Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: No. For abilities that trigger when a spell is played, the spell needs to resolve. Nuances: - This applies to all abilities that trigger when a spell is played, not just Student specifically

Ruling: Yes, you still draw a card from Dreaming Tree. When you play a spell targeting a unit on Dreaming Tree, the Dreaming Tree trigger is created immediately and goes on the stack. Even if the spell is later Defied, the Dreaming Tree trigger remains on the stack and will resolve. Sequence: - Play spell (e.g., Cleave) targeting a unit on Dreaming Tree, triggering Dreaming Tree - Stack is now: Spell > Dreaming Tree's trigger - Pass priority - Opponent plays Defy targeting the spell - Stack is now: Spell > Dreaming Tree's trigger > Defy - Both players pass priority - Defy resolves, countering the spell - Stack is now: Dreaming Tree's trigger - Both players pass priority - Dreaming Tree trigger resolves and you draw a card Nuances: - This works the same way with any spell that targets (Forge of Flame, Raze the World, etc.) - Targets are declared when the spell/ability is played, before opponents can respond

Ruling: No, it doesn't matter who takes which of the turns in overtime. At the end of the 5th turn, you check point totals and the player with the highest points wins. Nuances: - The overtime rules simply state 5 turns total, without specifying turn ownership - Time warp effects don't affect the overtime turn count or outcome

Ruling: No, you cannot move a unit out of Vilemaw's Lair using Tideturner's swap ability. Since Tideturner uses "move" in its text, Vilemaw's Lair prevents the unit from moving to base. Sequence: - Tideturner is played to base and targets the unit in Vilemaw's Lair - Tideturner moves to Vilemaw's Lair - The targeted unit cannot move to base due to Vilemaw's Lair restriction - The targeted unit stays in Vilemaw's Lair Nuances: - Vilemaw's Lair prevents all movement effects, not just standard moves (including effects like Yasuo and Ride the Wind) - Only recall effects can bypass Vilemaw's Lair restriction - The swap still partially resolves: Tideturner moves to Vilemaw's Lair even though the other unit cannot move out

Ruling: Yes, you trigger a new showdown, you are the attacker, and you can score a point. Sequence: - The current showdown is not interrupted and resolves as usual - When the current showdown is over and you're back in a neutral open state, the next "waiting" showdown begins Nuances: - This scenario requires somehow moving a unit to an enemy-controlled battlefield (Miss Fortune specifically only allows playing to open battlefields)

Ruling: The unit goes to its owner's base, and the owner plays it and gets the "when played" effect. Sequence: - When Portal Rescue targets a unit you control but don't own, the unit goes to its owner's base (not yours) - The owner of the unit plays it - The owner gets the "when played" trigger Nuances: - This is clarified in the errata for Portal Rescue - Rule 107.5d states that a card owned by a player can never be put into the banishment of another player; if it would be, it goes to its owner's banishment instead

Ruling: Yes, the showdown is still considered a combat. Sequence: - Reaver's Row is a "when you defend" trigger, so combat is already happening when it is used - The showdown doesn't end until both players pass focus consecutively - The battlefield stays contested until the showdown ends Nuances: - The key distinction is that it's a combat in the showdown, not just a showdown

Yes, you can react to an enemy's **Temporary** trigger, and yes, the original unit will still die. According to **Rule 816**, **Temporary** is a triggered ability that behaves like any other triggered ability (it is placed on the chain). As supported by RiftJudge FAQ #9384, because it uses the chain, players have the opportunity to play **[REACTION]** speed effects in response. ### How it works: 1. **Trigger Placement:** At the start of the Beginning Phase, the **Temporary** effect triggers for the enemy unit and is placed on the chain. This puts the game into a **Closed State**. 2. **Reaction Window:** You (and your opponent) may now play **[REACTION]** cards. 3. **Resolution (LIFO):** - If you play a **[REACTION]** (like playing a unit or a spell), it is added to the top of the chain and resolves first. - Once all reactions on the chain have resolved, the original **Temporary** trigger resolves, and the unit is killed (sent to the trash). ### Key Nuance: If you react by playing a **new** temporary unit (such as with *Sprite Call*), that new unit will **survive** the turn. This is because the "Temporary" trigger check only occurs once at the start of the Beginning Phase. By the time your new unit enters the battlefield, that window has already passed, meaning it won't be checked for its "Temporary" death condition until your *next* Beginning Phase (as detailed in RiftJudge FAQ #340).

