Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: Units are only healed after a combat (from a combat showdown) and at the end of the turn. Effects that deal damage outside of combat do not trigger healing. Sequence: - Carnivorous deals damage to a unit with its effect - Carnivorous retains that damage - If Carnivorous moves to a battlefield in the same turn, it enters combat with the damage already on it - Carnivorous only heals after the combat showdown or at end of turn Nuances: - The same principle applies to damage spells used before attacking a battlefield - the damage persists until healing occurs

Ruling: It is currently unclear how Deathknell works due to recent changes to the CRD. Nuances: - Deathknell is not a delayed trigger - One interpretation suggests it should trigger outside of combat in neutral state (similar to a Kog'Maw FAQ interaction) - There is disagreement about whether this interpretation is correct - During combat cleanup, no one gets priority (though this is uncertain)

Ruling: Deathknell triggers and goes pending before the unit is moved to the trash. During combat cleanup, the trigger pends, then the unit dies, then remaining units heal, and at the end of cleanup the trigger finalizes on the chain. You can respond to Deathknell triggers with hidden cards during any showdown (combat or non-combat) because contested status preserves control of the battlefield. Outside of showdowns, control is lost immediately when the last unit dies, so hidden cards are trashed before you can play them. Sequence: - Combat damage is dealt and units receive damage - Special cleanup begins - Deathknell triggers go pending (before unit moves to trash) - Unit with lethal damage dies and moves to trash - Remaining units heal - Deathknell trigger finalizes on the chain at end of cleanup - Players can respond to Deathknell trigger with hidden cards (if in a showdown) - If units from both players remain at battlefield after responses, a new combat stages - Combat resolution continues to step 2 where control changes hands Nuances: - If a unit with pending Deathknell doesn't actually die during cleanup (e.g., gets healed above lethal), the trigger is removed from the chain before finalizing - Deathknell triggers before the unit goes to trash specifically to allow equipment-granted Deathknell abilities to function (since abilities don't work from the trash) - In showdowns, you maintain control of hidden cards even after your last unit dies, allowing you to respond to Deathknell - Outside of showdowns, losing your last unit immediately cedes control and hidden cards are lost - Playing Zhonyas in response to Deathknell during combat will save the Zhonyas for another unit but won't prevent the Deathknell unit from dying

Ruling: Deathknell triggers after combat and after units have healed, which means it occurs after cleanup. Sequence: - Combat occurs - Units heal during cleanup - Deathknell triggers Nuances: - When Ekko dies during a showdown from a spell, the Deathknell goes on the same chain as the spell or ability that killed Ekko - When the Deathknell resolves, the chain closes and the next player in turn order gets focus - If you played the kill effect at reaction speed in a chain your opponent started, you'll get focus after the chain resolves; if you started the chain, your opponent gets focus first - The exact timing of Deathknells in combat is currently somewhat unclear, but Riot has stated they are intended to happen after heals - Regarding Zaun Warrens conquer effect vs Deathknell: Deathknell should resolve before Zaun even triggers

Ruling: Irelia, Fervent's triggered ability goes on top of the chain whenever she is targeted by a spell or ability, resolving before that spell or ability. The triggered ability triggers when the condition is met and remains on the chain even if the original spell is countered. Sequence: - When you finalize a spell or ability that targets Irelia, her triggered ability condition is fulfilled - The triggered ability goes on top of the chain above the spell/ability that targeted her - The triggered ability resolves first (Irelia gains +1 Might) - Then the original spell/ability resolves - For Switcheroo specifically: Irelia gets +1 Might, then the Might values are swapped (so the opponent ends up with the +1) Nuances: - If a spell targeting Irelia is countered, the triggered ability still remains on the chain and resolves (she still gets +1 Might) - During the awaken phase, if Irelia was exhausted before readying, her triggered ability condition is fulfilled and she gains +1 Might - The triggered ability's condition only matters when evaluating whether it triggers, not once it's already on the chain

Ruling: Leona's stun effect targets, and targets must be declared when you put the ability onto the chain (at initialization), not at resolution. Sequence: - Leona's effect goes on the chain when showdown starts - You must immediately declare which enemy unit at the battlefield is the target of the stun - The stun resolves later when the ability resolves from the chain Nuances: - An ability targets if it must choose a specific game object to affect (not if it affects all objects of a set) - Even if there is only one valid target, you still must declare it as the target

