Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

The cheapest you can cast a repeated Bellow's Breath is 1 energy and 0 power (1e0p), regardless of how many Ezreal Prodigys or Vex Cheerless you control in combat. This is because of the new discount ordering rule (Rule 356.4): Ezreal's component-specific discount applies first to the energy component, then Vex's total-cost discount applies to the remaining total. The math prevents the cost from reaching 0.

Ruling: The order is the same for every game: Legend > Chosen Champion > Battlefields chosen and revealed > Turn order > Draw & Mulligan. Battlefields are revealed before determining turn order. Sequence: - Legend selection - Chosen Champion selection - Battlefields chosen and revealed simultaneously - Turn order determined - Draw 4 cards - Mulligan Nuances: - In games 2 and 3 of a Bo3, the player who lost the previous game makes the choice for play/channel after seeing battlefields - Both players can use the same battlefield - Sideboarding happens before everything (before Legend selection) and players do not need to disclose how many cards they're swapping

Ruling: The setup order is: show Legend and Champion, pick battlefield, determine turn order, draw 4 cards, then mulligan if desired. In subsequent rounds of a best-of-3, skip the Legend/Champion reveal step. Sequence: - Show Legend and then Champion - Pick battlefield - Determine turn order - Draw 4 cards - Mulligan if you want Nuances: - In rounds 2 and 3 of a best-of-3, the Legend and Champion reveal step is skipped (they remain the same from round 1)

Ruling: The setup order is: reveal legends, reveal chosen champions, choose and reveal battleground (method depends on game type), determine first player and turn order, then draw 4 cards and mulligan (up to two cards to bottom of deck, redraw that many). Sequence: - Reveal Legends - Reveal your Chosen Champions - Choose and reveal battleground (method depends on game type) - Determine first player and turn order - Draw 4 and mulligan (up to two cards to the bottom of your deck, redraw that many) Nuances: - Battlefield selection method depends on format: BO1 uses random selection, BO3 allows players to choose their battlefield but cannot reuse it in games 2 or 3 - Current rules don't specify how to determine first player in games 2 and 3 of a BO3 match

Ruling: The setup order is: reveal Legend/Champion, place battlefield, determine starting player, reveal battlefield, then draw cards. All reveals happen simultaneously (cards are placed face-down then revealed together) to prevent counter-picking. Sequence: - Reveal Legend/Champion (simultaneously) - Place battlefield - Determine starting player - Reveal battlefield - Draw cards Nuances: - Reveals are done by placing cards face-down first, then revealing simultaneously to prevent players from counter-picking based on opponent's choices

According to the official Tournament Rules and RiftJudge FAQs, the sequence to begin a match is as follows: 1. **Sideboard:** Players may exchange cards between their main deck and sideboard. 2. **Legend:** Players select and reveal their Legend. 3. **Chosen Champion:** Players select and reveal their Chosen Champion. 4. **Battlefield:** Players choose and reveal their Battlefields simultaneously. 5. **Turn Order:** The starting player (or the loser of the previous game in a Bo3 match) chooses whether to go first or last. 6. **Draw/Mulligan:** Players draw their initial hand of 4 cards and perform any mulligans. **Important Nuances:** * **Simultaneous Reveals:** To prevent counter-picking, all reveals (Legend, Champion, and Battlefields) must be done by placing them face-down first and revealing them simultaneously. * **Bo3 Starting Player:** For the first game, the starting player is determined by an agreed-upon random method (or designated player rules in high-level play). For subsequent games in a match, the loser of the previous game chooses who goes first or last. * **Timing:** This process occurs *after* sideboarding but *before* drawing the initial hand of 4 cards.

Ruling: During a Showdown, "When Attacking" and "When Defending" abilities trigger before players get a chance to play spells. Players can only play reactions while triggered abilities are on the chain, but once that chain resolves (or if no triggered abilities exist), the attacking player gets priority to start a new chain with a spell, then the defender gets a chance if the attacker passes. Sequence: - Showdown starts - Assailants get buffed - Shielders get buffed - "When Attacking" effects activate and trigger a chain - "When Defending" effects activate and are put on the chain - If a chain exists, players can only play reactions until it resolves - After the chain resolves (or if no triggered abilities existed), the attacking player has priority to play a spell - If the attacker doesn't play anything, the defender gets a chance - This loops until both players pass without opening a chain - Damage calculation occurs - The respective player scores Nuances: - If you move a unit with "when I move" ability to start the showdown, that move trigger goes on the chain before "When Attack/Defend" triggers - If multiple "when I move" effects trigger simultaneously, the owning player selects the order to place them on the chain - If moving to an open battlefield, you skip the middle combat steps

