If I control a Battlefield with a sprite from last turn that will die during the Awaken-Beginning step, can I react by playing Shen to that Battlefield before the sprite dies, and do I score points without triggering a showdown?

Question

Accepted Answer

Yes. When the controller's Beginning Phase starts the Sprite token's Temporary ability triggers and is placed on the chain, and you may play Shen in response before that trigger resolves. The Sprite token will still be killed when the Temporary trigger resolves (it kills at the start of the Beginning Phase, before scoring). Whether you ultimately score and whether a Showdown occurs depends on the board state at scoring (presence of enemy units) and scoring/showdown rules not included in the provided context.

You can react to the Sprite token's Temporary trigger by playing Shen to that Battlefield before the Temporary resolves. The Temporary trigger will then resolve and kill the Sprite token at the start of the Beginning Phase, before scoring [816.1.c] [816.1.b]. If you control the battlefield and otherwise meet scoring conditions at scoring time, you will score; whether a Showdown is triggered depends on whether the opponent has units there at scoring and on scoring/showdown rules not provided here (so I cannot be definitive about the Showdown part). Assumptions are listed below.

Beginning Phase for the controller of the Sprite token starts; that triggers the token's Temporary ability (trigger condition is the Beginning Phase starting) and that triggered ability is placed on the chain [816.1.c]. While that triggered ability is on the chain, players may add responses. You may play Shen in response and choose to play it to that Battlefield (assuming Shen is playable there under its own card text). After players finish adding items to the chain, the chain resolves in reverse order. Your play of Shen will finalize and Shen will be on the Battlefield before the Temporary trigger resolves. When the Temporary trigger resolves it executes its instruction: kill the Sprite token at the start of the controller's Beginning Phase, before scoring [816.1.b]. The killing of the token does not undo the earlier play of Shen because that play already finalized. Once all Beginning-Phase triggers and any other relevant effects have resolved, scoring occurs. If you control the Battlefield and satisfy whatever scoring criteria apply at that moment, you will score. Whether a Showdown is triggered depends on the opponent's presence and the (not-provided) Showdown rules.

If playing Shen requires targeting something that ceases to be a legal target while the chain is resolving, that play could fail — target legality rules and examples are not fully included here (see general targeting guidance in 359.3.e.x). If your attempt to play Shen itself causes the Battlefield to become uncontrolled prior to finalizing (very rare), the FAQ guidance about not losing control while things are pending on the chain may be relevant; control can’t be lost while relevant items are pending on the chain, so finalizing plays to that Battlefield is normally still legal [FAQ:unleashed#16]. If Shen has text that specifically interacts with Temporary or with Beginning-Phase timing, that specific wording could change the interaction; Shen's card text was not provided.

Temporary is a triggered ability that triggers at the start of the permanent's controller's Beginning Phase and is functionally "At the start of this permanent's controller's Beginning Phase, before scoring, kill this." [816.1.c] [816.1.b]. When the Beginning Phase starts the Sprite token's Temporary ability is placed on the chain, and players have the opportunity to respond before that trigger resolves. Therefore you may play Shen in response while the Temporary trigger is pending; when your play of Shen resolves it will be on the Battlefield before the Temporary trigger resolves. The Temporary trigger, when it later resolves, will kill the Sprite token as written [816.1.b].

The provided FAQ material also clarifies that control of a Battlefield is not lost while there are items pending on the chain, meaning plays that would otherwise reference a Battlefield you might temporarily have 'no units at' are still permitted while the chain is resolving [FAQ:unleashed#16]. That supports playing a unit to that Battlefield in response to a kill/banish/Temporary trigger on the chain.

After the Temporary trigger resolves (killing the token) the Beginning Phase continues toward scoring. Scoring depends on the board state at scoring time; since the rules excerpt does not include the specific scoring or Showdown mechanics, I cannot definitively state whether a Showdown will be triggered or whether you will score in every possible situation. The most defensible interpretation from the provided material is: if you successfully play Shen in response (so a legal unit you control is at the Battlefield at scoring), and you control the Battlefield and meet the scoring criteria, you will score. Whether a Showdown occurs will depend on whether the opponent also has units at that Battlefield at the time scoring is evaluated (those Showdown rules were not provided here).