Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: No, you cannot hide a card and play it instantly. You must wait at least until your opponent's turn. Sequence: - Hide the card during your turn - Wait for your opponent's turn - Play the hidden card anytime you have priority during your opponent's turn Nuances: - Hidden cards can only target things on the battlefield where they're hidden - Cards that don't require targets (like Consult the Pass or Pakaa Cub) can be played whenever you have priority, such as when your opponent plays a unit with a trigger ability or uses their legend

Ruling: Yes, you can hide a card to a battlefield you control even when not conquering. Hiding is a Discretionary Action that requires you control the battlefield, the card is in your hand, it's your turn, and there's no active chain or showdown. Sequence: - Must be during your turn - No chain or showdown can be active - Card must be in your hand - Must hide to a battlefield you control Nuances: - You can only have 1 hidden card at a battlefield at a time unless a battlefield effect allows additional hidden cards - You cannot activate a hidden card the same turn you hide it - Hiding does not create a chain - Hiding is different from playing a card

Ruling: You can only hide cards from your hand or the Champion Zone, not from your base or battlefield. Sequence: - During your turn in an Open State, you may pay the hide cost for a card in your hand or Champion Zone - Hide it facedown at a battlefield you control that doesn't already have a facedown card - Beginning on the next turn, the hidden card gains Reaction and can be played, ignoring its base cost Nuances: - Cards in your hand or champion zone are neither ready nor exhausted (these states only apply to cards on the battlefield) - If a unit like Teemo Scout is already at your base, you cannot hide it from there

Ruling: You can only hide cards on your turn during a neutral open state (no showdown, no chain) at a battlefield you control. Sequence: - You must be on your turn during your Action Phase - The game must be in a neutral open state (not in showdown or chain) - You must control the battlefield where you're hiding the card Nuances: - While hiding is a discretionary action and you receive priority at multiple times (including showdown and chain), the timing restriction for hiding specifically requires a neutral open state - Having priority does not automatically mean you can hide - you can only take "appropriately timed" discretionary actions, and hiding's appropriate timing is restricted to neutral open state on your turn - Play A Card is also discretionary, but Action and Reaction tags override the base timing restriction

Ruling: Yes, you can hide directly to battlefield. Sequence: N/A Nuances: N/A

Ruling: You can hide as many times as you can pay the requirements in a turn. Each battlefield can only have one hidden card unless otherwise stated. You cannot play a card the same turn you hide it, but you can play it on your opponent's turn once you are given focus or priority. Sequence: - Hide a card during your turn (can hide multiple times if requirements are met) - Cannot play that hidden card during the same turn it was hidden - Can play the hidden card on opponent's turn when given focus or priority Nuances: - Each battlefield is limited to one hidden card unless a card effect states otherwise

Ruling: Yes, you can hide your chosen champion from the champion zone.

Ruling: No, you cannot conquer a battlefield you held that turn. Both holding and conquering are types of scoring, and you can only score each battlefield once per turn. Nuances: - Holding and conquering are different types of scoring, but both count as scoring the battlefield - Conquering only happens when you haven't scored the battlefield that turn

Ruling: Yes, you can hold priority after attacking with Warwick to cast a reaction card before the ability resolves.

Ruling: You can hold priority and play multiple cards in a row, but only Reactions. If you want to play multiple Actions, each must resolve and your opponent will get Focus in between. Sequence: - When you have priority, you can cast a Reaction - Hold priority to respond to your own spell on the chain (it hasn't resolved yet) - Cast another Reaction - Repeat as desired before passing priority - Note: You can opt to play Reactions as Actions if you want Nuances: - Focus is the permission to play Actions in a showdown and to start a chain - Priority is the permission to play Reactions onto an existing chain - Focus passes when a chain fully resolves or a player with focus passes on an empty chain - Exception: In combat, after the initial chain (where "When I attack/defend" triggers are handled) resolves, the attacker retains focus rather than it passing

