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Darius is an eight only where they attack, and his ready pays on your turn

Issue #358 (a slice of #200), 2026-10-14. Constructed, Duel (485). Rules version 2026-07-16. Card text verbatim from data/corpus_flat.txt; rules pasted from data/Riftbound-Core-Rules-2026-07-16.txt. Read the unopposed clock for the baseline this is measured against.

Subject: darius-trifarian-thrill, the Fury/Body ENGINE in which UNL-184 Thrill of the Hunt, played on the opponent's turn, is your first card and the unit it replays is your second, so OGN-027 Darius, Trifarian readies and takes +2 Might, and UNL-183 Pridestalker adds +1: an 8 in the middle of their turn. Walked as a game, the trick paid where the opponent attacked Darius. On their T4 four bodies walked into his battlefield, and the 8 plus the replayed body killed all four. Darius's +2 was the margin between that battlefield going uncontrolled and the opponent conquering it. The ready paid nothing on their turn. It paid on yours, on T4, where two cheap units (not Thrill) readied Darius after he walked home, and he walked again as a 9. The entry is right about the count and the 8. It is wrong that the ready makes him available on their turn, and it never says the 8 lives at one battlefield. The cheapest break is the attack on the other battlefield: no card, no rune.

Why this line. scripts/sequence-pick.mjs --unplayed, re-run on 2026-10-14 at 1f72233, reads 773 entries, 262 with forced-ordering language, 102 in the queue and 33 of them with no play, unchanged from the issue. The pick is by global rank, skipping entries that already have a play: this entry is rank 70 (a hit on first), first in the list. The other entry of this slice is rank 71, OGN-148 Anivia, Primal with SFD-059 Svellsongur, played in The second burn buys Anivia's life, not a kill, and Level 11 only hides her for a turn.

1. Needs

LegendUNL-183 Pridestalker (Fury/Body)
The payoffOGN-027 Darius, Trifarian (Fury, E5 + 1 Power, M5)
The engineUNL-184 Thrill of the Hunt (Fury/Body, E2 + 1 Power, [Reaction])
The bodiesOGN-010 Legion Rearguard (Fury, E2, M2), OGN-013 Pouty Poro (Fury, E2, M2), VEN-074 Legion Marauder (Body, E2, M2)

Thrill of the Hunt is Signature (data/cards.json), tagged Rengar. 103.2.d.2: "All of the Signature cards must have the Champion tag that corresponds to the Champion Legend of the deck." Pridestalker carries the Rengar tag, and its Chosen Champion here is SFD-025 Rengar, Pouncing (Fury). 103.2.d.1 caps the deck at three Signature cards, so three Thrill of the Hunt is the most it runs. None of these cards is in data/legality.src.json.

The card text the play turns on:

2. When the trick can be played, and what it changes

On their turn you act only in windows they open. 310.1.a: "By default, cards can be played and abilities activated only when a player has priority on their turn in a Neutral Open state." Thrill's keyword is the exception, 813.1.c.1: "This can be played during Closed States on any player's turn." A Closed State exists while their spell or ability is on the chain, and you get priority when they pass, 312.2.d: "When the turn is in a Closed State, they are the next Player in Turn Order, and the player with Priority passes." In their combat it is a Showdown, 308.1.a: "Only cards and abilities with the Action or Reaction keywords can be played or activated in a Showdown State." The attacker holds Focus first, and when they pass, 347.2.b: "Otherwise, Focus passes to the next Player in Turn Order." If they open no chain and no combat, there is no window.

The window never gives you the last word. Once your chain closes, 347.1.b: "When that Chain closes, Focus passes to the next Player in Turn Order." That is them. If you play it on the Combat Chain their attack trigger opened, they keep Focus anyway, 346.1: "Focus will not pass in this way if the chain opened as a result of a triggered ability being added to the chain, nor if it opened as a result of an Add ability being added to the chain." Either way they answer after the trick.

