Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: Yes, Brynhir Thundersong's ability goes on the chain, allowing you to react to it before it resolves and applies the restriction preventing you from playing anything that turn.

Ruling: Yes, you can react to Deathknell triggers with hidden cards before the Clear Contested status step. Deathknell finalizes during combat cleanup and pauses the procedure until the entire chain closes. Sequence: - Deathknell triggers finalize during combat cleanup - The game pauses and allows the chain to be built - Players can respond with hidden cards and other effects - The entire Deathknell chain must fully resolve - Once the chain closes, the game proceeds to Clear Contested status Nuances: - Tokens created by Deathknell effects (like Machine Evangel) are created when the Deathknell resolves and go on the same chain - The state becomes open again only after the chain fully closes - Combat cleanup has substeps within a step, similar to how other steps pause for chains

Ruling: Yes, you can react to a Temporary unit's death trigger by playing another Temporary unit, and the newly played unit will survive because it enters after the beginning phase trigger check has already occurred. Sequence: - At the start of beginning phase, the game checks for beginning phase triggers (including Temporary) - The first Temporary unit's death is placed on the chain as a trigger - You can react to this trigger by playing another Temporary unit (like Sprite Call) - Due to FILO (First In, Last Out), the new unit resolves before the original death trigger - The new Temporary unit enters the battlefield after the beginning phase trigger window has passed - The new unit survives because it missed the beginning phase trigger check Nuances: - The beginning phase trigger window only happens once per phase; units that enter afterward don't trigger until the next beginning phase - This interaction is commonly used by Teemo players - You can also use this to gain hold points by playing Hide Call and flipping it in response to the Temporary trigger

Ruling: Yes, you can react with hidden units when Wraith of Echoes triggers, even if the unit that died to trigger it did not have Deathknell. Nuances: - This follows the same principle as using Deathknell with hidden cards like Kogmaw to retain battlefield control - The ability to react with hidden cards applies to any reaction window, not just Deathknell triggers

Ruling: Yes, Annie can ready any runes on the board, including opponents' runes. You can ready up to two runes total, split however you want across any players. Nuances: - The ability targets up to two runes (not necessarily exactly two) - In 2v2, you can split the targets between yourself, your teammate, and/or opponents in any combination

Ruling: You can both exhaust and recycle runes during Bullet Time's resolution to pay for its power cost. You do not need to float the power beforehand. Sequence: - Bullet Time begins resolving - During resolution, exhaust runes for floating energy - Use that floating energy for power as part of the resolution - Continue resolving Bullet Time's effect Nuances: - This can be done during resolution itself, not requiring the ability to use a reaction - The power cost is paid during resolution, not before the spell resolves

Ruling: Yes, you can choose to apply Soraka's replacement effect first to save the unit, which prevents Zhonya's from applying since there is no longer a death event to replace. Sequence: - When a unit would die, both Soraka and Zhonya's replacement effects are available - You choose which replacement effect to apply first - If you choose Soraka first, she saves the unit - Zhonya's cannot apply because the death event has already been replaced Nuances: - Replacement effects don't trigger or use the chain - they don't resolve and can't fizzle - When multiple units die: select which unit a single effect applies to - When multiple effects apply to one unit: select which effect applies - If Soraka herself takes lethal damage simultaneously with other units (like in a boardwipe), she cannot save them even with Zhonya's, as she wouldn't be in a valid location. This interaction awaits further clarification in updated rules.

Ruling: You can repeatedly equip the same equipment to different units as long as you pay the equip cost and the equipment is not currently attached. Equipment does not exhaust when the equipped unit dies and does not need to be ready to equip. Sequence: - Attack with a unit that has equipment attached - If that unit dies, the equipment detaches and returns to your base ready - You can then equip it to another unit and attack - Repeat as needed Nuances: - Attached equipment loses its equip ability (all rules text becomes inactive while attached) - You cannot use the equip ability to move equipment from one unit to another unless the first unit dies or the equipment is detached by another effect - Abilities like Weaponmaster or certain spells can attach/move equipment without using the equip ability - If a unit with attached equipment is recalled (e.g., by Rebuke), the equipment returns to base ready

