In a Showdown, does passing priority after playing an action count as 'passing' for the purpose of ending the Showdown, or does the rule only refer to the Pass action when you have focus?

Question

Accepted Answer

When you choose to Pass while you have Focus, that choice is the 'pass' referenced by the Showdown rules. If every player in sequence chooses Pass when they have Focus, the Showdown ends [347.3.a]. The separate check in rule [348] only applies when all players pass Focus without having played a spell or activated an ability (i.e., no spells/abilities were played); that is a different condition and does not negate that a later Pass still counts toward ending the Showdown [348].

Yes — passing priority when you have Focus counts as the Pass referred to by the Showdown ending rule. If all players pass once in sequence (each choosing the Pass option when they have Focus), the Showdown ends [347.3.a]. The additional provision in [348] is a distinct check that applies when no player played a spell or activated an ability during that pass cycle; it does not mean that a player who previously played an action cannot later 'pass' to contribute to the all-pass sequence.

A player with Focus may choose Play a card, Activate an ability, or Pass [347]. If the player Plays a card it starts a Chain as normal [347.1.a] and spells played during a Showdown create Chains [342.1]. After the Chain resolves, Focus will continue to pass according to the Showdown rules; when a player receives Focus they may choose Pass as their action [347.3]. If every player in turn order chooses Pass when they have Focus (each player 'has passed once in sequence'), the Showdown ends [347.3.a]. Separate check: if all players pass Focus without anyone having played a spell or activated an ability during that pass cycle, the Showdown Closes under the rule in [348] (this is a different condition and applies when nothing was played/activated).

If a player plays a spell (or activates an ability) and then later, on their next opportunity to act in the same Showdown, chooses Pass, that later Pass still counts toward the 'all players have passed once in sequence' check and can end the Showdown if everyone does so [347.3.a]. If no spells or abilities were played during the pass sequence (i.e., everyone simply passed without playing/activating), rule [348] specifically describes the Showdown Closing — but that is a distinct outcome and does not change that Pass is the action defined in [347.3].

The Core Rules explicitly list Pass as one of the options available to the player who currently has Focus during a Showdown [347]. The rule that ends a Showdown is tied to every player choosing that Pass option in sequence: "If all Players have passed once in sequence, the Showdown ends" [347.3.a]. Therefore, when you 'pass priority' (i.e., choose the Pass option) after having previously played an action, that choice is still a Pass and counts toward the all-pass sequence. Separately, rule [348] says "If all players pass Focus without playing a spell or activating an ability, then the Showdown Closes." That rule is describing a specific case — a pass sequence in which no spells or abilities were played — and is not saying that Pass only exists when you never played earlier. Playing a spell at some point causes a Chain to be started [347.1.a] and is noted by the general statement that spells create Chains in a Showdown [342.1]. But once that resolves, future choices to Pass by players are still the Pass action referenced by [347.3.a], and if every player does so in sequence the Showdown will end. References: [347] [347.3.a] [347.1.a] [342.1] [348].