Ruling: The correct game start procedure is: place hidden champion and legend, reveal both, choose one BF from 3 and place it hidden, reveal BF, determine turn order randomly, then draw and mulligan (with player 1 mulliganing first, then player 2). Sequence: - Players place hidden champion and hidden legend - Both players reveal champion and legend - Players choose one BF from 3 and place it hidden - Both players reveal their chosen BF - Turn order is chosen by one random method - Players draw cards - Player 1 mulligans first - Player 2 mulligans second - Turn 1 begins Nuances: - The second player mulligans after the first player, which provides a small informational advantage (seeing opponent's mulligan decisions can inform your own mulligan choices) - BF selection happens before turn order determination, as this can affect mulligan decisions

The correct remedy is to apply Rule of Drawing Extra Cards, even though the setup process is not technically a limited action. While Rule General Error could theoretically apply as a catch-all, it's not practical because you cannot rewind when the specific card drawn cannot be determined. Therefore, the closest applicable rule states: 'If the error is caught after the cards drawn are added to a private set and it is within the round cycle, the next opponent in turn order of the erroring player looks at that player's hand and chooses the appropriate number of cards to shuffle into the main deck appropriately.' In this case, the opponent looks at the erroring player's hand and removes 1 card of their choosing to shuffle back into the main deck. Note: There is some debate about whether the 'limited action' caveat in certain rule should encompass setup draws, but the practical remedy is to apply drawing extra cards since rewinding is not possible when the specific extra card cannot be determined.

Ruling: Players first select and reveal battlefields, then determine turn order (via dice roll/coinflip), then draw cards and mulligan. Sequence: - Select battlefields - Roll dice/coinflip to determine who chooses turn order - Reveal battlefields - Choose turn order (who goes first/second) - Draw cards and mulligan Nuances: - For tournaments requiring decklist submission, you cannot change your deck/sideboard after submission - Sideboarding is only allowed between games in a best-of-three match (between game 1 and 2, and between game 2 and 3) - Game 1 must always use the deck as submitted on the decklist

Ruling: The game setup sequence has a specific order where champions and legends are revealed first, then battlefields are chosen and revealed, then turn order is determined, and finally players draw and mulligan. Sequence: - Reveal Champion and Legend - Choose and Reveal Battlefields (method depends on type of play) - Determine Turn Order and First Player - Draw and mulligan Nuances: - Items should be revealed simultaneously, but the choice must be made before either player reveals - You cannot change your chosen champion based on opponent's legends in Game 1 - Turn order is always chosen after battlefields are revealed (this applies to all games including games 2 and 3) - Sideboard rules and whether chosen champion/legend can be swapped between games are to be determined in upcoming tournament rules

Ruling: Battlefields are chosen secretly and revealed simultaneously before determining turn order. Turn order is then determined using any fair random method agreed upon by all players. Sequence: - Choose legends - Choose champions - Choose battlefields secretly and reveal them simultaneously - Determine turn order using any fair random method - Draw cards - Mulligan (starting with the player who has first turn) Nuances: - The Proving Grounds rulebook had a different method (flipping battlefields to determine first player) but this was designed for onboarding and is not the official rule - Using battlefield flips as the random method is valid as long as battlefields were already revealed before making that determination - For games 2 and 3, battlefields are revealed before the loser of the previous game decides whether to go first or second

Ruling: Players reveal legends and champions first, then select battlefields (simultaneously in best of 3, randomly in best of 1), determine turn order, draw 4 cards, mulligan up to 2 cards in turn order, then the first player begins their turn. Sequence: - Each player reveals legend and chosen champion - Each player selects a battlefield (in best of 3: set aside chosen battlefield and reveal simultaneously once both decided; in best of 1: select randomly) - Determine turn order (typically roll dice, winner chooses to go first or second) - Draw 4 cards - In turn order, mulligan up to 2 cards (recycle them and draw as many as recycled) - First player takes their first turn Nuances: - In best of 3 matches, after the first game you cannot choose a battlefield used in a previous game of that match - Each subsequent game in a best of 3 requires selecting one of your remaining unused battlefields