Two cards from one. The replay is free, 356.1.b.1: "If a card allows a player to play a card "ignoring its cost," its base Energy cost and base Power cost are set to zero." You play it, since you own it, and 411.4: "If an ability triggers when “you” do something, it triggers when a Game Action that you are responsible for occurs." So Darius and Pridestalker both trigger on their turn. When they trigger, 419.4.a: "Any such triggered abilities trigger when the act of playing the card has been completed by the resolution of the card." The unit is played during Thrill's resolution. Whichever of the two completes second, Darius triggers once. If Thrill is countered, 419.4.a.1: "If a game effect prevents the resolution of the card—for example, because the card was countered—abilities that trigger on playing cards will not trigger." Nothing is replayed, and nothing triggers.

The replayed body enters exhausted and still fights. 359.2.c: "If it is a Unit, it enters the Board exhausted at the Location that was chosen." Thrill's "to any battlefield" is a permission, 355.2.b: "Some Game Effects may grant players permission to play Units to locations that are not normally Valid. Such locations become Valid for the purposes of Playing the Unit." Played into a combat already open, 464.2.c.3.a: "If a Unit controlled by the Attacker or Defender becomes present at this Battlefield after this moment, it will gain the Attacker or Defender designation during the Cleanup phase following the action that caused it to become present, as appropriate for its controller."

On their turn the ready buys nothing. Defending asks no readiness, 464.2.c.3: "The attacker and defender gain the Attacker or Defender designation now, as appropriate. Units at the Contested Battlefield controlled by the Attacker or Defender gain the Attacker or Defender designation now, as appropriate." A move is out of reach on their turn. 410.1.a: "A Discretionary Action is a Game Action that may be performed at any time during a player's turn during a Neutral Open State." In their Neutral Open State the priority is theirs, 312.2.a: "When the turn is in a Neutral Open State during their Main Phase." In their Showdown or on their chain no unit moves (144.1.b, 144.1.c). Your Awaken readies him anyway, 315.1.b: "1. The Turn Player readies all Game Objects they control that are able to be readied." Darius has no exhaust ability. On their turn, only the +2 counts, and only at the battlefield he stands on.

On your turn the ready is a second move. A unit at a battlefield walks home, 144.4.b: "Units may move from a Battlefield to their Base." The walk is its exhaust, 144.2: "Exhausting the Unit is the Cost for this action." Readied, he walks out again. Any second card readies him on your turn, not only Thrill.

3. Their deck: Body/Chaos, bodies and an attack trigger

SFD-203 Battle Mistress (Body/Chaos): "When you recycle a rune, you may exhaust me to play a Gold gear token exhausted. When one or more enemy units die, ready me." Nothing they play in the walk costs Power, so they recycle no rune and the legend does nothing. Its Chosen Champion carries the Sivir tag. They play UNL-097 Kinkou Initiate (Body, E3, M3): "When you play me, draw 1 if your other units have total Might 5 or more.", UNL-092 Demacian Diplomat (Body, E2, M2): "When you play me, gain 1 XP.", and OGN-130 Crackshot Corsair (Body, E3, M3): "When I attack, deal 1 to an enemy unit here." §5 names the Body and Chaos spells that answer the trick.

4. The turns, going first

Fury/Body against Body/Chaos. Your battlefield is G; theirs is B. Your opening four are Legion Rearguard, Pouty Poro, Legion Marauder and Darius. Your T1 draw is a second Legion Rearguard, your T2 draw a second Pouty Poro, your T3 draw Thrill of the Hunt.