Yes, if you play a unit with **Ambush** into a battlefield where your opponent controls **Vex, Apathetic**, that unit will be stunned. ### Reasoning 1. **Trigger Condition:** **Vex, Apathetic** has the ability: *"When an opponent plays a unit while I'm at a battlefield, [Stun] it."* 2. **Ambush Timing:** **Ambush** allows you to play a unit as a **[Reaction]** to a battlefield where you already control units (Rule 822.1.b). 3. **Interaction:** When you play a unit via **Ambush**, you are still "playing a unit." Because **Vex, Apathetic** is at a battlefield, its triggered ability activates the moment your unit enters the board. 4. **Chain Resolution:** Even though you played your unit as a **[Reaction]** (which allows you to play it while the game state is **Closed**), the act of playing the unit still triggers **Vex, Apathetic**. Vex's ability is placed on the chain and will resolve, stunning your unit. ### Sequence of Events 1. **Game State:** A showdown or combat is ongoing (or another effect has created a **Closed** state). 2. **Action:** You play your unit with **Ambush** as a **[Reaction]** to the battlefield. 3. **Trigger:** Your unit enters the board. **Vex, Apathetic's** triggered ability ("When an opponent plays a unit...") is added to the chain. 4. **Resolution:** The chain resolves (LIFO). **Vex, Apathetic's** ability resolves, and your unit is stunned. This is consistent with **RiftJudge FAQ #9240**, which confirms that **Vex, Apathetic** stuns any enemy unit played while Vex is at a battlefield, regardless of the location or the method used to play the unit.

According to the RiftJudge FAQ (specifically FAQ #212 and #3168), Karma triggers only once when multiple cards are recycled in a single instance. Because **Baited Hook** instructs you to "recycle the rest" of the cards (those remaining from the top 5 after you've banished one) simultaneously as a single game action, this counts as one instance of recycling. Therefore, Karma will trigger only once and grant only one buff, regardless of whether 1, 2, or 4 cards are recycled. As noted in the FAQ, for Karma to trigger multiple times, the effect would need to be a reflexive trigger that recycles cards one at a time in a sequence.

Ruling: No, a unit is only dead if it has non-zero damage at least equal to its might. Reducing might to 0 or even negative values without dealing damage does not kill the unit. Nuances: - Might can go negative (e.g., using multiple Frigid Touch effects) - When might is referenced for other effects, negative might is treated as 0 - To kill a unit with 0 or negative might, at least 1 damage must still be dealt to it

Ruling: No, Viktor does not make a recruit token when retreated. Play effects occur after the triggering spell finishes the complete process of being played, which in the case of retreat will be after Viktor is put back in hand. Sequence: - Retreat is played targeting Viktor - Viktor is returned to hand as part of retreat resolving - Play effects would trigger after retreat fully resolves - Since Viktor is no longer on the battlefield, his play effect does not trigger

Ruling: No, you cannot score another point. You can only score each battlefield once each turn, so if you gain a point by holding, you cannot conquer the same battlefield that turn. Nuances: - You will also not get any "When you conquer" triggers if you've already scored from that battlefield by holding it.

Ruling: No, the controller does not draw 2 cards. When Hidden Blade resolves, if its target is no longer a valid unit at a battlefield, the entire instruction is ignored because it cannot determine the controller of the target. Sequence: - Target legality is checked when Hidden Blade is added to the chain - Target legality is checked again when Hidden Blade resolves - If the target is not valid upon resolution (e.g., retreated), the instruction looking for "the controller of the unit at a battlefield" fails - The spell still resolves (for effects that care about spell resolution), but the draw does not happen Nuances: - If the unit dies (like from Zhonya's or Sett), the draw still happens because the unit was still a legal target at a battlefield when Hidden Blade resolved - If the unit is moved to another battlefield, the draw would still happen because the target remains legal - Moving a unit away from the battlefield (Flash, Fade and Flourish, Retreat) makes the target invalid, preventing the draw