Ruling: Yes, you can respond to Sona's end of turn effect. Yes, moving, killing, or bouncing her will stop the effect from resolving. Sequence: - Sona's end of turn effect triggers - Players can respond with actions - Upon resolution, the effect checks if Sona is at a battlefield - If she is not present at a battlefield, the effect does not resolve Nuances: - This interaction works specifically because Sona's errata'd text includes a conditional check for "if I'm at a battlefield" - Without such a conditional check, moving or removing a unit would not prevent triggered effects from resolving

Ruling: All "At the start of Beginning Phase" (ATSOBS) effects, including Temporary and other triggers like Mushroom Pouch, trigger at the Beginning Step (before the Scoring Step). The "before scoring" text on Temporary is reminder text clarifying that temporary units can't hold, not a different timing window. You can respond to Temporary triggers with reactions before they resolve. Sequence: - Beginning Step occurs (before Scoring Step) - All ATSOBS triggers (Temporary, Mushroom Pouch, etc.) go on the chain - Players can respond with reactions (like Hidden Blade from hidden) - Triggers resolve - Scoring Step occurs Nuances: - Common play pattern in Viktor: respond to your own Sprite's Temporary trigger with Hidden Blade (from hidden) to kill it before it kills itself, drawing 2 cards (or 3 at Dreaming Tree) - You can also respond to Temporary triggers by playing units like Shen, who will then be at the battlefield in time to hold it during the Scoring Step

Ruling: No, you cannot retreat a unit after damage has been assigned. Once damage assignment begins, damage is dealt and lethally damaged units are removed before any player receives priority to take actions like retreating. Sequence: - Damage is assigned in the showdown - Damage is dealt simultaneously - Lethally damaged units are removed in cleanup - Players receive priority to take actions Nuances: - A unit that would be dealt lethal damage is not a valid target for retreat after damage assignment begins, as it will be removed before you can act

Ruling: To score the 8th point via conquest, you must score on both battlefields during your turn. Alternatively, you can reach 8 points by holding a battlefield at the start of your turn (going from 7 to 8). Sequence: - If at 7 points with control of one battlefield, you can score the 8th point by holding that battlefield at turn start - Then move to and conquer the other battlefield for additional scoring - If you have only one unit and are at 7 points, you cannot score the 8th point through conquest unless you can move that unit to score on both battlefields Nuances: - You cannot score the 8th point by conquering only one battlefield when starting with both empty - Cards that grant points (like Time Warp) combined with battlefield control can enable scoring the 8th point if you score on the held battlefield first, then move to score on the second battlefield

Ruling: No, you cannot score the 8th point this way. You must score both battlefields within the same turn to reach the 8th point. Nuances: - You could theoretically win on an opponent's turn by conquering both battlefields during their turn if you started with 0 controlled battlefields - You can use Ride the Wind to leave and reconquer the same battlefield to draw a card and score a point (just not to reach the 8th point from controlling two different battlefields across different turns)

Ruling: You can target stunned units with Facebreaker, but stunning an already stunned unit does not trigger effects that require a unit to become stunned (like Leona's ability). Nuances: - You can use Facebreaker multiple times on the same unit to stun multiple different attackers - Applying stun to an already stunned unit does not count as "becoming stunned" for trigger purposes

Ruling: Yes, you can target your teammate's unit with Flash. When a unit is instructed to move "to base" without further specification, it moves to its controller's base, not the spell caster's base. Sequence: - Flash can target up to 2 friendly units (including teammate's units in 2v2) - Each targeted unit moves to its own controller's base - Your units go to your base, teammate's units go to their base Nuances: - The templating "to base" is ambiguous but interpreted as "to their respective bases" - This triggers abilities like Traveling Merchant that care about moving to base - This is consistent with Portal Rescue being errata'd to prevent stealing teammate's units - The lack of errata on Flash (unlike The Syren and Unforgiven which specify "its base") suggests the current templating is intentional

Ruling: Yes, you can use one Defy to counter another Defy. Nuances: - You cannot target a single Defy with itself to create a self-referential loop

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: 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: Yes, you can use Rebuke on a Viktor token. The token will be returned to hand but will cease to exist immediately after moving to that zone. Sequence: - Rebuke targets and returns the token to hand - The token moves to the hand zone - The token ceases to exist immediately after entering the hand Nuances: - Tokens cannot exist in any non-board zone and are removed from the game as soon as they enter one

