Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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."

Yes, revealing Nocturne with Stacked Deck triggers his ability and allows you to play him. According to the official FAQ for this interaction: * **Ruling:** Yes, revealing Nocturne with Stacked Deck triggers his ability and allows you to play him for 1 power. * **Nuances:** * Nocturne's text "if you don't draw" refers to not drawing Nocturne itself, not other cards. * Drawing is different from revealing or looking at cards. * The card must be banished to use the ability. **Sequence of events:** 1. You play Stacked Deck, which reveals the top 3 cards of your deck. 2. If Nocturne is among them, his ability triggers because you are "looking at" or "revealing" him. 3. You may choose to banish Nocturne. 4. If you banish him, you may play him for 1 power (this puts him on the chain). 5. You then proceed to choose one of the remaining two cards from Stacked Deck to put into your hand and recycle the other. 6. Nocturne does not count as the card you add to your hand from Stacked Deck.

Ruling: Yes, Stalwart Poro gets Shield +2 when on the same battlefield as Taric because Shield stacks.

Ruling: The FAQ contained an error mixing up Kinkou Monk and Back to Back. The information about pump spells in that section was incorrect and will be corrected in an updated PDF. Nuances: - This was specifically a writing error in the FAQ, not a rules misunderstanding - The correct interaction was clarified in a different channel thread

Ruling: Standard Move does not use the chain. It is classified as an "inherent ability" and a "discretionary action," which are distinct from activated abilities that do use the chain. Sequence: - Select valid targets for the Standard Move - Pay the cost (exhaust the units) simultaneously - Execute the move immediately without using the chain Nuances: - Standard Move is called an "ability" in the rules but is specifically an "inherent ability," not an activated ability (which would require ":" formatting and use the chain) - The rules for Standard Move are scattered across multiple sections rather than consolidated in one place - Rule 424.3.c confirms that moving does not use the chain and cannot be reacted to - Rule 398.1.b.2 specifies that costs for discretionary actions must be paid to perform them - The mechanics rely partially on natural language understanding of "cost" rather than explicit procedural rules

No, playing *Star-Crossed* to return *Brynhir Thundersong* to your hand does not prevent her "When you play me" triggered ability from resolving. According to the rules of *Riftbound* and **RiftJudge FAQ #10679**: 1. **Ability Independence:** Once a triggered ability (like *Brynhir Thundersong*'s "When you play me" effect) has been placed on the chain, it becomes independent of the unit that created it. 2. **Resolution:** The game follows a Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) resolution order. If you play *Brynhir Thundersong* and your opponent reacts with *Star-Crossed*, *Star-Crossed* resolves first, returning *Brynhir* to your hand. However, her triggered ability remains on the chain and will still resolve immediately afterward, preventing your opponent from playing cards for the remainder of the turn. As stated in the FAQ: "Once the triggered ability is on the chain, it is independent of the unit that created it... it will execute its effects regardless of whether the unit is still in play, provided the ability's instructions can still be followed."

No, you do not need to own a unit to play **Star-Crossed**. According to RiftJudge FAQ #7532, you can play a card even if you do not have a unit, as players will "do as much as they can." However, there is an important nuance regarding targeting: As established by RiftJudge FAQ #9452, **Star-Crossed** requires both a friendly unit and an enemy unit to be present as valid targets to be played. If you do not have a friendly unit on the board, you cannot fulfill the targeting requirements of the spell, and therefore you cannot play it. In summary: You do not need to *own* a unit (in the sense of having it in your deck/collection), but you must *control* a friendly unit on the board to serve as a valid target for the spell.

Yes, you must control a friendly unit on the board to be able to play **Star-Crossed**. According to RiftJudge FAQ #9865 and #9452, **Star-Crossed** creates a targeting relationship with both a friendly unit and an enemy unit. Because it requires multiple targets without "up to" language, both targets must be present and valid at the time the spell is announced and placed on the chain. If you do not have a friendly unit on the board, the targeting requirement cannot be met, and the spell cannot be played.

