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Does Sett Kingpin count himself as a buffed friendly unit for his own passive ability when he has a buff?
Ruling: Yes, Sett counts himself as a buffed friendly unit for his passive ability when he is buffed and at a battlefield location.
Nuances:
- Sett must be at a battlefield location (not in hand, deck, or other zones) to count himself
Does Sett Kingpin count himself towards his +1 ability for friendly buffed units?
Ruling: Yes, Sett Kingpin counts himself towards his +1 ability for friendly buffed units.
Does Sett Kingpin count himself when calculating his +1 might bonus for each buffed friendly unit?
Ruling: Yes, Sett counts himself as a buffed friendly unit for his own ability. If Sett is buffed alone on a battlefield, he gains +1 might from the buff token and an additional +1 might from his passive ability (totaling 7 might with his 5 base might).
Nuances:
- This differs from Lee Sin Centered, which specifies "OTHER" buffed friendly units and therefore does not count himself
Does Sett Kingpin get his +1 buff when attacking a battlefield, or only when defending one (since the text says 'my battlefield')?
Ruling: Sett Kingpin's buff applies whenever he is at a battlefield, whether attacking or defending.
Nuances:
- The 'my battlefield' wording is used to prevent him from getting the bonus when he's in base, not to restrict it to only defending battlefields.
Does Sett Kingpin's effect that references 'buffed friendly unit at my battlefield' refer to the specific battlefield where Sett is located, or all battlefields controlled by the player?
Ruling: "At my battlefield" means the specific battlefield where Sett is located (equivalent to "here"). Sett only gets the bonus when he is at a battlefield, not while in base.
Nuances:
- When units talk in first person, it refers to "this card" not the player
- Sett does not get the bonus while in base, even if there are buffed units in base
Does Sett The Boss's effect initiate a chain, and can you respond to it with a reaction effect?
Ruling: No, Sett The Boss's effect does not initiate a chain and you cannot respond to it with a reaction effect. It is a passive replacement effect.
Nuances:
- Replacement effects in Riftbound intercede while something is resolving and modify its outcome; they do not create their own chain link
- Sett was errataed from "when" (which is a trigger word) to "if a" (not a trigger word)
- The exhaust symbol is only used in costs of activated abilities, which is why Sett uses text instead of the symbol
Does Sett count himself as a friendly unit when calculating his buff that gives him +1 Might for each friendly unit?
Ruling: Yes, Sett counts himself as a friendly unit when he has his buff, making him 7 Might total (6 base + 1 from counting himself).
Does Sett need a different card to use his buff, or can he remove his own buff to get +4 Might?
Ruling: Sett has an activated ability that costs spending the buff that is on him to give him +4 Might. You can only activate the ability on your turn outside of showdown.
Sequence:
- Sett must have a buff on him
- On your turn outside of showdown, you can activate his ability
- Pay the cost by spending the buff on him
- He gets +4 Might
Does Sett see himself conquer and gain a buff before dying in a showdown that results in a conquer, allowing you to spend the buff for +4 while still having a buff for Sett's legend effect if he dies?
Ruling: If Sett dies to combat damage, he does not see the conquer and will not trigger his gain buff ability. The combat damage step happens before conquering, so Sett must survive combat damage to be alive when the conquer occurs.
Sequence:
- Combat damage step occurs (where Sett would die)
- Cleanup happens (where Sett dies to combat damage)
- Conquering happens after cleanup
- If Sett doesn't survive combat damage, he is not alive to see the conquer
Nuances:
- Sett's gain buff on conquer is a triggered ability, not a replacement effect
- Sett's activated ability to spend a buff for +4 can only be used at base speed (not during combat)
- If Sett's legend replacement effect saves him from dying during combat damage, he will be in base (not on the battlefield) and thus cannot conquer
Does Sett spend his buff as a cost to activate his effect, or is the buff removed when the effect resolves?
Ruling: Spending the buff is the cost to use the ability, so it is spent first to immediately get the bonus Might.
