Unleashed Patch Notes

Cards may refer to themselves by their name for clarity. This is shorthand for the above terms.

Cards a player owns may never be placed into a non-Board zone belonging to another player.

Non-Board zones corresponding to a player include Main Deck, Rune Deck, Trash, Hand, Chosen Champion zone, and Banishment.

If a card would enter such a zone, it goes to its owner's corresponding zone instead.

Bases

Each player has their own Base.

Permanents and Runes controlled by a player reside in that player's Base.

Permanents attached to Permanents controlled by a player may also be found in that player's Base.

Permanents and Runes in Bases are Public Information.

The Battlefield Zone houses multiple Battlefields.

Battlefields and permanents at Battlefields are Public Information.

The maximum occupancy of a Facedown Zone can increase or decrease.

If the maximum occupancy of a Facedown Zone decreases to a number less than the number of cards currently located there, the controller of that Facedown Zone must put a number of cards equal to the difference in the trash from the Facedown Zone.

Cards and abilities are placed here as part of the process of being played. See rule 327. Chains for more information.

Cards and abilities on the Chain are Public Information.

Trashes

Each player has their own Trash.

Champion Zones

Each player has their own Champion Zone.

Cards in a player's Champion Zone are Public Information.

Each player has their own Main Deck Zone.

Each player has their own Rune Deck Zone.

Banishments

Each player has their own Banishment.

Each player has their own Hand.

Instructions will self-describe when they are to be executed. If there is no timing described, they will execute during resolution. Example: An instruction says "as you play me, kill a unit as an additional cost." That instruction will execute as the card is being played. If the card is given Repeat and the Repeat cost is paid, this instruction will not execute because the Repeat execution does not happen until resolution of the spell, after this instruction has executed.

Instructions can usually be recognized by the way they are written. An instruction is written in the imperative mood, using the base form of a verb and omitting the subject unless necessary.

A keyword associated with an ability is indicated by the [>] symbol.

This could be a dependent keyword like [Legion][>] or [Level][>], or it could be a permissive keyword like [Action][>] or [Reaction][>].

Whatever instruction or ability comes after the [>] is modified by the keyword that comes before the [>]. Either it will be inactive, in the case of a dependent keyword, or it will receive the permission granted by the keyword in the case of a permissive keyword.

Any granted or appended Rules Text on a card is still Active even if that card is Attached to another card.

Although the unit's Might is treated as 0, it is not 0. Effects that calculate Might increases and decreases use the actual value of the unit's Might.

Units have a Location.

A Unit's Location is the Base or Battlefield it currently occupies.

Gear have a Location.

A Gear's Location is the Base or Battlefield it currently occupies.

Gear cannot normally become located at a Battlefield unless by some special means. Example: Gear are always played to Base. The only exception is a gear played from Facedown, which is played to the Battlefield it was played from. Gear can also become located at a Battlefield if they are attached to a unit who becomes located at a Battlefield. See rule 811. Hidden for more information. See rule 716. Attachment for more information.

Battlefields can be referenced in different states in card text:

Battlefields can be "occupied." This means they have a Unit present.

Battlefields can be "uncontrolled." This means no player controls them.

Battlefields can be "open." This means they are unoccupied and uncontrolled.

Tokens inherit the recycle destination of their type. Example: Token runes will be recycled to the Rune Deck. Token units, gear, and spells will be recycled to the Main Deck. Token battlefields and legends can't be recycled.

Although tokens do not have costs, their cost is treated as being 0 for all purposes.

A 2 [M] Sand Soldier token is a domainless unit token with 2 Might and the Shurima tag.

A 3 [M] Mech token is a domainless unit token with 3 Might and the Mech tag.

A Gold gear token is a domainless gear token with "[Reaction][>] Kill this, [E]: [Add] [A]."

A 0 [M] Reflection token is a domainless unit token with 0 Might.

A 1 [M] Bird token is a domainless unit token with 1 Might, the Bird tag, and the Deflect keyword. See rule 809. Deflect for more information.

A Brush battlefield token is a domainless battlefield token with "Bird, Cat, Dog, Poro, and Ivern units here have +1 [M]" and "When you score here, you may replace this with the battlefield it replaced."

The Baron Pit battlefield token is a domainless battlefield token with "Units can move here from anywhere."

While a Combat or Showdown is ongoing at a Battlefield, Control of that Battlefield cannot change until instructed by steps of the Combat or Showdown.

1. The Turn Player readies all Game Objects they control that are able to be readied. See rule 415. Ready for more information.

1. The Turn Player Holds all Battlefields they Control. See rule 462. Scoring for more information.

These Showdowns are called Non-Combat Showdowns. During the proceedings of a Non-Combat Showdown, units controlled by a different player may become present at the Battlefield where the Showdown is ongoing. This will cause the Showdown to become a Combat Showdown.

Invoke an Ending Special Cleanup. See rule 318. Cleanups for more information.

Insert "2c. Heal all Units."

Insert "2d. All 'this turn' effects expire simultaneously."

Insert "2e. Each player's Rune Pool empties. Any unspent Energy and Power are lost."

