Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: No, you cannot use Draven's effect multiple times in one attack or defend. Sequence: - The trigger "When I attack or defend" happens once per attack or defend - You may pay the cost once when the trigger occurs - You gain the +2 might effect once if you pay Nuances: - The trigger is what allows you to activate the effect, so because it only triggers once, you can only get the effect once

Ruling: Yes, you can use Fight or Flight after Charm resolves and the Showdown starts, but before the Showdown resolves. Sequence: - Charm resolves and moves your unit to the battlefield - Showdown starts - You can play Fight or Flight - Showdown resolves Nuances: - If your opponent only has 1 unit at that battlefield, you can use Fight or Flight on their unit to conquer the battlefield and score a point (as long as you haven't already scored on that battlefield that turn)

Ruling: You cannot react to a standard move with Flash because standard moves do not create a chain. However, once the showdown begins and you have focus, you can cast Ride the Wind to move a unit from your base to that battlefield. Sequence: - Opponent declares a standard move to a battlefield (cannot be reacted to) - Showdown begins at that battlefield - When you gain focus during the showdown, you can play Ride the Wind to move a unit from your base to that battlefield Nuances: - If a unit has a move trigger that creates a chain (like Traveling Merchant), you could react with Flash before the showdown begins - Ride the Wind is an action spell, so you specifically need focus (not just priority) to cast it

Ruling: You can use Flash in response to Dragon's Rage, but the Dragon's Rage player doesn't choose which battlefield to move the targeted unit to until the spell resolves. If you Flash a unit to consolidate all your units in one location before Dragon's Rage resolves, the strike will be prevented because a unit cannot be moved to the same place it's currently at. Sequence: - Dragon's Rage is played, targeting one of your units - You can respond with Flash before Dragon's Rage resolves - Dragon's Rage resolves: the caster chooses which battlefield to move the targeted unit to - If all your units are in the same location after Flash, the targeted unit cannot be moved there (can't move to same place) and no strike occurs - If your units are in different locations, Dragon's Rage can move the targeted unit to strike one of them Nuances: - When Dragon's Rage is triggered, only the target unit is declared, not the destination battlefield - You cannot wait until after the unit has been moved to a battlefield to use Flash to prevent the strike - Moving a unit requires changing its location; you cannot move a unit to where it currently is

Ruling: No, you cannot use Get Excited to kill Warwick in response to his "When I attack" trigger. Action spells can only be played in an Open state (when no chain exists), and when Warwick attacks, his "When I attack" trigger is immediately put on the stack along with any "When I defend" triggers, creating a chain before you have an opportunity to respond with an Action spell. Sequence: - Warwick initiates the attack - "When I attack" triggers are put on the stack - "When I defend" triggers are put on the stack - The chain is formed with no window to play Action spells before these triggers resolve Nuances: - Action spells can be played during Showdown Open states, but only when no chain exists - Non-action and non-reaction cards can only be played in a Neutral (non-showdown) Open state

Ruling: Yes, you can use Get Excited to discard Flame Chompers and play it at the battlefield being attacked. You retain control of battlefields even while they're being contested, and playing through Flame Chompers' triggered ability is a limited action that bypasses normal timing restrictions. Sequence: - Opponent attacks battlefield with units - Opponent passes - Defending player (with focus) plays Get Excited and passes - Opponent passes - Get Excited resolves, discarding Flame Chompers - Flame Chompers' trigger goes on the chain - Defending player uses Flame Chompers ability and passes - Opponent passes - Flame Chompers is played at the battlefield Nuances: - Playing as a discretionary action (from hand) is limited by timing, but playing as a limited action (when instructed by a spell or ability) bypasses normal timing restrictions unless the source has specific restrictions - Flame Chompers' ability allows playing from the trash through its trigger, which supersedes normal rules about playing units only during your turn - The trigger creates the only window to play Flame Chompers with the alternate cost

Ruling: You cannot react directly to a unit being played or to movement itself. You can only react if the unit or movement triggers an ability. Sequence: - When a unit is played or moves, check if it has a triggered ability (e.g., "When you play me..." or "When I move...") - If there is a triggered ability, you can react to that ability - If you react to kill the unit (like Harnessed Dragon), the triggered ability still resolves Nuances: - You are reacting to the triggered ability, not to the unit or movement action itself - Even if you kill a unit in response to its triggered ability, that ability still resolves (example: Harnessed Dragon's ability to kill your unit will still happen)

