Can you play a unit directly to a battlefield you don't control, or does it need to go to base first?

Ruling: You cannot play units directly to a battlefield unless you already have control of it. Units must be played to your base first if you don't control the target battlefield.

Sequence:

• To play a unit directly to a battlefield, you must already have control of that battlefield
• Control requires having units present at that battlefield
• If you don't control a battlefield, units must go to base first

Nuances:

• If you gank away from a battlefield you previously controlled, you lose control and cannot play units there anymore
• Some units may have text that allows them to be played to battlefields you don't control