the unit retains the buff it already has - Future conquers by that unit will not trigger the buff effect since the equipment is no longer attached Nuances: - Equipment effects use "me" to refer to the attached unit, never to the equipment itself - Equipment text is treated like rules text on the card it's attached to - When equipment isn't attached, it becomes Inactive

Ruling: You can choose the order that multiple on attack triggers go on the chain and resolve. Both abilities trigger and go on the chain regardless of whether their conditions are currently met, because they don't target and instead do "programmable choice based on characteristics" at resolution. Sequence: - Both on attack abilities trigger when you attack - You choose the order to put them on the chain - Place Warwick's ability on the chain first, then Anivia's on top - Anivia's ability resolves first, damaging units - Warwick's ability resolves second, killing the now-damaged units Nuances: - The abilities don't require their conditions to be met when they trigger, only when they resolve - Neither ability targets, so they can be placed on the chain without preconditions being met

Ruling: No, the effect fails to destroy the opponent's units. When Warwick is bounced back to base, his effect still resolves but fails to find enemy units at the base location (since enemy units cannot be at your base). Sequence: - Warwick attacks and his effect is put on the chain - Opponent chains Fight or Flight, which resolves and bounces Warwick back to base - Warwick's effect resolves, checking for units "here" at the base - Since there are no enemy units at your base, the effect resolves doing nothing Nuances: - The effect technically still resolves (relevant for any "when an effect resolves" triggers, though none currently exist) - If Warwick were somehow moved to a different battlefield instead of base, the effect would destroy units at that new battlefield location - Most effects that say "here" fail when the source is moved to a different location - You cannot currently change battlefields in reaction, so the hypothetical battlefield-swap scenario cannot happen in practice

Ruling: When Warwick attacks and its ability triggers, only reaction spells can be played in response. You cannot play action spells before Warwick's effect resolves. You can kill Warwick with a reaction spell (like Hidden Blade played from hidden) before its effect resolves, which will prevent the effect since "here" no longer refers to a battlefield when Warwick is dead. Sequence: - Warwick moves to an occupied battlefield - Warwick's attack trigger goes on the chain - Only reactions can be played at this point - If Warwick is killed by a reaction before its effect resolves, the effect does nothing ("here" is no longer at a battlefield) - If Warwick's effect resolves while it's alive, it kills all damaged units at that battlefield Nuances: - It's generally impossible to kill Warwick before it moves if played and immediately moved, since playing a unit doesn't give a reaction window (permanents auto-resolve) - If the Warwick player combos with Blade Flurry, you can react to Blade Flurry with a reaction damage/kill spell - Hidden Blade played from hidden (reaction speed) works to kill Warwick; Hidden Blade from hand (action speed) does not - If Warwick moves to a different location after its trigger, the effect applies to that new location

Ruling: Both Recurve Bow and Warwick trigger simultaneously during the attacker definition window. Warwick's ability always triggers regardless of whether damaged units are present, then checks for damaged units on resolution. Sequence: - Both abilities trigger at the same time when Warwick attacks - You can order the triggers so Recurve Bow deals 2 damage first - Then Warwick's ability resolves and kills the damaged unit Nuances: - Warwick's trigger condition is met even if no damaged units exist at the time of triggering; the damage check happens on resolution, not on trigger

Ruling: When multiple triggered abilities on the same card have the same trigger condition, they go on the chain at the same time and the controller can order them as they please. Sequence: - Both attack triggers (Warwick's and Recurve Bow's) go on the chain simultaneously when the trigger condition is met - The controller chooses the order to place them on the chain Nuances: - Rule 356.2.b only applies when a card is resolving (being played), not to triggered abilities that occur after the card is already in play - Equipment effect text is appended to the unit's rules text while attached, making both abilities part of the same card

Ruling: Warwick's ability triggers first, then Reaver's Row triggers. They resolve in reverse order (last triggered resolves first), so Reaver's Row resolves before Warwick's ability resolves. Sequence: - Warwick's ability triggers - Reaver's Row triggers - Reaver's Row resolves - Warwick's ability resolves Nuances: - Any damaged unit that is no longer at the battlefield due to Reaver's Row (or any other effect that resolves before Warwick) will not die as a result of Warwick's ability