Ruling: Mask of Foresight does not trigger until the combat showdown starts, which happens after the open showdown fully ends (when both players pass focus without creating a chain). Sequence: - Player A moves Unit 1 to an open battlefield (open showdown begins) - Player B plays Ride the Wind during the open showdown, moving Unit 2 to the same battlefield (making it contested) - Both players pass focus without creating a chain (open showdown ends) - Combat showdown starts - Mask of Foresight triggers at this point, giving +1 might Nuances: - The attacker is determined by who made the battlefield contested (Player A in this scenario), not who moved second - Showdowns never end until both players pass to end them - If both players have Mask of Foresight, both units get +1 might (not a net zero effect)

Ruling: Mask of Foresight triggers when a unit is first marked as attacker/defender and is alone at that time. It does not trigger again if a unit becomes alone later during combat. Sequence: - The ability triggers at the moment a unit is marked as attacker or defender - This happens before passive stat increases - The buff persists until end of turn once granted Nuances: - If your lone attacker/defender is removed from combat and then you move something else in, the mask triggers for the new unit since it is marked as attacker/defender and is alone - If two units are defending together (like on Reavers Row) and one is moved back, mask does NOT trigger for the remaining unit because it was not alone when first marked as defender - If a unit is defending with a hidden unit and the hidden unit is revealed, mask does NOT trigger again even if one dies, because the trigger only happens when first determined as defender

Ruling: Mask of Foresight triggers when a unit is designated as attacker/defender and is alone on a battlefield. Once triggered, the effect does not fizzle if another unit is played afterward - the original unit still gets the +1 buff. Sequence: - Unit is designated as attacker/defender while alone - Mask of Foresight triggers and enters the chain - Even if another unit (like Teemo) is played from hidden before the trigger resolves, the buff still applies - The trigger does not check the "alone" condition again upon resolution Nuances: - This is different from passive effects (like Yi's) because it's a trigger that creates a pump buff lasting the entire turn - The effect can trigger multiple times per turn if you engage in multiple combats - The trigger does not undo itself once it has occurred

Ruling: Units are only considered "defending" during combat at the battlefield they're at, not throughout the entire turn. Nuances: - The defending status only applies during combat showdowns, not when targeted by damage spells or abilities outside of combat - Effects like Challenge do not count as combat for the purposes of defending status

Ruling: Ravenbloom Student's triggered ability enters the chain after a spell you play resolves, not when you initially play it. Sequence: - You play and resolve a spell - Ravenbloom Student's trigger enters the chain - Either player can respond to the trigger Nuances: - "Playing a spell" refers to the complete action of playing and resolving a spell, which is why effects that care about spells being "played" can see the spell after it resolves - You can respond to Ravenbloom Student's trigger with spells like Gust to bounce it before the trigger resolves

Ruling: Ravenbloom gets +1 might when your spells resolve, not when you initially use them. Sequence: - You play a spell - The spell fully resolves - Ravenbloom's trigger goes on the Chain - Both players get priority before the trigger resolves - The trigger resolves and Ravenbloom gets +1 might - This repeats for each spell that resolves Nuances: - A card is only considered "played" when it resolves, not when initially used

Ruling: Reaver's Row triggers at the start of showdown as a "when I defend" trigger. The choice of whether to move a unit (the "may" part) is made when the ability resolves, not when it triggers. Sequence: - Reaver's Row triggers at the start of showdown - The ability goes on the stack - When the ability resolves, you choose whether to move a unit Nuances: - All choices that aren't costs or targets are made on resolution - You cannot react before a "when I defend" trigger - If you have a hidden card in Reaver's Row, you can play it at any time during the showdown and retain control until the end of combat

Ruling: Reaver's Row is a "when defending" trigger that goes on the initial chain at the start of combat. You must choose the target for Reaver's Row when it goes on the chain, but you only decide whether to move the unit back when the trigger actually resolves. Sequence: - Combat begins and the initial chain is populated - Initial chain order (top to bottom): "When I attack" triggers, non-defender triggers (using turn order), "When I defend" triggers - Chain resolves bottom to top: defender triggers resolve first, then non-defenders, then attackers - You can play reactions onto the chain before Reaver's Row resolves - When Reaver's Row resolves, you make the final decision to move the targeted unit back to base or not Nuances: - You can react to anything on the chain, including "when attacking" triggers - Target selection for Reaver's Row happens when it enters the chain, but the movement decision happens at resolution