Ruling: When you gain priority, you can hold it and play as many Reaction spells as you want before choosing to pass priority to your opponent. After each chain link resolves, the player controlling the next item on the chain gains priority, and all relevant players must pass priority sequentially before that next item can resolve. Sequence: - When you gain priority, you may play multiple Reactions before passing - Once you pass priority, your opponent gains priority - If all relevant players pass priority sequentially without adding anything, the most recent chain link resolves - After a chain link resolves, the player controlling the next item on the chain gains priority - All players must pass priority again before the next chain link can resolve - This process repeats for each item on the chain Nuances: - Once you pass priority after playing a Reaction, if your opponent also passes, that Reaction resolves before you can add another one - Permanents are an exception - no player gains priority when they are played - During a Showdown, focus passes after the last item on the chain resolves, not after each chain link

Ruling: No, holding priority does not protect your action from being countered. Counter spells like Defy can target any spell on the chain, not just the most recent one. Sequence: - You can add multiple spells to the chain before passing priority - Opponent can target any spell on the chain with a counter, not just the most recent - Alternatively, you can let the chain partially resolve, allowing the reaction to resolve first, then counter the action afterward Nuances: - There is no way to truly "block" an opponent from countering your spell by chaining reactions after it - Even if you let your reaction resolve first, the opponent can still counter the action once it's the only spell remaining on the chain

Ruling: You can play both versions of a champion unit in your deck, but you can only put one of them in the champion slot. Nuances: - This applies to champions with multiple variations (like Jinx with Fury and Chaos versions, and Miss Fortune)

Ruling: Yes, you can include champion units in your main deck even if they are different from your chosen legend. You can also include copies of your legend champion in the main deck. Sequence: - Choose your legend (e.g., Teemo Scout) - Add up to 3 copies of different champions to your main deck (e.g., 3 Ekkos) - You may also add copies of your legend champion to the main deck (e.g., 2 Teemos)

Ruling: After each item on a chain resolves, there is a window for players to react. Zhonya's must be revealed before damage is assigned, as there is no reaction opportunity during or after damage assignment. Sequence: - Players can add to the chain after each item resolves - Combat damage is assigned at the very end of combat after both players have passed - Zhonya's must be revealed (if hidden) before this damage assignment step - Once Zhonya's is face-up in play, it automatically saves the next unit that dies (not a choice) Nuances: - If Zhonya's is already face-up, you cannot choose whether to activate it - it automatically saves the next dying unit - If multiple units die simultaneously, you can choose which one to save - You always need to reveal Zhonya's before knowing how your opponent will assign damage

Ruling: No, you cannot do this. Killing the tokens is a cost, and when Ledros comes into play you do not control the battlefield anymore. Sequence: - You pay costs (including killing tokens) - Ledros enters play - At the point Ledros enters, you no longer control the battlefield due to the tokens being killed as part of the cost Nuances: - The timing of when you lose battlefield control (during cost payment) prevents Ledros from being played on that battlefield

Ruling: You can kill Forge of the Future at base speed by placing it in your trash. The "Kill this:" text before the colon indicates an activated ability with an activation cost. Sequence: - Activate the ability during the neutral open state on your turn (outside of showdown while the chain is empty) - Place Forge of the Future in your trash as the activation cost - Resolve the ability effect

Ruling: No, you cannot prevent their abilities from resolving by killing them after activation. Once Sona's triggered ability or Renata's activated abilities are on the chain/stack, removing the unit from the battlefield does not stop them from resolving. Sequence: - For Sona: Her "if I'm at a battlefield" condition is checked when the trigger occurs at end of turn - Once the trigger is on the stack, killing Sona does not prevent the runes from readying - For Renata: She must be at a battlefield to activate her abilities (pay costs and put effects on the chain) - Once her activated ability is on the chain, killing or moving her does not prevent it from resolving Nuances: - "Using" an ability means playing/activating it (paying costs and putting effects on the chain), not the resolution - Renata's "Use my abilities only while I'm at a battlefield" is a restriction on activation, not a continuous requirement during resolution - The only way to stop these abilities would be with a counter effect, though ability counters are rare - Some effects can make abilities resolve but do nothing, which is different from countering them

Ruling: No, you cannot kill all units you control at a battlefield to play Ledros there. If you kill all the units you control at a battlefield, you no longer control that battlefield and therefore cannot play Ledros to it. Nuances: - You must leave at least one unit alive at the battlefield to maintain control and be able to play Ledros there.