The following Task becomes Outstanding:

1. If any items underwent the FEPR process, return to the start of the Expiration Step

The next player with their Turn queued becomes the Turn Player.

After a Pending Item is added to the Chain

Similarly, while Chain Items are Resolving, a Cleanup cannot occur.

If an event occurs during the Resolution of a Chain Item that qualifies for a Cleanup, that Cleanup will be made an Outstanding Task.

These new Cleanups are themselves Outstanding Tasks.

3. Handle outstanding board state

3a. All Units that have non-zero Damage marked on them equalling or exceeding their Might that have Deathknell abilities will trigger their Deathknell ability now, making note of their current location, attributes, and other information relevant to add the trigger as a Pending Item See rule 808 Deathknell for more information.

3b. All Units that have non-zero Damage marked on them equalling or exceeding their Might are killed and placed in their owners' Trash.

8a. If a Showdown and Combat are staged at the same Battlefield and the turn player chooses to initiate the Showdown there, the Showdown will open as a Combat Showdown.

9a. If the current state is Showdown Open State and Combat is Staged at a Battlefield where there is a Non-Combat Showdown ongoing, that Showdown becomes a Combat Showdown.

A Task is one or more steps or processes that one or more Players must perform before continuing with any other actions.

Tasks include, but are not limited to: Cleanups, the actions performed during the Start of Turn Process, throughout Combat in its various steps, and the actions performed during the End of Turn Process. See rule 318. Cleanups for more information on Cleanups See rule 315. Start of Turn for more information on the Start of Turn process See rule 454. Combat for more information on the steps of Combat See rule 317. Ending Phase for more information.

Whenever a Player takes one or more actions that incur Tasks they should refer to the process of HOT FEPR: Handle Outstanding Tasks; then Finalize, Execute, Pass, Resolve.

In the course of Handling Outstanding Tasks, Chain Items may be added to the Chain. They will remain there until the Tasks are complete.

When all Outstanding Tasks are completed, all pending Chain Items will subsequently be processed by the FEPR process.

During the FEPR process, new Tasks may be incurred. Pause the process and complete the necessary Tasks before continuing.

If there are no Outstanding Tasks, no pending Chain Items, and it is the Main Phase, the Turn Player receives priority. If there are no Outstanding Tasks, no pending items, and it is any other phase of the turn, proceed to the next substep, step, phase, or turn.

When there are no outstanding Tasks and there are pending Chain Items on the Chain, players should refer to the FEPR process to proceed.

In the sequence of resolving FEPR more Chain Items may become Pending Chain Items. These will be processed by the same FEPR process that produced them.

If this occurs during a Showdown, the next player in turn order gains Focus.

If this occurs during a Showdown, focus passes to the next player in turn order.

Focus will not pass in this way if the chain opened as a result of a triggered ability being added to the chain, nor if it opened as a result of an Add ability being added to the chain. Example: the Initial Chain opens as a result of triggered abilities being added to the chain, so when the last item on the Initial Chain resolves and the turn returns to an Open State, Focus will not pass.

If it is a Non-Combat Showdown, do the following:

This item becomes Pending, awaiting the finalization process (steps 2 - 5)

If there are Tasks outstanding or currently being handled, finish those Tasks before continuing this process. See rule 334. for more information on Tasks.

For Spells and Abilities with a bulleted list of modes to choose from, make the appropriate choices now.

A valid Location is one other than the Units' current Location where they are allowed to be present.

If a spell or ability requires one or more players to make choices that are not outlined in this section, they are made on resolution.

Apply base cost modifications in any order.

If an ability or instruction allows you to play a card "for [Cost]", replace the card's Base Costs with [Cost].

Apply discounts.

Discounts that only apply to a component of the cost will be applied when that component is added to the cost of the spell and before any other discounts. Example: Ezreal, Prodigy reads "optional additional costs you pay cost [1] or [A] less." When playing a Frigid Touch and choosing to pay the additional cost in step 2, as soon as the additional cost is added to the cost of the spell, Ezreal, Prodigy's discount is applied to it.

Discounts that apply to a given component of a spell's cost may be applied in any order to that component.

Discounts that apply to the total cost of a spell and not any one component of the cost must be applied after any discount that applies only to a component of the cost.

These discounts may be applied in any order as long as they are applied after component discounts.

A player may not pay costs during this step that will deterministically result in illegal choices or actions later in this process unless they have no choice. Example: A player plays a card which reads "as an additional cost to play this, you may kill a friendly unit. Give a friendly unit +2 [M] this turn. If you paid the cost, give that unit +7 [M] this turn instead" If they chose to pay the cost, they must choose to kill a unit other than the targeted unit unless they have no choice.

Ensure that the card has the appropriate permissions to be played at this timing. Example: If the state is Showdown Closed and the card was the one that Closed the state, ensure that it has [Action] or [Reaction]. Example: If the state is Closed and the card wasn't the one that Closed the state, ensure that it has [Reaction].

If the spell checks information about a target that is legal, or a card or permanent whose location, zone, or status has not changed such that information is no longer available, that information is accessible.

Some instructions may reference Game Objects affected by, or Game Actions performed in, other instructions in a card. The referenced and referencing instructions are called "linked instructions."

