When the chain is resolving in Riftbound, can players play reactions between each spell resolution, or does the entire chain resolve at once?

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Accepted Answer

The chain does not all resolve at once. Each Chain item resolves one at a time (newest first), and after each item finishes resolving the game checks whether players can act — you may get opportunities to play reactions between individual item resolutions, but you cannot play spells or abilities while a spell or ability is actively Resolving. See the relevant rules below for when Priority is passed and when Reactions are allowed.

Chain items resolve newest-first, one at a time. While an item is Resolving, no other spells or abilities can be finalized or resolved [157.3]. After an item finishes resolving, if the Chain is not empty and there are no Pending Items the controller of the newest item gains Priority and play continues (so players can play Reactions during the Execute steps between resolutions) [340.1] [340.4] [359.3.c]. If there are Pending Items, the game returns to Finalize before resolution continues [340.3].

Begin resolving Step 4: take the newest item on the Chain and start resolving it [340.1]. While that item is Resolving, no other spells or abilities may be finalized or resolved — you cannot play reactions during the active resolution window [157.3]. When that item finishes resolving, remove it from resolution and check the Chain state: if the Chain is empty, play proceeds in an Open State [340.2]. If the Chain is not empty and there are Pending Items, return to Finalize so those Pending Items can be finalized before further resolution [340.3]. If the Chain is not empty and there are no Pending Items, the controller of the newest item on the Chain gains Priority and play returns to Execute — players now have the opportunity to play Reactions (spells/abilities) before the next item resolves [340.4] [359.3.c]. Repeat the above (resolve newest, block actions during resolution, then give priority after resolution if appropriate) until the Chain is empty and play proceeds Open [340.1] [157.3] [340.4].

If a spell "lingers" on the Chain as a Finalized Chain Item, players have an opportunity to play Reactions before that spell's resolution as part of finalization steps [359.3.c]. If resolving an item creates Pending Items on the Chain (for example, through triggered abilities that were queued but not finalized), the existence of those Pending Items sends the process back to Finalize rather than immediately giving priority to play Reactions [340.3]. You cannot interrupt the resolution of a spell or ability with another spell or ability, even if that resolution would cause triggers — those triggers only go on the Chain after the current resolution completes, then they follow the usual Finalize/Execute flow [157.3] [340.3]. Triggered abilities that include choices/costs may split into "trigger condition" and "effect" portions per the FAQ; the effect only becomes a Finalized Chain Item after finalization steps are completed, and then Reactions are allowed at the appropriate time before resolution [FAQ:unleashed#2] [359.3.c].

Chains resolve newest-first, one item at a time. When Step 4 begins for a given Chain item, you execute that item's game effects in their entirety — that single item is Resolving [340.1]. During that active resolution window, the rules explicitly forbid finalizing or resolving any other spells or abilities on the Chain, so players cannot play Reactions or otherwise add/resolve other Chain items until the current item finishes resolving [157.3]. After the item completes, the game inspects the Chain. If there are Pending Items waiting to be finalized, the game returns to Finalize so those are completed before further resolution [340.3]. If there are no Pending Items and the Chain still contains items, the controller of the newest item gains Priority and play returns to Execute — this is the point where players can play Reactions between individual item resolutions [340.4] [359.3.c]. In short: you cannot interrupt an individual item's resolution, but after each item finishes there are checks that can allow players to play Reactions before the next item resolves.