Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: Outside of showdowns, units do not have the Defender status, so Yi's abilities that buff defenders are not active. You can target and remove the unit with spells like Gust, and damage spells will only see the unit's base stats. Nuances: - Spells do not initiate showdowns - Only moving a unit to a battlefield (occupied or unoccupied) initiates a showdown - The Defender status only exists during showdowns

Ruling: No, Yordle Explorer only looks at the printed power cost of a card. Additional costs from keywords like Accelerate or Repeat are not counted. Nuances: - Cards like Orange Miss Fortune with Called Shot that cost 2 power when including Accelerate/Repeat will not trigger Yordle Explorer's effect because their printed cost is different

Ruling: Yes, Yordle Explorer will trigger and draw a card when you play Switcheroo from Hidden. Nuances: - Cards that check costs look at the printed value on the card, not the actual amount paid to play it - You don't have to pay the full cost for the trigger condition to be met - This works the same way as Lux triggering on discounted spells

Ruling: Yes, Zenith Blade can move exhausted cards. The exhaust cost only applies to the standard move action, not to moving from other effects. Nuances: - Moving an exhausted unit still deals combat damage in a showdown

Ruling: Yes, Zenith Blade targets a friendly unit. Even though the card uses "you may" language, it still targets a friendly unit according to the targeting rules, meaning you cannot play Zenith Blade without a friendly unit on the board. Nuances: - The "may" wording does not change the targeting requirement - you still need a valid friendly unit target to play the card, even if you choose not to move it - This is similar to how Salvage worked before it received errata - The card targets both an enemy unit and a friendly unit

Ruling: Might reduction effects remain until end of turn. Zhonya's recall only clears damage done to the unit, not stat modifications. Nuances: - Zhonya's recall specifically clears damage, not other effects like might reduction

Ruling: Zhonya's protects units in base from being killed, even though the recall instruction cannot be followed. The owner chooses which unit to save if multiple units would be killed. Sequence: - When multiple units would be killed (one in base, one at battlefield), the owner chooses which unit Zhonya's saves - The chosen unit is saved even if it's in base - If the unit is in base, the recall instruction is ignored since it cannot be followed Nuances: - Instructions that can be partially followed are followed as much as possible and ignored otherwise, so the inability to recall a unit from base doesn't prevent Zhonya's from saving it

Ruling: Zhonya's triggers automatically when the next friendly unit would die. There is no choice - you cannot choose not to trigger it. Nuances: - Zhonya's triggers when a friendly unit dies, so if an opponent's Super Mega Death Rocket targets an enemy unit, it would not trigger Zhonya's unless the SMDR effect causes your own unit to die - This applies even if Zhonya's is on your base

Ruling: Zhonyas Hourglass uses a replacement effect which does not use the chain, so you cannot respond to it with reactions. Nuances: - Replacement effects happen immediately without using the chain - You cannot respond to a unit being saved by Zhonyas with reactions like Gust

Ruling: If a unit with a "when I attack" effect is killed by a reaction before combat, the effect still resolves unless it requires the unit to be in a specific location (uses "here"). Nuances: - Effects that target or reference "here" will fail if the unit is removed from that location before resolution (e.g., Twisted Fate's red ability) - Effects that don't require the unit to be in a specific location will still work (e.g., Twisted Fate's blue or yellow abilities) - Actions cannot interrupt attack triggers since they can't be played during that timing window

Ruling: A 3 power unit with Assault 2 does not count as a mighty unit for Sunken Temple purposes. Sequence: - The unit gains +2 power from Assault 2 during combat (becoming 5 power) - The attacker/defender designation is removed before the battlefield is conquered - When checking for mighty status (4+ power), the unit has reverted to its base 3 power - Therefore it does not qualify as mighty