Ruling: Yes, you can use Rek'Sai's ability and ready it again on the same conquer with Hall of Legends by stacking the triggers to your advantage. Sequence: - Both Hall of Legends and Rek'Sai have "on conquer" triggers, so you order them however you like - Order the chain Hall > Rek'Sai - Rek'Sai resolves and exhausts itself - Hall resolves and readies it Nuances: - If Rek'Sai was already exhausted before the conquer, you could order them in reverse (Rek'Sai > Hall) to ready her first with Hall, then use her ability immediately

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: Yes, you can mix runes with different art styles in your rune deck at any level of organized play. The rules only restrict language, not artwork. Nuances: - All runes in your deck must be in the same language - Different art versions (base, alt art, promotional variants) can be freely mixed

Ruling: To win by conquest, you must score both battlefields in one turn (not necessarily control both). You can only score each battlefield once per turn, and conquest effects only trigger when you score. Sequence: - You can hold battlefield A (scoring it) then conquer battlefield B in the same turn to win - OR conquer battlefield A, then conquer battlefield B (regardless of whether you still control A) - Scoring on your opponent's turn is possible if: you don't currently control the battlefield, haven't scored it this turn, and gain control of it Nuances: - Leaving a battlefield after scoring it does not prevent a conquest victory, as long as you score both battlefields in the same turn - You cannot score the same battlefield twice in one turn, even if you lose and regain control - Conquest effects only activate when you score, not when you simply gain control

Ruling: You can win the game by scoring the 8th point from card abilities like Yasuo, Ahri, or Draven. The final point restriction only applies to conquering a battlefield when you haven't scored all other battlefields that turn. Nuances: - Points earned from sources other than Conquer or Hold are not subject to final point restrictions - The final point restriction specifically applies to battlefield conquest, not to ability-triggered points

Ruling: Yes, 'On Play' effects (such as Purple Teemo gaining 3 might when played from hidden) go on the Chain and can be reacted to with cards like Gust.

Ruling: Tokens and buffs must be physically materialized on the board, but modifiers do not need to be marked. However, you must answer honestly about a unit's current Might if asked. Nuances: - Distinction between tokens/buffs (must be visible) vs modifiers (can be tracked mentally) - Players have obligation to provide accurate information when questioned about game state

Ruling: Yes, Might bonuses from Assault/Shield can make a unit Mighty if the bonus brings their total MT to 5 or more during a combat showdown.

No, Repeat and Accelerate costs do NOT factor in for Yordle Explorer. According to a rule, effects that need to determine a card's cost for any purpose always use its base cost, even if that cost is altered or ignored as the card is played. Yordle Explorer checks the card's base Power cost (what's printed in the upper left corner), not the total cost paid. Additional costs like Accelerate and Repeat are NOT included in this check. For example, Miss Fortune (base cost: 1 Body Power) would NOT trigger Yordle Explorer even if you pay the Accelerate cost for an additional 1 Body Power. Yordle Explorer only triggers when you play a card that has 2 or more Power symbols printed in its cost box.

Ruling: Cards refer to themselves in first person, so "at my battlefield" means that specific unit's battlefield. The unit must be at a battlefield for the effect to be active, and it only impacts that one battlefield. Sequence: - The unit must be present at a battlefield - The effect only applies to that specific battlefield where the unit is located - If the same player controls multiple battlefields, each is treated separately

Ruling: Yes, gear-tokens (gold) count towards Ornn, Forge God's +1 might bonus because they are still considered gear.

Ruling: Yes, triggered abilities on legends will still trigger even if the legend is exhausted. The exhausted state only prevents you from activating abilities that require exhausting as a cost. Nuances: - As long as the trigger condition (the part before the comma in the ability text) is met, the trigger will go onto the chain regardless of exhausted state - This can be relevant for trigger ordering when multiple triggers occur simultaneously - This can create reaction windows that wouldn't otherwise exist

Ruling: Yes, multiple sources of both Assault and Shield keywords sum together. Sequence: - If a unit has Assault (or has been granted Assault) and receives Assault from an additional source, sum all Assault values - If a unit has Shield (or has been granted Shield) and receives Shield from an additional source, sum all Shield values Nuances: - This applies whether the keyword is inherent to the unit or granted by external sources - All granted keyword values are summed, not just the highest value