Ruling: When you play Carnivorous Snapvine, it enters the battlefield and both Snapvine's trigger and Relentless Storm's trigger are added to the chain simultaneously. The opponent cannot prevent Relentless Storm from triggering because the condition is checked when the unit enters, not when the trigger resolves. Sequence: - Snapvine is played and enters the battlefield (units always enter, nothing can prevent this) - Both Snapvine's trigger and Relentless Storm's trigger are added to the chain - This is the first point where opponents can react - When Relentless Storm's trigger resolves, you may choose to exhaust the unit to channel a rune exhausted Nuances: - Killing Snapvine or reducing its might after it enters will not prevent Relentless Storm from triggering, since the trigger condition is not re-checked on resolution - The "may exhaust" choice happens when the trigger resolves, not when it's added to the chain - Opponents can react to the triggers on the chain, but cannot react to the unit being played itself

Ruling: Sett's recall ability activates during the damage assignment step after lethal damage is assigned to a unit with a buff, before damage is actually dealt. The recalled unit does not deal damage because it is removed before damage resolution. Sequence: - Go to damage assignment step - Assign damage - If lethal damage would be dealt to a unit with a buff, activate Sett's ability - Recall the unit (before damage is dealt) - The recalled unit deals no damage Nuances: - The ability cannot activate after a unit dies because you cannot activate abilities during cleanup - The unit must have a buff for Sett's ability to trigger

Ruling: Showdown ends as soon as both players pass focus in succession without doing anything, then the game proceeds to combat damage. Sequence: - Both players pass focus in succession - Showdown ends - Proceed to combat damage

Ruling: Movement happens instantaneously, and the unit is at their destination as soon as movement is performed. Any movement triggers go on the chain immediately after the movement and must resolve before anything else can happen. Sequence: - If moving with a standard move before combat: The move completes, the trigger goes on the chain, and combat cannot begin until the trigger resolves and the chain closes - If moving with a spell or ability (like Reaver's Row, Ride the Wind, or Fight or Flight): After the spell performs the move and before the chain closes, the trigger goes on the chain and must be finalized - Any subsequent movement (including from Fight or Flight used as a reaction) will cause another trigger Nuances: - You cannot react to the movement itself, only to subsequent triggers - For Traveling Merchant's "discard one, draw one" ability: You do as much as you can. If you can't discard, you still draw. The comma indicates sequential actions, not a cost (which would be worded "discard one to draw one")

Ruling: "When you play" triggers occur after the spell resolves, and the trigger goes onto the chain as a triggered ability that allows responses before it resolves. Sequence: - Cast the spell (e.g., Stupefy) - The spell resolves - Viktor's "when you play" trigger goes onto the chain - Players can respond to the trigger - When the trigger resolves, play the 1-might recruit token to your base Nuances: - The trigger can occur mid-chain if the spell that triggered it resolves while other items are still on the chain - If the spell is countered, the "when you play" trigger never occurs because countered spells are not played

Ruling: Vision triggers immediately when the unit is played (resolves). The unit is on the battlefield when it resolves and can "see" any play effects it has, including those granted by passive effects like Gemcraft Seer. Sequence: - The hidden unit is revealed and played - The unit resolves as a permanent and enters the battlefield - Vision trigger is immediately added to the chain - Players receive priority to respond to the Vision trigger - The Vision trigger does not wait for the entire chain to resolve before triggering Nuances: - A unit can trigger play effects granted to it by other cards (like Gemcraft Seer) even though it doesn't inherently have those abilities - "Resolve" and "played" are functionally equivalent in this game for all intents and purposes

Ruling: Targets are chosen when the ability is finalized (when it goes onto the chain), but the actual damage distribution among those targets is decided at resolution. Units played or revealed after finalization cannot be targeted. Sequence: - Volibear's attack ability triggers and goes onto the chain - At finalization (when added to chain), targets are chosen from available units - Opponent can respond (e.g., playing Hidden Teemos, buffing units) - At resolution, attacker distributes the damage among the previously chosen targets (minimum 1 damage to each) Nuances: - Units that enter play after finalization cannot be added to the target pool - If a targeted unit receives buffs after being targeted but before resolution, those buffs apply before the damage is dealt - The attacker does not need to declare how damage is split until resolution, only which units are targeted

