Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: Damage does not clear during cleanup after items resolve on the Chain. Damage only clears at the end of combat and at the end of turn. Sequence: - Play a damage spell (e.g., Super Mega Rocket) dealing damage to an opponent's unit at a battlefield - The damage remains on that unit - Send in a unit to attack that same damaged unit - The opponent's unit still has the damage from the spell during combat Nuances: - This means you can stack damage from spells before combat, making pre-combat damage spells more valuable than if damage cleared between Chain resolutions

Ruling: Damage does not clear after Snapvine or Challenge resolves. Damage only clears after a full combat or at end of turn. Units dealing damage to each other through Challenge or Snapvine is not considered combat. Nuances: - In the example scenario, a unit that takes 2 damage from Challenge will still have that damage when it fights in the subsequent showdown, potentially causing it to die - Voidgate battlefield does not interact with Challenge or Snapvine damage

Ruling: Damage does not reduce Might. If a unit is alive, it contributes its full Might to the showdown regardless of damage taken. Nuances: - Damage and Might reduction are tracked separately as different types of effects - Some effects specifically reduce Might (like certain abilities) while others deal damage - these have different mechanical impacts

Ruling: Yes, damage dealt to units by spells outside of combat remains on those units when you enter combat with them. Units only heal at the end of combats or at the end of turn. Sequence: - Deal damage to enemy unit with spell outside of combat - Enter combat with that damaged unit - Only need to deal remaining damage to destroy it - Excess damage can be assigned to other units in that combat Nuances: - Healing after combat affects all units everywhere, not just units that participated in that combat - Healing damage is not part of cleanup (cleanup is equivalent to checking state-based effects and happens continuously)

Ruling: Damage dealt to a unit outside of combat persists until the end of that combat or the end of the turn. Damage does not reduce a unit's might value; once accumulated damage equals or exceeds the unit's might, the unit dies. Sequence: - Damage is dealt to a unit outside of combat (e.g., 5 damage to a 10 might Volibear) - The damaged unit enters combat still carrying that damage - During combat, the attacking unit's might is added to any pre-existing damage on the defender - If total damage equals or exceeds the defender's might (plus any modifiers like Shield), the defender dies - Damage is cleared from all units at the end of combat and at the end of each player's turn Nuances: - Defensive keywords like Shield increase the effective might of the defender during combat, so pre-combat damage plus attacking might must exceed the modified total (e.g., 5 damage + 6 might attack = 11 total, which does not kill a 10 might Volibear with Shield giving +3 for 13 total)

Ruling: Damage does not reduce might. A unit deals combat damage equal to its printed might value regardless of how much damage it has accumulated. Sequence: - Yasuo (6 might) attacks Volibear (9 might, deflect 2) - Yasuo pays 2 power to target due to deflect 2, then deals 6 damage to Volibear - Volibear now has 6 damage on it but still has 9 might - During combat damage, Yasuo deals 6 damage and Volibear deals 9 damage - Both units die (Yasuo takes 9 damage with 6 health, Volibear has 6+6=12 total damage with 9 health)

Ruling: Damage does not change a unit's might value. Damage only causes units to die when they accumulate enough of it. Nuances: - A unit's might remains constant regardless of how much damage it has taken - Damage and might are tracked separately

Ruling: Damage marked on a unit does not reduce its might. A unit's might remains constant regardless of damage marked on it. Sequence: - Damage is marked on units when they take damage - When a unit has damage marked on it greater than or equal to its might, it dies - Units heal (damage is removed) during combat cleanup after combat damage is dealt, and at the end of turn Nuances: - A 7 might unit with 6 damage marked on it still deals 7 damage in combat - Effects that actually reduce might (like Stupefy, Smokescreen, and Thousand Tailed Watcher) exist as separate mechanics from damage