Ruling: Yes, the unit dies. After Stupefy resolves, there is a cleanup step where the unit is at 4 might with 4 damage marked on it, which triggers lethal damage removal. Sequence: - Void Seeker deals 4 damage to the 5 might unit (unit is now 5 might with 4 damage) - Stupefy reduces might by 1 (unit is now 4 might with 4 damage) - Cleanup step occurs, removing units with damage equal to or greater than their might - Unit dies because 4 damage equals 4 might Nuances: - There is no separate HP stat in Riftbound, only Might - The order of playing Void Seeker and Stupefy doesn't matter for this outcome - Stupefy cannot kill a unit on its own (reduces might to minimum of 1) - Cleanup steps occur after conquering a battlefield or at end of turn

Ruling: Yes, Jinx will survive. Jinx gains 2 Might as the attacker (from Assault 2), bringing it to 6 Might total, which is enough to survive the 5 damage from the defender. Sequence: - Jinx starts at 4 Might - Jinx gains 2 Might as attacker (Assault 2) - Jinx now has 6 Might total - Combat damage is dealt simultaneously - Jinx takes 5 damage and survives with 1 Might remaining

Ruling: Yes, a Showdown always happens if a unit applies contested to a battlefield. Sequence: - Player holds battlefield and scores a point - Player moves all units out (no one controls it) - Player moves another unit in - Showdown occurs (though no point is scored again) Nuances: - A Showdown is triggered whenever a unit moves to a battlefield they don't currently control, regardless of whether the battlefield has already been scored

Ruling: Yes, damage marked on a Unit during a Non-Combat Showdown remains on the Unit after the Showdown ends. Nuances: - Healing only occurs during the End phase and during Combat Cleanup - Combat Cleanup only happens when a Combat has occurred - A Non-Combat Showdown does not trigger Combat Cleanup, so damage is not cleared

Ruling: No, the unit retains its buff. Units only lose temporary characteristics like buff counters when they change zones, not when they change locations. Nuances: - Changing locations (battlefield to base via recall) does not reset buffs - Changing zones (going to trash or back to hand) would reset buffs - A unit that is recalled never died, so it never changed zones

Ruling: A card that is countered is not considered to have been played, so it does not count for effects that check "if you played two cards this turn" or similar conditions. Nuances: - This applies specifically because countered cards are explicitly not considered to have been played according to the comprehensive rules.

Ruling: Yes, a card is defending alone even when there is a hidden card at its battlefield. Nuances: - A facedown card is not considered a unit, a spell, or a gear for game purposes

Ruling: Yes, a unit selected with Baited Hook counts as being played, so it will trigger effects like Darius's ready ability. You can also pay to accelerate a unit (like Kai'Sa) when it is played by Hook. Sequence: - Play Darius - Use Baited Hook on another unit - The unit played by Hook readies Darius Nuances: - Baited Hook specifically uses the word 'Play' for the unit you select, which is why it triggers play-related effects - Acceleration can be paid when a unit is played via Hook

Ruling: Units readied at the start of your turn during the awaken step get the +1 might, and units readied through effects also get the +1 might. Both types of readying trigger the ability. Nuances: - Units with Accelerate do not trigger this ability because they enter play already ready, rather than entering exhausted and then readying - You cannot ready a unit that is already ready - The card provides no tempo the turn it is played since it requires units to ready to gain the benefit

Ruling: The card targets a group of units when finalizing to the chain (on activation). On resolution, you form a subgroup from those originally targeted units that are still legal targets. Sequence: - Step one: Declare targets when the card is activated/finalized to the chain - Step two: On resolution, if any targeted unit's Might has changed, form a subgroup of only the units that still meet the targeting criteria Nuances: - You can only choose from the originally selected targets at resolution; you cannot choose new units that weren't originally targeted - If an opponent changes a unit's Might (e.g., with discipline), you must exclude that unit from the subgroup if it no longer meets the criteria

Ruling: No, cards in the deck are not considered "face-down." Face-down specifically refers to cards on the board with their back side presented. Cards played from deck (like Nocturne's banish effect) will not trigger effects that require playing cards face-down. Nuances: - Banish is not a face-down zone - Cards in deck have their back side presented but are not technically "face-down" - that term only applies to cards on the board - The "face-down" wording is likely future-proofing for cards that may be played face-down on the board in future sets