Sequence:
- Spend the buff as a cost
- Immediately gain the bonus Might
Does Sett the Boss's protection effect prevent lethal spell damage (like from Void Seeker), or does it only work against combat damage?
Ruling: Sett's protection effect prevents lethal damage from spells like Void Seeker, not just combat damage.
Nuances:
- The asker initially thought Sett only protected against combat damage, but this was incorrect
Does Sett trigger Volibear's ability when played, since Sett gains +1/+1 on play and could become Mighty?
Ruling: Sett does not trigger Volibear's ability when played. Volibear's trigger condition requires the unit to be Mighty at the time it is played, and Sett only becomes Mighty after his on-play effect resolves.
Sequence:
- When Sett is played, triggers are checked
- At this moment, Sett is not yet Mighty (still 4/4)
- Volibear's condition "When you play a Mighty unit" is not met, so it does not trigger
- Sett's on-play buff then resolves, making him Mighty
- This is too late for Volibear to trigger
Nuances:
- If an effect applied instantly (like Trifarian War Camp), Volibear would see the increased might and trigger
- If Volibear's text read "When you play a Unit, channel a Rune if it is Mighty" instead, then it would work with Sett
- The key difference is whether "Mighty" is part of the trigger condition or part of the effect resolution
Does Sett's ability to pay a power of any color and save a unit go into the chain?
Ruling: Sett's ability does not go on the chain. It is a replacement effect and is a known issue.
Nuances:
- Legend abilities as a general category may go on the chain, but Sett's specific ability is an exception as a replacement effect
Does Sett's healing effect restore Might that was reduced by Thousand-Tailed Watcher?
Ruling: No, healing effects like The Boss only heal damage. Might gain and loss are retained and not restored by healing effects.
Nuances:
- This applies to other similar healing effects like Zhonya's as well
Does Sett's passive work with Baited Hook when the unit is not actually killed?
Ruling: Sett's passive does not work with Baited Hook if the unit is not actually killed. The unit must be actually killed through Baited Hook's ability for the interaction to work.
Sequence:
- If Sett is buffed (e.g., by 4 Might) and then properly killed by Baited Hook, you can take a unit with Might equal to or less than Sett's total Might
- If Sett Legend saves the Might-boosted Sett, Baited Hook does not trigger the kill effect
- You still look at the top 5 cards and recycle them even if the unit is not killed
Nuances:
- The deck can still be good even though this specific interaction doesn't work as intended
- Sett can still be used to save things from spells and combat, and Baited Hook can get value from killing weaker units
Does Sett's recall ability heal/remove the effect of Watcher?
Ruling: No, Sett's recall does not remove Watcher's effect. Heal only removes damage, and the unit is recalled with all other effects unchanged.
Nuances:
- Heal specifically only removes damage counters
- Other effects (like Watcher's ability) remain on the unit when it is recalled
Does Sett, Kingpin count himself when applying the +1 [M] buff bonus for each buffed friendly unit?
Yes, Sett, Kingpin counts himself. The ability states 'I get +1 [M] for each buffed friendly unit at my battlefield' with no exclusion, so if Sett is buffed, he receives the bonus for himself plus any other buffed units on the battlefield.
Does Sett, the Boss ready after conquering a battlefield when you've activated it in the showdown that made the conquer happen?
Ruling: Yes, Sett, the Boss readies after conquering a battlefield when activated in the showdown that caused the conquer.
Sequence:
- The replaced death (Sett's ability) happens first
- The conquer happens after
- Sett readies as a result of the conquer
Does Shen break the spell chain when played as a reaction, and does he enter the battlefield immediately?
Ruling: When you play Shen (or any permanent) as a reaction on the chain, it leaves the chain immediately and enters play. You do not automatically pass priority after playing something on the chain.
Sequence:
- You can play Shen as a reaction before your last unit is removed
- Shen leaves the chain immediately as a permanent
- Shen enters the battlefield
- You retain priority and can play multiple things on the chain
- You then choose when to pass priority to your opponent
Nuances:
- If you lose your last unit at a battlefield, you no longer control it, but your opponent won't control it until the end of showdown (nobody controls it during showdown in this case)
- Playing something on the chain does not automatically pass priority - you hold priority until you choose to pass it
Does Shield activate immediately when Shen is summoned, or does it use the chain, allowing an opponent to Gust him before Shield takes effect?