Yes, the ability of **Star Spring** is placed on the chain (often referred to in other games as the "stack") when its trigger condition is met. According to the **Showdown Flow** and the **Chain Rules** in *Riftbound*: 1. **Triggering:** When you play a non-token unit to the battlefield where *Star Spring* is located, the ability triggers. 2. **Chain Placement:** Because this is a triggered ability, it is placed onto the chain. 3. **Optionality:** Per **RiftJudge FAQ #10264**, since the text says "you may," you are not required to trigger the ability. If you choose to use it, you place it on the chain at that time. 4. **Reaction:** Because triggered abilities use the chain, both players have an opportunity to play [REACTION] cards in response to the *Star Spring* ability once it has been placed on the chain (as the chain is now in a "Closed State"). 5. **Resolution:** The ability resolves in a Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) manner along with other items on the chain.

No, **Star-Crossed** does not "fizzle" (fail entirely) if one of its targets is removed after the spell has been played and placed on the chain. According to **Rule 359.3.e.1** and **Rule 359.3.e.8**, spells in *Riftbound* resolve as much as possible even if some of their targets become illegal (e.g., if a unit is moved to a player's hand). ### How it works: 1. **Targeting is finalized at play:** You must choose two valid targets—one friendly unit and one enemy unit—when you play *Star-Crossed*. 2. **Resolution (LIFO):** When *Star-Crossed* resolves, it checks its targets. * If one target has been removed (e.g., returned to hand, destroyed, or moved to a non-board zone), that specific target is considered illegal and the instruction to affect it is ignored (**Rule 359.3.e.5**). * If the other target is still valid (still on the board and meets the original requirements), *Star-Crossed* will successfully resolve for that remaining target, returning it to its owner's hand. **Summary:** The spell does not fizzle. It performs its effect on any remaining valid target. This is consistent with **RiftJudge FAQ #10514** and **#10311**.

No, **Stellacorn Herder** does not draw a card in this scenario. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #2801**, the activation of **Guardian Angel** does not count as a move for the purposes of abilities that trigger "when I move." ### Reasoning: 1. **Recall vs. Move:** In *Riftbound*, "Recall" and "Move" are distinct game actions. **Guardian Angel's** effect specifically instructs you to "recall" the unit to your base. Because the effect uses the term "recall" rather than "move," it does not satisfy the trigger condition for **Stellacorn Herder's** ability ("When I move, draw 1"). 2. **Replacement Effect:** As established in **RiftJudge FAQ #9367** and **#9378**, **Guardian Angel** acts as a replacement effect. It replaces the "death" event with a sequence that includes healing, exhausting, and recalling the unit. Since the unit is recalled rather than moved, the "When I move" trigger condition is never met. This is my interpretation based on the distinction between game actions defined in the rules and clarified in the FAQs. No official FAQ exists for this specific interaction, but it is consistent with the established ruling that recall effects do not trigger move-based abilities.

Yes, **Stormbringer** deals damage equal to the chosen friendly unit's Might to **all enemy units** at the chosen battlefield. According to the card text: "Choose a friendly unit in your base. Deal damage equal to its Might to all enemy units at a battlefield, then move your unit there." As noted in the RiftJudge FAQ #3073, you choose both the friendly unit and the battlefield when Stormbringer enters the chain. The damage is dealt to all enemy units present at that chosen battlefield.

