Moving to a battlefield

Every unit has the inherent ability to perform a Standard Move.¹Rule 144. Units have the Inherent Ability to perform a Standard Move. Open in the rules browser It is a discretionary action, and exhausting the unit is its cost.²Rule 144.2. Exhausting the Unit is the Cost for this action. Open in the rules browser The rules are specific about when it can be performed³Rule 144.1. This action is limited in when it can be performed. Open in the rules browser: any time during your Main Phase⁴Rule 144.1.a. This action can be done any time during a player's Main Phase. Open in the rules browser, but not during a Closed State⁵Rule 144.1.b. This action cannot be performed during a Closed State. Open in the rules browser, and not while a Showdown or a Combat is in progress.⁶Rule 144.1.c. This action cannot be performed during a Showdown or Combat. Open in the rules browser A unit may move from its base to a battlefield⁷Rule 144.4.a. Units may move from their Base to a Battlefield. Open in the rules browser, or from a battlefield back to its base.⁸Rule 144.4.b. Units may move from a Battlefield to their Base. Open in the rules browser Moving does not use the chain and cannot be reacted to.⁹Rule 446.3.c. Moving does not use the Chain, nor is it able to be Reacted to. Open in the rules browser

Step through a first move below.

What Contested means

Moving a unit to a battlefield its controller does not control makes that battlefield Contested.¹⁰Rule 450. The Destination becomes Contested if it is an Uncontested Battlefield not controlled by the controller of the Unit or Units that moved. Open in the rules browser Contested is a temporary status, applied when a unit arrives somewhere its controller does not already control.¹¹Rule 190.3.a. Contested is a temporary status applied to the battlefield when a Unit controlled by a Player who does not currently Control that Battlefield Moves or otherwise becomes present there. Open in the rules browser Once a showdown or combat begins there it stays Contested until control is established or re-established.¹²Rule 190.3.b. Once a Showdown or Combat begins at a Battlefield, it remains Contested until Control is established or re-established. Open in the rules browser

Every completed move is followed by a cleanup.¹³Rule 453. When a Move action is complete, perform a Cleanup. Open in the rules browser If no units at that battlefield are controlled by a different player, and the turn is in a Neutral Open State¹⁴Rule 310.1. Neutral Open: There is no Showdown or Combat in progress and no Chain exists. Open in the rules browser, that cleanup opens a Showdown.¹⁵Rule 344.2. If Control of a Battlefield is Contested, there aren’t units controlled by different players there, and the turn is in a Neutral Open State, a Showdown is opened during the next Cleanup. See rule 318. Cleanups for more information. Open in the rules browser A showdown is a structured window in which players may play cards and activate abilities with Action or Reaction.¹⁶Rule 316.8.c. A Showdown is a structured Window of Opportunity where Players may play cards and activate abilities with Action or Reaction. See rule 341. Showdowns for more information. Open in the rules browser Nothing else may be played while one is in progress.¹⁷Rule 308.1.a. Only cards and abilities with the Action or Reaction keywords can be played or activated in a Showdown State. Open in the rules browser

That is where the limit in the first paragraph lands. Your move opened a showdown inside your own Main Phase, and while the showdown is running the turn is in a Showdown State¹⁸Rule 308.1. If a Showdown or Combat is in progress, the turn is in a Showdown State. Open in the rules browser rather than a neutral one, so no unit may take a Standard Move until it closes.⁶Rule 144.1.c. This action cannot be performed during a Showdown or Combat. Open in the rules browser The Main Phase being open to you is not the same as it being open at every moment inside it.

The player whose unit applied the Contested status takes Focus first.¹⁹Rule 345. As a Showdown begins, the player who applied Contested status to the Battlefield gains Focus. Open in the rules browser Once every player has passed without playing anything²⁰Rule 348. If all players pass Focus without playing a spell or activating an ability, then the Showdown Closes. Open in the rules browser, the showdown closes, and if only one player's units are left at the battlefield and that player did not already control it, that player establishes control.²¹Rule 348.2.a. If only one player’s Units remain at the Battlefield, and if that player does not already Control the Battlefield, that player establishes Control over the Battlefield. See rule 188. Control for more information on Control. See rule 469.1. for more information on Conquering. Open in the rules browser If they had not already scored that battlefield this turn, it is a Conquer.²²Rule 348.2.a.1. This results in a Conquer if that player has not yet scored that Battlefield this turn. Open in the rules browser

Control then keeps itself. Outside combat, a player holds a battlefield for as long as they have units there,²³Rule 190.4.a. If a player controls Units at a Battlefield, outside of Combat, they maintain Control of that Battlefield for as long as they have Units at that Battlefield. Open in the rules browser which is why the Hold in lesson one asks nothing of you except that your units stay put. It ends the same way: with no units there and the turn in an Open state, control is lost in the following cleanup, unless a combat or showdown is still running at that battlefield.²⁴Rule 190.4.c. If a player has no Units at a Battlefield and the turn is in an Open state, they lose Control of that Battlefield in the following cleanup unless there is a Combat or Showdown ongoing there. Open in the rules browser Leaving a battlefield undefended does not hand it over at once, but it does put it on the clock.

Combat is what happens when an enemy unit is already standing there, and it is the subject of Track 3, starting with When combat happens.