To determine if revealing **Zhonya's Hourglass** from hidden triggers **Pit Crew's** ability ("When you play a gear, ready me."), we must look at the definition of "playing" a card from hidden. ### Ruling **Yes, revealing and playing a Zhonya's Hourglass from hidden counts as playing a gear, which triggers Pit Crew.** ### Reasoning 1. **Playing from Hidden:** According to the **Patch Notes (2025-10-24)** and **Rule 737.1.c.3**, playing a card from facedown (or "from Hidden") is a formal action that opens a chain. While hiding a card (placing it facedown) is a discretionary action that does *not* count as playing, the act of playing that card from its hidden state is officially recognized as "playing" the card. 2. **Card Type:** **Zhonya's Hourglass** is a **Gear** card. When you play it from hidden, you are playing a gear. 3. **Trigger Condition:** **Pit Crew's** ability states: "When you play a gear, ready me." Since playing Zhonya's from hidden constitutes playing a gear, the condition for Pit Crew's triggered ability is met. ### Sequence 1. You have **Pit Crew** on the board and a **Zhonya's Hourglass** hidden at a battlefield. 2. You play the **Zhonya's Hourglass** from hidden (this is the act of "playing a gear"). 3. **Pit Crew's** triggered ability ("When you play a gear...") is placed on the chain. 4. The chain resolves, and **Pit Crew** readies. *** *Note: This interpretation is based on the official Patch Notes (2025-10-24) clarifying that playing from hidden is a formal play action, and the card type of Zhonya's Hourglass being Gear.*

To answer your question, when you reveal an opponent's hand via the *Deathknell* effect of **Scuttle Crab**, you reveal it only for as long as it takes for all players present to clearly read and understand the information. According to **Rule 424.3** and the **RiftJudge FAQ #9700**, revealing is a temporary state. Once every player has had a reasonable opportunity to understand the revealed information, the reveal action is complete. It is a one-time action triggered by the resolution of the *Deathknell* ability and does not require the opponent to keep their hand revealed for the remainder of the turn. For the sequence of this interaction: 1. **Trigger:** When **Scuttle Crab** dies and is sent to the trash, its *Deathknell* ability triggers and is placed on the chain. 2. **Resolution:** When the *Deathknell* effect resolves, the chosen opponent must reveal their hand. 3. **Duration:** You present the cards to all players at the table. Once the information is understood, the reveal ends.

Ruling: Yes, you can use Gust to save Teemo after revealing him from hidden and triggering his search ability. Teemo won't deal his damage because he is no longer on the battlefield, but he'll be safe in your hand. Sequence: - Enemy attacks - Reveal hidden Teemo (reaction speed) - Teemo's ability triggers to search top 5 cards - Use Gust as a reaction to save Teemo - Teemo returns to hand safely Nuances: - You can Gust/Flash Teemo after his trigger resolves, allowing you to get the damage from the trigger and also save him - Flash can be used to save multiple units (e.g., Teemo and another card) back to your base - If Teemo is defending (not hidden), you can still Gust him after the chain resolves but before combat damage is applied - If opponent activates hidden Teemo and you Gust it in chain, the revealing part happens but Teemo won't deal damage since he's no longer there

Ruling: No, you cannot buff the unit played from Baited Hook with Vanguard Helm. When Hook kills the buffed unit, Helm's trigger is added to the pending chain first, then the unit from Hook is added to the pending chain second. Pending items are finalized in the order they were added (first in, first out), so Helm finalizes and requires a target before the Hook unit is played. Sequence: - Baited Hook resolves and kills a buffed unit - Vanguard Helm's trigger is added to the pending chain - Hook continues resolving: look through top 5 cards, banish the chosen unit, add it to the pending chain as a pending item - Hook finishes resolving and is recycled - Finalize Helm (choose targets - the Hook unit is not yet played, so cannot be chosen) - Finalize the unit from Hook (the unit is now played) - Resolve the unit's "when you play" triggers (if any) - Resolve Helm's buff effect Nuances: - Nothing goes onto the resolve chain during resolution, only the pending chain - Pending items are finalized in the order they were added (first in, first out) - The resolve chain itself works last in, first out - You cannot play a card while an ability is resolving, which is why the Hook unit must be added as a pending item first

Ruling: No, you cannot score a battlefield more than once per turn. Since conquering is a form of scoring, you cannot conquer the same battlefield again in the same turn even if you move the unit out and back. Nuances: - If your score has its point replaced (e.g., drawing 1 if you can't win the final point), any conquer effects will still trigger in those replacement cases.