Ruling: Games start by revealing Champions and Legends, then selecting and revealing Battlefields (method depends on game type), determining turn order and first player, then drawing 4 cards and taking mulligans in turn order. Sequence: - Separate and reveal your Legend and Champion - Choose and reveal Battlefields (method depends on type of play) - Determine turn order and first player - Draw 4 cards and mulligan in turn order Nuances: - Legend, Champion, and Battlefield zones are open information (not facedown zones) - For best-of-one matches, battlefields are randomly selected - For best-of-three matches, players choose one battlefield each game but cannot use the same battlefield twice

Ruling: When playing Stupify on your own unit at Dreaming Tree, the Dreaming Tree trigger is added to the chain during the spell's resolution process, resulting in a final chain of Stupify < Dreaming Tree trigger. Sequence: - Spell is pending item - Choices for spell are made, total cost determined, costs paid, legality checked - Dreaming Tree triggers during this process and is added as a pending item on the chain - Spell is finalized - Cleanup triggered by item becoming a legal item on the chain - Dreaming Tree trigger is finalized - Cleanup triggered by item becoming a legal item on the chain - Player maintains priority and now has the opportunity to play another reaction or to pass priority

Ruling: The setup order for every game is: Legend > CC > Battlefields (revealed based on mode of play) > Turn order > Draw/Mulligan. Battlefields are always revealed before turn order is determined. Sequence: - Reveal legends - Choose CC (Command Center) - Pick and reveal battlefields simultaneously (in 1v1 Bo3) - Determine turn order (losing player from previous game decides in games 2 and 3) - Draw cards and resolve mulligans Nuances: - In games 2 and 3 of a Bo3, players know who lost and who will pick turn order, but not what they'll pick until after battlefields are revealed - Players can and do plan around this information - This sequence applies to every game, every time

Ruling: For both Best of 1 and Best of 3, players reveal legends and champion units, then select/determine battlefield, then decide who goes first, then draw 4 cards and mulligan. The first player does draw a card on their first turn in 1v1 (but not in 3+ player games). Sequence: - Each player reveals legends and champion units - Battlefield is determined (randomly in Best of 1, chosen by players in Best of 3) - Decide who goes first - Draw 4 cards and proceed to mulligan - First player draws a card on their first turn Nuances: - In Best of 1, locations are chosen randomly from the location deck - In Best of 3, players pick a location after seeing all legends and champion combinations, and each location can only be used once across the three games - The battlefield is revealed before draw and mulligan - The method of random battlefield selection can be anything as long as it's random - First player only draws in 1v1; in 3-player and 4-player games they do not draw

Ruling: The start of game procedure follows a specific sequence where Battlefields are chosen hidden before being revealed simultaneously, and player order is determined by a random process that decides who gets to choose whether to go first or second. Sequence: - Reveal Legend - Reveal Chosen Champion - Choose hidden Battlefields (both players choose without knowing opponent's choice) - Reveal chosen Battlefields (simultaneously) - Shuffle decks - Determine player order (mutually agreed upon random method decides who chooses whether to go first or second) - Draw 4, mulligan (first player decides first) - Start play Nuances: - The Battlefield process is split into two steps (choose hidden, then reveal) to ensure both players choose without knowing what the other has chosen - The random process determines who gets to choose turn order, not who goes first directly

Ruling: The correct game setup sequence is: (1) Reveal Legend, (2) Reveal Champion, (3) Choose and Reveal Battlefields, (4) Determine turn order (randomly determined player for game 1, or loser of previous game can decide if they go 1st or 2nd), (5) Draw 4 and resolve mulligans. Sequence: - Reveal Legend - Reveal Champion - Choose and Reveal Battlefields - Determine turn order (randomly for game 1, loser chooses in subsequent games) - Draw 4 cards and resolve mulligans in turn order Nuances: - There is no problem with both players using identical battlefields - The Chosen Champion must be registered as part of your deck list before the tournament and cannot be selected on the fly during game 1 - You can change your Chosen Champion during sideboarding between games to one from your sideboard or main deck that matches your Legend - You cannot side out your Legend - Turn order is determined after battlefields are revealed, not before