In order for a later linked instruction to execute, its earlier linked instruction must have executed. If the earlier linked instruction is ignored for any reason, the later linked instruction will also be ignored.

If the Game Action performed in an earlier linked instruction is replaced, this will not affect the later linked instruction.

A spell or ability that leaves the chain during the process of its resolution will cease further execution of its instructions. This immediately causes the spell or ability to finish resolving.

Referents

Some information used by abilities is referenced from the source of those abilities, or from one or more targets of a spell or ability. This can usually be recognized by the presence of words like "here," "my," or "its."

Information referenced in an instruction in this way will be checked on execution of the instruction. Examples: ​ A player moves Yasuo, Remorseful to an occupied enemy battlefield and initiates combat there. In reaction to the Yasuo, Remorseful attack trigger, their opponent plays Fight or Flight from hidden targeting Yasuo, moving him back to base. When the attack trigger resolves, "here" is no longer the battlefield where combat is ongoing and the attack trigger mistargets. In reaction to a Yasuo, Remorseful attack trigger, an opponent plays Stupefy targeting Yasuo. When Yasuo's attack trigger resolves, it will deal damage equal to his current Might of 5.

Some information used by triggered abilities is referenced from the trigger condition of the ability. This information is checked when the trigger condition is fulfilled. Example: Lillia, Fae Fawn reads "when I move from a location, play a 3 [M] Sprite token with Temporary there." If Lillia moves to a battlefield, her triggered ability will be placed on the chain and it will note the location she moved from when it does so. If she moves to a non-board zone in reaction to the triggered ability on the chain, it will not affect where the Sprite token will be played when the triggered ability resolves.

In the case of a delayed triggered ability, the information is referenced when the triggered ability is created unless specified otherwise.

In the case of a linked ability that references information from a linked triggered ability, that information may be referenced from the trigger condition of the linked triggered ability if specified.

Some information used by the effect of a triggered ability is referenced from the triggered ability itself, such as "enemy" and "friendly" status. This information is checked on execution of the referencing instruction. Example: Yasuo, Remorseful reads "when I attack, deal damage equal to my Might to an enemy unit here." Yasuo moves to an occupied enemy battlefield and his attack trigger goes on the chain. In reaction to the attack trigger, the defending player plays a hidden Hostile Takeover and gains control of Yasuo. The triggered ability is unaffected by Yasuo changing controllers, and "enemy" is in reference to the triggered ability itself, so it will resolve with no issue. Example: In reaction to the same Yasuo, Remorseful trigger, say the defending player had instead played a spell that reads "[Reaction]. Gain control of a triggered ability. You may make new choices for it." They chose the attack trigger. When Yasuo's attack trigger resolves, if they didn't make new choices for the trigger, the controller of the triggered ability will no longer be an enemy to the targeted unit, so the triggered ability will mistarget and do nothing. If they instead chose Yasuo with the attack trigger, he would be an enemy unit to the triggered ability and so it would deal damage equal to his Might to himself.

Some Game Actions are themselves Replacement Effects. Example: Burning Out is a replacement effect.​ Example: Preventing Damage is a replacement effect.

Replacement Effects apply to any event or instruction that qualifies for their application. A Replacement Effect will specify the circumstances by which an event or instruction will qualify to be replaced.

When a Replacement Effect applies, it replaces the qualifying event with one or more Game Actions or events, or the qualifying instruction with another instruction.

A Replacement Effect can only be applied once to an event, or to any Game Actions or events that replace that event. Example: A player plays a spell that reads "gear you control become 1 [M] gear units this turn." They control two copies of Zhonya's Hourglass when the spell resolves. If one of those copies is killed, both of their Replacement Effects will be applied. Whichever is applied first, that Replacement Effect can't be applied again. When it is applied, it kills its source, which creates an event the other can apply its Replacement Effect to. Once they've both applied their Replacement Effect to the original death event and the event that replaced it, they cannot go any further. At that point, whichever Zhonya's Hourglass applied its Replacement Effect last will die.

If a Game Object has a Replacement Effect that is active in a specific zone, it is evaluated and subsequently applied if it enters that zone before an event occurs that it could replace. Example: A unit that reads "if a unit you control would die, you may banish me from your trash instead. If you do, heal that unit, exhaust it and recall it." The first unit dies simultaneously with a 1 [M] Recruit token. It does not enter the trash before the Recruit dies, so it will not be able to replace its death.

Some Replacement Effects will begin with "once each turn."

When an event the Replacement Effect could apply to occurs, the player who controls the Replacement Effect may choose to apply it to the event.

If they do not, it has not been applied this turn.

If more than one event occurs simultaneously that Replacement Effects could apply to, each event is treated separately and individually for the purposes of Replacement Effects, and Replacement Effects with the same controller are applied in the order of their controller's choosing. Example: Two units controlled by the same player die in the same cleanup. That player also controls Zhonya's Hourglass. They must decide which event to apply Zhonya's Hourglass to first.

Although these events are simultaneous, the applied Replacement Effects are ordered. If multiple applied Replacement Effects with different controllers would execute simultaneously, they execute in turn order.

