4. Triggers

Triggers before a showdown

A move's triggers resolve before the showdown it starts

Earlier we said that moving onto an empty battlefield starts a showdown. It does, but only once nothing is on the chain. If the move sets off a trigger, that comes first.

Move Stellacorn Herder onto an empty battlefield. The battlefield is contested, and the Herder's "When I move, draw 1" goes on the chain. The showdown waits:

1. The trigger is on the chain. You get priority first, as it's yours. Only Reactions can be played now, as in any closed state, and Actions can't yet.
2. You both pass, and it resolves. You draw.
3. The chain is empty, so the showdown starts. You get focus, as it was your unit that contested the battlefield, and it goes on as usual.

If several triggers go off, they all resolve first, in the order they went on.

Triggers during a showdown

Triggers can go off during a showdown too, and go on the chain like any other. They work the same, with one difference: when a chain a trigger started is empty, focus doesn't move. Whoever had focus before still has it.

Only a card or ability someone chose to play moves focus along. A trigger going off isn't anyone's turn being used up.