Ruling: Obelisk of Power is a triggered ability. The card text reads "at the beginning of each players first beginning step..." and there has been no errata to the English text. It triggers only during each player's first beginning phase of the game, not every turn. Sequence: - During your Beginning Phase (B), declare "Obelisk of Power trigger to channel one additional rune" - Channel the rune(s) from Obelisk - Then channel your normal runes for turn (C) - Then take your draw Nuances: - The ability triggers while the battlefield is uncontrolled (does not need to be controlled to trigger) - The turn player takes responsibility for adding uncontrolled battlefield abilities to the chain - If you miss the trigger, your opponent gets to decide whether you get it retroactively or not according to tournament rules - There are no mandatory triggers that happen automatically if forgotten

Ruling: Back to Back cannot be played from hand if you don't have 2 friendly units because you must make valid choices for all targets when playing a spell. Beast Below can be played as a unit, but its triggered ability will not go on the chain if you cannot make valid choices for all targets (both a friendly unit and an enemy unit). Sequence: - Back to Back: Cannot be played from hand at all if valid targets don't exist - Beast Below: Can be played as a unit, the triggered ability attempts to go on the chain, but if valid targets don't exist for all parts, the ability never enters the chain and is removed as a pending item Nuances: - "Do as much as you can" (DAMAYC) only applies during resolution of spells/abilities, not during the targeting/finalization phase - If targets become illegal between finalization and resolution, then DAMAYC applies - Targeting requires making choices for all specified targets unless the card uses "up to" templating - "May" is a decision made on resolution, while "up to" affects whether targets are required during finalization

Ruling: Focus is the ability to start a chain with an Action/Reaction during a showdown, while Priority is the ability to act with appropriately timed actions (any speed during your turn outside showdowns/chains, or Action/Reactions during showdowns). Gaining focus also gives you priority first. Sequence: - Focus passes automatically to the next turn player after a chain fully resolves (except the initial chain), or if a player passes priority without starting a chain - Priority passes manually to the next turn player once you're done chaining abilities/spells, or if you decide not to react to something on the chain - During a chain, you gain priority first if you control the next item on the chain - You hold priority until you pass it, allowing you to add multiple cards to the chain consecutively Nuances: - During a showdown with an active chain, one player can have focus while the other has priority - Focus only matters during showdowns - it determines who can play Action spells to start a new chain when the chain is empty - Combat showdowns don't end until both players pass with focus without starting a chain - Only one Action can be played per chain, but there's no limit to the number of chains in a combat showdown

Ruling: Focus determines who can play an Action during a Showdown when there is no chain. Priority determines who can play a Reaction during a chain. Sequence: - Player with Focus plays an Action during Showdown Open State - Priority passes between players as they play Reactions on the chain - Focus remains with the original player throughout the entire chain - When the chain fully resolves, Focus passes to the next player - Priority passes along with Focus - The new Focus player can now play an Action Nuances: - Focus exists to prevent a player from playing multiple Actions in a row without other players getting a chance to play Actions during a Showdown - Focus rotates around players, tracking who gets first opportunity to play an Action when the chain resolves or someone passes Focus - Priority rotates during chain resolution, tracking who can play Reactions

Ruling: When both players pass priority, only the last item on the chain resolves. After each item resolves, there is a new window to play reactions. The chain does not lock and resolve all at once. Sequence: - Cards/abilities are played and become "pending" on the chain - During cleanup step, pending items are "finalized" in the order they were played (FIFO - first in, first out) - Finalizing means making all choices (targets, locations, optional costs), paying costs, and checking legality - After finalization, players can react to that spell - Items resolve down the chain in reverse order (FILO - first in, last out) - After each resolution, there is a new priority window Nuances: - The pending/finalized system exists primarily to handle cards that play other cards during their resolution (like Promising Future, Nocturne, Hook) - Units and gear resolve immediately when they finalize and can put their own triggers on the chain that also need to be finalized - You finalize up the chain (FIFO) but resolve down the chain (FILO)

Ruling: A showdown occurs whenever a unit moves into a battlefield. A combat occurs when units controlled by opposing players are present at the same battlefield. A showdown can occur without a combat when moving to an empty battlefield. Sequence: - Move to empty battlefield = Showdown without combat - Move to occupied battlefield = Showdown with combat Nuances: - A showdown is not derivative of combat; it is a part of combat when combat occurs, but can also exist independently (like how a wheel can be part of a car but also of a bike)

Ruling: Energy is gained by exhausting a rune, while power is gained by recycling a rune (and the power has a domain matching the recycled rune). Teemo's legend ability allows you to pay an energy to hide instead of paying a power. Nuances: - Energy comes from exhausting runes - Power comes from recycling runes and has a specific domain