Ruling: The Poro ends at 4 Might. Watcher's effect applies once when it resolves, calculating the actual reduction based on each unit's current Might at that moment (respecting the minimum of 1), and that specific reduction value is what persists for the turn, not the full -3. Sequence: - Watcher resolves: 2 Might Poro receives -1 Might (not -3, because it can only go down to 1 Might minimum) - Later, when combat occurs, Poro receives +1 from Shield and +2 from Yi - Final calculation: 2 (base) - 1 (from Watcher) + 1 (Shield) + 2 (Yi) = 4 Might Nuances: - Watcher's effect is a one-time triggered effect that snapshots the actual reduction applied to each unit - A unit already at 1 Might would receive 0 reduction from Watcher and be unaffected - The "-3 to a minimum of 1" restriction only applies at the moment Watcher resolves, determining what reduction value gets snapshotted

Ruling: When Watcher's effect is applied to a 1 might unit, it snapshots at -0 (not -2) because the effect has a restriction that might cannot be reduced below 1. Future buffs like Discipline will add to the base might normally, so a 1 might unit would become 3 might (1 + 2 - 0 = 3). Sequence: - Watcher's effect applies to a 1 might unit - The reduction snapshots at -0 (not -2) due to the minimum might restriction - If the unit is later buffed (e.g., +2 from Discipline), calculate: base might + buff - snapshot reduction - Result: 1 + 2 - 0 = 3 might Nuances: - Might can go below 1 in specific scenarios where multiple buffs are removed simultaneously (e.g., when two Darius buffing a recruit are removed by Singularity, the recruit can end up with negative might) - The -0 snapshot value doesn't change after being applied - For most scenarios, might does not go below 1

Ruling: When Watcher applies -1 might to a 2 power unit (minimum 1), the debuff is 'snapshotted' at -1 might. When that unit later defends alone and gains +2 from Wuju Bladesman's passive, it will defend for 3 total power. Sequence: - Watcher enters and applies -1 might to the unit (reducing 2 power to minimum of 1) - The -1 debuff is locked in/snapshotted at that value - When the unit enters combat alone, Wuju Bladesman's passive activates, granting +2 might - Final defending power is 3 (1 base after debuff + 2 from Yi's buff) Nuances: - All single-use debuffs work via snapshotting - they lock in their value when applied - Wuju Bladesman's ability is passive and only applies while defending during combat - The scenario assumes Watcher enters before combat begins (Yi's buff isn't active yet)

Ruling: Last Stand snapshots the might value at the time it is played and doubles it as a static bonus. Mask of Foresight can trigger multiple times per turn, with each combat showdown adding another +1 might buff that stacks. Sequence: - Wielder defends alone at 2 base + 2 (defending alone) + 2 (Mask of Foresight) = 6 might - Last Stand is played, doubling to 12 might - After combat, Wielder loses the defending alone bonus and returns to 10 might - In the next combat showdown, Wielder gains +2 (defending alone) and +2 (Mask of Foresight triggers again) for 14 might total Nuances: - Last Stand is not a continuous passive effect that updates dynamically; it snapshots the might value when played - Mask of Foresight's "this turn" duration allows it to trigger in each separate combat showdown within the same turn

Ruling: After the first combat, Wielder of Water is at -1 might (treated as 0). In the next combat while defending alone, Wielder's might is 1 (base 2 + 2 from passive - 3 from snapshotted Smoke Screen). Sequence: - Wielder starts at 4 might (2 base + 2 from defending alone) - Smoke Screen snapshots to give -3 might (reducing to minimum 1 during combat) - After combat ends, Wielder loses the +2 might boost from passive, going to -1 might (treated as 0) - In next combat while defending alone, passive reactivates: 2 (base) + 2 (defending alone) - 3 (snapshotted Smoke Screen) = 1 might Nuances: - Might increasing effects are applied before reductions in the arithmetic layer - Negative might is treated as 0, but the underlying value can still be negative for calculation purposes - Smoke Screen's reduction persists as a snapshot across multiple combats

Ruling: Yes, the remaining Wielder would immediately get its might bonus. Passive abilities are active whenever they meet their condition, and cleanup occurs when an item on the chain resolves. Sequence: - Two Wielders are at the location - Yasuo is sent over and kills one Wielder with the attack trigger - Cleanup occurs after the trigger resolves - The remaining Wielder's conditional passive is checked and now applies since it's alone - The remaining Wielder gains the might increase Nuances: - Shield and Wielder check at the exact same times despite shield being calculated once when a unit is designated as a defender - State-based effects (like "while" conditions) are checked during cleanup - Cleanup occurs when an item on the chain resolves