Ruling: Shield is a passive ability that does not use the chain. Shen gains Shield (5 might) immediately when he enters the battlefield, with no response window for the opponent to Gust him.
Sequence:
- Shen is summoned to the battlefield
- A cleanup occurs
- Shen is assigned the Defender designation (because the controller has a unit at the battlefield being attacked)
- Shield goes online, giving Shen +5 might
- No reaction windows occur during this process
Nuances:
- Shield and Assault are passive abilities that are either on or off - they never trigger or use the chain
- For Fiora's trigger purposes, Shen does become mighty (through the cleanup process), but he is not mighty "as played" for purposes like Volibear
- The distinction matters because getting assigned Defender happens during cleanup, not instantly upon play
Does Shield protect a unit when it is targeted by a spell that deals damage outside of combat?
Ruling: Shield is only active during combat. If a unit is targeted by a spell outside of combat, it does not benefit from Shield.
Nuances:
- Shield is a passive ability that only functions during combat, not a trigger that can activate at other times
Does Showstopper exhaust a unit when it moves it, and can another unit follow a unit that was moved by Showstopper?
Ruling: Moving a unit with Showstopper (or any spell) does not exhaust it, and Showstopper can be used on an already exhausted unit. A unit moved by Showstopper cannot be followed by another unit because it is a spell moving it, not the unit performing a move action.
Nuances:
- Exhausting a unit is specifically the cost for performing a standard move action
- Cards and abilities that move units don't have that exhaustion cost unless they explicitly state they do
Does Showstopper require targeting both the unit and the battlefield you want to move it to, or only the unit?
Ruling: Showstopper requires you to choose both the unit and the battlefield as targets.
Nuances:
- Both the unit being moved and the destination battlefield are selected during the targeting phase of the ability
Does Singularity have to pick 2 different units or can it pick the same one twice?
Ruling: Singularity must target two different units and deals 6 damage to each target (not 6 total split between them).
Nuances:
- The card can be cast if there is only one valid target available, as it says "up to two units"
Does Singularity kill a unit with a Guardian Angel?
To answer your question: **No, Singularity does not kill a unit equipped with Guardian Angel.**
Here is the breakdown of why this interaction occurs, addressing the rules and mechanics correctly:
### 1. The Interaction
* **Singularity Resolution:** When Singularity resolves, it deals 6 damage to the target unit.
* **Lethal Damage Check:** In *Riftbound*, lethal damage is checked after the spell finishes resolving. If that damage is lethal, the unit would normally be "Killed" (sent to the trash).
* **Replacement Effect:** Guardian Angel has a replacement effect: "If I would die, kill Guardian Angel instead. Heal me, exhaust me, and recall me." Because Guardian Angel replaces the "death" event, the unit is healed and recalled to your base rather than being sent to the trash.
### 2. Addressing the "Kill Action" and Attribution
You are correct to note that attribution rules are specific.
* **The Kill Action does not occur:** Because Guardian Angel is a replacement effect, the event of the unit being "Killed" is replaced by the event of the Guardian Angel being destroyed and the unit being recalled. Since the unit never enters the trash, no "Kill" action takes place for that unit.
* **Attribution Rule 428.5.c:** This rule explains how to attribute a Kill action *when one occurs* due to Cleanup. Since the unit is protected by Guardian Angel and does not die, this rule is not triggered. The unit survives, and the spell (Singularity) is not credited with a Kill for that unit.
### 3. Summary of Findings
* **Guardian Angel is a Replacement Effect:** It intercepts the game state change (moving to the trash) and substitutes it for a different outcome (recall to base).
* **The Unit Survives:** Because the death is replaced, the unit does not enter the trash, and therefore the criteria for being "Killed" (Rule 428.1: "Killing is the action of a Permanent going to the trash from the board") are not met.