Ruling: 'Kill this' is a cost you can pay, not a discretionary action. You can activate these gear abilities on your turn prior to a chain and prior to a showdown by paying the cost of killing the gear. Sequence: - Must be activated on your turn - Must be prior to a chain - Must be prior to a showdown - Pay the cost (kill the gear) to receive the reward Nuances: - 'Kill this' (an instruction/cost) is different from 'When I'm killed' (a condition that triggers when the gear is killed by other means) - Paying costs is separate from discretionary actions

Ruling: Yes, you can save the unit with Soraka and it is still considered that you've paid the cost to equip Blade of the Ruined King. Nuances: - The interaction between killing a unit for the equip cost and saving it with Soraka was intentionally designed, as suggested by the thematic connection between these cards.

Ruling: You cannot loop Super Mega Death Rocket because you only conquered once, so the trigger only happens once. If you do not put all your SMDRs on the chain when the trigger initially happens, you cannot trigger them again until another conquer occurs. Sequence: - When you conquer, all "on conquer" triggered abilities trigger at that moment - All triggered SMDR abilities go onto the chain at once - After resolving that chain, you are past the trigger window - Any future "on conquer" abilities would need to see another conquer first Nuances: - You can still chain multiple SMDRs together if you put them all on the chain when the initial conquer trigger happens (e.g., with Jinx Rebel: conquer with 1 card in hand and 3 SMDR in discard, put all 3 on chain, then resolve them sequentially)

Ruling: You cannot move units simultaneously with a standard move and Ride the Wind. You must make the standard move first to start the showdown, then wait until you have focus to play Ride the Wind. Sequence: - Make a standard move with a unit to start a showdown - Hold priority when you have focus - Play Ride the Wind to move another unit - The unit moved by Ride the Wind can join the ongoing showdown at the same battlefield and gain the attacker designation Nuances: - If units are vanilla (no abilities), moving them together might work as a shortcut, but you should be clear about the exact sequence - Undeclared shortcuts can cause confusion and should be avoided - If you move a unit to a different battlefield where you don't control it, that new showdown/combat will be staged and begin only after the first combat finishes

Ruling: Yes, as long as all of the units are moving to the same location, they can be moved from anywhere. Nuances: - Units can originate from different locations (e.g., one battlefield, base) as long as they are all moving to the same destination

Ruling: You cannot move a readied unit between battlefields without a source of ganking. The ability to move units between battlefields requires ganking. Nuances: - In the observed game situation, the unit was moved via Windswept Heath, which grants units ganking - Without ganking, units cannot move between battlefields even if you control both

Ruling: You can move any number of eligible units simultaneously from different locations (including base and other battlefields) to the same destination as long as they can legally move there and you exhaust each of them. A showdown does not trigger until after all simultaneous movement is complete. Sequence: - Declare all units moving to the same destination - Move them simultaneously from their different origins - Exhaust each moving unit - Showdown triggers after movement is complete Nuances: - Ganking only allows movement from one battlefield to another battlefield; the ability to move multiple units simultaneously is part of the standard move action, not specific to ganking - Units can originate from any combination of locations (base, different battlefields) as long as the destination is the same and legal for each unit

Ruling: Yes, you can move an exhausted unit with effects like Charm. Being exhausted only prevents regular moves, not moves caused by spells or abilities. Sequence: - Charm can move a unit regardless of whether it's exhausted or ready - The unit can be moved between battlefields (e.g., from a base to a battlefield) - Moving a unit to an occupied battlefield triggers a showdown where the moved unit becomes the attacker - If moved on your turn and they win the showdown, they score on your turn and get the hold point at the start of their turn Nuances: - Units moved while ready remain ready after the move (unless the effect exhausts them) - Units moved while exhausted remain exhausted (unless the effect specifically readies them, like Ride the Wind) - Ganking restrictions only apply to regular moves, not effect-based moves - The moved unit becomes the attacker in any resulting showdown

Ruling: Yes, you can move a unit from one battlefield directly to another battlefield with Ride the Wind. Nuances: - The restriction against moving battlefield to battlefield only applies to the standard move action - Spells and abilities specify their own limitations (some may have restrictions like certain cards do)

Ruling: Yes, you can move units from battlefield to battlefield using Ride the Wind. The battlefield-to-battlefield restriction only applies to standard movement, not to movement from spells or abilities. Nuances: - When moving units with spells or abilities, you don't exhaust the units unless the effect specifically says to do so.