Ruling: Wildclaw Shaman's ability does not require a buff to be present when the trigger goes on the chain. The buff selection happens at resolution, not when targeting to put the trigger on the chain. Sequence: - Both Cithria's and Wildclaw Shaman's "when you play me" triggers go on the chain at the same time - You can order them so Cithria's trigger resolves first - Cithria's trigger resolves and gives her a buff - Wildclaw Shaman's trigger resolves and can spend Cithria's buff Nuances: - Wildclaw Shaman's ability does not target (the unit selection and buff removal are resolution instructions, not targeting requirements) - This is different from abilities that require targets to be put on the chain (like pre-errata Salvage) - Whether targeting is required is case-by-case based on exact card wording

Ruling: Yes, Wildclaw Shaman's 'when you play me' trigger works like MTG's 'enter the battlefield' triggers, not 'cast' triggers. The unit resolves and enters the battlefield first, then its trigger goes on the chain. You can order simultaneous triggers as you want and spend buffs created by other 'when you play' triggers (like Cynthia) to pay for Shaman's ability. Sequence: - Play Wildclaw Shaman - Shaman resolves and enters the battlefield - 'When you play' triggers (Shaman's and Cynthia's) go on the chain in the order you choose - Shaman is now a valid target for reactions while its trigger is on the chain - You can spend the buff from Cynthia's trigger to pay for Shaman's ability Nuances: - Stand United is an action and must be played on an empty chain unless it has been hidden for a turn (then it gains reaction) - If Stand United is played as a reaction from hidden, Shaman must already be on the battlefield to be a valid target - Riftbound has almost no 'cast' triggers; the closest equivalent is 'on target' triggers

Ruling: The attacker's triggers go on the chain first (on the bottom), followed by the defender's triggers. This means the defender's triggers resolve first, then the attacker's triggers resolve second. Sequence: - Attacker's "when I attack" triggers go on chain first (bottom of chain) - Defender's "when enemy unit attacks" triggers go on chain second (top of chain) - Chain resolves top to bottom, so defender's triggers resolve first - Attacker's triggers resolve last Nuances: - In the Yasuo vs Ahri example: Ahri's -1 ability resolves first, reducing Yasuo to 5 might, then Yasuo's damage ability resolves dealing 5 damage (not 6) - This ordering is based on attacker vs defender, not turn player vs non-turn player - There was initial confusion about whether turn player or attacker determines priority, but the correct answer is that attacker's triggers go on chain first

Ruling: You must choose the target for Yasuo's ability when it goes on the chain. Your opponent can then use the battlefield effect (like Reaver's Row) to move the targeted unit back to base, causing Yasuo's ability to fizzle due to failed target legality check. Sequence: - Attacking player puts triggered abilities on the chain (Yasuo's ability) and selects targets immediately - Defending player puts triggered abilities on the chain (Reaver's Row) and selects targets - Resolve chain in reverse order: Reaver's Row resolves first, potentially moving the unit - Yasuo's ability resolves, but if the target no longer meets the "here" condition, the ability fizzles Nuances: - Discard effects do not target, so they don't require target selection when going on the chain - Only abilities that specifically target require target selection when placed on the chain

Ruling: No, you cannot use Ride the Wind to save your unit from Yasuo's 'when attack' ability because Ride the Wind is an action, not a reaction, and can only be played after the initial chain of 'when attack' abilities has resolved (after damage is dealt). However, you can use 'when defend' triggers to move either Yasuo or his target out of the battlefield before his ability resolves. Sequence: - Yasuo moves into the battlefield - All attacker 'when attack' triggers go on the chain first (including Yasuo's ability) - Then all defender 'when defend' triggers go on the chain (including battlefield abilities) - The chain resolves last-in-first-out, so defender triggers resolve before attacker triggers - If the target is moved before Yasuo's ability resolves, no damage is dealt Nuances: - The order is attacker triggers first, then defender triggers, regardless of who is the active player - You could use effects like Fight or Flight to move units out and prevent Yasuo's ability from meeting its conditions - A battlefield with 'when you defend here you may choose one unit to return to your base' can be used to move Yasuo's target before his ability resolves