* **Guardian Angel is Destroyed:** The gear itself is sent to the trash as the cost of the replacement effect, but the unit remains on the board/in the base.
This interpretation is consistent with how replacement effects function in *Riftbound* to prevent specific game events. No official FAQ exists for this exact interaction, but it follows the mechanical definition of replacement effects and the "Kill" definition provided in Rule 428.
Does Singularity trigger a showdown, and can opponents respond with action cards like Primal Strength?
Ruling: Singularity does not trigger a showdown, but it does start a chain. Opponents cannot respond with action cards like Primal Strength, only reaction cards can be played in response.
Sequence:
- Singularity is played and starts a chain
- Opponents can only respond with reaction speed cards
- Action cards cannot be played because no showdown is triggered
- The chain resolves
Nuances:
- Showdowns only occur when units are moved to battlefields (occupied or unoccupied)
- Action spells can only be played outside of showdowns or inside of one, not in response to non-showdown chains
- Action spells can only start a chain, while reaction spells can start a chain or be added to an existing chain
Does Singularity's "up to 2" units mean 0-2 or 1-2 units? Can it target 0 units?
Ruling: "Up to 2" means 0-2 units, so you can choose to target 0 units with Singularity.
Nuances:
- This matters when the opponent has no units, allowing you to avoid killing your own units
- If an opponent steals the spell, they can also choose to target nothing with it
Does Siphon Power target, and can you skip the -1 might to enemies part of the effect?
Ruling: Siphon Power does not target units (it targets the battleground). You cannot skip parts of the effect, so you must give opponents -1 might.
Nuances:
- The ability targets the battleground itself, not the units, so it bypasses deflect
- You cannot choose to skip giving -1 might to avoid paying deflect costs since the ability doesn't target units anyway
Does Siphon Power's +1/-1 might effect apply to units that move to the targeted battlefield after the spell resolves?
Ruling: No. Siphon Power is a one-time effect that only applies to units present at the targeted battlefield when the spell resolves. Units that move to that battlefield later are not affected.
Sequence:
- Siphon Power resolves, targeting a battlefield
- The spell identifies which units are currently at that battlefield
- Those units are given +1/-1 might until end of turn
- Units moving to that battlefield afterward do not receive the buff/debuff
Nuances:
- The key word is "give" which is a one-time action that occurs at resolution, not a passive effect
- The effect stays on the units that received it for the duration (until end of turn), even if those units move away from the battlefield
- The battlefield itself does not gain a passive ability; the spell gives the effect directly to the units
- This works the same way as other similar cards like Grand Strategem, Discipline, and Stupify
Does Siphoned Power affect only units currently at the chosen battlefield when it resolves, or does it create a continuous effect that affects units that move there later in the turn?
Ruling: Siphoned Power only affects units that are at the chosen battlefield when the spell resolves. It does not create a continuous effect on the battlefield that would affect units arriving later.
Sequence:
- When Siphoned Power resolves, choose a battlefield
- All friendly units currently at that battlefield gain +1 Might for this turn
- All enemy units currently at that battlefield lose -1 Might (minimum 1) for this turn
- Units that move to that battlefield later in the turn are not affected
- Units that were affected and then leave the battlefield retain the buff/debuff for the duration
Nuances:
- The phrase "give" indicates a one-time effect that snapshots which units are present, not a continuous passive ability
- If the card were meant to create a continuous effect on the battlefield, it would be templated differently (e.g., "Until end of turn, friendly units there have +1 Might")
- The "for this turn" text refers to the duration of the Might change given to the current units, not an aura on the battlefield itself
- This is a common misreading of the card where players think the battlefield gets an aura effect
Does Sivir Legend become ready when enemy unit dies on opponent's turn?
Yes, Sivir's Legend ability will trigger and ready her if an enemy unit dies during your opponent's turn.