turn    runes   your turn                                                 points
T1      2       Legion Rearguard (E2) to base.                            0
their T1        Kinkou Initiate (E3) to base. Three runes, none left.
T2      4       The Rearguard walks to G, Conquer: +1. Pouty Poro (E2)    1
                straight to G. Legion Marauder (E2) to base. No runes
                left.
their T2        Kinkou walks to B, Conquer. Crackshot Corsair (E3) and
                Demacian Diplomat (E2, 1 XP) to base. Five runes, none
                left.
T3      6       Hold G: +1. Darius to G: E5 + 1 Fury Power, five runes    2
                exhausted, one of them recycled. One rune ready, five on
                the board.
their T3        Hold B. A second Kinkou Initiate (E3) to base, and it
                draws. A second Diplomat (E2, 1 XP) to base. Seven
                runes, two left. No attack on G.
T4      7       Hold G: +1. Darius walks from G to base. The second       4
                Rearguard (E2) and the second Poro (E2) to base: the
                Poro is your second card, Darius readies and is +2, and
                Pridestalker gives him +1 for each unit, a 9. Darius and
                the Marauder walk to B: 11 against 3. The Marauder and
                Kinkou die. Conquer: +1. Three runes ready, seven on
                the board.
their T4        Corsair, Kinkou and both Diplomats walk to B: 10 against
                Darius 5. Corsair's 1 on Darius. They pass; Thrill of
                the Hunt (E2 + 1 Power, two runes exhausted, one of them
                recycled): banish the Poro in base, play it to B.
                Darius 8, the Poro 2. Their 10 kill both, your 10 kill
                all four. B is uncontrolled. Then a second Corsair (E3)
                and a third Kinkou (E3) to base. Nine runes, three left.

Their points: 0 after their T1, 1 after their T2, 2 after their T3, 2 after their T4. After their T4 it is 4 to 2.

Your T3, why Darius goes to G. G holds the Rearguard and the Poro, 2 + 2. Their ready attackers on their T3 are the Corsair and the Diplomat in base, 3 + 2 and the Corsair's 1, which take a G of 4. With Darius it is 9, and they do not attack. Kinkou on B cannot help them: only [Ganking] moves a unit from battlefield to battlefield (144.4.c).

Your T4, where the ready pays. Darius walks from G to base, exhausted (144.2). The second Rearguard is your first card and the second Poro your second: Darius readies and takes +2, and Pridestalker's two triggers give him +1 each, 5 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 9. He and the Marauder walk to B in one move (144.3). Their 3 kill the Marauder, your 11 kill Kinkou, and B is yours: 466.5.d, "Establishing Control results in a Conquer if that player has not yet scored this Battlefield this turn." No Thrill was needed for any of this, and it stays in hand with three runes up.

Their T4, the combat at B. Four ready bodies, 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 = 10, walk in against Darius, a 5 again, since his bonuses lasted your turn. Corsair's trigger chooses an enemy unit here, and Darius is the only one: 1 on him. They pass, you get Focus (347.2.b), and you play Thrill of the Hunt, your first card this turn. It banishes the Poro from your base, which their spells that reach "a unit at a battlefield" cannot touch, and you play it to B. The Poro is your second card: Darius is +2 and ready, and Pridestalker's +1 goes on him, an 8. The Poro joins as a defender at the cleanup. They pass, you pass, and the damage step, 465.2.c: "Starting with the Attacker, each player assigns an amount of damage equal to their summed Might among the other's Units." Darius has 1 marked, so 7 is lethal (142.4.b), and 465.2.c.3: "Units must have lethal damage assigned to them in full before damage is assigned to a different Unit." Their 10: 7 on Darius, 2 on the Poro, and both die. Your 10: 3 + 3 + 2 + 2, all four. 466.5.b: "If there are no Units remaining here controlled by any player, the Battlefield becomes Uncontrolled."

What the trick bought. Without Thrill, Darius alone takes their 10 and dies, and his 5 kill Kinkou and one Diplomat. The Corsair and the other Diplomat conquer B: 4 to 3. With Thrill and without Darius's +2 (Darius 6, the Poro 2), their 10 kill both (5 + 2), and your 8 kill 8 of their 10: a Diplomat is left and conquers B, again 4 to 3. Darius's +2 is the difference between B taken and B uncontrolled: one point and one body. He dies in every version. The ready did nothing, and 315.1.b would have readied him on your T5.

How often this happens. The draw pile is 39 cards, the 40 of Tournament Rules 402.1 less the Chosen Champion, which 103.2.a.1 places in the Champion Zone. Going first you have seen 7 cards by T3 and 8 by T4 (four opening, one draw a turn). With three Darius and three Thrill of the Hunt (103.2.b, and the Signature cap), a Darius among the first 7 is 45.73%, a Thrill among the first 8 is 50.82%, and both is 21.71%. That counts only those two cards. The walk also needs a 2-drop on T1 and three more by T4.