Ruling: No, you cannot move a unit to the same location it is already in. Moving requires the unit to go between two different locations. Nuances: - The Core Rules define moving as "the act of a Game Object moving between two Locations on The Board," which requires two distinct locations - A location and the same location does not qualify as "two locations" - This applies to all movement effects, including cards like Ride the Wind

Ruling: No, you cannot move units together using Yasuo's legend ability and normal movement simultaneously. Moving units together is only possible with the standard move action. Nuances: - Yasuo's legend ability does not allow combining its movement with other movement types - Only the standard move action permits moving multiple units together

Ruling: Yes, it is possible to move an enemy unit from one battlefield to another. Nuances: - The asker specifically mentioned this in the context of "ganking" (concentrating forces against an opponent)

Ruling: Yes, you can move an enemy unit from battlefield to battlefield if the card effect has no restrictions in its text, regardless of whether the unit has ganking. Nuances: - The ability to move units between battlefields depends on what the specific card text says - If there are no restrictions stated in the card text, the move can be performed between battlefields

Ruling: Yes, exhausted units can be moved by abilities. The only move that requires exhausting a unit is the standard move action. When an ability instructs you to move a unit, you move it regardless of its exhausted state. Nuances: - The only thing an exhausted unit cannot do is exhaust itself - Reaver's Row uses "move" (not retreat/recall), so it triggers "on move" abilities

Ruling: No, you cannot move multiple units together using Yasuo's ability. Multiple units can only move together when using the inherent Standard Move Action, not when using abilities or spells that move units. Nuances: - Ganking can be used with Standard Moves because it is only relevant for Standard Moves - You can move as many unexhausted units as you want to the same destination with one Standard Move Action, and if some have Ganking, that works - Spells and abilities that move don't care about Ganking or ready/exhausted state - they only care about their own built-in restrictions

Ruling: You can move multiple units with the standard move as long as they all have the same destination. Movement does not end your turn; it only taps the creatures, and the turn ends when you decide to pass. Nuances: - Moving multiple units only works for standard moves - Special moves (like Yasuo legend ability) can only move a single unit - If a special move starts a showdown, that unit will be alone

Ruling: Yes, you can move multiple units from different origins to the same destination simultaneously, including moving one unit from base and ganking over another unit to attack the same battlefield. Sequence: - Declare the move for multiple units with the same destination - Pay the costs of exhausting the units simultaneously - Both units arrive at the destination Nuances: - The units' origins do not need to be the same - The units' destination must be the same - All movement costs are paid simultaneously

Ruling: You can move units to battlefields at any time during your turn, either individually or in groups. Units heal damage at the end of combat and at the end of turn, not between separate combats during the same turn. Sequence: - You can move one or multiple units to a battlefield at once - If movement triggers a showdown, resolve that combat - Units heal at the end of that combat - You can then move additional units to the same or different battlefields - Each separate movement that triggers a showdown creates a new combat Nuances: - There is no formal "movement phase" - after draw/runes/untap, it's a flexible action phase where you can do things in any order - Moving units one at a time allows you to chip away at defenders and force opponents to commit resources before you fully commit - Moving multiple units at once to the same destination is allowed under standard movement rules - Strategic choice between committing all units at once versus splitting into multiple smaller combats

Ruling: You cannot move units to multiple different battlefields simultaneously, but you can make sequential moves to different battlefields (exhausting units for each move). You cannot move units while playing Deathbloom Predator. Sequence: - You can attack battlefield 1 with a unit - After conquering it, you can use a ready unit from base to attack battlefield 2 - Each unit must be exhausted to move Nuances: - You can retreat units from multiple battlefields to the base simultaneously since the destination is the same - You cannot move units to different destinations at the same time

Ruling: You cannot overassign combat damage to blockers. You must assign exactly the amount of damage needed to make each blocker lethal before moving to the next one. Nuances: - You can overassign damage to the last unit in the blocking order - This ruling was confirmed on stream but the CRD (Comprehensive Rules Document) has unclear wording on this issue