Ruling: No, the conquer trigger does not activate. You may only conquer each battlefield once per turn, regardless of how you scored from it (Hold or Conquer). Sequence: - If you score from a battlefield in any way (Hold or Conquer), you cannot conquer that same battlefield again that turn - Moving a unit back to a battlefield you've already scored from does not trigger conquer abilities - You can retake control and start a showdown, but no conquering occurs Nuances: - Conquer abilities still trigger at 7 points when you would draw a card instead of gaining a point - "Score" is the verb that describes what happens when you conquer or hold a battlefield - it usually means +1 point, except at 7 points when you draw a card instead - Moving units to a battlefield you've already scored from can still start a showdown and let you retake control, just without the conquer trigger

Ruling: No, Kai'sa's conquer ability does not trigger. You cannot conquer a battlefield you've already scored on in the same turn by holding, because conquering requires scoring a point and you can only score once per battlefield per turn. Sequence: - You score by holding the battlefield - You leave the battlefield with all units - You move Kai'sa back to the battlefield - You take control of the battlefield but do not conquer (no point gained, no conquer triggers) Nuances: - You do still get conquer triggers when you can't score due to the last point rule (different from the already-scored-by-holding scenario) - Taking control of a battlefield is distinct from conquering it; conquering only occurs when you take control AND score a point

When you run out of cards in your Main Deck while attempting to draw, you trigger a **Burn Out**. This is a specific game mechanic that replenishes your deck using your trash. According to **Rule 418.2**, when you Burn Out, you perform the following sequence: 1. **Perform as much of the action as possible:** You draw as many cards as you can (which is zero if your deck is empty). 2. **Recycle your trash into your Main Deck:** All cards currently in your trash are moved to your Main Deck. 3. **Randomize:** Per the reminder in Rule 418.2.b, when multiple cards are recycled to the Main Deck at the same time, they must be randomized (shuffled). 4. **Opponent gains 1 point:** You choose an opponent to gain 1 point. 5. **Complete the remainder of the action:** You then draw the remaining number of cards you were originally instructed to draw from your newly replenished and shuffled deck. During a Burn Out, any unit card currently in your trash will be moved into your Main Deck and shuffled as part of the randomization process, as the process instructs you to "Recycle your trash into your Main Deck." Therefore, a unit that was in your trash *does* get shuffled back into your deck.

No, playing *Star-Crossed* does not determine whether a situation is a "combat"—the existence of combat is determined by the units present at the battlefield, not by the spells played. Here is the breakdown of how this works: ### 1. What determines Combat? According to **Rule 454** and **Rule 456**, a combat exists at a battlefield if units controlled by opposing players are present there. * If you play *Star-Crossed* during a showdown, it simply removes units from the board. * If removing those units leaves only one player's units (or no units) at the battlefield, the battlefield may stop being "contested," but it does not retroactively change the fact that a combat was staged there, nor does the act of playing *Star-Crossed* itself change the nature of the showdown. ### 2. Does *Star-Crossed* end a Showdown? No. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #7670**, a showdown does not end just because units are moved off the battlefield. The showdown continues until all players pass focus in a row. ### 3. The Sequence If you play *Star-Crossed* during a showdown: 1. **Chain:** *Star-Crossed* is added to the chain. 2. **Resolution:** *Star-Crossed* resolves, returning the target units to hand. 3. **State:** The showdown remains ongoing (Rule 348). 4. **Combat Status:** * If, after the units are returned to hand, there are still units from both players at the battlefield, it remains a **Combat Showdown**. * If the units returned by *Star-Crossed* were the *only* units representing one or both sides of the combat, the combat is no longer "staged" with opposing units. However, because a showdown only ends when players pass focus, the players continue to have the opportunity to play spells until they both pass. **In summary:** Playing *Star-Crossed* is a reaction that affects the board state during a showdown, but it does not "create" or "cancel" a combat definition—it only alters the presence of the units that are currently defining that status.