Ruling: The unit maintains whatever state it was in before being moved. Card effects that cause units to move do not exhaust the unit. Nuances: - Only performing a Standard Move will exhaust a unit - If the unit was active before being moved by Stormbringer, it remains active - If the unit was exhausted before being moved by Stormbringer, it remains exhausted

Ruling: Strike Down will kill the unit. The Guardian Angel is removed before the damage can kill during cleanup. Sequence: - Strike Down deals damage and removes Guardian Angel - Damage doesn't kill until the following cleanup phase - Guardian Angel is removed before that cleanup occurs - Unit dies in cleanup without Guardian Angel protection

No, Stun does not reduce the damage *Alpha Strike* deals to 0. According to **Rule 423.1.b**, "A Stunned Unit does not contribute its might to damage in the combat damage step." Because the Stun condition specifically restricts combat damage, it has no effect on damage dealt by card effects like *Alpha Strike*. Furthermore, per **RiftJudge FAQ #9251**, a stunned unit is still able to deal damage when directed to do so by a card effect (such as *Challenge* or, in this case, *Alpha Strike*) because the restriction is limited to combat. **Summary:** Stun prevents a unit from dealing combat damage, but it does not prevent that unit from dealing its full might as damage when commanded to do so by the *Alpha Strike* spell.

No, neither **Stupefy** nor **Frigid Touch** will trigger the ability of **Immortal Phoenix** to be played from your trash. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #2625**, Immortal Phoenix only triggers when a unit is killed by a **spell** (either via a "Kill" instruction or via damage dealt by a spell). Stat reduction effects (reducing Might) do not count as "killing a unit with a spell," even if that reduction eventually causes the unit to die due to the game rules during a cleanup phase. ### Why they don't trigger Immortal Phoenix: * **Effect Type:** Both *Stupefy* and *Frigid Touch* are stat-reduction spells. They reduce Might rather than dealing damage or issuing a "Kill" instruction. * **System Rules:** Units are only "killed by a spell" for the purpose of Immortal Phoenix if the spell has a specific "Kill" action or deals damage that causes the unit to die in the immediately following cleanup (see Rule 428.5.c and FAQ #2625). * **Result of Reduction:** As clarified in **RiftJudge FAQ #8663** and **#80**, reducing a unit's Might (even to 0 or below) does not constitute a "kill" by the spell. The death is a consequence of system rules checking Might vs. damage during cleanup, not an action attributed to the spell's effect. This interpretation is supported by **RiftJudge FAQ #2625**, which explicitly states that Immortal Phoenix cannot be played from the trash when a unit is destroyed by stat reduction effects.

Ruling: No, Sudden Storm does not deal 4 damage when moving to an open battlefield because moving to an open battlefield does not result in combat or attacking—it only starts contesting that battlefield. The 4 damage effect only applies if there is either a unit already there or a unit moved in during the showdown, making the first unit designated as an attacker. Sequence: (when a unit moves in during showdown) - A unit moves to contest a battlefield - If another unit moves in during the showdown, both players must pass with focus in succession - The showdown closes and combat opens - Unit designations (attacker/defender) are applied - Sudden Storm's 4 damage effect can trigger Nuances: - Simply moving to an open battlefield does not create an attacker designation - If a unit moves in during the showdown, you must wait until combat opens before designations are applied

Ruling: Yes, Sun Disc counts itself the turn you play it. Legion is active for the full turn once any card is played, so if you play Sun Disc then play a unit, that unit will come down ready and Sun Disc will be exhausted. Sequence: - Play Sun Disc (it comes down ready as a gear) - Legion is now active for the rest of the turn - Activate Sun Disc - Play a unit, which enters ready due to Sun Disc's effect Nuances: - Legion effects that specify timing (like "when you play your 2nd/3rd/4th card") require consideration of card order - For cards with Legion-on-play effects, the on-play effect is checked before Legion is active, so they cannot activate if played as the first card

Sun Disc has never counted itself toward its own **Legion** effect. According to **Rule 812.1.c**, for a **Legion** ability to be active, a card **different** than the one with the Legion ability must have been finalized on the same turn. Additionally, **Rule 812.1.b.1** clarifies that Legion is functionally short for: "If you have played another card this turn, this card gains [Text]." Because the rule specifically requires playing "another" card, the card with the Legion ability itself does not satisfy the condition.