Ruling: Yes, Yasuo's On Attack ability resolves on its own chain before the normal Showdown steps begin. Once that initial chain resolves, a cleanup occurs which will kill any unit with marked damage greater than or equal to its Might, removing it from play before players have the opportunity to play Action spells. Sequence: - Yasuo moves to enemy Battlefield, triggering his On Attack ability - The ability goes on the chain (only Reactions or On Defend abilities can respond) - The chain resolves, dealing damage to the targeted unit - Cleanup occurs, killing the unit if damage meets or exceeds its Might - Normal Showdown steps begin where players can play Action spells Nuances: - On Attack abilities trigger only the first time a unit gains the attacker designation per combat showdown - A unit can gain attacker status multiple times per turn, but only once per individual combat showdown - If Yasuo is moved back to base (e.g., with Ride the Wind) and the showdown resolves, moving him back to a Battlefield starts a new showdown where his ability can trigger again

Ruling: Attacker triggers go on the chain first, then defender triggers. The chain resolves in reverse order, meaning Teemo (defender) deals damage first, then Yasuo (attacker). Sequence: - Yasuo (attacker) ability goes on the chain first - Teemo (defender) ability goes on the chain second - Chain resolves in reverse: Teemo deals damage first - Then Yasuo deals damage Nuances: - If Teemo kills Yasuo before Yasuo's ability resolves, Yasuo's effect will do nothing since it deals damage "here" and Yasuo is in the trash

Ruling: No, Yasuo does not deal damage before the unit retreats. The Reaver's Row defend trigger resolves before Yasuo's attack trigger, allowing the defender to return the targeted unit to base before Yasuo's damage resolves. Sequence: - Yasuo moves to attack a unit at Reaver's Row, beginning a showdown - Attack and defend triggers are placed on the chain (active player's triggers first, then non-active player's triggers) - Triggers resolve in reverse order (last in, first out) - Reaver's Row defend trigger resolves, allowing the defender to return the unit to base - Yasuo's attack trigger attempts to resolve, but the target has already been returned to base - Board returns to open state, then active player gets first opportunity to play action spells Nuances: - The order of triggers on the chain is determined by active player vs non-active player (active player's triggers go on the chain first, resolve last) - If the defender chooses not to use Reaver's Row ability when it triggers, they cannot use it later in that same showdown - Reactions can interrupt most things before they resolve, but actions need a cleared stack to be played - When Reaver's Row triggers, you choose which unit you might want to retreat, but you only decide whether to actually use the ability once it resolves

Ruling: Yasuo's "when I attack" ability goes on the chain and can be reacted to. If you react with Smokescreen to reduce his might by 4, Yasuo's ability will deal damage equal to his current might when it resolves (2 damage instead of 6). Sequence: - Yasuo attacks and his "when I attack" ability triggers and goes on the chain - You can react with Smokescreen to reduce Yasuo's might by 4 - When Yasuo's ability resolves, it checks his current might and deals that much damage (2 damage after Smokescreen) Nuances: - The ruling at the local event that Yasuo deals his printed damage regardless of might reduction was incorrect

Ruling: When Yasuo attacks and his trigger goes on the stack, you have priority and can play Reaction speed cards (but not Action speed cards) before the trigger resolves. After the trigger resolves, you gain focus and priority to play Action/Reaction speed cards during the Showdown. Sequence: - Move Yasuo to occupied Battlefield, initiating a showdown - Yasuo's attack trigger goes on the stack. You have priority - When you pass, your opponent has a chance to play Reaction Spells - Yasuo's ability resolves if you both pass priority - You now have focus and priority and can play Action/Reaction spells Nuances: - You can 'hold priority' to play Reaction speed cards before passing - This allows you to pump Yasuo's Might (e.g., with Discipline) before the attack trigger resolves

Ruling: Yasuo is the attacker and Leona is the defender because Yasuo applied contested status to the battlefield first. Both units get Mask of Foresight triggers when combat begins. Yasuo's attack trigger (dealing 7 might with mask) kills Leona (at 7 might with shield passive, mask, and Radiant Dawn buff), even though Yasuo is stunned by Zenith Blade. Sequence: - Yasuo moves to battlefield, starting a non-combat showdown - Zenith Blade resolves during the non-combat showdown, stunning Yasuo and moving Leona to the battlefield - Leona Radiant Dawn legend trigger resolves during Zenith Blade resolution, buffing Leona - Players pass focus in succession and the non-combat showdown closes - Combat showdown begins with Yasuo as attacker (the player who applied contested) and Leona as defender - Initial chain populates: both Mask triggers go on the chain first (players order their own triggers), then Yasuo's attack trigger - Yasuo deals 7 might (6 base + 1 mask) killing Leona at 7 might (4 base + 1 shield + 1 Radiant Dawn + 1 mask) Nuances: - Yasuo does not get a Mask trigger during the initial non-combat showdown, only when combat begins - The attacker is always the player who applied contested to the battlefield, regardless of when other units join - A non-combat showdown must close before a combat showdown can begin; showdowns do not transition directly from one type to another - Being stunned does not prevent Yasuo's attack trigger from activating - Mask of Foresight triggers when you are alone at a battlefield when combat initiates, regardless of how combat is initiated

