Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: Yes, playing a card from the Hidden Zone counts as playing another card and triggers Legion effects. Nuances: - Hiding a card itself does not trigger Legion - Playing from the Hidden Zone does trigger Legion

Ruling: Playing a spell does not start a showdown or trigger "when you defend here" effects. Showdowns are only started by a unit of a player that does not currently control a battlefield moving into that battlefield. Nuances: - "Defending" only applies during combat when two players have units at the same battlefield - Damage spells targeting units at a battlefield do not count as defending

No, playing a Gold gear token via the legend ability of **Bloodharbor Ripper (Pyke)** does not count as playing a card, and therefore does not reduce the play cost of **Battering Ram**. ### Explanation **1. Cards vs. Tokens** According to Rule 052, the term "Card" specifically refers to Main Deck cards. While tokens can be "played" (Rule 182.1.a), they are explicitly distinguished from cards (Rule 182). Battering Ram specifically checks for the number of *cards* played that turn. Since a Gold gear token is not a Main Deck card, playing it does not satisfy the condition for Battering Ram's cost reduction. **2. Definition of Playing** Although the process of playing a token follows the same steps as playing a card (Rule 182.1.a), it does not elevate the token to the status of a "card." Abilities that trigger on or count "cards played" specifically monitor the movement and finalization of Main Deck cards. **3. Bloodharbor Ripper's Ability** The legend ability of Bloodharbor Ripper (Pyke) allows you to play a Gold gear token. Because the game explicitly categorizes Gold gear as a token (Rule 184.5 and Patch Notes - 2026-03-16), it does not qualify as a "card" for the purposes of Battering Ram, regardless of the fact that you perform the action of "playing" it. *** *Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules.*

Ruling: Playing a hidden card triggers Legion only when you flip it face-up, not when you initially place it face-down. Nuances: - The act of hiding a card (placing it face-down) does not count as playing it for Legion purposes - Playing a card from hidden (flipping it face-up) does count as playing a card and will trigger Legion

Ruling: No, playing a card and discarding are separate game actions. You only discard when a card ability or effect specifically tells you to discard. Nuances: - Playing and discarding are distinct mechanics that are not interchangeable

Ruling: No, playing a token does not count towards Legion ability. "Card" only counts Main Deck cards, and Runes and Tokens are not cards.

Ruling: No, playing a token with Altar of Unity does not count for Legion because tokens are not cards and Legion requires playing cards from your main deck.

Ruling: Playing a token does not progress Legion. Only playing a main deck card progresses Legion.

No, playing a unit does not count as choosing or targeting it. According to Rule 352.4.b, making choices for a unit as it is played (such as choosing a location) is distinct from targeting or choosing a game object for an effect. Furthermore, Rule 352.6 defines targeting as when a card "Chooses one or more specific Game Objects to affect." When you play a unit, you are placing it into a location (Rule 352.2), which is a game action required to put the unit onto the board, not an effect that targets or chooses the unit.

Ruling: Yes, playing a unit from your Chosen Champion slot counts towards Legion requirements. Sequence: - Play the unit from your Chosen Champion slot (e.g., Kai'sa) - This counts as one unit played - Play additional units from hand (e.g., Noxus Hopeful) to meet the total Legion requirement

Yes, playing a unit does start a chain. According to **Rule 332**, whenever a card is played, a chain is created. However, units have a specific interaction with the chain that prevents opponents from reacting to the unit itself. ### The Sequence for Playing a Unit: 1. **Chain Creation:** When you play a unit, it is placed on the chain. 2. **Finalization:** The unit goes through the "Finalize" step. 3. **Immediate Resolution:** Unlike spells, units skip the "Execute" and "Pass" steps. They resolve immediately upon being finalized. 4. **No Priority:** Because the unit skips the steps where players would normally receive priority to react, opponents cannot play reactions to the act of playing the unit itself. **Important Nuance:** While you cannot react to the unit being played, if that unit has a "When you play me" triggered ability (a Play Effect), that ability **does** go on the chain as a pending item after the unit enters the board. Players **can** react to that triggered ability once it is on the chain. *Reference: Rule 332, Rule 333.1.c, Rule 376.4.a, and RiftJudge FAQ #8333.*

