Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: Yes, you conquer and score the battlefield. When you win the combat as the defender, you gain control of the battlefield that you did not previously control, so you receive the conquest and scoring benefits. Sequence: - Opponent moves 1 might unit to empty battlefield - You play Ride the Wind, moving your 2 might unit to the same battlefield - Non-combat showdown occurs first - Combat showdown occurs with you as the defender - If you win, you conquer and score the battlefield Nuances: - The key factor is that the battlefield was not controlled by you before the combat, so winning it grants you the normal conquest rewards even though you were technically the defender in the showdown

Ruling: The player who moved to the battlefield first is the attacker, and the player who used Ride the Wind to move there second is the defender. Reaver's Row does not trigger in this scenario. Sequence: - The open showdown resolves first - Then a combat showdown starts - Reaver's Row does not trigger during this combat Nuances: - Reaver's Row specifically says "when you defend" but there is no controller of the battlefield in this scenario, so the trigger condition cannot be met

Ruling: The unit moved into combat via Ride the Wind takes the same attacker/defender status as the player who controls it. If you are the defender in the showdown, any unit you bring into combat (including via Ride the Wind) will be a defender, not an attacker, and will not trigger Assault. Sequence: - Determine who initiated the showdown by moving to the opponent's battlefield - The initiating player is the attacker; the other player is the defender - Any units brought into the combat by either player inherit their controller's attacker/defender status Nuances: - If your opponent uses Charm to move your unit to a battlefield they control, you become the attacker in that showdown - The attacker/defender status is determined by who controls the battlefield being contested and who initiated the showdown, not by which units move where

Ruling: Yes, your Stalwart Poro becomes 3 might. After Ride the Wind resolves, the showdown continues as non-combat until both players pass. If both players still have units at the end, a new showdown begins that is combat, and it remembers who applied contested to the previous showdown, making your opponent the attacker and you the defender by default. Sequence: - Opponent moves Stalwart Poro to uncontested battlefield - You use Ride the Wind to move your Stalwart Poro to same battlefield - Ride the Wind resolves, showdown continues as non-combat - Both players pass - New combat showdown begins - Opponent is attacker, you are defender - Your Stalwart Poro gets +1 might as defender (becomes 3 might) Nuances: - The player who turns a battlefield to contested is considered the attacker in the subsequent combat showdown - The showdown "remembers" who applied contested even after transitioning from non-combat to combat

Ruling: Yes, the enemy unit still takes the showdown damage and dies. Sett's ability replaces the removal of your unit with a recall, but the damage has already been dealt simultaneously. Sequence: - Showdown damage happens simultaneously to both units - During the resolution step, units with lethal damage would normally be removed - Sett's ability can replace your unit's removal with a recall instead - The enemy unit still dies from the lethal damage it received

Ruling: Yes, you can play Nocturne from Stacked Deck and still choose one of the remaining two cards to put into your hand. Nocturne does not count as your one card from Stacked Deck. Sequence: - Reveal 3 cards from Stacked Deck - If Nocturne is among them, you can choose to play it (put it on the chain pending) - Choose one of the remaining two cards to put into your hand - Recycle the other remaining card - Finish resolving Nocturne (paying power cost, etc.) Nuances: - You cannot whiff Stacked Deck unless your deck is empty or you reveal 3 Nocturnes and play all of them - The effect uses "put into hand" rather than "draw" but this distinction doesn't affect the interaction

Ruling: Switcheroo adds or subtracts might equal to the difference between the two units' current might values at the time the spell resolves. If two units have the same might, the difference is 0, so both units gain 0 might and remain unchanged. Sequence: - Calculate the difference between the two units' current might - Apply that difference as a buff/debuff to each unit (one gains, one loses) - The units don't literally swap might values, they gain or lose what's necessary to reach the other unit's might Nuances: - For Mundo specifically, if it receives a negative might modifier from Switcheroo, you must trash additional cards to increase its might back up (removing the negative modifiers one at a time: -6, -5, -4, etc.) - Buffs on units are already factored into their current might when calculating the difference

