Replacement Effects — Riftbound Rules

Section 367 — 10 rules

368.: An ability that alters the application of another game effect or game rule.
368.1.: Passive Abilities can be Replacement Effects.
369.: Replacement Effects intercede during the execution of a Game Effect and alter its execution.
369.1.: A Replacement Effect can usually be identified by the presence of the terms “would” or "instead." Example: Zhonya's Hourglass reads "The next time a friendly unit would die, kill this instead. Heal that unit, exhaust it, and recall it." This is a replacement effect that alters the execution of any Game Effect that would kill a friendly unit.
369.2.: Some Game Actions are themselves Replacement Effects. Example: Burning Out is a replacement effect. Example: Preventing Damage is a replacement effect.
370.: A Replacement Effect can alter the typical flow of play, including other cards' executions.
370.1.: 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.
370.1.a.: 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.
370.2.: 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.
370.3.: 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.