Ruling: No, playing a unit does not allow reactions. Permanents go on the chain but bypass the Execute portion of FEPR when finalized and go directly to resolving. Sequence: - Permanent is played and goes on the chain - When finalized, it bypasses the Execute portion of FEPR - It goes directly to resolving Nuances: - This applies to all permanents, not just units

Ruling: Yes, priority passes during chain resolution. When each item resolves on the chain, the owner of the next link gets priority and all players must pass for that link to resolve, similar to Magic: The Gathering. Sequence: - An item on the chain resolves - The owner of the next link gets priority - All players must pass priority - The next link resolves - Process repeats until chain is empty Nuances: - Unlike Magic, when the chain empties there is NOT a priority window - the game just progresses to the next state (either open neutral or the next step of showdown) - Moving itself does not trigger a priority window, but triggers created by the move will give priority

Ruling: Might changes do not count as damage. Damage and might modifications are treated separately for Imperial Decree. Nuances: - Imperial Decree requires non-zero "damage" to be dealt; a might modification is simply the stat itself going up or down - When assigning damage with Imperial Decree, you must assign the full might value to be lethal on one enemy; you cannot split damage thinking 1 damage is lethal - A unit can die from being reduced to 0 health after might modifications are applied (e.g., dealing 3 damage with Hextech Ray then using Stupify to -1 might), but this is different from Imperial Decree's damage requirement

To answer your question: **No, healing your unit with Janna will not save it from the damage dealt by Elder Dragon’s play effect.** While you have the opportunity to play Janna in response to Elder Dragon’s triggered play effect, healing the unit does not prevent its death. ### Reasoning This interaction relies on the interaction between Elder Dragon’s passive ability and the timing of resolution: 1. **The Triggered Ability:** When you play Elder Dragon, its "When you play me" ability is placed on the chain, targeting your unit. 2. **The Passive Ability:** Elder Dragon’s passive ability states that any amount of damage dealt by its controller is enough to kill an enemy unit. This modifies the definition of lethal damage for any unit that has damage marked on it by the Elder Dragon's controller. 3. **The Resolution:** * You play Janna in response to Elder Dragon’s triggered ability. * Janna resolves first: She heals your unit, removing any pre-existing damage. * The Elder Dragon's triggered ability then resolves: It deals 1 damage to your unit. * Because the Elder Dragon’s controller is the source of this damage, the passive ability recognizes that the unit now has damage marked on it by that player. * Per the modified definition of lethal damage, that 1 damage is sufficient to kill the unit. Healing the unit before the damage is dealt does not protect it because the damage event itself creates the condition—marked damage from the Elder Dragon's controller—that triggers the modified, instant-kill lethal threshold. ### Sequence of Events 1. **Play Phase:** Opponent plays Elder Dragon. Its triggered ability is placed on the chain, targeting your unit. 2. **Reaction Window:** You play Janna in response to the Elder Dragon trigger. 3. **Resolution:** * **Janna resolves:** Your unit is healed. * **Elder Dragon trigger resolves:** Your unit takes 1 damage. 4. **State Check:** Because the unit now has damage marked on it by the Elder Dragon's controller, the passive ability applies. Since the unit has non-zero damage that is considered lethal, it is killed. *Note: This interpretation is based on the specific interaction logic detailed in RiftJudge FAQ #9964.*

No, *Gust* does not "fizzle." In Riftbound, spells do not fizzle in the traditional sense. When a spell resolves, it resolves as much as possible, even if its targets have become illegal. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #36** and **Rule 359.3.e.1**, if you react to *Gust* by playing *Discipline* to increase your unit's might above 3, the target becomes illegal for *Gust*. When *Gust* resolves, it checks the target's legality again: 1. It sees the target now has 5 Might (making it an illegal target for the "3 might or less" requirement). 2. It resolves without having any effect on that unit. 3. The spell then proceeds to the trash. As stated in the **RiftJudge FAQ #5530** (which clarifies that spells do not fizzle), the spell "resolves but does nothing" to the now-illegal target.