When applying Replacement Effects to events that occur simultaneously, each Replacement Effect may only be applied in one sequence, to any number of events that are qualified to be replaced. Example: Soraka, Wanderer reads "If another unit you control here would die, if it has less Might than me, instead heal it, exhaust it, and recall it." Soraka dies simultaneously with two 1 [M] Recruit tokens at the same battlefield and two 1 [M] Recruit tokens in base. Soraka has a Guardian Angel attached to her when she dies, which appends "If I would die, kill Guardian Angel instead. Heal me, exhaust me, and recall me" to Soraka's rules text. There are several possible ways to order the Replacement Effects being applied to the various events: If Soraka's Replacement Effect is applied first, it saves the Recruits at the same battlefield as her but not the Recruits in base. If the Replacement Effect appended by Guardian Angel then saves Soraka, she cannot apply her Replacement Effect to the Recruits in base as her Replacement Effect has already been applied to an event simultaneous with it dying. If the Replacement Effect appended by Guardian Angel is applied first, it saves Soraka and recalls her - then when Soraka's Replacement Effect is applied, it can only save the Recruits in base.

A sequence of Replacement Effects is an uninterrupted series of applications to a set of simultaneous events.

A Replacement Effect that replaces an event or Game Action that is part of another Replacement Effect will not interrupt the sequence of the replaced Replacement Effect's application.

A Replacement Effect's controller is the player that controls the source of the Replacement Effect.

If an event that a Replacement Effect applies to would be modified by a Game Effect, or the results of that event would be modified by a Game Action, the Replacement Effect will inherit those modifications. Example: Treasure Hunter reads "When I move, play a Gold gear token exhausted." A Replacement Effect that says "if you would play a token gear, play that token and an additional copy instead" is applied to the event of the Gold gear token being played. The additional copy will also be exhausted, as it inherits the "exhausted" modification. Example: Another Replacement Effect says "if you would play a token, draw 1 instead." The modification cannot apply, so we ignore it. Example: A spell reads "play a ready 3 [M] Mech token. Then do this: Give it Temporary." A Replacement Effect that says "if you would play a unit token, play that token and a 1 [M] Recruit token instead" is applied to the event of the Mech token being made. The Recruit token enters ready and is given Temporary.

Card text will refer to activating Activated Abilities with the word "use."

If "using" an Activated Ability is part of a trigger condition, that condition is fulfilled when the Activated Ability resolves.

If an Activated Ability has a condition on "using" it, that condition must be true in order to activate the ability in question. Example: Ultrasoft Poro reads "[E]: Play two 1 [M] Bird unit tokens with [Deflect]. Use this ability only while I'm at a battlefield." In order to activate the ability, Ultrasoft Poro must be located at a battlefield.

If a Triggered Ability says "you may" as the first part of its Effect, the controller of its source will choose whether or not to place the Triggered Ability on the chain when its trigger Condition is fulfilled.

If a Triggered Ability contains a cost within instructions, that cost is treated as the base cost of the Triggered Ability.

The cost must be paid in order to finalize the Triggered Ability to the Chain.

Costs within instructions for Triggered Abilities are not paid on resolution, unlike costs within instructions for Spells.

If a triggered ability has a conditional statement following the Condition, that conditional statement must be true in order for the trigger to be placed on the Chain. Example: Sona, Harmonious reads "At the end of your turn, if I'm at a battlefield, ready up to 4 friendly runes." Her Trigger Ability's Condition will be fulfilled in the Ending Step, but the Triggered Ability will only be placed on the chain if she is located at a battlefield when the Condition is fulfilled.

Some Triggered Abilities will trigger "once each turn."

When the Condition is fulfilled, the player who controls the source of the Triggered Ability may choose to place it on the chain.

If they do not, it has not Triggered this turn.

Targeting Effects are Triggered Abilities with the Condition that a Game Object becomes targeted.

These are commonly structured as "When you choose me …" or "When you choose a [Game Object] …"

These Triggered Abilities are put on the Chain as Pending Items after a spell or ability that targets an appropriate Game Object is Finalized.

Although these abilities say "choose" in their Condition, they trigger specifically when an appropriate Game Object is Targeted. See rule 355.6. Targeting for more information on what counts as Targeting.

These Triggered Abilities can be referred to as Targeting Effects.

If the trigger condition contains other requirements besides attacking and if those requirements are not fulfilled when the unit gains the Attacker designation, it will not trigger in that combat.

If the trigger condition contains other requirements besides defending and if those requirements are not fulfilled when the unit gains the Defender designation, it will not trigger in that combat.

Delayed Linked Abilities are Linked Abilities that are generated by another Ability and reference that Ability or Game Objects it affects. Delayed Linked Abilities don't necessarily identify a specific window of time, and instead are defined by the Ability they are linked with.

If that Ability affects a Game Object, the Delayed Linked Ability's window will be as long as that Game Object is in an appropriate zone.

Linked Abilities

Linked Abilities are a set of Abilities with one or more of the component Abilities referencing the other Abilities in the set.

In order for a set of Abilities to be Linked, they must be present in the printed Effect or Rules Text of the same Game Object, or be granted by the same source to another Game Object.

