If Player A moves a unit to an empty battlefield and passes, then Player B plays Ride the Wind to move a stronger unit to that battlefield and defeats Player A's unit, does Player B score a point for conquering even though they didn't apply contested first?

Ruling: Yes, Player B scores a point for conquering. A player can score by gaining control of a battlefield they haven't scored that turn, regardless of whether they were the attacker or defender ("conquering on defense").

Sequence:

• Player A moves unit to empty battlefield, applying contested status
• Player A passes
• Player B plays Ride the Wind, moving stronger unit to battlefield
• Combat resolves, Player A's unit is defeated
• Player B gains control and scores for conquering

Nuances:

• Rule 442.1.b states "A player will gain control of a Battlefield after establishing Control by applying Contested first" - the word "first" means contested must be applied before gaining control (temporal), not that the scoring player must be the one who applied contested
• The attacker is always the player who applied contested first (Player A in this scenario), but either player can score if they gain control
• Rule 345.2.a covers gaining control when only one player's units remain at a battlefield
• Rule 440.2 covers the specific triggers for conquering during combat