Ruling: A unit deals damage equal to its current might value. Damage marked on a unit does NOT reduce its might or the damage it deals. Only effects that explicitly reduce might (like Stupefy) will reduce the damage dealt. Nuances: - Damage and might are separate concepts - a unit with 5 might and 3 damage marked still has 5 might and deals 5 damage - To kill a unit, you must deal damage equal to or exceeding its might - Damage markers are removed at the end of combat and at the end of turn - Might reductions only persist if the effect specifies a duration (like "until end of turn")

Ruling: Yes, damage from Challenge persists on units until combat resolves on any battlefield or the turn ends. The damaged unit does not need to participate in that combat to be healed. Sequence: - Challenge deals damage equal to each unit's might to the other - Damage remains on both units - When any combat occurs on any battlefield, damage is removed from all units at the end of combat - Alternatively, damage is removed at end of turn Nuances: - Combat only occurs when battlefields are contested, not from abilities like Challenge - A unit can be healed by sending a different unit to contest a battlefield and trigger combat - If either unit involved in Challenge leaves the field before it resolves, no damage is applied because the might value is no longer available

Ruling: All units everywhere heal during combat cleanup steps, regardless of whether they participated in the actual battlefield combat. Once a combat showdown starts, all combat steps occur including the healing step. Sequence: - A combat showdown begins when moving to a battlefield controlled by opponent - During the showdown, Challenge can be used to make units deal damage to each other - Even if a unit dies from Challenge damage before actual combat occurs, the showdown continues through all combat steps - During combat cleanup, all units everywhere heal their damage Nuances: - Challenge does not have targeting restrictions about location - you can target units in different battlefields or in bases - Two units dealing damage to each other via Challenge is not itself "combat" - it's just damage - Combat specifically occurs during a showdown at a battlefield your opponent controls - Damage from Challenge persists until healed (at end of combat or end of turn) - If there aren't units from both players during the combat damage step, no combat damage occurs, but other combat steps (like healing) still happen

Ruling: Yes, damage from spells persists until a combat has resolved or the turn has ended, so damage dealt by Rocket is still present when combat damage is divided. Nuances: - This assumes no other combat ended in between the spell damage and the current combat

Ruling: Damage only heals in the combat cleanup step (after combat) and at the end of turn. If the showdown is not part of combat, no units will heal. Nuances: - All units heal during combat cleanup regardless of their location - Once combat begins, all steps of combat must be followed even if units are removed or no damage is dealt - There is no way to exit combat early once it has started - A showdown becomes a combat when a battlefield is contested and occupied by units controlled by different players

Ruling: All damage on all units in play heals after combat, regardless of how they were damaged (including spell damage).

Ruling: Yes, damage is healed on every unit at the end of combat, even those not involved in the combat. Nuances: - This applies to units damaged earlier in the turn (e.g., by Challenge) that remain at base while other units engage in combat - Healing occurs during the combat resolution/cleanup step for all marked units

Ruling: All marked damage is cleared from all units on the board during the showdown phase, regardless of whether they participated in the showdown or their location. Sequence: - Use an ability (like Challenge) to mark damage on a unit - Start showdown with a different unit - During showdown, all marked damage clears from all units (including the first unit that didn't participate) Nuances: - Location does not matter - units in BASE, COMBAT, or any other zone all get their marked damage cleared - This applies even if the damaged unit never entered combat

Ruling: No, damage does not reduce might. Damage and might are separate values. Nuances: - Units are killed when they have damage greater than or equal to their might (and the damage is non-zero) - A unit with 6 might that has taken 5 damage still has 6 might and cannot be targeted by effects that require 5 or less might

Ruling: Damage does not reduce might. The damage a unit deals in combat equals its might, regardless of how much damage is already on that unit. Sequence: - Firestorm deals 3 damage to units (not reducing their might) - Units enter combat with their full might values - Each unit deals damage equal to its might - Units die if total damage on them equals or exceeds their health Nuances: - Damage dealt by spells before combat remains on units but doesn't affect their combat damage output - In the specific scenario: 9 might and 6 might units (with +1 from battlefield) fight 8 might and 5 might units (7+1 and 4+1, each with 3 damage from Firestorm already on them), resulting in all units dying