Ruling: Yes, you can play Sun Disc and activate its ability right away. The ability counts as Legion even though it's the first time you played the card. Nuances: - A card is only considered a main deck card rulewise - An ability is not a card, so even though Sun Disc's ability's source is Sun Disc, it's not the "same card" because only the ability matters, not the source

No, you cannot play *Sun Disc* as the first card of your turn and immediately exhaust it to activate its *Legion* ability. ### Clarifying the Requirement While some legacy FAQ content has caused confusion regarding whether a card counts itself toward its own *Legion* requirement, official rules clarify that it does not: * **Rule 812.1.c** states: "As long as a card **different** than the one with the *Legion* ability has been Finalized on the same turn then the Dependent Ability is Active." * **Rule 812.1.b.1** clarifies that *Legion* is functionally shorthand for: "If you have played **another** card this turn..." * **FAQ #8715** and **FAQ #9616** confirm that *Sun Disc* does not count as "another card" for its own *Legion* requirement. Therefore, you must play at least one *other* card during the turn before the *Legion* condition is satisfied and you can successfully exhaust *Sun Disc* to gain its benefit. ### Correct Sequence for Sun Disc To use *Sun Disc* successfully, follow this sequence during your Main Phase: 1. **Play a different card:** Play any other Main Deck card. This satisfies the *Legion* requirement for the remainder of the turn. 2. **Play Sun Disc:** If not already in play, you may play *Sun Disc*. 3. **Exhaust Sun Disc:** Because you have already finalized "another" card this turn, the *Legion* ability is active. Exhaust *Sun Disc* while the game state is "Open." 4. **Play your unit:** The next unit you play this turn will enter the battlefield ready. **Important Note:** If you attempt to exhaust *Sun Disc* before playing another card, the *Legion* ability is inactive. According to the rules on dependent keywords, an inactive ability cannot be activated. *Note: I could not fully verify the interaction regarding payment of costs for inactive abilities against the retrieved rules.*

Yes, Sunken Temple works on a unit that is already 5 Might. According to Rule 708, a unit "is Mighty" as long as its Might is 5 or greater. Because the unit already meets the requirement of having 5+ Might at the moment you conquer the battlefield, it qualifies as a "Mighty unit" for the purpose of Sunken Temple's triggered ability.

Ruling: Svellsongr doubles these values. The effects stack because Svellsongr copies the text, so a unit with Deflect 2 would have "Deflect 2" from its original text and "Deflect 2" from Svellsongr, combining into Deflect 4. Nuances: - The multiple instances of the same keyword combine into a single total value (e.g., "Deflect 2, Deflect 2" becomes Deflect 4, not two separate Deflect 2 instances) - This stacking applies to Assault and Shield as well

Ruling: Svellsongur does basically nothing for Caitlyn. While it gives her two copies of her activated ability, you can only activate one of them because activating an ability requires exhausting Caitlyn as a cost, and you cannot exhaust her twice. Sequence: - Svellsongur gives Caitlyn two versions of her activated ability - To activate an ability, you put it on the chain, then pay the cost - You choose one of the two abilities to put on the chain - You must pay the cost of exhausting Caitlyn - Since Caitlyn is now exhausted, you cannot activate the second copy of the ability Nuances: - Each copy of the activated ability is its own separate ability - The ability is "activated" not "triggered" (terminology distinction)

Ruling: Svellsongur only copies the printed text on a unit card, not abilities added by other equipment's Effect Text. Nuances: - This was clarified via Red Text by Riot as a day 0 clarification, not a formal errata yet - The intention is to prevent equipment order from mattering - At tournaments without formal errata, resolution depends on head judge discretion per rule about unclear situations

Ruling: Svellsongur only copies the printed text of the unit card, not equipment effects that have been appended to the unit's rules text. Nuances: - The rules do not clearly define "unit's text" or distinguish between "printed text" and modified "rules text" in version 1.2 - This requires a day 0 errata to clarify, as the current rules text could be interpreted to copy all equipment effects - Equipment effect text is appended to a unit's rules text, but Svellsongur should not copy these appended effects

