Astral Heron
Unofficial Riftbound rulings for Astral Heron, with rules explanations, examples, and Core Rules citations.
When exactly does Astral Heron trigger, and which card gets its discount?
Astral Heron triggers after your first card of the turn finishes resolving, and if its triggered ability resolves, it discounts the next card you play this turn after that resolution. In a trigger condition, "When you play" is checked only when the act of playing that card is completed by its resolution. If a spell is countered instead of resolving, it does not trigger Astral Heron, and the first card you later resolve that turn can trigger it instead.
When the condition is fulfilled, the triggered ability is placed on the chain and must resolve before the discount exists. Once it resolves, "the next card you play this turn" means the next card you place on the chain and queue for finalization. Astral Heron's discount is applied while determining that card's total cost, before you pay the cost and finish finalizing it.
Does Astral Heron's ability trigger if it's the first card I play this turn and I play it to a battlefield?
Yes, if Astral Heron is your first card played that turn and enters a battlefield as it resolves.
A unit resolves immediately after finalizing. During that resolution, it enters the board at its chosen location. Only after Astral Heron finishes resolving is it considered played for trigger conditions. Triggered abilities of permanents can have their conditions evaluated while their source is on the board. Astral Heron is therefore at the battlefield when the game evaluates its trigger condition after the completed play.
The immediately following "if I'm at a battlefield" is part of the trigger condition and is checked at that time.
Does Astral Heron trigger if the first card I play moves Astral Heron to base?
No, if the spell leaves Astral Heron at base when it finishes resolving.
A card is not considered played, and abilities that trigger from playing it are not evaluated, until that card finishes resolving. Astral Heron's trigger condition is therefore checked only after the spell's movement instructions have been completed. Because "if I'm at a battlefield" is part of that trigger condition, the ability is not placed on the chain if Astral Heron is at base by then.
This differs from moving Astral Heron after its triggered ability has already been placed on the chain, when the condition has already been satisfied.
Once Astral Heron's triggered ability is on the chain, can I stop the cost reduction by killing or moving Astral Heron?
No. Once the triggered ability is on the chain, it still creates the discount even if you kill or move Astral Heron.
"If I'm at a battlefield" is part of the trigger condition, so it is not checked again when the ability resolves. The effect does not need Astral Heron's location or continued presence. When the triggered ability resolves, it creates a delayed ability that is not associated with Astral Heron and remains applicable at its specified time even if Astral Heron has left the board.
If the spell that receives Astral Heron's discount is later countered, is the discount granted to a different card instead?
No. Once the discount has reduced the next spell's cost, countering that spell does not transfer the discount to another card.
Astral Heron's triggered ability creates a delayed passive ability that applies only during the specified window for "the next card you play this turn." The discount applies while determining that card's total cost, and the reduced cost is then paid before the card finishes finalizing. By the time the finalized spell can be countered, that specified window has ended.
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Written by Christian “Near” Ivicevic.
Last updated on .