Ruling: A character with 0 Might does not die immediately. They only die if they have non-zero damage marked on them that equals or exceeds their Might. Sequence: - Might reduction reduces how much damage a unit can take before dying and reduces the damage they deal in combat - Damage is marked on units and is compared against their Might during cleanup - During cleanup, units with non-zero damage marked that equals or exceeds their Might are killed - A unit at 0 Might with no damage marked survives Nuances: - Might reduction and damage are different mechanics - reducing Might is not the same as dealing damage - A unit with damage marked still deals its full Might value in combat (damage doesn't reduce combat damage dealt) - It's possible to have units with 0 or negative Might through combinations of effects

Ruling: The combat showdown continues until both players pass focus in a row (passing while the chain is empty), not when defenders are removed. Sequence: - Attacker declares attack with three units against one defender - Defender plays Portal Rescue on their defender, killing one attacker - Defender plays second Portal Rescue (showdown still active), killing another attacker - Showdown continues until both players pass priority consecutively with empty chain Nuances: - The removal of all defending units does not automatically end the showdown

Ruling: A showdown does not close immediately when there are no units on the battlefield. It still requires all players to pass in a row (instead of starting a chain) before it closes. Sequence: - Player 1 attacks Player 2 on Reaver's row - Player 2 uses reaver's ability (removing units) - Player 1 passes - Player 2 can still play a spell with action/reaction speed (like Rebuke) - Showdown closes only after all players pass in succession

Ruling: A controlled battlefield does not count as a base. You can play units to controlled battlefields, but it remains a battlefield and does not count as your base for effects which specifically reference the base. Nuances: - You cannot use Legend Yasuo's skill to move a ganking character from battlefield to battlefield, as this would require the controlled battlefield to count as a base

Ruling: No, the defending player does not get a conquer point. A player who begins the showdown with control of the battlefield and successfully defends it does not conquer because they already control it. Sequence: - Player begins showdown with control of the battlefield - Control cannot be lost while the battlefield is Contested - Contested status is removed at the end of showdown - Player ends showdown present at a battlefield they already control - No conquer occurs because control was never lost

Ruling: Yes, the defending unit immediately gains +2 Might from Shield 2 when Fortified Position resolves during combat. Shield is a passive ability that is always active in combat, not a trigger, and applies as soon as the unit gains it. Sequence: - Combat begins and defending units with Shield have their Might modulated - The Initial Chain is created and populated with triggered abilities like "When I defend" - Fortified Position resolves, giving a defending unit Shield 2 - That unit immediately gains +2 Might from the Shield 2 Nuances: - Shield and Assault are clarified to be active before the Initial Chain at the start of combat, but they also activate immediately whenever a unit gains them later during combat - Shield is a static combat ability, not a triggered ability

Ruling: A defied spell does not count for Darius's trigger because a spell is only considered 'played' once it completely finishes resolving. Dreaming Tree's trigger will remain regardless of what happens to the spell afterwards. Sequence: - Dreaming Tree triggers when you choose a target during the process of putting the card on the chain - The trigger remains even if the spell is countered - For Darius, the spell must completely finish resolving to count as 'played' - A countered spell does not count as 'the second card' for Darius Nuances: - The key difference is timing: Dreaming Tree triggers on choice (during casting), while Darius requires the spell to fully resolve

Ruling: Yes, the moment you lose control of a battlefield, all hidden cards there get discarded. Nuances: - You can react to whatever moved/killed your unit by playing the hidden card as a reaction before losing control of the battlefield

Ruling: Once a showdown starts, it continues until both players pass priority consecutively, even if all units are removed from the battlefield before damage calculation. Sequence: - Showdown begins when units meet at a battlefield - Players can play actions and pass priority - Showdown ends only when both players pass consecutively - If units remain from both sides, proceed to damage calculation - After damage calculation completes, the showdown is over Nuances: - If you lose control of a battlefield during the showdown (before damage calculation), you cannot play units to that battlefield - they would be played to base or another controlled battlefield instead - Once damage calculation has occurred and units kill each other, you are no longer in a showdown and cannot play showdown-specific cards