Ruling: Damage does not reduce a unit's might/power - they are tracked separately. A 7 might unit with 3 damage still has 7 might in combat resolution. All damage is healed after a combat showdown and at the end of each turn. Sequence: - Damage dealt to a unit (from spells or combat) persists on that unit - Damage remains through combat resolution if dealt before combat - All damage is healed after a combat showdown ends - All damage is also healed at the end of each turn Nuances: - Damage persists on units even when they are not at a battlefield - Damage and might are separate values - damage does not reduce might for combat calculations

Ruling: No, damage does not change Might values. Damage and Might are two completely separate mechanics. Nuances: - Might is the combat statistic of a Unit used to determine contribution to Combat and when it is Killed by damaging effects - Damage is a marked value applied to Units that tracks how close a Unit is to being Killed - Units are Killed during a specific cleanup step when Damage equals or exceeds their Might - If damage reduced Might, the cleanup step rule would be redundant

Ruling: Damage remains on units after Snapvine's effect resolves. Units only heal at end of turn and end of combat (when multiple players are at 1 location). Snapvine's effect is not combat. Nuances: - If Snapvine takes damage from its own effect and then moves to a battlefield controlled by another player, that damage mark remains until actual combat occurs or end of turn

Ruling: Damage does not reduce Might. A unit with 6 Might that takes 5 damage will still hit for the full 6 Might. Nuances: - Damage stacks on units until healed through combat or end of turn - You can use reactions like Call to Glory to increase Might in response to non-combat damage from spells - During combat damage trades, you cannot take actions; buffs must be played during the Showdown window of opportunity before damage is dealt

Ruling: In general, deflect stacks. However, Spirit Refuge specifically is worded with "if they didn't already" which prevents it from stacking with itself. Nuances: - Spirit Refuge's specific wording prevents multiple copies from stacking - Other deflect sources without this restriction would normally stack

Yes, you must pay the **Deflect** cost if you use *Drag Under* to target a unit that has the **Deflect** keyword. According to **Rule 809.1.c**, the **Deflect** keyword imposes a mandatory additional cost on any spell or ability an opponent controls that "chooses" (targets) the permanent. Since *Drag Under* is a spell that requires you to choose a unit to kill, it triggers the **Deflect** cost requirement. **Key points:** * **Targeting:** Because *Drag Under* targets a specific unit, it is subject to **Deflect**. * **Mandatory Cost:** If the unit you are targeting has **Deflect**, you must pay the additional Power cost specified by that unit's **Deflect** value to play *Drag Under*. * **Payment:** As per **Rule 809.1.c.1**, the Power used to pay this **Deflect** cost can be of any Domain.

Ruling: Equipment attached to a unit that dies returns to your base, not to the trash. Nuances: - Equipment cannot exist on the battlefield by itself - This is supported by card text like Draven's Axes, which specifically states it dies when the unit dies (implying this is an exception to the normal rule) - A unit can have multiple equipment attached to it

Ruling: Yes, equipment transfers its effect text to the unit it's attached to. Therefore, Trinity Force attached to a unit with Skyfall of Areion would trigger on both conquer and hold. Nuances: - Svellsongur is a unique exception that doesn't follow this rule and needs an errata - The rules for equipment text transfer are documented in multiple sections (attach game action section and attachment additional rules section)

No, equipment does not fall off when a unit is saved by Guardian Angel. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8298**, **FAQ #674**, and **FAQ #5370**, when a unit is saved by Guardian Angel, the death event is replaced and prevented. Because the unit never technically "dies" or leaves the battlefield to go to the trash, the equipment remains attached to the unit. As noted in **RiftJudge FAQ #8433**, the unit retains its state—including all equipment, buffs, and damage—when it is recalled to the base.