Ruling: Switcheroo applies a fixed might modifier to each unit that accounts for all current bonuses (including equipment) at the time of casting. Equipment bonuses continue to apply after the swap, but Switcheroo's modifier is calculated to achieve the swapped totals. Sequence: - Switcheroo calculates the difference needed to swap the two units' current might totals (including all bonuses) - It applies a fixed positive/negative might modifier to each unit for the turn - Equipment and other bonuses continue to apply normally - If equipment is later attached or detached, the Switcheroo modifier remains fixed, so the unit's total might will change accordingly Nuances: - Example: A 15 might unit (12 base + 3 from equipment) swapping with a 5 might unit receives a -10 modifier, resulting in 12 + 3 - 10 = 5 might - If that equipment is later removed, the unit becomes 12 - 10 = 2 might (the -10 from Switcheroo persists) - There is no limit to the number of equipment cards that can be attached to a single unit

Ruling: The second activation fails. After the first activation moves a unit, the game state changes, and when the repeated activation checks legality, the original target location no longer has a unit to move to, causing it to fail. Sequence: - First activation resolves, moving one unit (e.g., Battlefield A unit to base) - Repeat cost is paid for second activation - Second activation checks legality and finds no valid target at the original location - Second activation fails to resolve

Ruling: You cannot move the same unit back and forth because all targeting choices for repeated effects are made during finalization (before any moves happen), and you cannot choose a destination that is the same as where the unit currently is at the time of finalization. Sequence: - Choose all targets and destinations for both move actions during card finalization - The unit's current location at finalization determines what destinations are legal - Both move actions then resolve in sequence Nuances: - You CAN move a unit from base to battlefield A, then move a different unit from battlefield B to base - You CAN move a unit from base to battlefield A, then move a different unit from battlefield A to battlefield B - You CANNOT move a unit from base to battlefield and back to base (base would be an illegal destination choice during finalization) - Edge case: Moving two units to swap their positions (one at each battlefield) may be legal but requires further rules clarification (similar to "hidden blade" timing issues)

Ruling: The unit remains in the state it was in (readied or exhausted). Spells and abilities that move units do not change their exhaust or ready status unless they specifically say they do. Nuances: - The ability can move units to uncontested battlefields; it only requires moving from a battlefield to base or base to battlefield without other restrictions.

Ruling: No, the moved unit does not get exhausted. Exhausting a unit is only a cost for the standard move action. When a unit moves through any other effect (like Yasuo's ability), it does not get exhausted. Nuances: - You can choose to move an already exhausted unit with Yasuo - This applies to other movement effects as well (e.g., Stealthy Pursuer moving with another unit via her effect does not exhaust) - A unit with Ganking moved to the battlefield via Yasuo would not exhaust and could then use Ganking

Ruling: When both units are at the battlefield at the end of combat, the attacker's unit is recalled and the defender takes control of the battlefield. In this scenario, the Zenith Blade player is the active defender, so their opponent's unit is recalled and they conquer the battlefield. Nuances: - Being the "active defender" (defending via Zenith Blade) doesn't prevent you from conquering the battlefield - you both defend AND conquer in this situation - The defender status (determined by who didn't apply contested status) and conquering (determined by who takes control of battlefield) are separate mechanics that don't directly interact

Ruling: The opponent who first moved to the new battlefield applies the Contested status and becomes the attacker. If you use Zenith Blade to follow them during the original showdown or during the subsequent showdown on the new battlefield, you will be the defender. Sequence: - Opponent uses Ride the Wind to move Yasuo to BF2, applying Contested status to BF2 and starting a non-combat showdown - The showdown on BF2 only starts after the showdown on BF1 finishes - If you use Zenith Blade during the BF1 showdown or during the BF2 showdown, the opponent remains the attacker (having applied Contested status) - If you let all showdowns fully resolve and use Zenith Blade later in open neutral state, then you would be the attacker Nuances: - The Contested status remains with whoever originally applied it, even if the showdown transitions from non-combat to combat - A combat showdown will never stop being a combat, even if there are no units from 2 players present