Ruling: Triggers always activate but don't need to be announced until they have an observable game impact (like physical changes or might changes during combat). However, opponents cannot rush through actions without giving you a chance to respond - this is angle shooting and warrants a judge call and potential rewind. Sequence: - Triggers occur automatically when their conditions are met - They don't need to be verbally announced until they have observable game impact - Players must still allow opponents reasonable opportunity to respond to spells/triggers - If an opponent rushes through without allowing responses, call a judge for a rewind Nuances: - You can proactively tell your opponent to "hold on" before a spell resolves if you want to react to a trigger - If you want certainty, respond to the spell that would cause the trigger rather than waiting for the trigger announcement - Players are responsible for tracking opponent triggers that may become relevant to their own plays - At the start of combat, might changes should be announced - If an opponent acknowledges a trigger later (e.g., "student is 4 might") at the appropriate time, they haven't missed it - you may have just made a misplay by not tracking it

Ruling: Recall effects do not inherently target. An effect targets only if it requires the controller to make a choice of who, what, or where during the casting/activation process (not during resolution), and that choice is not part of a replacement effect. Nuances: - Replacement effects (indicated by "If" with "Instead") never target and do not use the chain - Triggered abilities use "When" or "At" keywords and do use the chain - Making a choice during resolution does not constitute targeting - If multiple players are involved in making choices for an effect, it does not target - Zhonya's specifically is a replacement effect (passive ability), not a triggered ability, so it doesn't target even though a choice may be made when multiple units die simultaneously

Ruling: Reflexive triggers do not trigger Dreaming Tree. Under current rules, reflexive triggers have spell damage attribution but not target attribution, which is required for Dreaming Tree. Nuances: - A designer confirmed this distinction wasn't intended, suggesting it may be Rules as Written but not Rules as Intended - The ability has a controller (relevant for effects like Deflect), but the reflexive trigger itself is not a spell

Ruling: Spells do not fizzle in Riftbound. If a spell is already on the chain when its target gains Deflect, you do not need to pay the Deflect cost because costs are paid when putting cards/abilities on the chain, not on resolution. The spell resolves normally. Sequence: - Player declares target and pays all costs (including any Deflect costs that exist at that moment) to put the spell on the chain - If the target gains Deflect after the spell is on the chain, this does not change what was already paid - The spell resolves normally without requiring additional payment - Spells that fail to complete their effects are still considered "played" (they "whiff" but don't "fizzle") Nuances: - Triggered abilities are different: you CAN decline to pay Deflect costs for triggered abilities, which removes the trigger from the chain - Deflect is a cost modifier, not a targeting requirement - target legality checks do not re-evaluate whether costs were paid - If a spell is copied (like with Mystic Reversal) and targets a unit with Deflect, you don't pay the Deflect cost because costs were already paid for the original spell - Nothing in Riftbound works retroactively - once a timing window passes, it's done

Ruling: The overtime rules apply the same way to both Swiss and Top Cut rounds. After time is called, five additional turns are played and the winner is determined by whoever has more points at the end of those turns. Top Cut rounds are recommended to be untimed where possible, but when time limits are necessary, the same overtime procedure applies. Sequence: - Time is called during a player's turn - After that player's turn is complete, five additional turns are played - The match ends after the fifth additional turn is complete - Winner is determined by whoever has more points Nuances: - The rules don't clearly specify how a winner should be determined if the standings are tied after the 5 overtime turns - Top Cut is recommended to be untimed where possible, with judges enforcing reasonable pace of play - The five turns means through the end of the fifth turn, not until the start of the fifth turn

Ruling: Units do not get attacker/defender designation during a non-combat showdown. Attacker and defender status is only applied when a combat showdown begins (when two players have units at the same battlefield at the start of the showdown). Sequence: - When entering an empty battlefield, it becomes contested but no attacker/defender designations are assigned - A non-combat showdown occurs with normal focus passing - If an opponent moves a unit there during the non-combat showdown (via reaction to a move trigger), the non-combat showdown continues to completion first - Only after the non-combat showdown ends, if both units are still present, does a new combat showdown begin with attacker/defender designations Nuances: - If a unit is moved to a battlefield in reaction to another unit's move trigger, the initial non-combat showdown continues rather than immediately becoming a combat showdown - Once a combat showdown has begun, it doesn't stop until combat resolution is complete, even if one player removes their units - Cards like Ride the Winds cannot interrupt an ongoing combat showdown since they are action speed