Ruling: You cannot Gust Vayne when she moves alone to an enemy-occupied battlefield because moving does not create a reaction opportunity and she instantly becomes an attacker with 5 might when combat begins. However, you can Gust her if she moves to an open battlefield (no combat occurs, so she's not an attacker) or if another unit with a move trigger creates a chain before the showdown begins. Sequence: - When combat begins, Assault and other passive abilities activate immediately - An initial chain is built with all triggered abilities that care about combat beginning (including "When I attack/defend") - Players can then add reactions to that chain before those abilities resolve Nuances: - Moving itself does not open a chain or create a reaction opportunity - If another unit with a move trigger (like Traveling Merchant) moves alongside Vayne, that trigger opens a chain before the showdown, allowing you to Gust Vayne in that chain - Vayne is only a valid Gust target when she's not an attacker (2 might or less), which only occurs when moving to an open battlefield or during a chain opened by another unit's move trigger

Ruling: No, you cannot use Gust after Tideturner's triggered ability resolves. Once the ability resolves and the chain is empty, there is no window to play reaction spells. Sequence: - Tideturner is played and its triggered ability goes on the chain - The triggered ability is the only item on the chain - When it resolves, the units swap positions - The chain becomes empty - Since the chain is empty, you stop and do not get another window to play reactions Nuances: - Rule 543.4 only applies when there are still items remaining on the chain after something resolves, determining whose priority comes first before the next item resolves - Rule 544 is relevant here: when the chain is empty after resolving, you stop repeating the priority windows

Ruling: Yes, you can use Gust to return Teemo-Scout to hand before he gains the +3 might boost. Sequence: - Teemo-Scout is played (from hand or after being hidden) - Teemo's ability triggers and goes on the chain - You can react with Gust to return him to hand - Teemo returns to hand before the might boost resolves

Ruling: No, you cannot use Here to Help to play Deadbloom Predator to an occupied enemy battlefield. Here to Help restricts you to playing units only to a battlefield you control, which overrides Deadbloom's ability to be played to an occupied enemy battlefield. Sequence: - Here to Help grants permission to play a unit at action speed - Here to Help restricts the play location to a battlefield you control - This restriction forbids playing to an occupied enemy battlefield - Restrictions supersede allowances (the "can't beats can" principle) - Therefore, Deadbloom can only be played to a battlefield you control when using Here to Help Nuances: - The cost reduction from Here to Help still applies - Here to Help doesn't use the word "can't" explicitly, but it functions as a restriction by limiting valid play locations - If played from hand normally (without Here to Help), Deadbloom could be played to either a battlefield you control or an occupied enemy battlefield, but not your base

Ruling: No, you cannot. Here to Help restricts you to playing a unit only to a battlefield you control, and this restriction overrides Deadbloom Predator's additional placement options. Sequence: - Here to Help resolves and allows you to play a unit to a battlefield you control - When you choose to play Deadbloom Predator, you must select the target location as part of playing it - The location choice is restricted by Here to Help to only battlefields you control - Deadbloom Predator's text allowing placement to occupied enemy battlefields does not override this restriction - You must play Deadbloom Predator to a battlefield you control, or not play it at all Nuances: - This follows the silver rule principle that restrictions override permissions ("can't beats can") - The "may" on Here to Help makes playing a unit optional, but doesn't make the location restriction optional - If Here to Help is played from hidden, the restriction is even tighter (must play to "here") - If you have no legal targets (no battlefields you control), Here to Help does nothing and is wasted - If a legal target becomes illegal before resolution, the effect whiffs

Ruling: No, you cannot assign damage and then use Hidden Blade. Hidden Blade must be played from the facedown zone before reaching the combat damage step, when you have priority. Sequence: - You must play Hidden Blade when you have priority before the combat damage step - If both players pass with focus on an empty chain, you proceed to combat damage - Once you're assigning damage to each other, it's too late to play Hidden Blade Nuances: - If you use Hidden Blade when you have priority, you kill your own unit and draw 2 cards, but then deal 0 combat damage - If you pass/pass and deal combat damage, all units die and Hidden Blade goes to the trash since you've lost control over the battlefield