Linked Abilities can contain component Abilities of any type.

A component Linked Ability that references a Game Object affected by another Ability in the set may only interact with Game Objects affected by the Abilities it is Linked with.

If a Triggered Ability has a cost within instructions (e.g. "[do X] to [do Y]"), the cost is taken as the base cost. See rule 742.1. for more information on costs within instructions.

Responsibility

Game Actions may be the responsibility of up to one player. The player that performs the Game Action is responsible for it.

In the case where a Game Action is performed by procedures of the game and not by any player, that Game Action is not the responsibility of any player.

Certain rules assign responsibility to players for Game Actions that they are not normally responsible for.

If an ability triggers when "you" do something, it triggers when a Game Action that you are responsible for occurs. Example: A gear reads "When you move an enemy unit, you may exhaust this to [Stun] it." It will trigger whenever a move game action that you are responsible for causes an enemy unit to move. If an opponent plays a spell that reads "choose a Battlefield. Each player may move a unit they don't control to that battlefield," and a player that controls the gear chooses to move an enemy unit, their gear will trigger.

Note that certain Game Actions, specifically Kill, can be attributed to spells and abilities. This attribution is not the same as the responsibility a given player has for the kill game action.

Spells and abilities have attribution for game actions, while players have responsibility.

Unless specified otherwise, drawing takes cards from the Main Deck.

Valid Damage is a positive integer amount, greater than or equal to 1 Damage.

Only Valid Damage is Dealt. Example: A unit has "when I take damage, give me +2 [M] this turn." A spell is played that Prevents the next 3 damage the unit would take. If a player plays Hextech Ray targeting the unit, it will take no damage and its triggered ability will not trigger. If that player had played Void Seeker instead, it would be Dealt 1 and trigger its ability. Example: A unit is present at Void Gate. A spell is played that Prevents the next 3 damage the unit would take. If a player plays Hextech Ray targeting the unit, it will take no damage - in order to apply the Bonus Damage from Void Gate, the Deal game action would have to occur, and Hextech Ray did not Deal any damage.

A player Plays cards by placing them on the chain and queuing them to be finalized. See rule 349. Playing Cards for more information on playing cards. See rule 337. Finalize for more information on finalizing cards.

By default, a player can only Play cards from their hand or their Chosen Champion zone.

In order to Kill something "with" a spell or ability, the Kill action must be attributed to the spell or ability, the player must control that spell or ability, and the player must be responsible for the Kill action.

When an Add ability is activated in this way, it immediately finalizes and resolves, even during the resolution of spells and abilities.

Points gained after the first Burn Out being processed in sequence cannot be replaced or prevented by any means. Points gained after the first Burn Out being processed in sequence that cause a player to reach or surpass the Victory Score for their game mode will cause that player to win the game if they also have more points than any opponent. The player wins immediately, without needing to wait for a cleanup to occur.

Attaching a card to its current Top-Most Card will not have any effect.

If a Game Effect instructs a player to Attach a card to its current Top-Most Card, nothing additional happens.

Predict

Predicting a card is the act of looking at a single card from the top of the Main Deck and choosing whether or not to Recycle it.

When more than one card is Predicted, the Predicting player looks at that many cards and Recycles any number of them.

The Player who performs the game action may rearrange any cards not Recycled in this way.

Predicting is a Limited Action.

Players may only Predict cards when instructed to do so by game effects.

This action, when instructed, is formatted as "Predict X."

If omitted, X is presumed to be 1.

If a player attempts to Predict more cards than are available in their Main Deck, they will Predict as many as possible instead.

The Player will not perform a Burn Out as a result of Predicting with too few cards in their deck.

Prevent

Preventing damage is the act of reducing the Damage a set of game objects would take.

Prevent is an action that interacts with Damage.

Prevent appears in statements that define an amount of damage and the source of the damage it will affect, as well as the timespan it will be relevant for.

Prevent actions are usually formatted as "Prevent the next X [source] damage that would be dealt to a [unit] this turn."

The X is referred to as the Prevent Value.

X can be "All," which specifies an infinite amount of damage.

Prevent will always apply to the next damage that would be dealt to a unit affected by the Prevent action.

When damage is Prevented, it is replaced with an event where it deals that much damage reduced by the Prevent Value tracked on the Unit specifically.

The damage being dealt as a result of Preventing can never be less than 0, but can be 0. This is equivalent to not dealing damage.

When damage is dealt this way, reduce the Prevent Value being tracked on the Unit affected by the Prevent action by the prevented amount.

If the Prevent Value is 0 or less, then Prevent is no longer being tracked on the Unit in question, and the effect expires.

The reduced value is the newly tracked Prevent Value.

If the Prevent Value is "All" then it remains "All."

Damage dealt to a Unit that has that all of that damage Prevented is not considered to have been dealt to it at all.

Damage can still be assigned to Units in combat that are affected by Prevent. The damage dealt as a result of that assignment will be affected by the Prevent action.

Damage can be assigned to a Unit up to a value that would be Lethal considering the Prevent Value of all Prevent Actions on a Unit. Example: A unit with 2 [M] is being assigned damage in the combat damage step. The unit has "prevent the first 3 damage I would take each combat." The unit would need to be assigned 5 damage in order to have lethal damage assigned to it.