Ruling: Focus allows you to start a chain during a showdown, while priority allows you to play reactions to something on the chain. When you gain focus, you also gain priority. Sequence: - Focus is only relevant in an open state (not when triggers create a chain) - The attacker always gets focus first in a combat showdown - When you gain focus, you automatically gain priority as well Nuances: - The turn player does not gain focus first when they are defending a battlefield - If during your turn you become the defender in combat (such as by playing a spell to move a unit into a battlefield as an action), you won't start with focus - "Active player" refers to the player currently with priority, while "turn player" refers to the player whose turn it is

Ruling: Focus is who can start a chain (during a showdown with properly timed cards/abilities), while priority is who can add items to the chain. Focus is passed automatically once the item that started the chain resolves, while priority is passed manually. Sequence: - When you get focus, you also get priority - You retain focus throughout that chain - Priority passes between players as chain items resolve - After each chain item resolves, the player who controls the next item on the chain gains priority first to keep adding stuff to the chain Nuances: - You can keep priority to put more stuff in the chain for as long as you want and can - You can add stuff to the chain after items in the chain have already resolved

Ruling: Rule 343 applies to normal chains during a showdown where focus passes after the chain resolves. Rule 343.1 is an exception for the initial chain, where the attacker retains focus after the chain resolves. Nuances: - The key distinguishing word is "initial" in rule 343.1 - This creates different focus-passing behavior for the first chain versus subsequent chains in a showdown

Ruling: Numbers are energy symbols, while other symbols are power. An ability showing a circled number and a rune symbol means you exhaust a rune and recycle a rune of the specified color (these can be the same rune). Nuances: - The exhausted rune and the recycled rune can be the same rune - Some cards provide power directly by exhausting them, which can substitute for recycling a rune to generate power

Ruling: The new text prevents you from targeting a rune when the effect triggers, instead requiring you to recycle a rune upon resolution. This change prevents the interaction where you could recycle a targeted rune before the effect resolved to float a power. Sequence: - Old version: Target a rune when triggering the effect, then recycle it on resolution - New version: No targeting on trigger; must recycle a rune directly upon resolution Nuances: - The old version allowed recycling the targeted rune before resolution to generate floating power, which the new version prevents

Ruling: Actions can be played during a Showdown Open State when a player has focus. Reactions can be played onto Chains. When a unit moves to any battlefield (open or occupied), it creates a contested battlefield and triggers a showdown. The player who caused the showdown gains focus first and can play Action+ spells. Sequence: - Unit moves to/is played to a battlefield (open or occupied) - Resolve any triggers that were caused - Showdown begins - Player that caused the showdown gains focus and can play an Action+ spell - If they play a spell, a Chain opens for Reactions. Once the Chain fully resolves, the next player in turn order becomes focused - If they don't play a spell, the next player in turn order becomes focused - The new focused player can play an Action+ spell - This repeats until each relevant player passes sequentially - Showdown ends, move to Conquer Step Nuances: - Action spells resolve at base speed (first cast, first resolved), unlike Reaction spells - When you play an Action spell and open a chain, your opponent cannot use Action speed abilities in that chain - only Reactions - Action speed abilities can only be activated if you have focus, and focus is passed around after each chain finishes resolving - If a battlefield becomes contested with an enemy unit already there, it becomes a combat showdown - If multiple showdowns/combats are pending, resolve noncombat showdowns first in turn player's preference order, then combats in turn player's preference order

To determine the Might of your **Scuttle Crab** in this combat, we look at the layers of game effects (Rule 471) and how combat damage is calculated. ### The Calculation Your Scuttle Crab starts with **0 Might**. 1. **Passive Bonuses (Master Yi):** Master Yi’s legend ability ("While a friendly unit defends alone, it gets +2 might") is a passive effect. It applies immediately in the Arithmetic layer. Your Scuttle Crab becomes **2 Might**. 2. **Penalties (Ahri, Inquisitive):** Ahri, Inquisitive’s ability ("When I attack or defend, give an enemy unit here -2 might this turn, to a minimum of 1 might") is a triggered ability that uses the chain. * Once the chain resolves, the penalty is applied. * Following **Rule 472.3.d**, additions are applied before subtractions. Even if they were processed simultaneously, the "minimum of 1 might" rule applies to the final result of the arithmetic. **Final Might:** Because the penalty is applied to the 2 Might total, the Scuttle Crab is reduced to **1 Might** (the minimum allowed by the ability). ### Does the +2 apply before the -2? **Yes.** * Master Yi’s bonus is a passive effect that applies continuously as long as the Scuttle Crab is defending alone. It is already present when the combat starts. * Ahri, Inquisitive’s effect is a triggered ability that is placed on the chain. It will resolve **after** the initial combat state is set. In the arithmetic layer, all modifiers are evaluated. Since Yi's bonus is passive and Ahri's is a modifier, the result is calculated by taking the base (0), applying the bonus (+2), and then applying the penalty (-2), constrained by the "minimum of 1" rule. *** *Disclaimer: This is my interpretation based on the standard rules for passive vs. triggered abilities and the arithmetic layer. No official FAQ exists for this specific combination of cards.*

