Does Tideturner cause you to lose control of a battlefield mid-resolution when swapping units, potentially allowing you to contest or score?
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Answer
Ruling: You do not lose control of a battlefield during Tideturner's resolution. Control is only checked during cleanups, which occur after the entire effect resolves, not in the middle of it.
Sequence:
- Tideturner's effect begins resolving as one complete action
- Both unit moves occur as part of this single resolution (though not truly simultaneously, as game actions cannot be simultaneous)
- After the entire effect finishes resolving, cleanup occurs
- Control is checked during this cleanup, not during the resolution
Nuances:
- Rule 181.4.c states control is lost "immediately" when you have no units at a battlefield, which initially suggested mid-resolution control loss
- However, rule 322.4 (which handles control during cleanups) is more specific and takes precedence
- Rule 151.3.a states nothing can be addressed during resolution, including things caused by execution
- The moves within Tideturner are part of one game action; the move is not "complete" until the ability finishes resolving
- This only matters in edge cases where another unit at the battlefield is removed in response (via Gust, Retreat, etc.) before Tideturner resolves
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