No amount of damage is ever considered lethal if the Prevent Value is "All."

Prevent is a Limited Action.

Players may only Prevent Damage when directed to by Game Effects.

Prevent is a Delayed Replacement Effect. See rule 367. Replacement Effects for more information. See rule 389. Delayed Abilities for more information.

Replace

Replacing is the act of Creating a token in the place of another card or token without playing it while inheriting all effects or statuses of the game object it replaced.

Replacing is a Limited Action.

The player may Replace cards and tokens when instructed to do so by other game effects.

This action, when instructed, is formatted as "Replace [X] with [Y]."

The [X] is the target to be Replaced.

The [Y] is the object that will Replace the target.

This will always specify a Token to create.

Replacing is not a subset of Banishing.

The card or token that is Replaced is placed in Banishment.

While it resides in Banishment, it is considered to have been Replaced and not Banished.

If a token is Replaced it will stop existing once it begins its occupancy in Banishment.

This does not invalidate the token created, or the act of Replacement.

Tokens that have been Created through a Replace action can be instructed to be "Swapped back."

"Swapping Back" is an extension of the Replace action.

To Swap Back, the token stops existing and the original card is returned to the space that the token just occupied, inheriting all current effects and statuses.

If there is nothing in Banishment to swap back to, usually because a token was replaced, then this object can never swap back.

Create

Creating is the act of producing a Game Object that previously did not exist in the game.

Effects that Create one or more Game Objects will direct where those Game Objects must go - the Game Objects are Created directly to the zones in question.

Prior to being Created, these Game Objects did not exist outside of the zone they were Created to. After being Created, they may change zones as appropriate for Game Objects of their type.

If a zone is not specified by the effect, the Game Object will be created to the appropriate zone for its type. Permanents will be Created to any location on the Board that they can be played to.

Spells will be Created to the Chain.

Runes will be Created to base.

Legends will be Created to the Legend Zone.

Battlefields will be Created to the Battlefield Zone.

An effect that Creates a Game Object will specify the nature of the Game Object created.

If the Game Object is a token, it will follow the normal rules for tokens. See rule 176. Tokens for more information.

Unless specified otherwise by the Game Effect that Creates a Game Object, any such Game Object is owned by the player who Created it. Control is established as usual for Game Objects of the appropriate type.

A Created permanent, rune, legend, or spell is controlled by its owner as it is created.

A Created battlefield is uncontrolled as it is created.

This action, when instructed, is usually formatted as "Create [X] to [Y]" or "Add [X] to [Y]."

Creating is a Limited Action.

Players may only Create Game Objects when directed to by Game Effects.

In Modes of Play with teammates, Battlefields Controlled by a player's teammates are Invalid Destinations for Moves of all kinds (Standard Moves or otherwise) by Units that player controls.

A Combat occurs when a Cleanup occurs, there are no items on the Chain, there is a staged Combat at a Battlefield, and no Showdown or Combat is ongoing at any other Battlefield. See rule 318. Cleanups for more information.

If there is an ongoing Showdown at the Battlefield where the Combat is staged, that Showdown will become a Combat Showdown and a Combat will be initiated there.

If a Combat and Showdown are staged at the same Battlefield and the turn player initiates the Showdown, it will open as a Combat Showdown.

Combat will open in one of two ways: when a Combat and Showdown are staged at the same Battlefield and the turn player initiates the Showdown; or when the turn is in a Showdown Open State and a Combat is staged at the Battlefield where the current Showdown is ongoing. See rule 318. Cleanups for more information.

When Combat opens, it either opens with a Combat Showdown, or the current Showdown becomes a Combat Showdown.

The following Tasks become Outstanding, in the order described:

2. The Attacker gains Focus.

If both Attacking and Defending units remain at this battlefield, the following Tasks become Outstanding, in the specified order:

2. Skip the FEPR process and proceed to the Resolution Step.

The following Task becomes Outstanding:

1. Determine Combat Result

A Player has won a combat if they received either the attacker or defender designation and are the only Player that has units remaining at this battlefield during this step.

A Player has lost a combat if they received either the attacker or defender designation and are the only Player that does not have any units remaining at this battlefield during this step.

Units at this battlefield inherit the same combat result as their controllers

There is "No Result" if either both Players have units present during this step, or neither player has units present during this step.

If "No Result" was reached, and both players have units remaining, stage a Combat at this battlefield.

The following Task becomes Outstanding:

Remove all Hidden cards from this Battlefield that do not share a controller with the Battlefield.

Establishing Control results in a Conquer if that player has not yet scored this Battlefield this turn. See rule 185. Control for more information on Control. See rule 464.1. for more information on Conquering.

This does not have to be the player that applied Contested to the Battlefield.

The following Task becomes Outstanding:

1. Combat ends.

Remove Attacker and Defender Designation from all Units and Players.

All "this combat" effects expire simultaneously.

Scoring is the act of a Player gaining a point through the process of seizing or maintaining control over Battlefields.