Ruling: Yes, Yasuo must choose his target before the defender makes their choice. Attacker triggers go on the chain first, including all ordering and targeting decisions. Sequence: - Attacker's triggered abilities (Yasuo Remorseful) go on the chain first - Attacker makes all choices including targeting before finalizing - Defender's triggered abilities go on the chain second - Defender then makes their choices (which unit to retreat) - Chain resolves in reverse order (defender's ability resolves first, then attacker's)

Ruling: The ability deals damage equal to Yasuo's might at the time the ability resolves, not when it triggers. If you increase his might with a discipline in response to the trigger, the ability will deal the increased damage. Sequence: - Yasuo Remorseful moves to battlefield and attack trigger goes on the chain - You can react by playing a discipline to increase his might - The discipline resolves first, increasing Yasuo's might - Yasuo's attack trigger resolves, dealing damage equal to his current might value Nuances: - There is no mechanism in the rules that "saves" or "locks in" the might value when the trigger goes on the chain - The ability text is only executed when it resolves, so that's when the might value is checked

Ruling: Merchant's on-move trigger resolves completely before the showdown begins (you cannot start combat with a chain). During the showdown's initial chain, the defender controls the order of all their triggered abilities, regardless of whether they trigger on attack or defend. Sequence: - Yasuo + Merchant move - Merchant trigger goes on chain and resolves (outside showdown) - Showdown begins with initial chain - Attacking player (with Focus) adds their triggers first (Yasuo trigger) - Defender adds all their triggers and chooses their order (Ahri Legend trigger, Ahri Champion trigger, Battlefield trigger) - Chain resolves Nuances: - The defender chooses the order for all abilities they control that trigger, not just on-defend triggers - Ahri leader creates separate triggers for each attacking unit (one for Yasuo, one for Merchant), resulting in 4 total defender triggers

Ruling: Attack triggers go on the chain first, then defend triggers. They resolve in reverse order (first in, last out). Sequence: - Attacking player (with Focus) places triggered abilities on the chain first - Non-defender players place triggers in turn order - Defending player places triggers last (including both Ahri legend and unit triggers) - Chain resolves in reverse order, so defend triggers resolve before attack triggers Nuances: - The defending player chooses the order of their own triggers when placing them on the chain - If Blitzcrank or Charm pulls a unit in, that unit becomes the attacker (arrives at a battlefield controlled by another player, making them apply contested status) - The Ahri legend trigger is treated as a defend trigger and resolves along with other defend triggers

Ruling: Yes, Reaver's Row can save Jinx. When both effects trigger, they go on the chain with the attacker's ability (Yasuo) first, then the defender's ability (Reaver's Row) on top. The chain resolves backwards, so Reaver's Row moves Jinx to base first, then Yasuo's ability tries to resolve but Jinx is no longer there, causing it to fizzle/resolve to no effect. Sequence: - Both abilities trigger when attackers and defenders are assigned - Yasuo's ability goes on the chain first, targeting Jinx - Reaver's Row goes on the chain on top, targeting Jinx - Chain resolves backwards: Reaver's Row moves Jinx to base - Yasuo's ability tries to resolve but Jinx is not at the battlefield anymore - Yasuo's ability fizzles/resolves to no effect Nuances: - Yasuo's ability specifies "here" (the battlefield location), so if the target moves, the ability cannot resolve properly

Ruling: Yes, the defender can move the targeted unit to base with Reavers Row before Yasuo's damage resolves, causing Yasuo's ability to fail because its target is no longer present. Sequence: - When Yasuo attacks, both "when I attack" and "when I defend" triggers go on the chain - Each ability targets a unit when going on the chain (Yasuo targets who to damage, Reavers Row targets who to move) - Triggers resolve in reverse order - Reavers Row resolves first, moving the unit back to base - Yasuo's ability resolves second, but its target is no longer present so it cannot deal damage Nuances: - The attacker (Yasuo player) must choose their target before the defender chooses their target for Reavers Row - The defender can always avoid the Yasuo hit if they want by moving the targeted unit