Ruling: Yes, this is a win. You do not need to actively hold both battlefields simultaneously to score the final point via conquest. Sequence: - Start turn holding 1 battlefield, gaining a point (reaching 7) - Lose control of that battlefield during your turn - Take control of the other battlefield during the same turn - Win condition is met Nuances: - You only need to have scored both battlefields at some point during that turn, not hold them simultaneously

Ruling: When you move your last unit out of a battlefield you were holding, you lose control. Moving another unit back in contests the battlefield and opens a showdown where your opponent can react. You cannot score or trigger conquer effects because you already scored that battlefield by holding it that turn. Sequence: - Moving out your last unit causes you to lose control of the battlefield - Moving a new unit into the now-uncontrolled battlefield contests it and opens a showdown - Opponent can respond with abilities during this showdown - You cannot score the battlefield again this turn Nuances: - Moving the new unit in before moving the original unit out prevents losing control, avoiding the showdown entirely - The restriction on scoring twice applies specifically because you scored by holding that turn, not because you were the last controller - If you move out and back in on your opponent's turn (not your own), you can score - This same restriction applies even if your opponent takes the battlefield mid-turn and you recapture it - no conquer triggers will occur - The restriction also applies when you draw instead of scoring a final victory point

Ruling: If both attackers and defenders remain on the battlefield after combat damage has been assigned, all attacking units get recalled back to their owners base. The opponent does not conquer the battlefield. Nuances: - This applies even if the attacking units have more total might than the defending units - Stunned units remain on the battlefield but don't deal damage, so they count as "remaining" after combat

Ruling: Yes, you get a conquest point. When combat ends, control is determined. Since you gain control of a battlefield you didn't control before, you get a conquer. Sequence: - Combat ends - Control is determined - If you now control a battlefield you didn't control before, you gain a conquest point Nuances: - This applies even when you were the defender in the combat - The conquest point is awarded because you're gaining control, not because of your role as attacker or defender

Ruling: Yes, you can still choose to pay Akshan, Mischievous's additional cost of [C][C] when playing him with Baited Hook, which will activate his ability to move an enemy gear to your base. Sequence: - Activate Baited Hook and choose Akshan, Mischievous to play - Akshan's base Energy and Power costs are ignored - You have the option to pay Akshan's additional cost of [C][C] - If you pay the [C][C], Akshan's "When you play me, if you paid the additional cost" ability triggers and resolves Nuances: - "Ignoring cost" effects only apply to base Energy and Power costs (printed in the top-left corner) - Additional costs (like Akshan's [C][C] or Accelerate costs) are separate from base costs and can still be paid even when base costs are ignored - The additional cost is optional - you can choose whether or not to pay it

No, when you take control of an enemy unit, you **do not** gain control of the attached gear. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #5310**: * Only the unit (the top-most card) changes control. * The equipped gear remains attached to that unit, but the original owner retains control of the gear itself. * While the gear remains attached, you (the new controller of the unit) benefit from the gear's effect text, but you cannot use its abilities (such as moving the gear to another unit), because you do not control the gear. If the unit leaves the board (is recalled, banished, or dies), the gear will be recalled to the original owner's base during the cleanup step.

Ruling: No, Sun Disk's ability checks for Legion only at the moment you tap (activate) it. It does not look back or retroactively trigger if you gain Legion afterwards. Sequence: - When you tap Sun Disk, it checks if you have Legion at that moment - If you don't have Legion when tapping it, the ability does nothing - Gaining Legion afterwards (by playing a unit via Baited Hook) does not cause Sun Disk's ability to retroactively apply Nuances: - The turn you play Sun Disk, it does have Legion because the ability is separate from the card itself and sees that you played a card (Sun Disk itself)