Every instance of Scoring is also an instance of Gaining points

Copy effects are applied in this layer.

Some Game Effects may specify copying certain traits of a card - only the traits specified by the Game Effect will be copied.

Copy effects will copy the copyable traits of a Game Object: by default, those are the printed traits of the Game Object. When a Game Object becomes a copy of something, its copyable traits are updated to the new traits it has received. Example: A player triggers Leblanc, Deceiver's hold effect and plays a Reflection token, making it a copy of Honest Broker. That player then plays Mirror Image, targeting the Reflection token. When the Mirror Image Reflection token is played, it copies all of the copyable traits of the original Reflection token - which are currently those of Honest Broker which it is a copy of. That player will have three units named Honest Broker in play, two of which are token Copies with Temporary.

The player who is taking the first turn removes their Battlefields. They will not be used.

If no damage was Dealt, because it was replaced or reduced by any means, then Bonus Damage will not apply.

Dependent Keywords

Keywords can be Dependent Keywords

A Dependent Keyword is comprised of both a Condition that it is short for, and an ability of some format immediately after the Keyword itself. EXAMPLE: Noxus Hopeful has "[Legion][>] I cost [2] less." [Legion] is short for the condition "if you have played another card this turn, this card gains [Text]," while "I cost [2] less" is the dependent ability.

A Dependent Keyword will always be functionally short for a Condition.

This Condition may also have a determined Duration, Time, or Limitation as part of its definition. EXAMPLE: Legion specifies the duration of its condition: "if you have played another card this turn." This turn is the duration.​ ​ EXAMPLE: A dependent keyword that is short for "Until you have spent [3] this turn" would include a limitation on its condition. EXAMPLE: A dependent keyword that is short for "After you've become an attacker this turn" would include a time after which the condition is active.

The Dependent Ability associated with the Dependent Keyword is Inactive on the card with the Dependent Keyword until the Condition is met, when it becomes Active

The Dependent Ability is present on the card for the sake of reference or evaluation until the Condition is met See rule 720. Inactive for more information

The Dependent Ability is Active exactly as written while the Condition is true Example: Gustwalker has "[Level3][>] I have +1 [M] and Ganking." As long as its controller has 3 XP, Gustwalker's Ganking is active.

The Dependent Abilities of Dependent Keywords can be of any type

Triggered Abilities of Dependent Keywords must be Active for their trigger to be evaluated.

If a Triggered Ability becomes active at the same time as its trigger condition would be fulfilled, it triggers.

Passive Abilities begin applying at the same time the Dependent Keyword becomes true.

Activated Abilities that become Active from Dependent Keywords can be activated at their associated timing after that ability has been granted

If the condition for the Dependent Keyword causes the Activated Ability to become Inactive after it has been added to the chain as a Pending Item, that chain item will not be affected and will proceed with being played as normal.

XP

XP is a resource that is accrued, spent, or otherwise modified by Players through the course of play.

The amount of XP that a player has should be marked clearly.

XP is a value that can be tracked by counters, dice, cards, or any method that clearly displays the specific value of XP that is currently on a Player.

The amount of XP a Player has is Public Information.

XP can be Gained and Spent.

To Gain XP, increase the value of XP marked on the Player gaining it.

To Spend XP, reduce the value of XP marked on the Player spending it.

XP is not a Game Object.

XP cannot be targeted, readied, or exhausted.

XP is not shared between Allies in Game Modes with Teammates.

There is no limit to an amount of XP a player can accrue.

Additional Turns

Certain Game Effects will instruct a player to "take a turn after this." These effects create a temporary Additional Turn owned by that player that is inserted into the turn queue after the current turn.

Turn order is established when the game begins as a repeating set of players. This populates a looping queue of turns that each player will take, starting with the first turn taken by the First Player, and repeating indefinitely.

When an Additional Turn is inserted into this queue, it does not change the Turn Order of the game. The owner of the Additional Turn just has the next queued turn. After that turn is completed, it will be removed and the queue will proceed with its previously queued turns.

If multiple Additional Turns are queued, they are added to the queue in the order the Game Effects that generated them occurred. Example: The First Player plays, through some means, two Time Warps during their turn. The Time Warps create two Additional Turns for their controller and insert them into the turn queue after the current turn. If the turn queue is represented as [> A > B > C > D >], then these Additional Turns will appear as [> A > A* > A* > B > C > D >]. After the last Additional Turn is played, the queue returns to its previously queued turns. The "*" denotes that a turn is an Additional Turn. Example: The First Player plays Promising Future during their turn, during the resolution of which the Second and Fourth Player choose, banish, and play one Time Warp each. The Fourth Player's Time Warp resolves first, inserting an Additional Turn for them in the queue as such: [> A > D* > B > C > D >]. The Second Player's Time Warp resolves afterwards, inserting that turn: [> A > B* > D* > B > C > D >]. When the First Player passes the turn, the Second Player will take their turn, followed by the Fourth Player, after which the queue returns to its previously queued turns.

Special Terms

Some card text refers to Game Objects in particular ways:

Two Game Objects are friendly if they share a controller, or if one's controller is teammates with the other's.

Two Game Objects are enemies if one's controller is an opponent of the other's.