According to the card text for **Sivir (Battle Mistress)**, her ability states: *"When one or more enemy units die, ready me."*
As established in the related FAQs, triggered abilities like Sivir's are active and can trigger during the opponent's turn whenever the specified condition is met. Since the condition is simply "when one or more enemy units die," it does not restrict the timing to only your own turn.
Does Sivir's effect trigger if she conquers an empty battlefield?
Ruling: No, Sivir's effect does not trigger when conquering an empty battlefield because you don't attack empty battlefields, and her trigger requires "after an attack."
Nuances:
- If a unit is present at Reaver's Row and retreats, Sivir's trigger will activate (since combat has begun with attacker/defender designations), but she won't deal any excess damage since 0 damage was assigned.
Does Skyfall Areion allow hold effects to activate after conquering Reckoner's Arena?
Yes, **Skyfall of Areion** allows your unit's "When I hold..." effects to be activated when you conquer **Reckoner's Arena**.
### How it works:
1. **Skyfall of Areion's Effect:** This card modifies the equipped unit's abilities so that its "When I hold..." effects are also treated as "When I conquer..." effects (and vice versa).
2. **Reckoner's Arena's Ability:** The battlefield has the ability: *"When you hold here, activate the conquer effects of units here."*
3. **The Interaction:** When you conquer Reckoner's Arena, you are performing a "Conquer" action. Because Skyfall of Areion makes your unit's "When I hold..." effects also count as "When I conquer..." effects, those abilities are now eligible to be activated by any effect that triggers off of a "Conquer" action.
### Important Clarification:
While Skyfall of Areion makes your unit's "When I hold..." effects function as "When I conquer..." effects, **Reckoner's Arena itself only triggers its ability when you "Hold"** (as stated on the card: *"When you hold here..."*).
Therefore, if you **Conquer** Reckoner's Arena, the battlefield's own ability does not trigger. Consequently, it will not automatically activate your unit's conquer effects (including those modified by Skyfall). The battlefield's ability only activates when you perform a **Hold** action.
***
*This is my interpretation based on the card text and Rule 383.4. No official FAQ exists for this specific interaction of conquering Reckoner's Arena while equipped with Skyfall.*
Does Skyfall of Areion apply to other equipment items on a unit? In this example I have Skyfall and Trinity Force attached to Lucain that just conquered so do I get two points?
Yes, you do.
According to the official Riftbound FAQs regarding the interaction between **Skyfall of Areion** and **Trinity Force**:
* **Equipment abilities are appended to the unit's text:** When you attach equipment to a unit, that equipment's text effectively becomes part of the unit's rules text. Because of this, equipment can reference the abilities granted by other attached equipment (FAQ #225, FAQ #2017).
* **Skyfall of Areion's effect:** This card makes the unit's "hold" effects also count as "conquer" effects, and vice versa.
* **Interaction result:** Because Trinity Force's "When I hold, score 1 point" effect is appended to Lucian, and Skyfall makes that effect *also* count as a conquer effect, Lucian's conquer now triggers Trinity Force's ability.
**Regarding the points:**
* You score 1 point from the standard game action of conquering the battlefield.
* You score 1 additional point from the Trinity Force triggered ability (which is treated as a conquer effect due to Skyfall).
* **Total:** You score 2 points total when conquering with Lucian equipped with both Trinity Force and Skyfall of Areion (FAQ #6941).
Does Skyfall of Areion make Yone Blademaster ability trigger on holds?
No, **Skyfall of Areion** does not cause **Yone, Blademaster**'s ability to trigger on every "Hold" action.
### 1. Skyfall of Areion's Function
According to FAQ #5622 and #288, **Skyfall of Areion** modifies the equipped unit's triggered abilities, allowing "When I conquer..." effects to trigger on both Conquer and Hold scoring, and "When I hold..." effects to trigger on both. It only modifies the equipped unit's abilities and does not change the fundamental definitions of the "Hold" or "Conquer" actions, nor does it override the specific conditions (such as "uncontrolled") within a unit's ability text.