Ruling: Svellsongur only copies printed text from the unit card itself, not stat bonuses or text granted by other equipment attached to that unit. Nuances: - Svellsongur does copy abilities that are printed on the unit card (like Ahri's point generation ability) - Multiple equipment bonuses do not stack through Svellsongur - it only reads the base unit text - Example: Ahri + Svellsongur = 2 points total (both generate 1 point each from Ahri's printed ability) - Example: Ahri + Triforce + Svellsongur = 3 points total (Svellsongur doesn't copy Triforce's bonus)

No, Svellsongur only copies the text that’s actually printed on the unit. This is an ambiguity in the current rules, which refer to “appending” and “removing” rules text without reference to whether that text is original to the unit or not. The key word here is actually copy, a system that will be fleshed out in a future rules update. For now, we’ll just tell you that copies of objects or text take on their original traits, without regard to any subsequent alterations. Svellsongur doesn’t grant the unit additional “copies” of the abilities of other Equipment. So putting 3 Svellsongur on the same unit will give that unit four total instances of its abilities, not eight. (Four should be plenty.)

Ruling: No, Svellsongur only copies text printed on the card itself, not text granted by attached equipment. Nuances: - According to a strict reading of the rules as written, this interaction would work since both effects apply on the same layer and equipment text acts as rules text - However, the designers have officially clarified that Svellsongur is intended to only copy the printed text on the card - This clarification will likely be reflected in a future rules update

Ruling: No, Svellsongur does not gain Deflect. The effect text is active for the unit it's attached to, not the equipment itself. Nuances: - When an opponent targets Svellsongur directly (e.g., with Salvage), they do not need to pay the Deflect cost even though the equipped unit has Deflect - The copied keyword only applies to the unit wearing the equipment, not to the equipment card itself

Yes, **Switcheroo** takes into account the current Might of the units, which includes any bonuses from attached gear. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9201** and **FAQ #6847**, Switcheroo does not look only at base Might. When it resolves, it calculates the difference between the two units' **current Might** (which includes all active modifiers, buffs, and equipment) and applies a persistent +X or -X modifier to them for the remainder of the turn. Here are the key points regarding this interaction: * **It is a modifier, not a snapshot of base values:** Switcheroo calculates the difference between the two units' total Might at the time of resolution and applies a fixed modifier to each. * **Gear stays put:** The gear itself is not moved or swapped; it remains attached to its original unit. Only the final Might value is adjusted by the Switcheroo effect. * **Future changes apply on top:** Because Switcheroo applies a persistent modifier, if a unit's Might changes *after* the swap (e.g., from a new buff or detaching/attaching gear), that new change is calculated on top of the modifier applied by Switcheroo. **Example:** If Unit A has 5 Might (including a +1 gear bonus) and Unit B has 2 Might, Switcheroo calculates the difference (3) and applies a -3 modifier to Unit A and a +3 modifier to Unit B. Unit A becomes 2 Might (but still has the +1 gear attached), and Unit B becomes 5 Might. If you were to remove the gear from Unit A later, its final Might would become 1 (5 - 3 - 1).

Ruling: Yes, Switcheroo chooses/targets units, which triggers both Deflect and Dreaming Tree abilities.

Yes, Switcheroo counts Shield when it resolves. According to the game's mechanics, Shield is a passive effect that continuously adds to a unit's Might while they are a defender. When you cast Switcheroo, it snapshots the **current** Might values of the two units—which includes any active Shield bonuses—and swaps them. Here is how the interaction works: * **Snapshotting:** Switcheroo calculates the current Might of both units (including any active Shield or Assault bonuses) and swaps those values. * **Passive Effects Remain:** The Shield bonus itself is a passive effect and does not transfer to the other unit. It remains on the original unit. * **Result:** After the swap, the units will have the new Might values, and their original Shield bonuses will continue to apply to their new Might totals for the remainder of the combat. **Example:** If you have a unit with 2 base Might and Shield 1 (Total 3 Might) and another unit with 5 Might: 1. Switcheroo sees the current Might values as 3 and 5. 2. It swaps them by applying a +2 modifier to the first unit and a -2 modifier to the second. 3. The first unit now has 5 Might (4 base + 1 Shield), and the second unit has 3 Might.