Ruling: You do not have to tell your opponent how many cards you swapped from your sideboard between games. Nuances: - At High OPL and above, you can shuffle your sideboard into your main deck and pick 8 cards to remove, making it impossible for opponents to deduce how much you changed - Your opponent may ask to count the cards in your sideboard for verification without looking at them

Ruling: Equip, Weapon Master, and Quickdraw are three distinct ways to attach gear with different costs. Quickdraw has no equip cost (you only pay the gear's cost), Weapon Master costs equip cost minus 1 power, and Equip costs the full equip cost. Sequence: - Equip: Activated ability at base speed, pay full equip cost - Weapon Master: Triggered ability when you play the unit (at unit's speed), pay equip cost - 1 power - Quickdraw: Triggered ability when you play the gear (reaction speed), no equip cost Nuances: - Quickdraw gives the gear reaction speed, allowing it to be played during appropriate reaction timing windows (including opponent's turn)

Ruling: 'Chosen Champion' refers to all cards with the same name as your chosen champion, not just the specific card separated at the start of the game. Nuances: - This applies regardless of whether the card came from your champion zone or from other zones (like your deck)

Ruling: When you pass priority, it always counts as passing without adding anything to the chain, regardless of whether you added items to the chain before deciding to pass. If both players pass consecutively without either adding anything during their respective passes, the chain resolves. Sequence: - Player A adds one or more items to the chain, then passes priority - This counts as passing without adding items - Player B receives priority - If Player B also passes without adding items, the chain resolves - If Player B adds an item to the chain, the cycle resets and both players must pass consecutively again Nuances: - The game is designed to prevent "testing the waters" by waiting for opponent reactions before committing to plays - Players hold priority by default, so passing is an explicit decision - The 1.0 rules were clearer on this point, stating "If all Relevant Players have passed once in sequence, nothing else can be added to the Chain and the Chain ends"

Ruling: Yes, Annie's ability creates a trigger.

Ruling: Arcane Shift requires valid targets for both parts of the effect (a friendly unit to blink AND an enemy unit to deal 3 damage to) in order to be played on the chain. You cannot play it if there is no enemy unit at a battlefield. Nuances: - Arcane Shift is not a reflexive trigger because it does not contain the phrase "do this" after "then" - If a target becomes invalid after the spell is on the chain (e.g., killed by Hidden Blade in response), there is no fizzle in Riftbound - you simply do as much as you can (blink the friendly unit but don't deal 3 damage) - This follows the same principle as other spells like Stupify, where you cannot play them just to get partial effects if all targets aren't valid

Ruling: Baited Hook looks at the current might of the unit it kills (including any buffs or modifications), but looks at the base/printed might of the unit it fetches from your deck. Nuances: - If the targeted unit is not actually killed (e.g., prevented by Zhonyas/Sett Legend), it's considered null, and null is not 0, so you cannot pull a 1-might unit - If the unit no longer exists (moved to hand, died before Baited Hook resolves), the same null rule applies - Current might includes temporary buffs like Trifarian War Camp, Buff keyword, or any one-turn +might effects

Ruling: No, Baited Hook does not trigger Dreaming Tree because Dreaming Tree requires a spell to target, and Baited Hook is a gear card, not a spell. Nuances: - Baited Hook does target, but it must be a spell that targets to trigger Dreaming Tree - Cull of the Weak does not target because when both players are making choices, it is not considered targeting

Ruling: Yes, Ballista damage factors into Tryndamere's effect when he attacks a target that has already been damaged by Ballista.

Ruling: Yes, Bellows Breath counts towards proccing Ezreal's legend ability because it targets units. Nuances: - Bellows Breath targets up to 3 units that must all be at the same battlefield - The battlefield itself is not a target; it's part of a targeting restriction - You would need to pay deflect cost for each targeted unit that has deflect

Ruling: Blood Rush's effect lasts only for the turn it is played, not permanently. Nuances: - This is confirmed day 0 errata for the card - The original card text did not clarify the duration, leading to the question

Ruling: Brutalizer does not stack when moved between units. "If this was attached to me this turn" is a binary state - either it was attached this turn or not. Moving it to another unit means that unit also gets the bonus, but there is no stacking effect. Nuances: - The +2 Might bonus only applies during the turn Brutalizer was attached - If Brutalizer is played and then equipped to a unit (like an Azir sand token), that unit gets +5 Might total for that turn only, then returns to +3 Might on subsequent turns