How does focus work when attacking and playing actions/reactions in a chain, and does focu | Runesight
Jul 15, 2026
How does focus work when attacking and playing actions/reactions in a chain, and does focus automatically pass when a chain resolves?
Answered under Unleashed Rules FAQ and Clarifications
When a combat begins the Attacker gains Focus. While the turn is in a Showdown Open State, the player with Focus may play legally timed cards, activate legally timed abilities, or pass; passing (unless everyone has passed) hands Focus to the next player in Turn Order. When the last item on a chain resolves and the turn returns to a Showdown Open State, Focus normally passes and the next player gains both Focus and Priority, but there are explicit exceptions (notably chains opened by triggered or Add abilities, and Combat Chains) where Focus does not pass automatically.
Final Ruling
At the start of the Combat Showdown Step the Attacker gains Focus . During the Showdown Open State, the player with Focus may play or activate legally timed things or pass; if they pass and not everyone has passed, Focus passes to the next player in Turn Order (note that gaining Focus also grants Priority , and you need Priority to take discretionary actions ). When the last item on a chain resolves and the state returns to a Showdown Open State, Focus normally passes and the next player gains both Focus and Priority ; however, Focus will not pass in that way if the chain opened because a triggered ability or an Add ability was added to the chain , and Focus does not pass upon closure of a Combat Chain, if any .
Citing
01At the start of the Combat Showdown Step the Attacker gains Focus .
02If establishing Attacker/Defender caused triggered abilities to become Pending, add those items to the Combat Chain, with the Attacking player (who has Focus) placing Triggered Abilities on the chain first, then other non-Defender players in Turn Order, then the Defender .
03If a Combat Chain was created, the State Closes for that substep; closure of a Combat Chain does not pass Focus .
04When the turn is in a Showdown Open State, the player with Focus may play legally timed cards, activate legally timed abilities, or pass .
05If the player with Focus passes and not everyone has passed in sequence, Focus passes to the next player in Turn Order . Remember that gaining Focus also grants Priority , and you must have Priority to take discretionary actions .
06When the last item on the chain resolves and the turn returns to a Showdown Open State, Focus normally passes and the next player gains both Focus and Priority , unless the chain opened because of triggered or Add abilities (including the Initial Chain) in which case Focus will not pass by that rule .
If the chain was opened because triggered abilities (or an Add ability) were placed on the chain, then when the last item resolves and play returns to an Open State, Focus does not pass via rule .
If a Combat Chain was created, closure of that Combat Chain does not pass Focus .
A player who 'passes Priority' retains Focus per , but during a Showdown the specific Showdown pass rules cause Focus to move to the next player in Turn Order when the player with Focus chooses the Showdown 'Pass' option and not everyone has passed . Use the Showdown-specific rule when resolving Showdown behavior .
You cannot take discretionary actions even if you have Focus unless you also have Priority .
HOT FEPR and the treatment of outstanding tasks can affect when FEPR (finalize/execute/resolve) runs vs. outstanding procedures; see the HOT FEPR clarification for interaction of tasks and FEPR .
Short answer: Attacking gives the Attacker Focus, and Focus governs who may take discretionary Showdown actions; Focus can move by players passing in Showdown or (normally) after a chain finishes, but there are explicit exceptions. When combat begins, the Attacker gains Focus . If the establishment of Attacker and Defender causes Triggered Abilities to become Pending, those are added to the Combat Chain and the Attacking player (who has Focus) places triggered abilities on the Chain first, then other non-Defenders in Turn Order, then the Defender . If a Combat Chain was created, the State Closes for that substep , and the rules state that Focus does not pass upon closure of the Combat Chain, if any .
While the turn is in a Showdown Open State, the player with Focus may play legally timed cards, activate legally timed abilities, or choose 'Pass' . If they choose Pass and not everyone has passed, Focus passes to the next player in Turn Order . Note that a player who gains Focus also gains Priority , and you must have Priority to actually take discretionary actions even if you have Focus . Also note the general rule that a player who passes Priority retains Focus ; when interpreting Showdown behavior use the Showdown-specific pass rules in alongside the general Focus/Priority rules in .
When the last item on the chain resolves and the turn returns to a Showdown Open State, the core rule says Focus passes and the next Player gains both Focus and Priority . However, there are two important exceptions: Focus will not pass this way if the chain opened as a result of a triggered ability being added to the chain or an Add ability being added to the chain (the Initial Chain is an example) . Separately, the Combat Chain has its own line: if a Combat Chain was created, Focus does not pass upon its closure .
In practice: expect the Attacker to start with Focus at combat. If a combat chain is built due to triggers, those triggers are placed by the attacking player first and the Combat Chain closure will not hand off Focus automatically. In a normal (non-trigger-opened) chain resolution, when the last chain item resolves and you return to an Open Showdown State, Focus will pass to the next player and they gain Priority . If you need more detail about how triggered abilities split into trigger-condition vs. effect for when they're placed on the chain, see the triggered-ability clarification and how HOT FEPR governs when chain processing happens vs. outstanding game tasks .