Showdowns

Whenever a battlefield is contested (someone moves in who doesn't control it), the game pauses for a Showdown there. Combats happen inside Showdowns too.

• The player who contested it gets Focus first.
• With Focus you may play an Action[Action] or Reaction[Reaction] card, or pass. You can't move units or play ordinary cards during a Showdown.
• When you pass, Focus goes to the other player, who gets the same choice.
• When both players pass in a row, the Showdown ends. If it was a Combat, the fighting happens now. If not, whoever is alone there takes control.

If you move into a battlefield where the opponent has units, the Showdown leads to a Combat. Your units are the attackers; theirs, already there, are the defenders. You both get your chance to answer, and when you both pass, the units fight. The next lesson shows how.

So a Showdown is your opponent's chance to answer you, even on your turn, if they kept the right card. Chapter 6 explains Action[Action] and Reaction[Reaction] in full, and keywords like Assault[Assault] come later too.

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  Hextech Ray has Action[Action], so it can be played during Showdowns, on either player's turn.
• 
  Peak Guardian: 5 Might, too big for a 3-damage Ray.

From the Core Rules (2026-10-09): 307 — States of the Turn · 341–348 — Showdowns · 313 — Focus · 461 — Combat