Some card text refers to Units in particular ways:

A unit is alone when there are no other friendly units at the same location.

A unit is one on one when it and the enemy unit at the same location are both alone.

A unit is in combat if it is occupying a battlefield where combat is ongoing and has a combat designation.

Some terms in this document are used in particular ways:

Costs within instructions are instructions that take a particular form ("[do X] to [do Y]"). [Do X] is the cost associated with the instruction, and [do Y] is the effect.

For spells, costs within instructions are paid on resolution of the spell. In order to get the effect, the cost must be paid.

For triggered abilities, costs within instructions are paid on finalization of the triggered ability. In order to place the triggered ability on the chain, the cost must be paid.

Action is formatted as "[Action]" on spells, or "[Action][>]" on abilities.

Some passive abilities may grant a card or ability Action under certain conditions. The card or ability does not have the Action keyword unless and until those circumstances are true.

Those conditions might only be fulfilled while the card or ability is on the chain. In such a case, it can still be played or activated at the appropriate timing as long as doing so could fulfill the conditions.

If the chain item does not fulfill the conditions by the time step 5: check legality has been reached, the actions taken while playing or activating the chain item are undone and it is returned to the zone it was played from if it is a card.

This includes hidden gear, and overrides the normal restriction that gear have in only being allowed to be played to base.

The [Text] is the Dependent Ability.

As long as a card different than the one with the Legion ability has been Finalized on the same turn then the Dependent Ability is Active on the card with Legion.

Reaction is formatted as "[Reaction]" on cards, or "[Reaction][>]" on abilities.

Some passive abilities may grant a card or ability Reaction under certain conditions. The card or ability does not have the Reaction keyword unless and until those circumstances are true.

Those conditions might only be fulfilled while the card or ability is on the chain. In such a case, it can still be played or activated at the appropriate timing as long as doing so could fulfill the conditions.

If the chain item does not fulfill the conditions by the time step 5: check legality has been reached, the actions taken while playing or activating the chain item are undone and it is returned to the zone it was played from if it is a card.

Regardless of how many instances there are, the ability will only trigger once.

Ambush

Ambush is a Passive Ability keyword.

It is present on Units.

It is functionally short for "I may be played to a battlefield where you control Units" and "I have [Reaction] as long as I'm being played to a battlefield where you control Units."

It is a passive ability that adds options to locations that are valid for a Unit to be played to during the Make Relevant Choices step of Playing a Card See rule 349. Playing Cards for more information

Multiple instances of Ambush are redundant.

If there are no units at the location chosen before Finalization completes for any reason, then it is no longer a valid location by Ambush's reasoning and cannot be played there

Other effects and permissions may still enable this Unit to be able to be played to the selected location, but Ambush's permission will not be valid

Ambush, and whether or not a unit has Ambush, is a characteristic of the Unit and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.

Hunt

Hunt is a Triggered Ability keyword.

Hunt is present on Units.

Hunt is both a Conquer and a Hold effect.

Hunt is formatted as "Hunt X"

Hunt is functionally short for: "When I Conquer or Hold, my controller gains X XP." See rule 728. XP for more information

If X is omitted, it is presumed to be 1.

X is referred to as the Hunt Value.

If a Unit has Hunt, or has been granted Hunt, and is granted Hunt by an additional source, the Hunt Value of all granted Hunt keywords is summed.

Hunt, and whether or not a unit has Hunt, is a characteristic of the Unit and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.

Level

Level is a Dependent Keyword.

It is formatted as "[Level [N]][>] [Text]".

Starting from the Keyword to the end of the clause, the entire statement is the Level Ability.

It is functionally short for "While you have [N] or more XP, this card gains "[Text]"."

The [Text] here is the Dependent Ability

As long as the controlling player has [N] XP, then the Dependent Ability will be be Active on the card with Level

If the controller of the card with Level changes, then the Dependent Ability will be rendered Active or Inactive based on the new controller's XP.

The Dependent Ability will be Inactive as soon as the controlling player has less than [N] XP.

Level, and whether or not a card has Level is a characteristic of the card and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.

Unique

Unique is a Deck Constraint Permission.

Unique is not functionally short for any rules text, and instead provides a restriction to players during Deck Construction.

A Deck can contain only one card of a given name if the card has Unique

If a card is a Signature card and is also Unique, then that Deck can contain any combination of three Signature cards, but still only one of each named Unique card.

Cards with Unique have no additional effects during gameplay.

Unique, and whether or not a Card has Unique, is a characteristic of the Unit and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.

Backline

Backline is a Passive Ability keyword.

It is present on Units.

It is functionally short for "I must be assigned lethal damage after any other unit with the same controller as me that does not have [Backline] during the Combat Damage step."

It alters how players can elect to assign combat damage during combat.

Players must still assign lethal damage to a unit before moving to the next when assigning their damage.

If more than one unit with Backline is present with the same controller in Combat, damage may be assigned to any of them. Units with Backline are invalid assignments until all units without Backline have lethal damage assigned to them.

Multiple Instances of Backline are redundant.

Backline, and whether or not a unit has Backline, is a characteristic of the Unit and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.