Ruling: You pick targets for all 6 triggers simultaneously and decide which Deflect costs to pay before they go on the stack. You can choose to pay for only 1 Deflect and decline to pay for the other 5. Sequence: - All 6 Icathian Rain triggers target at the same time - You decide which Deflect costs to pay (can choose to pay for 1 and not the others) - Only the ones you pay for go on the stack - The ones you don't pay for never go on the stack - This decision is made before your opponent can react Nuances: - You must make all payment decisions before seeing what your opponent will do in response

Ruling: No, you do not ready 2 runes from Targon's Peak. Once the Ending Step begins, all "at end of turn" triggers that are currently active go on the chain at that moment. After this point, no more "at end of turn" triggers can trigger for the rest of that turn. Sequence: - At the Ending Step (317.1.a), all current "at end of turn" triggers go on the chain (Aurora's delayed ability in this case) - Aurora resolves, playing Deadbloom and staging combat - If you win the showdown and conquer Targon's Peak, its "at end of turn" trigger becomes active - However, the window for "at end of turn" triggers has already passed for this turn - Targon's Peak never "saw" the start of the Ending Step, only became active after that moment Nuances: - This is consistent with how phase-based triggers work in all other phases - Phase-based triggers occur precisely when you hit the step specified in the rules, not a moment after - The Ending Step happens once per turn, and all relevant triggers must be present at that exact moment to trigger

Ruling: When Sett's legend ability saves a unit targeted by Baited Hook, the replacement effect changes "kill" to "recall." Since no unit was actually killed, Baited Hook cannot find a "killed unit" to reference for its might value. You will look at the top 5 cards but cannot play a unit, then recycle the rest. Sequence: - Baited Hook begins resolving and attempts to kill the targeted unit - Sett's replacement effect intercedes during resolution, replacing the kill with a recall - The unit is recalled instead of killed - Baited Hook looks for the might of the "killed unit" but finds none (null or 0) - You look at the top 5 cards of your deck - You cannot play a unit because there is no valid might value to compare against - You recycle the remaining cards Nuances: - Sett's ability is a replacement effect, not a trigger that goes on the chain - it intercedes during the resolution of other effects - The wording "killed unit" on Baited Hook requires an actual killed unit, not just a targeted unit - There was debate about whether the might value should be 0 or null when no unit is killed, but either way you cannot play a unit from the top 5

Ruling: You can play Cruel Patron, but if you select the banished unit, it will stay banished. Alternatively, you can choose not to select the banished unit and Cruel Patron will recycle. Sequence: - If you select the banished unit: Cruel Patron stays banished - If you don't select the banished unit: Cruel Patron recycles Nuances: - Even though the only valid target is banished, you still have the option to not select it, resulting in recycling rather than being forced to select an invalid target

Ruling: No, the unit must actually be killed for Baited Hook to work. However, even if the unit is not killed, you still excavate 5 cards but don't play anything since there's no Might to compare to. Nuances: - When Baited Hook looks at units to play from excavation, it only checks the printed Might on the card (units in non-board zones are evaluated by inherent Might) - When Baited Hook is used to kill a unit, it counts any buffs on that unit (units on the board are evaluated by current Might) - An attacker is only an attacker during a combat showdown, so using Baited Hook on a unit with Assault would not see the extra power bonus

Ruling: No, you cannot play the unit to that battlefield. By the time Hook finishes resolving and you would play the unit, you no longer control that battlefield since your only unit there was killed. Nuances: - This works the same way as Cruel Patron - if you sacrifice your only unit at a battlefield to Cruel Patron, you cannot play Cruel Patron to that battlefield. - The comprehensive rules document explicitly addresses the Cruel Patron interaction.