5. Breaks to

The cheapest break is the attack on G: no card, no rune. On their T4, the same four bodies walk to G instead. The Corsair's 1 goes on the Rearguard, since choosing the Poro would cost them a rainbow Power. Thrill can bring the second Poro to G, a 3 with Pridestalker's +1: defenders 2 (1 marked), 2 and 3. Their 10 kill all three (1 + 2 + 3), and your 7 kill the Corsair, Kinkou and nothing more: two Diplomats conquer G, 4 to 3. Without Thrill it is the same score. Darius's +2 lands at B, where nobody is fighting. The price is that Darius lives and Holds B on your T5. Thrill could bring Darius himself to G instead; whether he then triggers off his own play is the knot the entry declines (§7).

Nine cards answer the trick, one of them for one rune. They get priority while Thrill is on the chain (312.2.d) and Focus back once your chain closes (347.1.b), and they have nine runes. Runes are counted as the play counts its own: a rune exhausted for Energy can be recycled for Power (164.2.a, 164.2.b), so E1 + 1 Power is one rune and E2 + 2 Power is two.

If they run three copies of Gust, one is among the 9 cards they have seen by their T4 (four opening, four draws and Kinkou's) in 55.58%; with six answers from the list, 81.80%; with twelve (three each of four), 97.79%. Each is 9 of 39.

The scope of the cheap-card verdict. A Body/Chaos deck plays only Body, Chaos and Body/Chaos cards (103.1.b.1). In data/corpus_flat.txt the spells in those domains with [Action] or [Reaction], the only spells they can play in their own Showdown (308.1.a), are 38. One breaks the trick for one rune, and eight more for two:

6. Verdict

Right about the count and the 8; wrong about the ready; silent about where the 8 stands. Thrill of the Hunt is two cards on their turn, and Darius with Pridestalker is 5 + 2 + 1. On their T4 that 8 and the replayed Poro turned their attack on B from a Conquer into four dead bodies and an uncontrolled battlefield. Darius's +2 was exactly the margin, and he died anyway. The ready bought nothing on their turn, because a defender needs no readiness and nobody moves on another player's turn. It paid on yours, on T4, where two 2-drops readied Darius after he walked home, and he walked again as a 9 to take B. Thrill was not needed for that. The 8 counts only at Darius's battlefield. Attacking the other one costs no card. At the one they attack, Gust on the [Deflect] Poro reverses the trick for one rune, and eight more cards do it for two.

7. Not verified

I did not deal the channel order. The walk assumes six Fury and six Body runes, Pridestalker's two domains, in the twelve of Tournament Rules 402.1. Darius on T3 needs one Fury among the six runes channelled by then: it fails in 1 of 924 deals, 0.11%. Thrill's Power is one rune of its domain; data/cards.json gives fury and body and a Power of 1, not which. With one Fury recycled for Darius, the eight runes channelled by T4 hold a Fury and a Body to spare in all 495 deals (0 fail either way), and you choose which three to keep. Their walk costs Energy only. Gust's tax is a rainbow Power, any domain. Of §5's answers, Punch First needs two Body, Rebuke and Switcheroo two Chaos, and Cannon Barrage and Nidalee one Body among the nine runes of their T4. Nine of twelve at six and six hold at least three of each, so that holds in every deal.

I did not walk Thrill replaying a unit to their battlefield. 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." 464.2.c.1: "The Attacker is the player whose unit(s) applied the Contested status to the Battlefield." Read together, that is an attack on their turn. Nor did I walk Thrill replaying Darius himself, which is the knot the entry declines: whether his trigger sees his own play as the second card. 419.4.a settles when a play trigger fires, not whether the card that was just played is already watching. I did not walk going second, the mulligan, Rengar, Pouncing, or 2v2. Their hand holding none of §5's answers is the walk's assumption; §5 prices it. The probabilities in §4 and §5 count only the cards named.

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