Showdowns
Commonly asked questions about Showdowns in Riftbound
When does a Showdown close?
Once initiated, a Showdown never closes abruptly. A Showdown will only end once all players have consecutively passed Focus on an empty Chain (CR 345).
Example
You control a battlefield with a Stalwart Poro on it. Your opponent moves their Ravenbloom Student into that battlefield starting a Showdown. Once your opponent gains Focus, they play Hextech Ray targeting the Stalwart Poro which successfully resolves and kills it. The Showdown does not end right away and you gain Focus as usual. You still have the opportunity to play spells in an attempt to prevent your opponent from conquering.
What happens when I move a unit into a non-combat Showdown?
The ongoing non-combat Showdown continues as usual with Focus and Priority being passed back and forth until all players have consecutively passed Focus on an empty Chain (CR 345). Since there is no Combat yet, combat-related keywords (such as Assault or Shield ) have no effect, no Attacker or Defender designations are assigned, and Attack or Defend triggers do not happen.
When the non-combat Showdown closes with units of two players still remaining, a Combat will be Staged (CR 345.2.b) as part of a Cleanup (CR 322.10). Once staged, a Combat (which includes its own Showdown) will open as usual, with the player who contested the battlefield first becoming the Attacker (CR 345.2.b.1), not necessarily the one who moved in last.
When do Attack/Defend triggers happen?
Attack and Defend triggered abilities (such as "When I attack" or "When I defend") trigger when a unit receives its Attacker or Defender designation, not necessarily at the start of combat. These designations are assigned during Cleanups (CR 322.5), which means units don't need to be present at the beginning of combat to get their triggers.
Units can join combat late and still trigger
If a unit is moved into a battlefield where combat is already in progress, it will receive the appropriate Attacker or Defender designation during the next Cleanup (CR 322.5.a). When it receives this designation, any "When I attack" or "When I defend" abilities will trigger at that time.
Example
Combat has started at a battlefield where you are the Attacker.
During the Showdown, you play Ride the Wind to move your Draven, Vanquisher (which reads "When I attack or defend, you may pay 
. If you do, give me +2 Might this turn.") from your Base to that battlefield.
When the spell resolves and the subsequent Cleanup occurs, Draven gains the Attacker designation and his "When I attack" ability triggers.
You may pay to give him +2 Might, even though he wasn't there when combat started.
Attack/Defend abilities only trigger once per combat
Attack and Defend triggered abilities can only trigger once per combat, even if a unit gains and loses its designation multiple times (CR 376.4.d.2.a, CR 376.4.e.2.a).
Once a unit has been assigned an Attacker or Defender designation during a combat, moving it away from the battlefield will cause it to lose that designation (CR 322.5.c). If that unit is moved back to the same battlefield during the same combat, it will gain the same designation as its controller (CR 322.5.a), which will be the same designation it previously had. However, its "When I attack" or "When I defend" ability will not trigger again, as these abilities can only be fulfilled once per combat.
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Written by Near.
Last updated on .