Ruling: All attack and defend triggers go on the chain first (attacker's triggers, then defender's triggers in defender's chosen order), but nothing resolves until players pass priority. The attacker gets priority first and can play reactions before any triggers resolve, and players get additional priority windows as each ability resolves from the chain. Sequence: - Yasuo attacks (ability on stack) - Defender orders their triggers: Ahri Legend and Ahri Inquisitive abilities go on stack in defender's chosen order - Attacker gets priority and can play reactions to the chain - Players continue adding to the chain until both pass priority - Chain resolves last-in-first-out, with priority windows after each resolution Nuances: - There is only ever one chain at a time in Riftbound - The chain can be added to before things resolve - In this scenario, the Ahri player can play reactions like Smokescreen to reduce Yasuo's ability damage before it resolves

Ruling: The attacking Yasuo's ability triggers and kills the defending Yasuo before they deal combat damage to each other. Sequence: - Yasuo attacks - Yasuo's ability triggers - The defending Yasuo is killed by the trigger - No combat damage is dealt between them Nuances: - Combat still technically occurs (relevant for cards that care about winning combats), but no combat damage is exchanged in this scenario

Ruling: Yes, Yasuo's attack trigger deals 6 damage to Darius before the showdown begins, killing him. Darius does not deal damage back to Yasuo because he is dead before damage assignment occurs. Sequence: - Yasuo moves to the battlefield - Yasuo's attack trigger goes on the stack, dealing 6 damage to Darius (5 might), killing him - Showdown starts - Damage of units at the battlefield gets assigned to the other side - Units with damage equal to their might die - Since Darius is already dead at the damage assignment step, Yasuo only takes damage from the remaining defender Nuances: - You can play Reactions to the attack trigger to increase Darius's might and potentially save him from the initial 6 damage

Ruling: No, Actions cannot be played while there's a chain resolving. The opponent can only use Reactions to save their unit, not Actions. Sequence: - Yasuo moves to battlefield and triggers "When I attack" - The attack/defend triggers from the initial chain resolve (killing the 4 might unit) - After the chain resolves, both players get a window to play Actions/Reactions - Combat continues even if only one player has units at the battlefield Nuances: - The opponent cannot use Actions like Fight or Flight to save their unit during the chain resolution - After the chain resolves, the opponent can still use their focus to play a unit at the battlefield (if they control it) using an Action/Reaction during the combat showdown - Combat doesn't automatically end just because only one player has units at the battlefield

Ruling: Yasuo becomes the defender because the opponent is the player who applied Contested to the battlefield. His ability does not trigger because he is the defender, not the attacker. Sequence: - Yasuo is moved into a battlefield with an ongoing open showdown initiated by the opponent - During the open showdown, Yasuo is not yet a defender since there's no combat - After the open showdown completes, a combat showdown will be marked as pending and will initiate - Yasuo will be the defender in the combat showdown Nuances: - Yasuo is only considered a defender once the combat showdown starts, not during the open showdown itself

Ruling: No, Yasuo does not deal damage when he is killed before his trigger resolves. When Yasuo goes to the trash after being killed, "here" becomes null and he misses his targets. Sequence: - Ezreal's trigger resolves first, dealing damage - Yasuo is killed and goes to the trash - Yasuo's trigger attempts to resolve but fails because he is no longer "here" Nuances: - This same principle applies to any effect that moves a unit away from the battlefield (like Zhonya's moving a unit to base) - the unit will miss targets because it is no longer "here"

Ruling: Yasuo will not trigger his "when I attack" ability because he gains the defender designation, not the attacker designation, when moved to a battlefield that is already being contested. Nuances: - Units gain attacker or defender designation based on when they arrive at the battlefield, not based on which player is the turn player - The unit that moves to the battlefield last gets the defender designation in a showdown

Ruling: When Ride the Wind resolves, the initial open showdown completes with no attackers or defenders. Then a combat showdown immediately begins with Yasuo as the attacker (since he applied contested to the battlefield). If Ember Monk wins the combat and remains at the battlefield, the opponent conquers and scores the point. Sequence: - Yasuo moves to open battlefield, initiating an open showdown - Opponent plays Ride the Wind, moving their unit in - The open showdown resolves with no control established (two players' units remain) - A staged combat immediately begins with Yasuo as attacker - Combat resolves (Ember Monk kills Yasuo in this example) - Only Ember Monk remains at the battlefield - Opponent establishes control and conquers (scores the point) Nuances: - Control cannot be established during a non-combat showdown if both players have units present - The player who scores doesn't have to be the one who applied contested to the battlefield - You can only score a battlefield once per turn