Ruling: The official game start sequence is: Reveal Legend, Reveal Chosen Champion, Reveal chosen Battlefields (this is when you choose them), Shuffle decks, Determine player order (a player is designated at this point to decide turn order, after seeing battlefields), Draw 4 and mulligan (first player decides first), Start play. Sequence: - Reveal Legend - Reveal Chosen Champion - Reveal chosen Battlefields (choosing happens at this step) - Shuffle decks - Determine player order (designate a player who then decides turn order after seeing battlefields) - Draw 4 cards, mulligan (first player decides their mulligan first) - Start play Nuances: - You decide turn order knowing what the battlefields are (not before revealing them) - The player who decides turn order is designated during setup as part of determining turn order, not before game setup begins - In games 2 and 3 of a match, the loser of the previous game decides turn order - In game 1, a designated player (determined during this step) decides turn order

Ruling: When you conquer a site, you first resolve the draw-or-score effect, then trigger any 'when you conquer' abilities. Sequence: - Step 1: Draw a card or score a victory point from conquering - Step 2: Trigger 'when you conquer' abilities

Ruling: All Legends, Champions, and Battlefields are revealed before determining first player and turn order. Players do not draw their opening hands until after the first player is determined. Sequence: 1. Reveal Legends 2. Reveal your Chosen Champions 3. Privately randomize/choose battleground (method depends on game type) 4. Reveal battlegrounds simultaneously 5. Shuffle Main and Rune Deck 6. Determine first player and turn order (FFA4/2v2: remove battlefield of first player) 7. Draw 4 and mulligan (up to two cards to the bottom of your deck, redraw that many) Nuances: - In FFA4/2v2 formats, the battlefield of the first player is removed after determining turn order

Ruling: The order between games in a match is: Sideboard, Legend, Chosen Champion, Battlefield, Turn Order, Draw/Mulligan. Sequence: - Sideboard - Legend - Chosen Champion - Battlefield - Turn Order - Draw/Mulligan

Ruling: Champions and battlegrounds are chosen and revealed before shuffling, determining first player, and mulligans. They are never kept face down - both players reveal them at the same time during the setup sequence. Sequence: - Choose legend - Choose champion (reveal at this point) - Choose battleground (reveal at this point) - Shuffle and cut runes and main deck - Determine who goes first - Draw opening hand - Mulligan (first player mulligans first, second player can react to that information) - Begin play Nuances: - In formats with registered lists, the champion is part of the registered list and must be revealed (not chosen) - you cannot change your champion based on the legend you see - The player going first must mulligan first, allowing the second player to react based on that information

Ruling: In a best of 3 match, you must rotate through the 3 battlefields (you cannot pick a battlefield already used). In a best of 1 match, both players must randomly pick a battlefield from their deck of 3 battlefields. Sequence: - Best of 3: Rotate through all 3 battlefields, no repeats allowed - Best of 1: Randomly select one battlefield from the 3 available Nuances: - Some players pick battlefields of their choice in best of 1 for playtesting purposes, but this is not the official rule