Ruling: A showdown only ends when both players pass focus in a row without starting a chain. It does not care if one or both players no longer have units there. Nuances: - Players can still play spells, actions, and reactions during the showdown as long as it is still ongoing, even if no units remain on the battlefield

Ruling: A showdown continues as long as players take actions. The showdown only ends when both players pass in sequence without playing any spells or abilities. Sequence: - Player A takes an action (plays spell/ability) and passes - Player B receives focus and takes an action, then passes - Player A receives focus again and can take another action - This continues until both players pass consecutively without taking actions Nuances: - You can use a reaction in response to an opponent's action even after you've already passed - After a chain resolves and priority passes back to you, you can still use action spells - At the start of a showdown, the attacker has priority

Ruling: No, once a showdown begins it continues until both players pass consecutively instead of starting a chain. Removing the unit does not end the showdown early. Sequence: - A showdown begins when a unit moves to a battlefield (assuming no triggers are responded to that would prevent staging) - Players may play actions and pass focus back and forth - The showdown only ends when both players pass in a row without starting a chain - This is true even if the unit is removed from the battlefield during the showdown Nuances: - If a unit has a "when I move" trigger and an opponent responds to that trigger with removal (like Gust), the showdown never begins at all - it will be staged and then unstaged during cleanup after the removal resolves

Ruling: Showdowns only end when both players pass focus without starting a chain. It does not matter if no units are currently attacking. Nuances: - Even if all attacking units are removed from the battlefield during a showdown (such as being pushed back), the showdown phase continues until both players consecutively pass - Units can still heal from combat damage during the showdown even after attackers are removed, as long as the showdown phase hasn't ended

Ruling: Showdowns do not occur mid-chain. The chain must fully resolve before a showdown starts. Sequence: - Player A uses a spell to move their unit from battlefield back to base - Player B reacts by moving a unit to the same battlefield - The chain resolves completely - After chain resolution, a showdown occurs where Player B attempts to conquer the now-open battlefield while Player A's unit is at base

Ruling: Yes, a showdown occurs when you move a unit to a battlefield even if there are no enemy units present, and players can use action spells during the showdown.

Ruling: Yes, combat heals all units everywhere, not just units involved in the specific showdown. Nuances: - This applies regardless of which battlefield the showdown occurs on - All units are healed, even those not participating in any combat

Ruling: When a unit moves to a battlefield, a showdown begins automatically. However, you can move any number of your units together to the same destination with one standard move action. Sequence: - Multiple units can be moved simultaneously to the same battlefield as part of a single move action - Units moving together can come from different locations (base, other battlefields) - All units arrive together before the showdown begins Nuances: - Units must all be going to the same destination - Each individual move must be otherwise legal - This applies regardless of where units are moving from (e.g., two units from base and one from another battlefield with ganking can all move together)

Ruling: A showdown does not start if you move units to a battlefield you control, even if you've already scored at it. However, if you move all units out and lose control, then move back in later, a showdown will start (though you won't score another point or get conquering procs). Sequence: - If you maintain control of a battlefield, moving units in or out does not trigger a showdown - If you move all units out, you lose control of the battlefield - When you move units back in after losing control, a showdown begins - Control is contested and a showdown starts, but you don't score again or trigger conquering effects Nuances: - A showdown only begins when control of a battlefield is contested and the turn is in a neutral open state - Moving back to a previously scored battlefield after losing control gives the enemy a chance to play an action/reaction - You can regain control of a battlefield you already scored at in the same turn (units are not recalled)

Ruling: No, a showdown does not start when you move a unit to a battlefield you already control. Nuances: - A showdown only starts when a battlefield is contested, meaning it has a unit from a player who doesn't control that battlefield - A showdown also starts when attempting to conquer an empty battlefield (since the unit is at a battlefield it doesn't control) - You can directly play units from your hand to battlefields you control without triggering a showdown