Ruling: You can hide Teemo directly from the Chosen Champion zone without moving it to hand first. This represents a rules change from the previous ruling. Nuances: - This was previously not allowed (as stated in FAQ and confirmed 2 months prior to this thread) - The rule change will be reflected in updated rules documents - Gen Con ruling (3 months prior) stated Teemo must go to hand first, but this has since been updated

Ruling: Yes, you can play Zhonya's Hourglass face-up in your base for 2 energy. When your next unit dies, the Hourglass goes to the trash pile and the unit is placed exhausted into your base instead of dying. Sequence: - Pay 2 energy and play Zhonya's Hourglass face-up in your base - When your next unit dies, Zhonya's Hourglass triggers - The Hourglass goes to the trash pile - The unit that would have died is placed exhausted into your base instead

Ruling: You can use your seal to pay for Nocturne's cost. When Nocturne is banished, it goes pending on the chain, and during the finalization step (step 4 of playing a card) you pay the cost, which allows you to add resources at that time including using seals. Sequence: - The card that banishes Nocturne (e.g., Stacked Deck) begins resolving - You see and banish Nocturne, which goes pending on the chain - The original card continues and fully resolves (e.g., Stacked Deck selects 1 card for hand and recycles the other) - Only after the original card fully resolves does Nocturne finalize - During finalization (step 4), you pay the cost and can use seals at this time - Step 3 is where you determine the cost (the 1 power that Nocturne's ability replaces) Nuances: - This works the same way for Candlelit and other similar effects - You can alternatively float energy from runes before recycling them for power, allowing you to use that floated energy for something else this turn

Yes. When you pay Repeat, you can target different spells with each execution. According to a rule, choices made for the additional execution do not have to be the same as choices made for the initial execution. So you can counter one spell with the first execution and a different spell with the second execution from Repeat.

Ruling: You can hide Teemo for 1 cost from hand or from champion zone. If Teemo is on the board, it costs 2 total (you must use Teemo Legend to return the unit to hand for 1 cost, then hide it for 1 cost). Sequence: - If Teemo is on the board: Use Teemo Legend to return the unit to hand (1 cost) - Then hide Teemo from hand (1 cost) - Total: 2 cost Nuances: - Hiding directly from champion zone costs only 1 - Hiding from the board requires the two-step process above

Ruling: Yes, you can pay a unit's accelerate cost to have it enter ready even when playing it from sources other than hand, such as Promising Future. Yes, you win if you conquer both battlefields during your turn, even if your opponent takes control of one of them afterward during that same turn. Sequence: - Conquer first battlefield during your turn - Opponent takes control of that battlefield during your turn - Conquer second battlefield during your turn - You win because you conquered both battlefields during your turn Nuances: - The Final Score rule requires conquering all battlefields during your turn, not maintaining control of them - Accelerate can be paid regardless of where the unit is being played from, not just from hand

Ruling: Yes, you can pay the accelerate cost when playing a unit with accelerate from outside your hand without paying costs. When you ignore a cost, you only ignore the base cost, and the unit goes through the full process of play including choosing optional costs. Nuances: - Effects that let you play cards "without paying costs" only ignore the base cost, not optional costs like accelerate - The unit goes through the complete play process, which includes the option to pay accelerate

Ruling: No, you cannot pay the equip cost to move equipment between units. An equipped equipment has its text box inactive, so you cannot use its equip ability while it's already equipped. Nuances: - You can only unequip or move equipment with specific card effects that allow it (such as Weaponmaster keyword or effects that directly allow unequipping/reattaching) - The equip ability on the equipment card itself is only active while the equipment is not equipped

Ruling: Yes, you can play 3 Hex Tech Ray cards on the same attacking unit in 3 different action windows during a showdown, even if your opponent has no runes to react. Sequence: - When each Hex Tech Ray action resolves, focus is passed around again starting with your opponent gaining focus - Until both you and your opponent pass focus, the showdown won't resolve - This allows multiple actions to be played in separate action windows before the showdown resolves

Ruling: Yes, Action cards can be played during Showdowns on anyone's turn if you have focus. Action cards explicitly grant permission to be played during Showdowns even when it is not your turn. Nuances: - A showdown will always allow all players to play an action if they wish - The cards themselves state "play on your turn OR IN SHOWDOWNS"