Ruling: No, you cannot use Hidden Blade to kill the unit chosen as an additional cost for Cruel Patron. Costs are paid immediately without using the chain, so there is no opportunity for anyone to play anything targeting the unit killed as a cost. Nuances: - Playing a permanent does start a chain, but no player receives priority during cost payment, so you cannot react to it - Zhonya's Hourglass works differently because it uses replacement effects, which happen instantly without requiring priority - If Zhonya's was played before Cruel Patron (both can be played in any order as permanents without giving opponent opportunity to react), it can save the unit paid as a cost - You cannot save a unit with Zhonya's if it's face down when you pay the cost for Cruel Patron - Zhonya's must be played before paying the cost

Ruling: No, you cannot use Kai'sa to hide a card. Hiding is not the same as playing a card - you're using an ability. When you reveal the card from hide, it is then played. Nuances: - Hiding a card is distinct from playing a card - The card is only considered "played" when it is revealed from hide

Ruling: Yes, you can charm an enemy unit into your battlefield with Master Yi Honed, kill it, and then gank to another battlefield. Sequence: - Hold a battlefield with Master Yi Honed - Use charm to pull an enemy unit into your battlefield - Kill the charmed unit - Gank to another battlefield

Ruling: No, you cannot use Not So Fast to counter another Not So Fast. Not So Fast targets spells and abilities, not units or gear, so it cannot be a legal target for another Not So Fast. Sequence: - Attacker attacks - Defender plays Janna (unit enters battlefield) - Janna's play effect triggers and targets attacker's unit - Attacker plays Not So Fast targeting Janna's play effect - Defender cannot play Not So Fast to counter the attacker's Not So Fast Nuances: - When Not So Fast counters a unit's play effect, the unit still enters the battlefield; only the ability is countered - When countering an ability with multiple effects (like Janna's heal and target), the entire ability is countered, not just one part

Ruling: Yes, you can use Not So Fast to target Overzealous Fan's ability because it targets a friendly unit. However, if you use Not So Fast, the opponent will never have the choice to kill Overzealous Fan. Sequence: - Not So Fast can only be used before Fan's trigger resolves - If Not So Fast is used, the ability is countered and the opponent never gets the choice to kill Fan - If the ability is allowed to resolve, the opponent can choose to kill Fan to move a unit, but there is no opportunity to use Not So Fast at that point Nuances: - You cannot wait to see if the opponent chooses to kill Fan before using Not So Fast - the window to use Not So Fast is before the trigger resolves

Ruling: You cannot use Repeat after Hard Bargain has been put on the chain. You must decide when initially playing Hard Bargain whether to pay the additional cost for Repeat. Sequence: - When playing Hard Bargain, decide whether to pay for Repeat - If you choose Repeat, you can target the initial spell (forcing higher cost to avoid cancellation) - You cannot add Repeat retroactively after the spell is on the chain Nuances: - If you Repeat Hard Bargain targeting the first spell, the opponent would need to pay more to avoid cancellation, but if they have a backup spell, the Repeat may not help

Ruling: You can react to Temporary's triggered ability with Retreat. You cannot use reactions during phases (including Awaken phase) unless something is on the chain. Nuances: - Reactions require a trigger that starts a chain; phases alone do not provide this trigger - The Temporary effect happens during the Beginning phase, not Awaken phase

Ruling: Yes, you can use Retreat on a recruit token and channel 1 rune from it. The token does go to your hand but ceases to exist immediately after moving there. Sequence: - The recruit token moves to your hand - The token ceases to exist immediately after entering the hand zone - You channel 1 rune as normal from the Retreat effect Nuances: - The token going to hand (before ceasing to exist) matters for effects that trigger when permanents move to specific zones - The token is not banished; it simply ceases to exist - This distinction is relevant for potential future "when you banish" effects

Ruling: You can use Retreat on a recruit token, but the recruit will dissolve and go to the recruit pile. Nuances: - Tokens cannot exist in hand, the deck, the trash, or anywhere else that's not the board