Ruling: Attacker and defender designations only exist during a single combat and reset at the end of each combat. During the open showdown (after Yasuo moves to an open battlefield), no attacker/defender designations exist because no combat took place. When you use Charm after the showdown, a new combat begins and new designations are assigned - the charmed unit will be the attacker since they are contesting the battlefield you control. Sequence: - Yasuo moves to open battlefield via Yasuo Unforgiven - Showdown resolves (no attacker/defender designations exist) - Charm is used - New combat begins with charmed unit as attacker Nuances: - Attacker and defender designations fall off at the end of each combat - Open showdowns do not create attacker/defender designations because no combat occurs

Ruling: Yasuo's controller is the attacker and Deathbloom Predator's controller is the defender. Yasuo does trigger his 'while I attack' ability. Sequence: - Yasuo moves to the empty battlefield, applying contested status and staging an open showdown - During the open showdown, Ride the Wind moves Deathbloom Predator to the same battlefield - This stages a combat but doesn't start it yet because the state is not Neutral Open - The first showdown ends without establishing control, so contested status remains - State becomes Neutral Open and cleanup occurs, starting the staged combat - Cleanup assigns attacker designation to Yasuo (who applied contested status) and defender designation to Deathbloom Predator - Combat showdown starts and Yasuo's attack trigger goes on the initial chain Nuances: - The attacker is determined by who applied the contested status to the battlefield, not who moved there most recently - Moving a unit to an already-contested battlefield does not apply contested status again - Two showdowns occur: first an open showdown (which ends without result), then a combat showdown

Ruling: Yes, Yasuo gets the Mask of Foresight trigger. When Yasuo moves to the battlefield mid-showdown, a Combat Showdown is staged, and he will get the bonus during that combat showdown. Sequence: - Kai'Sa moves to battlefield, beginning a Non-Combat Showdown - Yasuo uses Ride the Wind to move to the battlefield mid-showdown - A Combat Showdown is staged - Players play cards/pass priority to resolve the Non-Combat Showdown - Players proceed immediately to the Combat Showdown - Yasuo gets the Mask of Foresight bonus during the Combat Showdown Nuances: - Kai'Sa is the Attacker and Yasuo is the Defender in the Combat Showdown - Yasuo can conquer the battlefield if he wins the combat - If Yasuo uses Ride the Wind to return to his original battlefield, he can score another point there if he hasn't scored a point at that battlefield this turn - Players must still play cards/pass priority to end the Non-Combat Showdown before the Combat Showdown begins

Ruling: Question 1 depends on timing - if Zenith Blade is used before the first showdown ends, Leona does not get a conquer point; if used after (during the second showdown), she does. Question 2: Yes, Yasuo gets his attack trigger and remains the attacker because he applied the contested status first. Sequence: - Yasuo uses Ride the Wind to move to another battlefield, applying contested status - If Leona waits for the first showdown to end, she conquers the first battlefield (being the only unit there) - An open showdown begins at the second battlefield where Yasuo is - Leona uses Zenith Blade to move in and stun Yasuo - Combat becomes pending (the open showdown must conclude first) - Once the open showdown naturally concludes and returns to neutral Open, combat begins - Yasuo is the attacker (applied contested status first) and his attack trigger activates - Leona is the defender and gets shield Nuances: - Yasuo's attack trigger deals damage even though he is stunned, because stunned only affects damage during combat resolution, not other damage sources - The battlefield never stopped being contested from when Yasuo first moved there, which is why he remains the attacker - There is no immediate combat when Leona moves in during an open showdown - combat only becomes pending and begins after the open showdown concludes

Ruling: Yasuo's ability would not deal damage if Yasuo is removed from the battlefield before the ability resolves. The might value cannot be determined when the unit is no longer present. Nuances: - The ability does null damage (not 0 damage), which is an important distinction for interactions with cards like Void Gate that care about the difference between null damage and 0 damage.