Ruling: When Baited Hook plays Cruel Patron, you must still pay the additional cost of killing a friendly unit because Baited Hook only ignores printed costs, not additional costs. If you cannot pay the additional cost (e.g., Cruel Patron is your only unit), the card is placed on the chain but then returned to banishment since the cost cannot be paid. Sequence: - Baited Hook allows you to play the card ignoring its printed cost - Additional costs (like Cruel Patron's kill effect) must still be paid - If the additional cost cannot be paid, the card goes onto the chain but returns to its original zone (banishment) Nuances: - You are not required to banish a card with Baited Hook if you know you won't be able to pay its additional cost - you can choose nothing instead - Effects that check or ignore "cost" only refer to printed cost, not additional costs - Printed cost includes both energy and power costs if both are printed on the card

Ruling: No, you do not still control the battlefield. When you lose your last unit on a non-contested battlefield, you lose control immediately. Sequence: - You use Baited Hook and sacrifice your only unit - You immediately lose control of the battlefield (since it's not contested) - You cannot place a new unit there because you no longer control it Nuances: - This only applies when the battlefield is not contested - If the battlefield were contested, control changes work differently and happen at a different timing - The cleanup step does not handle battlefield control changes; control changes happen immediately for non-contested battlefields

Ruling: Yes, the opponent can score a point. When a unit moves to a battlefield not already controlled by that player, a showdown occurs, and if they win the showdown and are able to score on that battlefield, they will score a point. Sequence: - Unit is moved to a battlefield not controlled by that player - A showdown occurs (non-combat if the battlefield was empty) - If the unit wins the showdown and is still there after, they score Nuances: - This works even during the opponent's turn (when Charm is used) - Each battlefield can only be scored once per turn, but typically a battlefield won't have been scored yet during an opponent's turn - The battlefield must not already be controlled by the player whose unit is being moved

Ruling: No, Svellsongur only copies printed text on units, not text granted by other effects like Cleave. Nuances: - Cleave grants Assault 3 to a unit, but this is not printed text - Svellsongur will only copy the unit's original printed text box, not any modifications from spells or other effects

Ruling: The unit takes 6 damage. Void Gate's damage bonus only applies "to units here," so once the unit is moved to base with Flash before Falling Star resolves, it is no longer at Void Gate and doesn't receive the +1 damage bonus from Void Gate for either instance of damage. Sequence: - Falling Star is played and choices are made (targeting the same unit twice) - Flash is used to move the unit from Void Gate to base - Falling Star resolves, dealing 3 damage twice (6 total) without Void Gate's bonus since the unit is no longer there

Ruling: No, you do not draw 2 cards if the unit is moved away before Hidden Blade resolves. The target must be legal when Hidden Blade resolves for you to draw cards. Nuances: - If the unit dies but death is replaced by another effect (like moving to base), you still draw because the target was legal when Hidden Blade resolved - If the unit is moved before Hidden Blade resolves, the target becomes null/illegal, so no draw occurs - The FAQ reference about replacement effects applies when death is replaced, not when the target becomes illegal before resolution

Ruling: It depends on when Fight or Flight is played. If played in response to the unit moving (before combat begins), combat never occurs and there is no healing. If played after combat begins but before damage, combat still completes and healing occurs. Sequence: - If Fight or Flight is played in response to the move trigger: Combat is staged but never occurs, no special cleanup, no healing - If Fight or Flight is played after combat begins: Combat step continues, special cleanup occurs, all marked damage is cleared from all units Nuances: - Combat only occurs at Battlefields where both players control at least one Unit when Combat would begin. If this condition fails, the staged Combat is removed before it starts. - The healing effect is technically "clearing all marked damage from all units" during combat cleanup, not a specific heal effect

Ruling: No, if you Flash a unit in response to Hidden Blade, the controller does not draw 2 cards. When Hidden Blade resolves, the unit is no longer at the battlefield, making the target illegal and preventing Hidden Blade from determining "its controller." Sequence: - Player A plays Hidden Blade targeting a unit - Player B responds with Flash, which resolves first - The unit moves back to base - Hidden Blade resolves but cannot find the target at the battlefield, so "its controller" becomes null and no cards are drawn Nuances: - Death prevention abilities like Zhonya's work differently - they allow you to draw 2 and save the unit because Hidden Blade begins resolving and identifies the controller before the unit is moved - The key difference is timing: Flash moves the unit before Hidden Blade resolves, while Zhonya's triggers after Hidden Blade starts resolving and can identify the controller