**Yes, equipment like Doran's Ring attached to a unit will trigger at Reckoner's Arena.** Here's how it works: **The Mechanism:** - **Doran's Ring** has the effect: *"When I conquer, discard 1, then draw 1."* - **Reckoner's Arena** has the ability: *"When you hold here, activate the conquer effects of units here."* **The Interaction:** When you hold at Reckoner's Arena, the battlefield's ability activates the conquer effects of all units present at that battlefield. Equipment effects, such as Doran's Ring's, are considered part of the unit's effects while attached. Therefore, Doran's Ring's conquer effect becomes part of the unit's conquer effects and will be activated by Reckoner's Arena. **Result:** When you hold at Reckoner's Arena with a unit equipped with Doran's Ring, you will discard 1 card and draw 1 card as part of the triggered chain. This follows the same principle as the **Trinity Force + Skyfall of Areion** interaction documented in the FAQs: equipment effects attached to units are activated when Reckoner's Arena triggers its "activate conquer effects" ability.

Yes, equipping **Boots of Swiftness** to a friendly unit counts as choosing (targeting) that unit, which will trigger the ability of **Blade Dancer** (Irelia's legend ability). According to **RiftJudge FAQ #7601** and **#6203**, equipping gear to a unit involves targeting that unit, and in the context of Irelia's mechanics, "choose" is equivalent to "target." Therefore, because the act of attaching gear requires you to choose a unit to attach it to, it satisfies the condition "When you choose a friendly unit" for **Blade Dancer**.

Ruling: Equipping gear does count as choosing/targeting, but Irelia's ability only reduces the cost of spells, not gear. Equipment is targeting but is not a spell, so Irelia does not reduce gear costs. Nuances: - Equipment uses the "choose a unit, attach this to it" mechanic which counts as targeting - This targeting interaction is relevant for other effects that care about choosing/targeting - The spell vs. gear distinction is critical for Irelia's cost reduction ability

Ruling: Equipping a gear does count as choosing a unit for effects that care about choosing units (like Irelia, Fervent). However, it does not count for effects that specifically look for spells (like Dreaming Tree). Nuances: - Dreaming Tree specifically only triggers from spells, so equipping gear will not trigger it - Effects like Irelia, Fervent that care about choosing units in general will trigger from equipping gear

Ruling: Yes, equipping a unit counts as choosing a unit. Nuances: - Effects that "attach this to" a unit are targeting that unit, which is what the game means by "choose" in Irelia's ability - This is analogous to other targeting effects like "move" or "kill" - they all involve choosing/targeting a unit

Yes, equipping gear to Irelia, Fervent triggers her ability and gives her +1 Might. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #6203** and **#3079**, equipping gear to Irelia counts as "choosing" her. Because her ability states, *"When you choose or ready me, give me +1 Might this turn,"* the act of equipping gear triggers this bonus. As noted in the FAQs: * "Choose" in the context of Irelia's mechanics is equivalent to "target." * Attaching gear is considered targeting/choosing, which satisfies the condition for her ability.

Yes, equipping *Guardian Angel* to *Irelia, Fervent* counts as "choosing" her, and it will trigger her ability to gain +1 Might. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9143** and **#6203**, equipping gear to *Irelia, Fervent* is considered "choosing" or "targeting" her, which satisfies the condition of her ability: *"When you choose or ready me, give me +1 Might this turn."* Regarding your total Might calculation: 1. **Triggered Ability:** When you pay the cost to *Equip* *Guardian Angel* to *Irelia*, her ability triggers because she has been "chosen," granting her **+1 Might**. 2. **Card Effect:** *Guardian Angel* itself provides a static bonus of **+1 Might** to the unit it is attached to. In total, *Irelia, Fervent* will receive **+2 Might** (the +1 from her ability and the +1 from the *Guardian Angel* gear), not +3 Might.