Ruling: When using alternate play methods that ignore "its costs," you still must pay all additional costs. The phrase "ignoring its costs" only refers to the base costs (energy and power), not additional costs. Nuances: - Optional additional costs (like accelerate) may be chosen but must be paid for if chosen - Mandatory additional costs must always be paid

Ruling: When you add a rune with a seal, it floats and is not restricted in use. However, seals pay for power costs, not energy costs. Nuances: - Floated power and energy are lost at the end of your turn - Floated power and energy are also lost at the draw phase (to prevent floating energy from before awaken for start of turn effects) - Floated power and energy persist through showdowns

Ruling: When you cast Retreat on your chosen champion, it goes to hand. Nuances: - Even though the card is a chosen champion, Retreat treats it as a regular unit and returns it to hand rather than the champion zone.

Ruling: Yes to both. When you charm an opponent's unit into an empty battlefield on your turn, they score a point. If you then move your own unit there and win the showdown (their unit dies, yours survives), both players score a point on the same turn. Nuances: - You cannot win by conquering alone, so if your opponent had 7 points and you gave them the 8th point through conquering on your turn, they wouldn't win unless you also gave them a conquering at another battlefield that same turn. - If you reverse the order (move your unit to empty battlefield first, then charm opponent's unit there), the charmed unit becomes the attacker and your unit is the defender, because control of the battlefield determines attacker/defender status, not whose turn it is.

Ruling: The draw happens as you conquer, before all "when I conquer" effects trigger. It replaces the normal conquest, so it occurs first. Sequence: - Draw 1 card for conquering at 7 points (instead of gaining a point) - All "when I conquer" effects trigger (can be ordered however you wish) Nuances: - In the Jinx/Zaun Warrens example, you would draw first, then order the battlefield's discard/draw effect and Rocket retrieval effect as desired

Ruling: Yes, you can play units to a battlefield immediately after conquering it on the same turn. Units come in exhausted like any other unit would. Sequence: - Conquer the battlefield - You gain control of it after conquering - You can then play units to it (they enter exhausted) Nuances: - You keep control of a battlefield until you have no units present there - You cannot lose or gain control of a battlefield during a showdown - During a showdown, you cannot play units normally - you are limited to legally timed cards - Units played as a result of actions or reactions (like Shen) can be played to a battlefield you are defending during a showdown

Ruling: Yes, you immediately control a battlefield when you conquer it, before conquer effects resolve. Units revealed by conquer effects can be played at the newly conquered battlefield. Sequence: - Conquer the battlefield - Control is established - Conquer effects happen

Ruling: Both Dazzling Aurora triggers go on the chain at end of turn, then resolve one at a time. Each creature enters and fully resolves (including any when-you-play-me abilities) before the next Aurora trigger resolves. Sequence: - Both Aurora triggers go on the chain at end of turn (DA > DA) - Last Aurora on chain resolves and plays a unit, adding it to the chain (DA > Unit) - Unit auto-resolves, and any when-you-play-me abilities from that unit go on the chain and resolve - Then the remaining Aurora trigger resolves and repeats the process

Ruling: When you exhaust runes, the power enters your rune pool and does not need to be spent immediately. You can exhaust runes at different times during your turn and accumulate power in your pool to spend later. Sequence: - Exhaust two runes (power enters pool) - Recycle one rune to play a seal - Play Legion Hopeful using the two power in your pool - Exhaust two more runes (power enters pool) - Play another Legion Hopeful with the newly added power Nuances: - Your rune pool empties at the end of every turn and after you perform your Draw for turn start - While you can play a seal before spending the power as described, most players save the seal for when they play a unit with a power cost

Ruling: You pass Focus directly. You cannot pass Priority when there is nothing on the chain. Sequence: - When you pass Focus, the next player in turn order gains both Focus and Priority Nuances: - Passing Priority (which retains Focus) is only possible when there are items on the chain - When the chain is empty, you can only pass Focus, not Priority