Ruling: Warwick's effect activates after he lands on the battlefield during the chain phase, following reactions and "when defending" abilities. Units killed by Warwick's effect are removed before combat damage is calculated at the end of the showdown. Sequence: - Warwick lands on the battlefield (enters the chain) - "When defending" abilities trigger - Reactions trigger - Reactions resolve first - "When defending" abilities resolve - Warwick's effect resolves - Combat damage is calculated at the end of showdown (only with units still on battlefield) Nuances: - Units killed by Warwick will be in the trash before combat damage is resolved, so their might does not contribute to damage - This principle applies to any spell or ability that removes units during the showdown - only units currently on the battlefield at the end contribute their might to combat damage

Ruling: In Riftbound, "played" means on resolve. When a card checks "when you play a card," it triggers immediately after the relevant card resolves. Sequence: - Cards are added to the chain - The chain resolves one step at a time - "When you play a card" triggers happen immediately after the relevant card resolves Nuances: - The only "on cast" style trigger currently in the game is on-target effects, which happen when the card finalizes on the chain (not on resolve)

Ruling: Deathknell abilities trigger and resolve during 627.1 when the unit is placed in the trash. There are no atomic indivisible steps in the resolution process - triggered abilities can create and resolve chains during substeps of 627. Sequence: - During 627.1, units with lethal damage are removed and placed in the trash - Deathknell triggers immediately when the unit hits the trash - The deathknell ability goes on the chain (creating a new chain if needed) - Players can respond with reactions since a triggered ability has created a chain - The chain resolves completely, including any cleanups - After the chain is empty, continue to 627.2 and subsequent steps - Damage is cleared in 627.5, which happens after deathknell resolution Nuances: - Players do not normally have priority during 627 (it's a Neutral Open State but not during Action Phase), but triggered abilities can be placed on the chain during any state - This means Kog'Maw's deathknell can kill a 5 might unit because the damage hasn't been cleared yet when his ability resolves - The combination of Kog'Maw dying and triggering other deathknells (like Machine Evangel) works through the chain and cleanup system - Official clarification confirmed the rules as written were not entirely clear on this point and will be tightened up in future versions

Ruling: A player cannot gain control of a contested battlefield immediately upon moving a unit there. Moving a unit to a battlefield you don't control makes it contested, and you must go through the showdown process until the end and still be the only player who controls a unit there in order to gain control of it. Sequence: - Unit moves to uncontrolled battlefield - Battlefield becomes contested - Showdown occurs at end of move's cleanup - All players pass focus in a row - Final showdown procedures occur - If you are the only player with units there at the end, you gain control Nuances: - For unoccupied battlefields specifically, the showdown final procedures are detailed in rule 345.2 - Rule 181.4.a describes the general state of control but not the precise mechanism by which control is gained

Ruling: If a unit dies to combat damage during a showdown, control is lost immediately when the showdown ends, and no reactions are allowed from the hidden card. If a unit dies outside of combat (such as from a damage spell), control is lost immediately when no units are present, and the hidden card cannot be used. Sequence: - During combat: Lethal damage is assigned, the showdown ends, control is gained/lost, points are gained, then the hidden card is trashed with no reaction window - Outside combat: When an effect kills the last unit, control is lost immediately and both the unit death and hidden card trashing happen in the same cleanup with no window for reactions Nuances: - If a unit dies during the showdown to an effect (not combat damage), control stays until the combat resolves when damage would be dealt - Deathknell triggers create a special case where chain items can intercede after combat damage but before contested/control is cleared, allowing reactions in that specific window - Effects like Unchecked Power that kill units outside combat are "checkmate" for hidden cards with no opportunity to use them

Ruling: A player does not receive priority to play a reaction when their opponent plays a unit to their base (without abilities), moves a unit to a battlefield they already control, or passes turn. Nuances: - Priority windows only occur if the unit has a "when you play me" ability or a "when I move" ability - Without such triggered abilities, none of these actions create a priority window for reactions

Ruling: When a target is no longer legal or information is unavailable, the check returns null (not zero). The updated Comprehensive Rules Document will be changed so it is always null when the target is no longer legal. Nuances: - Previous examples in the rules incorrectly showed numerical values like Might returning 0, but these will be corrected to null - For effects like Baited Hook that reference "the killed unit," if no unit was actually killed, there is no unit to check values from, resulting in null - The distinction matters because null means the value cannot be evaluated at all (preventing further resolution), while 0 would be a valid numerical value that could be used

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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