Ruling: Yes, equipping gear to Irelia counts as choosing her. In the context of Irelia, "choose" is equivalent to "target." Nuances: - This equivalence (choose = target) is specific to Irelia's mechanics

Yes, equipping starts a chain. According to RiftJudge FAQ #731 and Rule 818.1, **Equip** is an activated ability. When you activate an equip ability, it is placed on the chain, which allows players the opportunity to play reactions before it resolves. ### The Sequence for Equipping: 1. **Activation:** The player pays the equip cost and targets a unit they control. 2. **Chain Starts:** The equip ability is placed on the chain. 3. **Priority/Reaction:** The state becomes closed, and players (starting with the opponent) may play [REACTION] cards (such as removal spells) in response. 4. **Resolution:** If the chain resolves and the ability is successful, the gear attaches to the chosen unit. **Important Nuance:** As noted in RiftJudge FAQ #634, if an opponent plays a reaction that removes the target unit from the board before the equip ability resolves, the equip ability will fail to resolve because its target is no longer legal.

Ruling: Yes, equipping is an activated ability that uses the chain and can be reacted to. Nuances: - All activated abilities use the chain, regardless of whether they target or not - Some activated abilities that use the chain cannot be reacted to (e.g. Malzahar's ability)

Ruling: No, exhausting Viktor and playing his recruit does not count towards Legion. Nuances: - Legion requires playing another card this turn - Recruits generated by exhausting characters are not cards - Hiding also does not count as Legion

Ruling: No, exhausting a unit as an additional cost for Meditation does not trigger Dreaming Tree's ability to choose that unit. Nuances: - Targets are not part of the cost of an effect - Exhausting happens as an additional cost, which occurs before targeting

Ruling: Yes, flipping Foxfire from hidden counts as playing a spell for Ravenbloom Student to get +1.

Ruling: Floating mana from runes only empties at end of draw step and at end of turn, not after combat during special cleanups. Sequence: - Floating mana persists through combat - Floating mana empties at end of draw step - Floating mana empties at end of turn Nuances: - If you exhaust 6 runes to accelerate, recycle 2, play a unit, then exhaust 2 more (leaving 2 floating), when your units die in combat you ready the 6 exhausted runes while the 2 floating mana remains available until end of turn

Ruling: Focus automatically passes to your opponent after a whole chain resolves (except the initial when I attack/defend chain). You cannot play actions back-to-back; your opponent must either pass focus back or play their action first. Sequence: - Player plays an action/spell - The chain resolves completely - Focus automatically passes to opponent - Opponent must either pass focus back or play their action - After opponent's action resolves, focus automatically passes back Nuances: - Two manual, consecutive passes of focus are still required to move on to the next step of the showdown - The automatic focus pass after chain resolution is separate from the manual passing requirement

Ruling: Focus starts with the attacker in combat. There is a special exception for the initial chain of a combat showdown where focus doesn't pass after it resolves - the attacker retains focus and can play action speed spells. Sequence: - Attacker moves unit to battlefield - Attack triggers go on the stack first, then defender triggers - Attacker has priority and can pass - Opponent can cast reaction spells or pass - Triggers resolve - Attacker retains focus (exception to normal rules) and can start a new chain with action or reaction spells Nuances: - Focus is the ability to play action speed cards when the chain is empty - While building a chain, focus stays with one player; you pass priority to add reaction speed effects - After the chain resolves, focus normally passes to the other player (unless it's the initial combat chain) - Priority goes to the controller of the newest item on the chain after each resolution

When a second unit joins a battlefield with **Forbidding Waste**, the penalty immediately stops applying. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #10921**, the -2 Might penalty from *Forbidding Waste* is a continuous static effect that is constantly re-evaluated. The battlefield checks the condition "defending alone" at all times. The moment a second friendly unit enters the battlefield, the condition is no longer met, and the -2 Might penalty is removed from your unit instantly. ### Key points to remember: * **Dynamic Application:** Because it is a continuous effect, it does not lock in at the start of combat. It updates immediately when the game state changes. * **Timing:** Whether the unit enters during an **Open** or **Closed** state (during a chain), the penalty vanishes the moment the second unit is officially present at the battlefield. * **Combat Damage Step:** If you add a unit during combat, ensure you are tracking the unit's **current Might** accurately for the Combat Damage Step, as the game uses the Might values present at that time (Rule 460).

