I am losing my mind, and that graphic is not helping me. Situation: Vi at field. I go in with 2 sprites, 6 vs 5. He plays Guttural Roar, 6 vs 7. I play Stupefy 6 vs 6 and Chakram Dancer (ambuhs) and he said "okay resolves" and afterwards played Punch First. If the chain resolves, isn't Vi under 6 feet in the ground before Punch First?

verified

FAQ #11704·asked by Job·August 7, 2026

Answer

No — Vi isn't dead yet, and the Punch First is legal.

Resolving the chain doesn't deal combat damage. When Stupefy + Chakram Dancer finished, the Chain emptied, the Showdown went back to Open State, and Focus passed to the defender — giving them a fresh window to play an Action spell (Punch First, which is playable in showdowns) before damage. Combat damage is only assigned when both players pass with an empty chain and the Showdown Closes (Rules 347, 348, 463; FAQ #7491).

So "okay resolves" just meant "let the current chain finish" — it doesn't waive the right to start a new chain before damage. After the chain resolved, Vi was at 6 Might (5 base, +2 Guttural Roar, −1 Stupefy) and still on the board; Punch First pumps her to 11.

You have Sprite with Shield 1 (4 Might) + Sprite with Shield 1 (4 Might) + Chakram Dancer (3 Might) for a total of 11 Might. So during the combat damage step everything is killed (11 Might vs 11 Might). If you had a Reaction to Punch First, you could've responded before it resolved.

References

Suggested answer — derived from the references below

Rules

CR 359.3

Core Rules 2026-07-16 > Section 300: Playing the Game > Rule 359.3

TR 509

Tournament Rules 2026-07-16 > Section 500: Communication > Rule 509

CR 359

Core Rules 2026-07-16 > Section 300: Playing the Game > Rule 359

Related Cards

Rule 347 Rule 348 Rule 463

Correction History (1)

August 8, 2026 · reviewed by 121679855233400832

Riftjudge forgot to account for Chakram Dancer adding shield 1 to the Sprites in the combat end result.

No — Vi isn't dead yet, and the Punch First is legal. Resolving the chain doesn't deal combat damage. When Stupefy + Chakram Dancer finished, the Chain emptied, the Showdown went back to Open State, and Focus passed to the defender — giving them a fresh window to play an Action spell (Punch First, which is playable in showdowns) before damage. Combat damage is only assigned when both players pass with an empty chain and the Showdown Closes (Rules 347, 348, 463; FAQ #7491). So "okay resolves" just meant "let the current chain finish" — it doesn't waive the right to start a new chain before damage. After the chain resolved, Vi was at 6 Might (5 base, +2 Guttural Roar, −1 Stupefy) and still on the board; Punch First pumps her to 11. You have Sprite with Shield 1 (4Might) + Sprite with Shield 1 (4Might) + Chakram Dancer (3Might) for a total of 11 Might. So during the combat damage step everything is killed (11 Might vs 11 Might). If you had a Reaction to Punch First, you could've responded before it resolved.