When you react with **Star-Crossed** to an ability played by **Akshan**, the result depends on whether the unit (Akshan) remains on the board when his ability resolves. ### The Short Answer If **Star-Crossed** returns Akshan to his owner's hand before his triggered ability resolves, his ability will still resolve because the ability on the chain is independent of the unit that created it. However, because Akshan is no longer on the board to "hold" the control-change effect, the gear he targeted will not remain under your control—if it was successfully stolen, control will immediately revert to its original controller (or the game will calculate control based on other active effects). ### Sequence of Events (LIFO - Last-In, First-Out) 1. **Akshan is played:** His "When you play me" triggered ability is placed on the chain. This creates a **Closed State**. 2. **Star-Crossed is played:** You play **Star-Crossed** in response, targeting your friendly unit and Akshan (the enemy unit). 3. **Resolution (Star-Crossed):** *Star-Crossed* resolves first. It returns your friendly unit and Akshan to their owners' hands. 4. **Resolution (Akshan's Ability):** Akshan’s ability now attempts to resolve. * According to **Rule 406.5** and the **Patch Notes (2025-05-12)**, control of abilities is independent of the object they originated from. The ability will still execute its instructions. * It will attempt to move the target gear to your base. * **The Crucial Interaction:** Akshan's ability grants you control "until I [Akshan] leave the board." Because Akshan left the board when *Star-Crossed* resolved, the duration of the control-change effect has already expired by the time the ability resolves. ### Why this happens * **Independence of Abilities:** As clarified in the official Patch Notes (2025-05-12), control of an ability on the chain does not change or vanish just because the unit that created it left the board. The ability will still attempt to move the gear. * **Control Duration:** The effect that grants you control is linked to Akshan's presence on the board. Since he is no longer on the board when the ability finishes resolving, you do not successfully retain control of the stolen gear. *This is my interpretation based on Rule 406.5, the Patch Notes regarding the control of abilities, and the general mechanics of control-change durations in Riftbound. No official FAQ exists for this specific interaction involving Star-Crossed and Akshan's control duration.*

Ruling: All activated abilities are base speed unless specified otherwise, and can only be used during your turn and out of showdowns. Nuances: - Only usable during your turn - Cannot be used during showdowns - Some abilities may specify a different speed

Ruling: Portal Rescue can be played as an Action during a combat showdown to save a unit you're about to lose, and it also triggers the unit's When Played ability a second time. Sequence: - Play Portal Rescue during a showdown when you have focus - Return the unit to your hand before losing it - The unit's When Played ability will trigger again when you replay it Nuances: - Can be used on units like Harnessed Dragon to prevent an opponent from taking a battlefield - Requires you to have focus during the showdown to play it

Ruling: Bloodharbor Ripper's main ability ([1], [T]: Return a friendly unit at a battlefield to its owner's hand. Play a Gold gear token exhausted) is a standard activated ability, not action speed. It can only be activated during your own Main Phase in an Open State (when no chain exists and there is no showdown). Nuances: - The ability lacks the [Action] keyword, so it is not action speed—it follows standard activated ability timing restrictions. - The Gold gear token created by this ability has a [Reaction] ability, which can be activated during Closed States on any player's turn. - In Riftbound, "Action" is a specific keyword that modifies timing; abilities without this keyword follow standard timing rules.

Ruling: To play Jinx accelerated, you pay 4 energy and recycle 2 red runes total (the base cost plus the accelerate cost). Sequence: - Pay 4 energy (base cost) - Recycle 2 red runes total (1 for base cost + 1 additional for accelerate) - Jinx enters play ready

Tideturner is able to ignore the standard targeting restrictions for cards played from **Hidden** because its ability possesses a specific targeting requirement that cannot be fulfilled by units at its battlefield. According to **Rule 811.1.d.2**, while choices made for cards played from Hidden are generally restricted to the battlefield where the card was hidden, an exception is explicitly provided for this exact scenario: > "If a hidden spell or a play effect of a hidden permanent chooses any targets, those targets must be chosen from among options at that battlefield, **unless the ability explicitly restricts targeting in a way that makes this impossible.**" The rule explicitly cites Tideturner as the example of this exception: > "Example: Tideturner is a unit with Hidden and “When you play me, you may choose a unit you control at another location. Move me to its location and it to my original location.” Because its play ability has a targeting restriction that can never be fulfilled by a unit at its battlefield, its target may be chosen freely from among the available options." In short, because Tideturner’s ability requires you to choose a unit "at another location," it is physically impossible to fulfill this requirement if forced to choose a unit at the same battlefield where it was hidden. Therefore, the game allows you to choose targets freely from other battlefields.