Ruling: Only one Vi gains the +1 when you recycle a card. You choose which Vi activates the ability. Sequence: - Choose which Vi activates the ability - Recycle 1 card - The chosen Vi gets +1

Ruling: Ravenbloom Student gains power after the spell resolves. Cards are only considered "played" when they fully resolve. Sequence: - Spell is placed on the chain - Spell resolves - Ravenbloom Student's trigger activates and she gains power Nuances: - Placing a card on the chain is not the same as "playing" a card - This general rule has an exception with Brynhir, where "play" is considered being put on the chain for that specific ability

Ruling: You are not forced to activate a hidden Zhonya's Hourglass. Hidden cards are private information and not in play yet - they may be played for 0 as a reaction, but this is optional. Nuances: - Hidden cards have no public information and the game has no way to force you to play them - If you lose control of the battlefield, hidden cards there are trashed - For combat damage, you must flip Zhonya's during the showdown BEFORE damage assignment (there is no reaction window during damage assignment) - For spell or ability damage, you must flip it in response to the spell/ability before the damage happens, not in response to the damage itself

Ruling: Each Zero Drive can only return units that were specifically banished by that individual Zero Drive's effect. Cards can only refer to things banished by their own effects, not by other cards with the same name. Sequence: - When a Zero Drive banishes a unit, track which specific Zero Drive banished it - When that Zero Drive's play effect triggers, only units banished by that specific Zero Drive can be played - Units banished by other Zero Drives (even with the same name) remain banished Nuances: - Physically placing banished cards underneath their respective Zero Drive (either directly under or horizontally) is a recommended method to track which units belong to which Zero Drive

Ruling: When Aurora's second trigger resolves and hits a unit, the unit becomes pending during that trigger's resolution. In the cleanup after the trigger, the unit immediately resolves and is played. Any when-you-play-me (WYPM) effects go on the chain on top of Aurora's first trigger. After those WYPM effects resolve, Aurora's first trigger resolves. Sequence: - Aurora trigger 2 resolves and reveals a unit - Unit becomes pending during the trigger - In cleanup after the trigger, the unit immediately resolves and is played - Any WYPM effects from the unit go on the chain on top of Aurora trigger 1 - WYPM effects resolve - Aurora trigger 1 resolves Nuances: - If the first Aurora hits a Deadbloom and starts a showdown, that showdown waits for both Aurora triggers to resolve before initiating - If you hit a second Deadbloom from the second Aurora, you cannot play a unit next to it because you don't control the battlefield (it's contested), unless you hit a second predator in which case the battlefield is still an occupied enemy battlefield

Ruling: Cards hidden with the Hide action gain reaction timing, which gives you permission to play them at reaction speed in addition to whatever other timing permissions they already have. Nuances: - Once a card is played, it no longer has a speed - Timing permission is cumulative: cards with Reaction can be played when you have permission to play Actions, and both Actions and Reactions can be played when you have permission to play default timing abilities or take discretionary actions

Ruling: The hidden object is discarded to your trash face up. Sequence: - Opponent successfully contests the battlefield - You choose not to flip over the hidden unit - The hidden object is revealed and discarded face up to trash

Ruling: Moving Lee Sin does not trigger his self-buff. You must use his activated ability (which exhausts him as a cost) separately to buff him. Sequence: - If you move Lee Sin, he exhausts but does not get buffed - If you want to buff Lee Sin, you must use his activated ability (exhausting him as the cost) - You cannot do both in the same action since both require exhausting him Nuances: - Lee Sin's buff is an activated ability with exhausting as a cost, not a trigger that occurs whenever he exhausts - Moving uses a Standard Move action that exhausts him, which is separate from his buff ability

Ruling: There are no attackers or defenders during uncontested showdowns. Moving a unit into an open battlefield makes it contested but does not create attacker/defender designations. Nuances: - The player who moves their unit in first is the one applying the 'contested' status to the battlefield - If the opponent later moves a unit in (e.g., via Ride the Wind), they would become the defender - Units with Assault and Shield do not get their might boosts during uncontested showdowns - Effects that trigger on or reference attackers/defenders (like Mask of Foresight) do not apply until the showdown becomes contested with both players having units present

