You can combine simple checks and filter checks as separate checks the same policy, that’s correct.
By “can’t combine built-in checks” I meant in the same policy check, something like:
authorize_if actor_attribute_equals(:role, :editor) && relates_to_actor_via(:created_by)
Which doesn’t work!
I’m pretty sure your version with two checks is equivalent, but I find it a lot harder to wrap my head around it, with the separate checks with inverted rules (which is why I can’t say with 100% confidence that they’re equivalent!)