Battlefields (Control) — Riftbound Rules

Section 190 — 21 rules

190.1.: Control is established over Battlefields through the course of play.
190.2.: Control is a binary state for Battlefields and an Identifier for players.
190.2.a.: A Battlefield is Controlled or Uncontrolled.
190.2.b.: A Battlefield is Controlled by a specific player or Controlled by no one.
190.3.: Control can be Contested through the course of play.
190.3.a.: Contested is a temporary status applied to the battlefield when a Unit controlled by a Player who does not currently Control that Battlefield Moves or otherwise becomes present there.
190.3.a.1.: Units moving to or being played to a battlefield apply Contested status if that battlefield is not already Contested and that Unit’s controller does not already control that battlefield.
190.3.b.: Once a Showdown or Combat begins at a Battlefield, it remains Contested until Control is established or re-established.
190.3.b.1.: If a player who applied Contested status to a Battlefield controls no Units there and there is no ongoing Showdown or Combat at that Battlefield, then Contested status is removed in the following Cleanup.
190.3.c.: The state of a Battlefield being Contested is used to determine when Combat should occur and when a Non-Combat Showdown should occur.
190.3.d.: At this time Game Effects cannot reference this status.
190.4.: Control is established by having Units at a Battlefield at the end of a Showdown or Combat after applying the contested status.
190.4.a.: If a player controls Units at a Battlefield, outside of Combat, they maintain Control of that Battlefield for as long as they have Units at that Battlefield.
190.4.b.: 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.
190.4.c.: If a player has no Units at a Battlefield and the turn is in an Open state, they lose Control of that Battlefield in the following cleanup unless there is a Combat or Showdown ongoing there.
190.5.: Control is a constant state.
190.6.: Control of a Battlefield determines Control of its Abilities.
190.6.a.: While a Battlefield is Controlled, its Controller controls its Abilities unless that ability indicates another player does. The controlling player takes responsibility for adding them to the Chain if applicable, and makes all choices required by them unless otherwise specified.
190.6.b.: While a Battlefield is Uncontrolled, its Abilities are also Uncontrolled unless that ability indicates a player controls it. If there is no such indication, the Turn Player takes responsibility for adding them to the Chain if applicable, makes all choices required by them unless otherwise specified, and is treated as their Controller if any game rule or effect requires one. Example: The Arena’s Greatest is a battlefield that reads “At the start of each player's first Beginning Phase, that player gains 1 point.” This ability will usually trigger while the battlefield has no controller. If it does, the Turn Player goes through the steps of adding the ability to the chain and receives priority after doing so, exactly as if they controlled the ability.
190.6.c.: If an Ability of a Battlefield indicates that a specific player makes a choice, that player is the Ability’s controller. They take responsibility for adding it to the chain if applicable and make all choices required by the ability. They and only they control the ability, regardless of who controls the Battlefield. Example: Abandoned Hall is a battlefield that reads “When a player plays a spell, they may give a unit they control here +1 might this turn.” The ability indicates that the player who played the spell makes the choice, so that player takes responsibility for putting the ability on the chain and makes all choices. They control the triggered ability.
190.6.d.: “You” in a battlefield’s abilities refers to the battlefield’s Controller, as does the implied “you” in instructions that don’t specify a player like “draw 1.” If the battlefield has no Controller, “you” refers to no one, and all such instructions are ignored.