Ruling: Normal movement resolves immediately and does not create a chain, so opponents cannot respond with Reaction spells before the move completes. Nuances: - If a unit has a "when I move" trigger, then a chain is created - Moving to a battlefield starts a showdown (which does create opportunities for responses)

Ruling: Yes, the unit heals before fighting at the new battlefield. When the combat at the first battlefield ends, all units everywhere heal, and this happens before the combat at the second battlefield can begin. Sequence: - Combat showdown occurs at Battlefield A - Unit takes damage from Hextech Ray during that combat - Unit is moved to Battlefield B where opposing units are present - Combat at Battlefield A must finish first - When Battlefield A combat ends, all units everywhere heal - Then combat at Battlefield B can start with the now-healed unit Nuances: - Only one showdown or combat can happen at a time; the current one must end before another can start - Damage heals only during two instances: after a combat resolves, and at the end of a player's turn - Even if a unit is moved away from a battlefield during a showdown, if the showdown was initiated as a combat showdown, it will conclude as such and healing will occur

Ruling: Yes, when you lose a position after moving a Charmed unit to your battlefield, your opponent gains 1 point and activates their Conquer ability.

Ruling: You are the defender when you move a unit with Charme to your battlefield.

Ruling: A player maintains control of a battlefield while it is contested (during combat showdown), even if they have no units present at that battlefield. The hidden remains valid and can be revealed as long as the battlefield is still contested. Sequence: - Player defends with a unit at a battlefield with a hidden - Combat showdown begins and the battlefield becomes contested - Defending player uses Fight or Flight to move their unit away from the battlefield - The battlefield remains contested and under the original controller's control - The hidden can still be revealed before combat damage resolution - Control only changes after the combat is fully resolved (defended or conquered) Nuances: - This represents a rule change from version 1.0 to 1.1; previously having a unit present mattered, but now only control of the battlefield matters - The contested status remains until the battlefield has been properly defended or conquered - Control remains with whoever had it originally throughout the entire contested period

Ruling: The enemy unit becomes the attacker. Even though your spell moved the unit, it is their unit that applies the contested status to the battlefield. Sequence: - You use a spell/ability to move an enemy unit into your occupied battlefield - The enemy unit applies contested status to the battlefield - The enemy unit is treated as the attacker

Ruling: Arcane Shift fully resolves before Fizz's on-play effect triggers. You cannot play cards while another card is resolving. Sequence: - Target an enemy unit and your unit for Arcane Shift - Banish the targeted unit (Fizz) - Put Fizz as pending on the chain - Deal 3 damage from Arcane Shift - Banish Arcane Shift - Fizz resolves on the same chain - Play Fizz immediately (as he is a unit) - Fizz's on-play effect triggers Nuances: - If Fizz is at a battlefield you control and you banish him with Arcane Shift during combat showdown (as defender), you can play him back to that same battlefield because control is only lost at the end of combat during resolution - The spell Fizz chooses with his on-play effect avoids timing restrictions, so you can choose spells without action/reaction timing even mid-showdown

Ruling: No, you cannot move readied units from your base to join Deadbloom Predator when it is played to an enemy battlefield. Deadbloom Predator will start the showdown alone. Nuances: - Deadbloom Predator is being played (not moving), so the normal rules for moving units together do not apply.