### 2. Yone, Blademaster's Condition
Yone, Blademaster’s ability requires: *"When I conquer a battlefield that was uncontrolled..."*
A standard **Hold** action is defined as maintaining control of a battlefield you already control (Rule 464.2). Because you already control the battlefield during a standard Hold, the condition that the battlefield was "uncontrolled" immediately prior to the action cannot be met. Consequently, Skyfall alone does not satisfy Yone's "uncontrolled" requirement.
### 3. The Exception: Reckoner's Arena
The confusion regarding this interaction stems from specific FAQs (#9342, #9002) involving **Reckoner's Arena**.
* **Reckoner's Arena** has the unique ability: *"When you hold here, activate the conquer effects of units here."*
* This battlefield effect acts as a bridge: it forces the "When I conquer" abilities of units present to trigger during a "Hold" action.
* It is this unique battlefield ability that creates the window where Yone’s ability can trigger during a Hold. Even then, the "uncontrolled" condition must still be satisfied.
### Summary
* **Does Skyfall make Yone trigger on all Holds?** No.
* **Does Skyfall make Yone trigger on all Conquers?** Yes, because Yone is a conquer-based effect and Skyfall enables that.
* **When does Yone trigger on a Hold?** Only when an external game effect (like Reckoner's Arena) specifically forces a "Conquer" trigger to fire during a "Hold" action, and the specific condition of that unit's ability (e.g., "uncontrolled") is independently met.
Note: I could not fully verify the interaction between the 'uncontrolled' condition and the Hold action against the retrieved rules.
Does Skyfall of Areion replace Conquer/Hold effects or add triggers to both situations?
Ruling: Skyfall of Areion does not replace effects. It allows Conquer effects to trigger on both Conquer and Hold scoring, and Hold effects to trigger on both Hold and Conquer scoring.
Nuances:
- The card adds triggers rather than replacing one effect with another
- Both types of effects become active in both scoring situations
Does Smite replace Guardian Angel effect?
No, **Smite** does not automatically replace the **Guardian Angel** effect.
When a unit equipped with Guardian Angel would die—whether from combat damage, a spell like **Smite**, or any other effect—you are faced with two competing replacement effects:
1. **Guardian Angel's Effect:** "If I would die, kill Guardian Angel instead. Heal me, exhaust me, and recall me."
2. **Smite's Effect:** "If it would die this turn, banish it instead."
According to **Rule 372** and the **RiftJudge FAQ #10635**, when multiple replacement effects apply to the same event (in this case, the unit "dying"), the **owner of the affected unit** determines the order in which those replacement effects are applied.
### The Interaction
* **If you choose to apply Guardian Angel's effect first:** The Guardian Angel is killed, and your unit is healed and recalled to your base. Because the unit is saved by the replacement effect and never actually "dies" or enters the trash, the "banish" replacement effect from Smite no longer has a valid event to modify and will not occur.
* **If you choose to apply Smite's effect first:** The unit will be banished, and Guardian Angel's effect will not apply (as the unit is now in the Banishment zone, not dying).
**Summary:** You are the controller of the unit; therefore, you have the choice of whether to apply Guardian Angel's protection first to save the unit from being banished by Smite.
Does Smoke Screen make a unit might go 0?
No, Smoke Screen does not make a unit's Might go to 0.
According to the card text and the established rulings for **Smoke Screen**, it reduces a unit's Might by 4, but it includes a **minimum of 1 Might** restriction.
As detailed in the FAQs:
* **Smoke Screen's limitation:** The "cannot be reduced below 1" text limits the magnitude of the reduction at the time the spell resolves.
* **Snapshotting:** When Smoke Screen resolves, it calculates the reduction amount based on the unit's current Might (including active passive bonuses) and "snapshots" that reduction value for the rest of the turn.
* **Future changes:** While Smoke Screen prevents the unit from being reduced below 1 Might *at the moment of resolution*, other effects that occur *after* Smoke Screen has resolved can still reduce a unit's Might below 1 (to 0 or even negative values).
In summary: Smoke Screen itself will not set a unit to 0 Might, but it does not prevent the unit from reaching 0 Might due to subsequent effects.