No, Switcheroo does not "keep" the might value in the sense of locking it to a specific number regardless of future changes. Instead, it applies a persistent modifier (an increase to one unit and a decrease to the other) that lasts until the end of the turn. According to **Rule 420.1** and the associated FAQs, "Swapping" is the act of increasing one numeric value and decreasing another so that their values are reversed. Here is how it works: * **It is a modifier, not a snapshot:** When Switcheroo resolves, it calculates the difference between the two units' current Might and applies a +X or -X modifier to them. This modifier persists for the rest of the turn. * **Future changes still apply:** Because these are modifiers (increases and decreases), if a unit's Might changes *after* the swap (e.g., from a new buff, a trigger, or a passive ability), that new change is calculated on top of the modifier applied by Switcheroo. * **Buffs stay put:** Physical buffs (like equipment or attached cards) remain on their original units. They are not moved or swapped; only the final Might value is adjusted. **Example:** If Unit A has 5 Might and Unit B has 2 Might, Switcheroo applies a -3 modifier to Unit A and a +3 modifier to Unit B. If Unit A later gains +1 Might from another source, its final Might will be 3 (5 - 3 + 1).

Ruling: Yes, you must pay for Deflect when casting Switcheroo on a unit with Deflect, because Switcheroo is a spell and you are choosing (targeting) the unit with Deflect. Nuances: - This only applies if the unit with Deflect is controlled by an opponent

Switcheroo takes into account the **current Might** of the units, which includes all active modifiers, buffs, equipment, and passive abilities. It does not look only at base Might. According to **Rule 420.1** and the associated RiftJudge FAQs (specifically FAQ #6847 and FAQ #8531): * **It is a modifier, not a snapshot of base values:** When Switcheroo resolves, it calculates the difference between the two units' *current* Might (including equipment, passive bonuses, and other modifiers) and applies a persistent +X or -X modifier to them for the remainder of the turn. * **Buffs and Equipment stay put:** Physical buffs (like equipment) remain attached to their original units. They are not moved or swapped; only the final Might value is adjusted by the Switcheroo effect. * **Future changes apply on top:** Because Switcheroo applies a persistent modifier, if a unit's Might changes *after* the swap (e.g., from a new buff, a trigger, or a passive ability), that new change is calculated on top of the modifier applied by Switcheroo. **Example:** If Unit A has 5 Might (including a +1 buff) and Unit B has 2 Might, Switcheroo calculates the difference (3) and applies a -3 modifier to Unit A and a +3 modifier to Unit B. Unit A becomes 2 Might (but still has the +1 buff attached), and Unit B becomes 5 Might. If Unit A later gains another +1 Might from a new source, its final Might will be 3 (5 - 3 + 1).

Ruling: Symbol of the Solari only recalls units from the battlefield where the tied combat occurred, not from all battlefields. Nuances: - The card text could be read as affecting all battlefields because it says "recall ALL units", but this has been clarified via errata - A tie occurs when both sides still have units remaining after combat damage is dealt - Ties commonly happen when units are stunned or have low might

Ruling: Tank only applies to combat damage and does not affect spell damage. When a unit with Tank is played as a reaction to a spell targeting another unit, the spell damage is not redirected or prevented. Nuances: - Tank has no effect outside of the combat damage step - Playing a unit with Tank in response to spell damage does not change the spell's target or prevent the damage