Ruling: You can play Retreat as a reaction to Cull before Cull resolves, but not while Cull is resolving. Sequence: - If you only have one unit, you can Retreat it in response to Cull, leaving no units to kill - If you have more than one unit, something will die even if you Retreat one unit Nuances: - The timing matters: Retreat must be played as a reaction before Cull resolves, not during its resolution

Ruling: No, you cannot use Retreat to save a unit in response to its deathknell trigger. By the time the deathknell trigger is placed on the chain, the unit has already been moved to the trash during cleanup, so Retreat cannot target it. Sequence: - Unit receives lethal damage - Deathknell triggers (pending) - During cleanup, units with lethal damage are moved to trash - Deathknell effect finalizes and goes on the chain - At this point, you can react to the deathknell trigger with other reactions, but the unit is already in the trash and cannot be targeted by Retreat Nuances: - You can always react to deathknells on the chain with other reaction-speed effects that don't target the dead unit - Hidden cards work differently in combat showdowns: during a combat showdown, control of a battlefield cannot be lost while contested status is applied, so hidden cards remain available to react to deathknells. Outside of combat showdowns, control is lost immediately when your last unit dies, causing hidden cards to be trashed before you can use them - Replacement effects like Hourglass (Zhonyas) can save a unit from dying if already active before the unit would be trashed, which prevents the deathknell from finalizing. However, activating Hourglass in response to the deathknell trigger is too late to save the unit

Ruling: Yes, you can use Ride the Wind to move a non-ganking unit from one Battlefield to another Battlefield because this is not a Standard Move. Nuances: - Targeting for Ride the Wind (and spells in general) occurs on cast, not on resolution.

Ruling: Yes, you can use Ride the Wind (or any spell/ability that moves units) to move directly from one battlefield to another battlefield. Nuances: - The restriction on battlefield-to-battlefield movement only applies to standard moves, not to movement from card effects - Invalid move locations include another player's base, or your own base if the unit is at a location like Vilemaw - Units without ganking cannot standard move between battlefields, but can be moved between battlefields by spell/ability effects

Ruling: Yes, you can use Ride the Wind to move a unit to an open battlefield to conquer even without Ganking. Nuances: - The restriction on moving between battlefields only applies to the standard move action inherent to units - Other forms of movement (like Ride the Wind) are only restricted by what's written on the card itself

Ruling: Yes, Ride the Wind can move a unit from one battlefield to another. The restriction on not moving between battlefields only applies to standard move actions, not to other move effects. Nuances: - Standard move specifically cannot move between battlefields - Other move actions have their limitations specified by the move effect itself - Since Ride the Wind has no restriction specified, it can move to anywhere

Ruling: Yes, Sett's Legend Power can protect a unit from Cull the Weak as long as the unit has a Buff and you can pay the power plus exhaust costs. Sett triggers when a unit would die, regardless of whether it's from an attack or event spell. Sequence: - Cull the Weak attempts to kill a buffed unit - Sett's power triggers ("when they would die") - If the unit is already in base, you skip the recall portion of Sett's effect - The unit survives Nuances: - The unit must have a Buff for Sett's power to work - You must be able to pay the power and exhaust costs - If the unit is already in base, only the survival effect applies (recall is skipped)

Ruling: You cannot use Sun Disc to give Legion to Flame Chompers in this scenario. There is no window to activate Sun Disc before Chompers finishes resolving. Sequence: - Chemtech Enforcer is played and Flame Chompers is discarded - Flame Chompers begins resolving - No window exists to activate Sun Disc during this resolution - Chompers enters play without Legion

Ruling: No, you cannot tap Sun Disk while Promising Future is resolving because Sun Disk doesn't have Reaction, which means it cannot be used while a chain is open or while anything is resolving. Sequence: (for a legal way to give Rush to a unit from Promising Future) - Have Sun Disk already in play from a previous turn - Play a unit that grants Legion (e.g., a 2-cost unit) - Tap Sun Disk while you have Legion - Play Promising Future - The next unit from Promising Future will come in readied Nuances: - Sun Disk can only be used when no chain is open and nothing is resolving - You need to activate Sun Disk before playing Promising Future, not during its resolution

Ruling: Yes, you can use Vi multiple times in a single turn, but each activation must resolve individually. Nuances: - In practice, most players will allow you to declare a total amount and resolve all activations at once for convenience.