Does Smoke Screen's MIGHT reduction allow a lower MIGHT unit to trade with a higher HP unit, and how does MIGHT reduction differ from damage?
Ruling: Reducing a unit's MIGHT makes it easier to destroy in combat because it will die from fewer combat damage counters. A unit with reduced MIGHT will be destroyed when it receives combat damage counters equal to its reduced MIGHT value.
Sequence:
- Smoke Screen reduces Kai'sa from 4 MIGHT to 1 MIGHT
- When Recruit (1 MIGHT) attacks Kai'sa, it deals 1 combat damage counter
- Kai'sa dies because she only has 1 MIGHT and receives 1 combat damage counter
Nuances:
- MIGHT reduction is different from dealing damage; damage spells like Void Seeker deal damage but don't reduce MIGHT
- MIGHT reduction is different from stun effects; with stun you still need to "punch over" the unit's full stats
Does Smokescreen hitting a unit with Deflect (e.g., Qiyanna) require additional power cost?
Ruling: Yes, Smokescreen requires the additional power cost when targeting a unit with Deflect. Deflect applies every time you target a unit with an ability or spell.
Nuances:
- Anything which requires a player to make a choice (even if it's the only option) is considered targeted
- Effects that don't require choices (like Thousand-Watcher) don't trigger Deflect
- There are detailed rules and exceptions in the FAQ appendix
Does Snapvine's Carnivorous ability deal combat damage or ability damage, and can Unyielding Spirit prevent it?
Ruling: Snapvine's Carnivorous ability instructs Snapvine and the target unit to deal damage to each other. This damage is neither ability damage nor combat damage, so Unyielding Spirit cannot prevent it and stun does not stop it.
Nuances:
- The same principle applies to Challenge and Last Breath abilities with similar wording
- Because it is not combat damage, stun does not prevent the damage
Does Sneaky Deckhand score a point when played directly to an empty battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, if you play Sneaky Deckhand directly into an empty battlefield you will conquer it, score a point, and be in control of it.
Nuances:
- The card bypasses the movement requirement, but movement is not required to conquer a battlefield
- Playing directly to a battlefield still counts as conquering if the battlefield is empty
Does Soaring Scout's 'Channel 1 rune exhausted' effect mean you take a rune from the rune deck, or does it mean you ready/exhaust a rune already on your board?
Ruling: Channel always means taking a rune from the rune deck and placing it on your board exhausted. It does not refer to readying or exhausting runes already on your board.
Nuances:
- Readying a rune already on your board would be worded as "ready a rune" or "ready an exhausted rune"
- Channeling works the same way regardless of whether you have recycled or exhausted runes during the turn
Does Solari Shrine trigger and allow you to draw when an opponent's unit would die but is saved by Zhonya's (which recalls the unit instead)?
Ruling: Solari Shrine does not trigger when Zhonya's saves a unit from death. Because Zhonya's replaces the kill event by recalling the unit, the unit is never killed, so Solari Shrine's condition is not met.
Sequence:
- Unit would die
- Zhonya's replaces the death with a recall
- The kill event never happens
- Solari Shrine does not trigger and is not exhausted
- Solari Shrine remains ready and can trigger on the next unit killed that turn
Nuances:
- You cannot even attempt to exhaust Solari Shrine in this situation - doing so would be a rules error
- Since Solari Shrine doesn't exhaust, it remains available to trigger on another kill during the same turn
Does Sona's ability target runes, and if so, does it require exactly 4 friendly runes to be on the board for the ability to trigger?
Ruling: Under the original card text, Sona's ability targets 4 friendly runes and cannot be put on the chain if there are fewer than 4 friendly runes on the board. The runes do not need to be exhausted - you can target already readied runes. The revised card text now says "up to 4 friendly runes," which allows the ability to trigger with fewer than 4 runes.