Yes, Targon's Peak creates two distinct windows where you can play cards with the **[Reaction]** keyword: 1. **When you conquer:** Immediately after you conquer Targon's Peak, its "When I conquer" triggered ability is placed on the chain. Players may play **[Reaction]** cards at this time, before that trigger resolves. 2. **At the end of the turn:** When the delayed ability created by Targon's Peak is added to the chain during the Ending Phase, a second window opens for players to play **[Reaction]** cards before the rune-readying effect resolves. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #2905**, while these windows allow for **[Reaction]** cards, neither reaction point can prevent the conquering player from readying their runes once the respective ability resolves. *** ### Summary of Timing * **Triggering:** When you conquer, the "When I conquer" trigger goes on the chain. * **Reaction Window 1:** Players can react to the trigger above. * **Resolution:** The trigger resolves and sets up a delayed trigger for the end of the turn. * **End of Turn:** At the start of the Ending Phase, the delayed trigger enters the chain. * **Reaction Window 2:** Players can react to the delayed trigger above. * **Final Resolution:** The delayed trigger resolves, allowing the player to ready up to 2 runes. *Note: As established in **RiftJudge FAQ #9525**, these abilities are independent of the card itself; once triggered, the delayed effect will persist and resolve even if Targon's Peak is removed from the battlefield before the end of the turn.*

Ruling: The Targon's Peak battlefield effect only triggers when you conquer a site, not when you hold it. Nuances: - Hold and Conquer are distinct game actions as described in the rulebook - If Hold triggered Conquer effects, it would also trigger negative Conquer effects like paying costs (e.g., Sigil of the Storm)

Yes, Targon's Peak will still trigger and its effect will resolve at the end of the turn, even if the battlefield is replaced by a Brush token after the conquer occurs. According to the rules and mechanics of triggered abilities: 1. **Triggering:** Targon's Peak's ability ("When you conquer here...") triggers at the moment you conquer the battlefield. At this point, the condition is met, and the ability is placed on the chain. 2. **Delayed Effect:** The ability creates a delayed effect that is scheduled to occur at the end of the turn. 3. **Persistence:** Once a triggered ability has been placed on the chain or has successfully created a delayed effect, it is independent of the card that generated it. Even if the battlefield (Targon's Peak) is removed, replaced, or destroyed after the trigger has occurred, the delayed effect remains active and will resolve at the end of the turn. **Sequence:** 1. You conquer Targon's Peak. 2. The "When you conquer" trigger is placed on the chain. 3. The battlefield is replaced by a Brush token (e.g., via Ivern, Green Father). 4. The trigger resolves, creating the delayed effect for the end of the turn. 5. At the end of the turn, the delayed effect triggers, allowing you to ready up to 2 runes. This is consistent with how triggered abilities function in Riftbound: once the condition is met and the effect is initiated, it does not require the source card to remain on the board to resolve.

Ruling: Taric's Shield boost persists through the damage assignment phase of combat. The boost only disappears after Taric is removed during cleanup, which happens after combat damage is assigned. Sequence: - If Taric is alive when damage assignment begins, the Shield boost applies to all allied units - All combat damage is assigned simultaneously before checking if units die - After damage assignment, units with lethal damage are removed during cleanup - Once Taric is removed to the graveyard, his boost stops applying - The boost remains active during the entire damage assignment phase Nuances: - If Taric is killed before combat starts (e.g., by a spell like Hidden Blade), the boost disappears before damage assignment - During exotic timings between damage assignment and end of combat (such as Conquest or Deathknell triggers), Taric may already be in the graveyard, so the boost would be gone during those windows - Opponents must assign lethal damage to Taric before assigning damage to other units due to Tank, and cannot reduce damage by 1 anticipating the Shield loss

Ruling: Yes, Taric gives Leona an additional instance of Shield, resulting in Shield 2 (as long as they're at the same battlefield). Nuances: - The Shield values from multiple sources are summed together - Both units must be at the same battlefield for Taric's effect to apply

