When you use an 'Add' ability (like Kai'sa's legend ability or Malzahar) during a Showdown, does focus pass after it resolves, or do you retain focus?
Ruling: Add abilities do not pass focus when they resolve. You retain both focus and priority after an Add ability resolves, allowing you to immediately play another action or reaction without waiting for your opponent.
Sequence:
- Activate the Add ability during an open state with focus
- The ability goes on the chain (creating a closed state)
- The ability resolves immediately and cannot be reacted to
- Focus and priority remain with you
- You can immediately use the added resources to play cards or activate other abilities
Nuances:
- Add abilities still create a chain, they just resolve immediately without allowing reactions
- You can use "Reaction - Add" abilities while paying costs for spells (you don't need the resources in your pool beforehand)
- Gear with "Reaction" or "Action" keywords can be used during Showdowns, despite the general rule that gear abilities are base speed
- This ruling represents a functional change from earlier interpretations where Add abilities were thought to pass focus upon resolution