No, gear does not count as a friendly unit. According to **Rule 148.1**, gear is a distinct game object and card type from units. Therefore, the **Sprite Fountain** gear—even though it possesses the *Temporary* keyword—does not count as a "friendly unit with *Temporary*" for the ability on the **Bashful Bloom** legend. **Bashful Bloom** specifically reduces its cost based on "each friendly unit with *Temporary*." Since gear is not a unit, the gear itself is not counted by the ability, regardless of any keywords it may have.

Ruling: Gear enters ready unless the card states otherwise. Nuances: - Gear enters the base (not battlefield/board) - This applies to gear like seals and sun-disc

Ruling: Zhonya's Hourglass will protect the unit for the current turn by replacing its death with recall, but the unit retains the Temporary keyword and will die at the beginning of the next turn. Sequence: - Unit gains Temporary keyword - At beginning of turn, Temporary triggers causing the unit to die - Zhonya's Hourglass replacement effect triggers, replacing death with recall exhausted - Unit is recalled but still has Temporary keyword - At beginning of next turn, Temporary triggers again and unit dies Nuances: - Temporary is a triggered effect that triggers at the start of the beginning phase; all such triggers happen simultaneously and are added to the chain, so the trigger condition only happens once per turn - Zhonya's uses a replacement effect that changes "die" to "recall exhausted" but doesn't remove the Temporary keyword - Recalling a unit does not clear negative keywords - Effects like Sett's legend ability could save the unit every turn, but it would always retain Temporary

Ruling: No, gusting a token does not count as killing the unit. Sequence: - The unit returns to hand - The token ceases to exist - This happens off the board, so it is not counted as a kill

Yes, having three *Shard of Undoing*s and three temporary units that die simultaneously will trigger the *Shard of Undoing* ability three times, requiring your opponent to kill three of their units. ### The Reasoning *Shard of Undoing* has the following ability: **"The first time a friendly unit dies during your Beginning Phase each turn, each opponent must kill one of their units."** When your three temporary units die simultaneously during your Beginning Phase, the following occurs: 1. **Rule 383.1.b** states: "If an ability triggers 'the [Nth] time' something happens and that trigger condition is met multiple times simultaneously, the ability’s controller picks one of those instances to serve as the trigger condition. The ability triggers only once, due to the chosen condition." 2. Because the death of your three units happens simultaneously, each *Shard of Undoing* sees the event as a single "first time" that a friendly unit has died. 3. Each *Shard of Undoing* will trigger exactly once. 4. Consequently, you will have three triggered abilities on the chain. Each one, when it resolves, will require your opponent to kill one of their units. ### Summary You will receive three total "kill" triggers—one from each *Shard of Undoing*—because each card's "first time" condition is satisfied by the single simultaneous event of your units dying. Your opponent will be required to kill three units total, assuming they have valid units to kill for each instruction. Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules.

No, healing does not occur in that scenario. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9649** and **FAQ #9131**, there is a critical distinction between a combat showdown and an open showdown: * **Combat Showdown:** Occurs when a unit moves to an opponent-controlled battlefield. This triggers combat, which includes a "Combat Cleanup" step where all units heal. * **Open Showdown:** Occurs when a unit moves to an empty (uncontrolled) battlefield. This is a showdown, but it is **not combat**. Because it is not combat, there is no combat cleanup, and therefore no healing occurs. While conquering an empty battlefield allows you to score, it does not trigger the combat cleanup required to heal your units. Units only heal after combat concludes or at the end of the turn.