Ruling: No. Teemo's ability cannot enter the chain if there are no valid enemy units to target, so the reveal and recycle effects do not happen. Sequence: - When activating any ability in Riftbound, all targets must be declared as the ability is placed on the chain - If no legal targets are available at that time, the ability cannot be placed on the chain at all - Since Teemo's ability requires choosing enemy units to deal damage to, and none are available, the entire ability (including the reveal and recycle) cannot activate - This is true even though the reveal happens first when resolving - targeting requirements are checked before the ability enters the chain, not during resolution Nuances: - If the ability successfully enters the chain with valid targets, but those targets become invalid before resolution, you still resolve as much as possible (reveal cards, recycle them, but deal no damage) - The distinction is between "entering the chain" (requires valid targets) and "resolving" (do as much as you can) - Teemo will receive official errata/clarification from Riot in the future

Yes, Teemo, Strategist’s ability is mandatory, and you must place it on the chain if the conditions are met. According to his card text: *"When I defend, choose an enemy unit here and reveal the top 5 cards of your Main Deck..."* ### The Ruling: * **Mandatory Trigger:** Teemo’s ability does not contain the word "may," meaning it is not optional. When he is designated as a defender in combat, the ability triggers automatically (Rule 383). * **When it happens:** If Irelia moves into a battlefield where Teemo is present, Teemo gains the defender designation (assuming combat is active). Because his triggered ability lacks a "you may" clause, you are required to place the ability on the chain. * **Resolution:** When the ability resolves, you must choose an enemy unit at that battlefield (in this case, Irelia) to be the target of the damage effect. You cannot choose to "not activate" the ability to avoid choosing a target or dealing damage. ### Important Considerations: * **Deflect:** Because Irelia has the **Deflect** keyword, your opponent must pay [A] to choose her with an ability. Even though Teemo's ability is mandatory for you to place on the chain, Irelia's Deflect protection applies to being "chosen" by abilities. Therefore, to resolve Teemo's effect targeting Irelia, your opponent would have to pay the Deflect cost if they wish to protect her, or the choice would be considered invalid/illegal depending on if they choose to pay the tax. * **Timing:** As per **RiftJudge FAQ #10534**, this ability triggers and resolves before combat damage is calculated or applied. If the damage from Teemo’s ability kills Irelia, she will be removed from combat before she has the chance to deal any combat damage.

Yes, you can react to **Teemo, Strategist**'s "When I defend" ability after its target has been chosen. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #7962**: * The triggered ability is added to the chain, and targets are chosen as the trigger is placed on the chain (during finalization). * Once the ability is on the chain with its target locked, your opponent has the opportunity to play [REACTION] cards before you begin resolving the ability (revealing cards). ### Summary of Timing: 1. **Trigger:** Teemo gains the "defender" designation (e.g., when an opponent moves a unit to his battlefield). 2. **Finalization:** The "When I defend" triggered ability is added to the chain. You choose the enemy unit target at this time. 3. **Priority Window:** Because the ability is now on the chain, the state is CLOSED, and players have an opportunity to play [REACTION] cards (e.g., to move a unit, buff a unit, or remove Teemo). 4. **Resolution:** Once all players pass, the ability resolves: you reveal the top 5 cards and deal damage to the chosen target. This is consistent with the standard FEPR process (Finalize, Execute, Pass, Resolve), where choices like targeting occur during finalization, and reactions can be played after the item is finalized but before it resolves.

Ruling: No. Teemo Strategist has been errata'd in the FAQ to only trigger while defending, and no longer triggers when played from hidden.

Ruling: Teemo Strategist will still trigger when revealed after an opponent moves a unit to his battlefield. Sequence: - Opponent moves a unit to Teemo's battlefield - Teemo is revealed from hidden - Teemo gets defender designation during the first cleanup (which happens essentially right away) - Teemo's defend trigger activates