Ruling: You take the unit in whatever state it is currently in. If it's exhausted it stays exhausted, but if it's ready it stays ready and can be moved. Nuances: - Possession causes a 'recall' which is not a move, so it doesn't exhaust the unit - The card text explicitly states "this is not a move" - Even though it's not a Standard Move (the inherent exhaust-to-move ability), it won't trigger abilities that check for moves - Moving itself does not cost exhaustion - only the Standard Move ability specifically requires exhausting

Ruling: The Sprite enters ready (untapped) because Sprite Mother's text specifies "play a ready 3 [M] sprite." You can also play Sprite Mother directly to a battlefield if you control it. Nuances: - If the card didn't say "ready," the Sprite would enter exhausted - The Sprite is not a Recruit, so it will trigger Viktor Champion's ability when it dies

Ruling: Yes, Sun Disc counts itself as "another card" for its own Legion effect. When played, it is active the same turn and will trigger Legion for subsequent cards played that turn. Nuances: - Legion has unique properties when it is part of a permanent's abilities (as opposed to other contexts)

Ruling: When you play me (WYPM) targets are not restricted by where you play the unit unless the WYPM says "here" in it. The ability may have its own targeting restrictions (like "at a battlefield"), but you can target any valid battlefield, not just the one where you played the unit. Nuances: - Hidden units with WYPM abilities are an exception: when played from hidden, those abilities must target units at the battlefield you played them from - The WYPM ability itself may specify targeting restrictions (e.g., "at a battlefield") which must be followed

Ruling: The second Dazzling Aurora trigger must fully resolve before the Deadbloom showdown can be initiated, because showdowns can only start when the turn is in a neutral open state with no chain items pending. If you get another Deadbloom from the second Aurora, you can place it on the same battlefield the first Deadbloom is contesting since it's still enemy-occupied. Sequence: - First Dazzling Aurora trigger resolves, you play Deadbloom Predator on enemy battlefield - Deadbloom's showdown trigger stages but cannot initiate yet - Second Dazzling Aurora trigger resolves, you play that unit - If that unit has a "when you play" trigger (like Mind Splitter), it goes on the chain immediately and resolves - After all chain items resolve and the game reaches neutral open state, the Deadbloom showdown initiates Nuances: - When you play a unit from Aurora's effect, any "when you play" triggers on that unit finalize onto the chain immediately and must resolve before continuing with remaining Aurora triggers - Abilities can be added to the chain even when other items are still on the chain - Units resolve as soon as they finalize onto the chain, including when played by effects like Aurora - The opponent still controls the battlefield until the showdown resolves, so a second Deadbloom from the second Aurora can also be placed there

Ruling: You cannot react to units being played. Units go on the chain but immediately leave it, so there is no window for your opponent to play a reaction spell. Sequence: - Unit is played and goes on the chain - Unit immediately leaves the chain (no reaction window) - Unit enters the battlefield Nuances: - If the unit has a "when you play me" ability, opponents can react to the trigger of that ability - Gear behaves the same way as units - you cannot react to gear being played - For spells that create tokens (like Sprite Call), you can react to the spell itself, but the token won't be on the field yet because the spell hasn't resolved - Your opponent can start a chain with a reaction spell during their own action phase (outside of showdowns)

Ruling: The trigger will always resolve and go on the chain, but it may have no impact on the board depending on the wording of the ability. Sequence: - The unit is played and enters the battlefield - The "when I'm played" trigger goes on the chain - Opponents can react to the trigger (but not to the unit itself being played) - The trigger resolves based on its wording Nuances: - If the ability references "here" or "me" and the unit has been removed, the game returns a null value and the ability resolves without effect - If the ability does not reference a specific location or the unit itself (e.g., "all enemy units get -3 Might"), it will resolve normally even if the unit is no longer in play - Units cannot be countered while on the chain - only spells can be countered by effects like Defy - Units are permanents and resolve too quickly to be targeted while on the chain under normal circumstances

Ruling: When you play an equipment with QuickDraw, you do not have to pay the equip cost on the initial play. You only pay the card's energy and power costs to play it and equip it to a unit you control. Nuances: - Any subsequent equip actions after the initial play would require paying the equip cost

Ruling: When you reveal a Hidden unit, you are playing the card just like you would play it from your hand, so it enters the battlefield Exhausted. Nuances: - A facedown card doesn't have a Ready or Exhausted state while Hidden - Playing a card from Hidden works the same as playing it from hand - The Ready/Exhausted state depends on what kind of card it is