Ruling: Yes, you can use Void Seeker on a unit that moves into an open battlefield. Moving into an open battlefield starts a showdown (but not a combat), and once that showdown starts and you get focus, you can cast Void Seeker. Sequence: - Opponent moves to empty battlefield - Opponent has focus and priority, meaning they can cast action or reaction spells - If opponent passes focus and priority - You can now play action spells to start a chain Nuances: - Moving into an open battlefield starts a showdown but does not start a combat - Action spells (not just reactions) can be played during an open showdown if you have focus

Ruling: Yes, you can exhaust Voli when you play a mighty creature off of Dazzling Aurora, even during the end step. Voli's ability is a triggered ability, not an activated ability. Nuances: - Triggered abilities can be distinguished from activated abilities by the absence of a ":" symbol indicating costs - Voli's ability can also trigger on your opponent's turn if you manage to get a mighty creature off then

Ruling: Yes, you can use Windwall to counter an opponent's spell played via Promising Future when you control the Promising Future. Sequence: - When you play Promising Future, both players put their chosen spells on the chain as pending items (opponent's spell first, then your Windwall) - When Promising Future resolves, the spells finalize in the order they were put on the chain - The opponent's spell finalizes first, becoming a finalized chain item - Your Windwall finalizes second and can target the opponent's now-finalized spell - Windwall resolves first (being higher on the chain) and counters the opponent's spell Nuances: - If the opponent controls Promising Future and you choose Windwall, the interaction becomes very complicated due to reverse ordering - Targeting pending chain items is not explicitly covered in the rules, but would generally be ineffective since items resolve from top to bottom of the chain

Ruling: No, Yasuo's legend ability cannot be used during combat because it has base speed (no action or reaction keyword). However, you could achieve a similar effect with a spell like "Ride the Wind" that can be used during combat. Nuances: - Base speed abilities (without action or reaction keywords) cannot be used during combat - Spells or abilities with appropriate timing (like Ride the Wind) can be used to recall a unit during combat

Ruling: You can use Zhonya's to save the unit, but since the unit was not killed, you cannot get anything from Baited Hook's effect (the same applies to Sett's legend ability). Sequence: - Baited Hook targets and would kill a unit - Zhonya's Hourglass is used to save the unit - You still look at the top 5 cards - Since the unit was not killed, you cannot retrieve anything with Baited Hook's effect Nuances: - Baited Hook uses the wording "the killed unit" to determine what you can get, so the unit must actually be killed for the full effect to resolve

Ruling: Yes, you can use reactions to respond to other reactions. In the scenario described, Deny can counter Hidden Blade.

Ruling: Reactions can be played during any priority window. You can play a Reaction card as your first move during the Action phase (once you reach a neutral open state after Awakening, Beginning, Channel, and Draw phases), even without reacting to anything. Sequence: - Wait until you complete Awakening, Beginning, Channel, and Draw phases - Once you reach the Action phase in a neutral open state, you have priority - You can then play a Reaction card as an action Nuances: - Reactions can only react to spells or abilities/effects, not to phase changes, movement, or units without effects being played - Players get priority when something is on the chain (controller first, then others when they pass) - Players also have priority when they have Focus during a showdown - Players have priority during any neutral open state on their turn (nothing on the chain and not in a showdown) - If an ability triggers during phase changes (like a Beginning phase trigger), you would get a priority window then because something is on the chain

Ruling: No, you cannot react to an opponent tapping runes for mana. Reactions that add mana cannot be responded to. Nuances: - Tapping runes to generate mana is not an action that can be responded to with reactions

Ruling: Yes, you can use Gust or any other spell at Battlefield A during a showdown at Battlefield B. Targeting restrictions only apply to Hidden cards. Nuances: - If a card like Hidden Blade was Hidden at battlefield B during a showdown at battlefield B, it cannot target battlefield A when reacted - The targeting restriction applies specifically to Hidden cards only

Ruling: Yes, you can use Fight or Flight as a reaction when an opponent's unit moves into Reaver's Row, and then use Reaver's Row's ability to move your own unit to base contact. Sequence: - Resolve Fight or Flight first - Then resolve Reaver's Row's ability