Ruling: Yes, Discipline can be played during initial chain formation. The attacker adds their triggers first, then the defender adds their triggers, and then the defender has priority to react to their own trigger before the attacker can react. Sequence: 1. Yasuo, Remorseful's "when I attack" trigger goes on the initial chain 2. Ahri, Nine-Tailed Fox's "when defending" trigger goes on the initial chain 3. Player A (defender) has priority to react to their own trigger with Discipline, which goes on the initial chain 4. Yasuo player would have priority to play a reaction before Ahri can play Discipline 5. Chain resolves in reverse order: Discipline resolves (unit goes to 6 might), Ahri trigger resolves (Yasuo goes to 5 might), Yasuo trigger resolves (defending unit takes 5 damage) 6. Chain fully resolved, priority goes to attacker Nuances: - The defender adds their triggers to the initial chain last - Before the defender (Ahri player) can play Discipline, the attacker (Yasuo player) would have priority to play a reaction

According to Combat-initiated Showdown Initial Chain, triggered abilities are added to the chain in this order: first by the player with Focus (the Attacker), then by players without the Defender designation in turn order, and finally by the Defender. In this scenario, Yasuo's 'When I attack' ability enters the chain FIRST (since Yasuo's controller is the Attacker with Focus), then Nine-Tailed Fox's 'When an enemy unit attacks' ability enters the chain SECOND (since Nine-Tailed Fox's controller is the Defender). The general principle is: the active/attacking player adds their triggered abilities to the chain first, then the defending player adds theirs.

Ruling: The attack trigger deals damage equal to Yasuo's current might when it resolves (2 damage after Smoke Screen). Only targets and choices are locked in when abilities go on the chain, not the values of variables like might. Sequence: - Yasuo moves to opponent's battlefield and starts showdown - Yasuo's attack ability triggers and opens a chain - Opponent plays Smoke Screen, which resolves first - Yasuo's might is reduced - Yasuo's attack trigger resolves, dealing damage equal to his current (reduced) might

Ruling: Reavers Row resolves before Yasuo or Leona's attack triggers. The defender's unit exits the battleground before the attacker's abilities can affect it. Sequence: - Triggers go on the chain in order: attacker first, all other players, then defender - Chain resolves from top to bottom (defender triggers resolve first, then other triggers, then attacker triggers) - When finalizing targets, you choose in the order triggers were put on the chain (bottom to top), so Yasuo picks its target first, then the Reavers Row player picks their target - Reavers Row exits the unit before Yasuo's damage or Leona's stun can apply Nuances: - The player holding Reavers Row can choose not to retreat and instead react with Call to Glory before abilities resolve, like in any other chain - Since the unit exits before Leona's stun resolves, it is not stunned (the unit is no longer 'here')

Ruling: Sett's final power is 5. Power modifications are straightforward arithmetic: start with buffed Sett at 7 power (5 base + 1 from buff + 1 from Sett's passive doubling the buff), apply Watcher's -3 to get 4, remove the buff (losing 2 power) to get 2, then add Call to Glory's +3 to reach 5. Sequence: - Sett with buff alone: 7 power (5 base + 1 buff + 1 from Sett's passive) - Watcher applies -3: 4 power - Buff removed (losing +2 total): 2 power - Call to Glory adds +3: 5 power final Nuances: - Sett's passive doubles buff effects on him (counts himself as a friendly unit) - There is no mechanic where negative power "eats up" or cancels out positive modifiers from removed buffs - all modifications are simple addition and subtraction

Ruling: Yes, the original unit loses the +2 might bonus when the hidden unit is revealed. Yi's ability is a continuous effect that uses "while", so the moment a unit is no longer the only defender on a battlefield, it loses the might boost. Nuances: - This differs from "when" effects which would lock in the bonus at a specific timing - The continuous "while" condition is checked constantly and updates immediately when the game state changes

Ruling: The player who first moved their unit to the battlefield (applying contested status first) is the attacker, and the player who used Zenith Blade to move their unit there afterward is the defender. Sequence: - Player 1 moves their unit to an empty battlefield, opening a noncombat showdown - Player 2 plays Zenith Blade, moving their unit to that battlefield and stunning the enemy unit - The noncombat showdown ends (Player 1 cannot conquer because the battlefield remains contested) - Combat showdown begins with Player 1 as attacker and Player 2 as defender - If Player 1 wins combat, they conquer and score on attack - If Player 2 wins combat (or Player 1 doesn't clear all defenders), Player 2 conquers and scores on defense Nuances: - Even if the defender doesn't outright win the combat, they will still conquer and score since the attacking unit will be sent home for not clearing the defenders from the battlefield - The unit moved by Zenith Blade would be the defender, so effects that trigger on being the defender would apply