Kai'Sa, Survivor is considered a strong card primarily due to her ability to generate card advantage and her flexibility in how she enters the battlefield, rather than her raw combat stats. While it is true that she has 4 Might and can be targeted by an opponent during a showdown, her strength comes from the following factors: ### 1. Card Advantage (The "Conquer" Trigger) According to her card text, "When I conquer, draw 1." This is a powerful effect because it replaces itself in your hand. Even if she is killed shortly after, you have already gained a card, effectively mitigating the loss of the unit. As noted in **RiftJudge FAQ #902**, she must survive and remain on the battlefield when the conquer occurs to trigger this ability, but because she is a Champion, she is often played in decks designed to ensure she successfully conquers. ### 2. The "Accelerate" Keyword Kai'Sa, Survivor has the **Accelerate** keyword, which allows you to pay 1 energy and a Fury rune to have her enter the battlefield "ready." This is a significant tactical advantage: * **Immediate Impact:** By entering ready, she can participate in a showdown immediately upon being played, rather than waiting for a future turn or needing to be readied by another effect. * **Surprise Factor:** You can play her into a battlefield that is currently being contested to tip the scales in your favor, potentially securing a conquer that the opponent did not anticipate. ### 3. Champion Synergy and Deck Building As a Champion, Kai'Sa is often the centerpiece of a deck. Her ability to draw cards allows you to cycle through your deck faster to find your win conditions or defensive tools. Because she is an Epic rarity Champion, she is designed to be impactful. ### Addressing your concern about "Focusing Damage" You are correct that an opponent can choose to focus their damage on her during a showdown. However, this is often a "win-win" for the Kai'Sa player: * **Damage Mitigation:** If the opponent spends their resources and damage to kill Kai'Sa, they are not dealing that damage to your other units or your base. * **The "Conquer" Priority:** Because she draws a card upon conquering, the opponent is often forced to deal with her immediately. If they fail to kill her before the conquer resolves, you have already gained the card advantage. If they do kill her, they have spent their combat resources to remove a unit that has already provided value. **Summary:** Kai'Sa, Survivor is not meant to be a "tank" that survives every combat; she is a utility-focused Champion that provides immediate board presence via **Accelerate** and consistent card draw via **Conquer**. Her strength lies in the fact that she forces the opponent to react to her, and she provides value even if she is removed from the board.

To determine the final Might values, we must look at how **Switcheroo** interacts with **Draven, Showboat**'s passive ability. ### The Setup * **Unit A:** 5 Might. * **Draven, Showboat:** 10 Might (3 base + 7 from points). ### The Ruling When **Switcheroo** resolves, it swaps the Might of the two units. However, Draven, Showboat's passive ability ("My Might is increased by your points") is a continuous effect that remains active. According to the logic established in **FAQ #4613** (regarding Mundo's Might swap), swap effects apply as a combination of Might increases and decreases to reach the target values, and these modifications persist alongside the unit's passive ability for the duration of the turn. ### The Calculation 1. **Before Swap:** Unit A is 5, Draven is 10. 2. **The Swap:** To swap these values, the game applies a -5 Might modification to Draven (to reach 5) and a +5 Might modification to Unit A (to reach 10). 3. **After Swap:** * **Unit A:** 5 (base) + 5 (from swap) = **10 Might**. * **Draven, Showboat:** 3 (base) + 7 (from points) - 5 (from swap) = **5 Might**. **Final Result:** After Switcheroo resolves, the unit that started at 5 Might will have **10 Might**, and Draven, Showboat will have **5 Might**. These modifications persist until the end of the turn.

Ruling: Units and gear (permanents) do create a chain but immediately resolve without lingering on it, essentially closing it right away. Opponents cannot react to the unit itself being played, but can react to triggered abilities (like "When you play me" text) that go on the chain after the unit has entered play. Sequence: - When you play a unit, it creates a chain - The unit immediately falls off the chain and resolves - If the unit has triggered abilities (like "When you play me"), those abilities go on the chain after the unit has entered play - Opponents can react to those triggered abilities, not the unit itself Nuances: - Spells and abilities linger on the chain and afford reaction opportunities - Leader abilities like Lee Sin, Ahri, and Leona create triggers that go on the chain - You react to the ability on the chain, not the unit itself

Ruling: They trigger simultaneously and you choose the order in which they resolve.

Repeat causes you to repeat execution of a spell’s “instructions,” which are the things the spell tells you to do as it resolves. (We’ll give a better definition of “instructions” and how to define them in an upcoming rules update.) And the Repeat cost of Find Your Center isn’t reduced, even when its base cost is, because anything that asks for a card’s cost finds its printed cost as the answer. This means that Find Your Center’s cost reduction applies only once and the final spell costs 4—its base cost of 3, plus its Repeat cost of 3, minus its cost reduction of 2.