In a 3+ player game, if Player A moves a unit to start a showdown but after the showdown only Players B and C have units remaining at the battlefield, who is the attacker in the resulting combat?

Ruling: This is an edge case not fully covered by the current rules. The attacker should be the player who applied the Contested status (Player A), but since they have no units present, combat cannot resolve properly.

Sequence: To avoid this situation:

• Player B moves their unit to the battlefield
• Someone kills Player A's unit (removing Staged Combat)
• Player C can then move their unit

Nuances:

• Rule 421.2.a prevents third players from moving units to battlefields with Staged Combat
• The rules need clarification to handle cases where the player who applied Contested status no longer has units present
• Suggested rule changes would tie Staged Combat status to the presence of units from the player who applied Contested, not just their identity as attacker