Sequence:
- At the end of your turn, if Sona is on a battlefield, her triggered ability checks if there are 4 friendly runes on the board
- If there are 4 or more friendly runes, you must target 4 of them to put the ability on the chain
- Upon resolution, ready the targeted runes (even if they were already ready)
- With the revised "up to 4" text, you can now trigger with fewer runes
Nuances:
- The ability targets because it affects specific game objects of the player's choice, not selected by objective criteria
- You need all valid targets to put an ability on the chain - "do as much as you can" only applies during resolution, not when entering the chain
- The runes being exhausted or ready doesn't matter for targeting purposes
- Mount Targon's Peak works similarly but requires 2 runes total (not necessarily friendly or exhausted)
Does Soraka Wanderer save units that are temporary?
Yes, **Soraka, Wanderer** can save units that have the **Temporary** keyword.
According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9331** and **FAQ #2131**, here is how the interaction works:
* **Replacement Effect:** Soraka’s ability is a replacement effect that intercedes when a unit would die. Because the **Temporary** keyword is functionally a "Kill" instruction at the start of the Beginning Phase (Rule 816.1.b), Soraka’s ability successfully replaces that death event.
* **Result of the Save:** When the death is replaced, the unit is healed, exhausted, and recalled to your base. Because it is recalled to a board location (your base) rather than being sent to the trash, the unit remains in play and does not lose its characteristics or keywords (Rule 110).
* **Retention of Keyword:** The unit retains the **Temporary** keyword after being saved.
* **The "One-Turn" Limit:** Because the unit still has the **Temporary** keyword, it will trigger again at the start of your next Beginning Phase. If Soraka is still in play and the conditions are met (the unit still has less Might than Soraka), she can continue to save the unit turn after turn, but it remains threatened by its own **Temporary** ability every turn until it is no longer **Temporary** or Soraka is no longer able to save it.
Does Spellsong work with other Equipment like Boneshiver or Trinity Force?
No, **Svellsongur** does not work with other equipment like **Boneshiver** or **Trinity Force** in the way you are likely intending.
According to official RiftJudge FAQs, **Svellsongur** only copies the text that is physically **printed on the unit card** it is attached to. It does not copy any abilities, keywords, or effects that are granted to that unit by other attached equipment (such as the "When I conquer, channel 1 rune exhausted" text from **Boneshiver** or "When I hold, score 1 point" from **Trinity Force**).
In short:
* **Svellsongur copies:** Only the original printed text of the unit.
* **Svellsongur ignores:** Text granted by other gear, spells, or battlefield effects.
This interaction is intended by the designers to ensure that the order in which you attach equipment does not create complex or unintentional rules outcomes.
Does Spirit Wheel trigger when playing The Syren, since Syren doesn't explicitly say 'choose'?
Ruling: Yes, Spirit Wheel triggers when playing The Syren. Spells and abilities don't need to explicitly say "choose" to fall under the "choose" category - if they require you to select a target (like Syren requiring you to choose a friendly unit), they count as choosing.
Nuances:
- This interaction also works with Irelia's Fervent ability and her Legend ability
- This does NOT work with Graceful, as Graceful is spell-specific only
Does Spirit's Refuge give its buff when played from hand or each time you activate the gear ability?
Ruling: The buff from Spirit's Refuge is a triggered ability that activates when played from hand ("when played"). The second part is a passive ability that is active as long as Spirit's Refuge is on the board.
Nuances:
- The first part is a one-time triggered ability, not something that happens each time you activate the gear
- The passive ability does not require the card to be exhausted to be active
Does Sprite call hidden force you to play on same battlefield?
Yes, when you play *Sprite Call* from a hidden state, you are forced to play the Sprite token at the same battlefield where the *Sprite Call* card was hidden.
According to **Rule 811.1.d.3**: "If a hidden spell or a play effect of a hidden permanent causes you to play a unit, you must choose to play that unit at that battlefield."
This is further supported by the RiftJudge FAQ entries for *Sprite Call*:
* **FAQ #7478**: "When a hidden spell causes you to play a unit, you must play that unit at the battlefield where the hidden card was located."
* **FAQ #7363**: "Sprite Call must be played at the same battlefield where it is activated. The sprite is summoned to that battlefield."