Ruling: When you deal damage to a unit with a spell outside of combat, the unit does not heal immediately. If you then attack that unit with one of your units, it will still have the damage marked on it when combat damage is dealt. Sequence: - Cast spell (e.g., Hextech Ray) to deal damage to enemy unit - Damage is marked on the unit - Attack the damaged unit with your unit - Units deal damage to each other while the spell damage is still marked - Units heal at the end of combat Nuances: - Dealing damage with a spell does not start a combat or showdown - Playing a spell starts a chain, not a showdown - Units heal at the end of turn and at the end of each combat, not immediately after taking damage

Ruling: Yes, you still draw 2 cards. Hidden Blade's kill effect and draw effect are separate from each other, so the draw happens regardless of whether the unit actually dies. Nuances: - If the targeted unit leaves the battlefield before Hidden Blade resolves (bounced, banished, recycled, or killed by another card), the target becomes illegal and nobody draws cards because the controller can no longer be determined - The unit must still be at a battlefield when Hidden Blade resolves for the draw to happen - If the unit moves to a board-zone (base), its controller can still be determined and draws two - If the unit moves to a non-board-zone (hand, deck, trash, banish), there is no controller to determine and nobody draws

Ruling: Yes, you still draw 2 cards. Hidden Blade's text consists of two independent effects: killing a unit and drawing 2 cards. The drawing occurs regardless of whether the death is prevented. Sequence: - Hidden Blade resolves: Kill a unit at a battlefield - Sett's replacement effect can prevent the death - The controller draws 2 cards (this happens whether or not the death was prevented) Nuances: - If Hidden Blade hypothetically read "Kill a unit at a battlefield. When it dies, its controller draws 2" then the effects would be conditional and drawing wouldn't happen if the death was prevented - If two Hidden Blades target the same unit, you only draw 2 from the first one that resolves, because the second one has no valid target (the unit no longer exists) - The only way to draw 4 from two Hidden Blades on the same unit would be to prevent the first death using Sett or similar effects, keeping the unit as a valid target for the second Hidden Blade - Sett's ability functions as a replacement effect that intercedes during Hidden Blade's resolution, not as a triggered ability that uses the chain (despite current card text suggesting otherwise)

No, the new unit created by LeBlanc’s legend (**Deceiver**) will not trigger the "When you play me" ability of Harnessed Dragon. ### Why it does not trigger: 1. **"Played" vs. "Created":** In Riftbound, the "When you play me" triggered ability specifically requires the card to be **played** from your hand. LeBlanc’s legend ability **creates** a unit token (the "Reflection" token) and then applies a copy effect to it. Even though the legend ability uses the word "play" when placing the token on the chain, this is a token creation effect, not the act of playing a card from your hand. 2. **Copying Abilities:** When an object becomes a copy of another, it gains the copied unit's abilities (in this case, "When you play me, kill an enemy unit"). However, since the token was never "played" from your hand, the condition for that triggered ability ("When you play me") is never met. As clarified in **RiftJudge FAQ #10362** regarding copy effects: > "The 'When you play me' trigger only triggers at the specific moment the original... card is played from your hand. When LeBlanc creates a copy... that token is not being 'played' from your hand in the way required to trigger that ability. Therefore, the effect will not occur." This is my interpretation based on the standard rules for copy effects and triggered abilities; no official FAQ exists specifically for the Harnessed Dragon interaction, but it follows the established ruling for LeBlanc's copy effects.

Ruling: The rules do not currently define how extra turns interact with Mystic Reversal, so this is a judge's discretion call at the local level. The judge should announce their ruling before the event begins and explain that the rules are ambiguous on this interaction. Nuances: - The natural language of "after this one" (referring to the opponent's turn) is ambiguous - Judges should be upfront with players that there is no official ruling and align expectations before play begins - One reasonable interpretation is that you only get one extra turn because "this one" refers to the opponent's turn

Ruling: No, the original caster does not get Legion when their spell is stolen by Mystical Reversal. A spell counts as played when it fully resolves under one's control, so the stolen spell counts as being played by the person who cast Mystical Reversal, not the original caster. Nuances: - If the stolen spell itself has Legion (like Noxian Guillotine), the Legion trigger activates for the person who played Mystical Reversal, not the original caster - The spell is not countered, but it changes who is considered to have played it