Ruling: Target requirements are checked again at resolution. If a spell targets "a unit at a battlefield" without specifying which battlefield, the target remains valid even if it moves to a different battlefield, and the effect will resolve normally. Nuances: - If the target moves to base or becomes otherwise invalid (not at any battlefield), the target becomes invalid and the instruction will not execute - The effect still technically resolves even with invalid targets, but the instruction doesn't execute (this matters for cards that care about resolution like Darius Trifarian or Ravenbloom Student) - Cards with location restrictions like "Here" (such as cards played from Hidden) require the target to be at the same specific battlefield upon resolution, or the target becomes invalid

Ruling: Move effects from spells or abilities allow movement from battlefield to battlefield without ganking and do not exhaust the unit unless explicitly stated. Only standard moves require exhausting and are restricted by ganking rules. Sequence: - Standard move: requires exhausting the unit and follows ganking restrictions for battlefield-to-battlefield movement - Spell/ability move: does not require exhausting and has no destination restrictions unless stated in the effect Nuances: - The exhausting cost and battlefield-to-battlefield restriction only applies to standard moves, not to move effects from spells or abilities

Ruling: Yes, a stunned Yasuo still triggers his 'when I attack' ability and deals his might damage. Combat damage and ability damage are different, and stun only prevents combat damage. Sequence: - When Yasuo is moved to attack (such as via Charm), his 'when I attack' trigger goes off - A showdown still occurs with Yasuo labeled as the Attacker - Yasuo's ability resolves and deals might damage - The stun prevents only combat damage, not ability damage Nuances: - Might damage from abilities is not impacted by the stunned status - The distinction between combat damage and ability damage is critical here

Ruling: The symbol means recycle 1 of any color. Nuances: - This is not an exhaust effect

Ruling: Trigger effects are added to the existing chain as the top item. There can only ever be one chain at a time. Sequence: - When a trigger occurs while a chain is in progress, it is added to the current chain as the top item - If multiple triggers occur simultaneously, they are put on the chain in turn order - Each player orders the triggers they control as they like Nuances: - Once a chain fully resolves (all items complete), a new action can start a new chain - During showdowns, after an action resolves and its chain is done, the next action starts a new chain

Ruling: Triggered abilities do not fizzle in Riftbound when their source is removed. The ability still resolves, but may not produce a result if it references the source's current state or location. Sequence: - Triggered ability goes on the stack - Source permanent is removed from battlefield - Ability still resolves (does not fizzle) - Ability checks for conditions at resolution - If ability requires source to be in a specific location (like "here"), the condition is not met and no effect occurs Nuances: - The ability technically resolves even though it produces no result - Abilities that reference the source's current battlefield position will fail their condition check if the source is no longer there

Ruling: No, Spirit's Refuge does not stack Deflect because it says "they have Deflect if they didn't already." This prevents multiple instances from the same source from stacking. Nuances: - Rule 721.2 allows Deflect to stack when granted by multiple sources, but is currently designed for future-proofing when more Deflect cards are added - The "if they didn't already" restriction in Spirit's Refuge's rules text prevents stacking - This differs from Green Lee Sin's buff stacking because Lee has ability text "I can have any number of buffs" which overrides the usual restriction - If Spirit's Refuge did not have the "if they didn't already" clause in its rules text, then Deflect would stack - Restrictions in reminder text (in brackets) do not function the same as restrictions in rules text

Ruling: Yes, a unit with Zhonya's Hourglass deals its combat damage before being recalled to base when it dies in combat. Sequence: - Combat damage is assigned to units on both sides simultaneously - Damage is dealt to all units at the same time - Units with lethal damage are then killed - Zhonya's Hourglass triggers when the unit is killed, recalling it to base Nuances: - If the unit dies through other means before reaching the combat damage step, it will be recalled by Zhonya's and won't contribute damage to combat - Zhonya's does not target; it applies automatically to the first unit killed, with player choice if multiple units die simultaneously

Ruling: No, a unit does not have defender status when targeted by a spell outside of combat, so Yi's passive does not apply. Sequence: - Defender status is applied when units move to a battlefield where combat is in progress and their controller is the defending player - OR when combat is initiated at the battlefield they are at and their controller is the defending player - Outside of these specific scenarios, units do not have defender status Nuances: - Being targeted by a spell does not grant defender status, even if the unit is on a battlefield