Ruling: You can use reaction spells in response to your own action spell before passing priority. Action spells can only be used to start a chain and cannot be used as reactions at any time. Sequence: - Play an action spell to start the chain - You may hold priority and play reaction spells in response to your own action - Once you pass priority, your opponent can respond - After the chain resolves, your opponent has priority to activate an action or reaction before you can respond Nuances: - Reactions can be played like actions when the chain is empty (you don't need to react to something) - Unit abilities with the reaction tag can be activated any time you could play a reaction, whereas normally unit abilities can only be activated during your turn outside of showdown

Ruling: Yes, you can play a Reaction spell in response to Snapvine's trigger to buff its might before the ability resolves. However, your opponent can also play Reactions in response. Sequence: - Snapvine is played - Trigger is created for its ability - You can play a Reaction in response (and so can your opponent) - The Reaction resolves first, then Snapvine's ability resolves Nuances: - Non-Reaction spells (like Primal Strength) cannot be played on the chain after the trigger - Reactions that reduce might (like Smokescreen) can lower the damage dealt by Snapvine

Ruling: You cannot react to a unit being played, but once Tibbers is in play, his trigger goes on the chain and you can react to that trigger, allowing you to increase a unit's might before the damage resolves. Sequence: - Tibbers is played and enters play - Tibbers' trigger goes on the chain - Players can now react to the trigger (e.g., increase a unit's might) - The trigger resolves and deals 3 damage to all units

Ruling: No, Signature Spells can only be included in your deck if your Legend matches. Having the Champion unit alone is not sufficient.

Ruling: If a card does not specify "battlefield" for a target, it can target units in base. Challenge can target an enemy unit in their base. Nuances: - This applies generally to all spells/effects that don't explicitly specify "battlefield" as a targeting restriction

Ruling: Once you reach the point of assigning combat damage, the showdown is closed and you cannot cast spells. However, you can cast spells like Incinerate during the showdown (before damage assignment) to mark damage on units. If a unit dies to a spell during the showdown, it is not present during the combat damage step to deal its might. Sequence: - Showdown opens and spells can be cast - Combat damage assignment occurs (showdown is now closed) - Damage is dealt simultaneously - Units with damage marked >= their might die Nuances: - Do not think of units as having HP; units have might, get damage marked on them, and die when non-zero damage >= might - A unit that takes damage from a spell like Incinerate still deals its full might value in combat (spells mark damage but don't reduce might unless specifically stated) - When assigning combat damage, you must assign lethal damage to a unit before moving on to assign damage to the next unit - All combat damage is dealt simultaneously

Ruling: Action spells can only start chains, they cannot be added to an existing chain. Once a chain is fully resolved (all spells on it resolve), a new chain can be started with an Action or Reaction spell. Sequence: - Player 1 moves a unit to battlefield, starting a showdown and gaining focus and priority - Player 1 casts an Action spell (like Cleave), starting a chain - Player 2 can respond with a Reaction spell (like Siphon Power) - Both players pass priority - Chain resolves in reverse order (Siphon Power, then Cleave) - Player 2 receives focus and priority and can start a new chain with an Action or Reaction spell - This process can repeat with unlimited chains until both players pass without doing anything Nuances: - If a player starts a chain with only a Reaction spell and passes priority, the opponent cannot respond with an Action spell - the chain ends immediately if they have no Reaction spell to play

Ruling: Yes, when an opponent moves to an empty battlefield, a showdown begins and you will get focus to play actions or reactions during that showdown before they score the point. Sequence: - Opponent moves to open battlefield - Showdown begins - Opponent either plays action/reaction or passes - You have a chance to play on top of their action/reaction, or if they pass it's your turn to play your action - You will also get focus when any chain they started fully resolves - Focus automatically passes after a chain resolves; the showdown only ends when both players pass focus instead of starting a chain Nuances: - Ride the Wind targets friendly units only, but you can use it to move your own unit to the battlefield, which will stage a new combat (you become defender, opponent becomes attacker) - Fight or Flight can move the enemy unit to their base and prevent them from scoring - Showdowns (non-combat) can occur at open battlefields, even though combat specifically does not