Ruling: No, when a unit is recalled, any attached gear remains attached to it. Sequence: - The unit moves from the battlefield to the base (both are board zones) - Gear stays attached throughout the recall - The unit arrives at the base with gear still attached Nuances: - Gear only detaches when a unit moves from a board zone to a non-board zone (such as being destroyed, banished, or returned to hand) - Recall is a board-zone-to-board-zone movement, so gear attachment is maintained

Ruling: Recall does not exhaust a unit by default. A unit only recalls exhausted if the effect specifically states to recall exhausted. Nuances: - Cards in Riftbound don't elaborate more than necessary - if some effects say "recall exhausted" then recall by default does not exhaust - After recalling active from a tie, the unit can perform a standard move on the same turn

Ruling: Recalls do not inherently exhaust units. A unit only exhausts if the specific effect text says to exhaust it. Nuances: - A recall only happens when an effect specifically uses the word "recall" - moving units back to your base is not automatically a recall - Many recall effects do say to recall the unit exhausted, but that's part of the effect text, not an inherent property of recalls - Some cards have errata that affect recall effects, so check for updated card text rather than relying on printed text

No, the Recruit token will not be created. According to **FAQ #3725**, when a unit with *Eye of the Herald* moves, its ability triggers and is placed on the chain. If you use *Gust* in response to that trigger to return the unit to its owner's hand, the unit is no longer on the battlefield when the ability resolves. Because the ability specifies that the token is played "**here**," the game must be able to determine the unit's location at the time of resolution. Since the unit is no longer on the board (it is in the hand), the location "here" returns "null," and the ability resolves with no effect. ### Sequence of Events: 1. **Move:** The unit with *Eye of the Herald* moves to a battlefield. 2. **Trigger:** The *Eye of the Herald* ability triggers and is placed on the chain. 3. **Reaction:** You play *Gust* in response, targeting the unit. 4. **Resolution (LIFO):** * *Gust* resolves first, returning the unit to the owner's hand. * The *Eye of the Herald* trigger attempts to resolve. It checks for the unit's location to determine where "here" is. Because the unit is in the hand, it has no location on the board. The instruction fails, and no Recruit token is created.

Ruling: No, Ava Achiever does not count towards Teemo Strategist's damage because Ava does not have the Hidden keyword itself. Cards must have the Hidden keyword, not just reference it, to trigger Teemo Strategist's effect.

Ruling: No, recycling does not trigger Deathknell. Deathknell only triggers when a unit dies, which specifically means being sent from Board to Trash. Recycling moves cards to a different zone and does not count as dying. Nuances: - Dying is only triggered when a permanent is killed and sent from any zone on the board to the trash - Killing is not a subset of Move, it is a distinct game action

Ruling: Reducing a unit's Might reduces both the damage needed to kill the unit and the damage that unit deals. Nuances: - Combat damage does not reduce a unit's Might - Units heal after combat, so there is no window to cast spells after combat but before healing occurs

Ruling: Reducing a unit's Might with Stupefy does not count as killing with a spell. When Stupefy reduces Might below the damage already marked on the unit, the game rules kill the unit due to damage equaling or exceeding Might, not the spell itself. Sequence: - A unit takes damage (e.g., 4 damage on a 5 Might unit) - Stupefy reduces the unit's Might (e.g., from 5 to 4) - The game rules see damage equals or exceeds Might and the unit dies - This death is caused by game rules, not by the spell Nuances: - "To a minimum of 1" on Might-reducing effects only prevents the unit from being reduced to 0 Might through the effect itself - Damage does not reduce a unit's Might; damage exists as a separate counter on the unit - The spell that dealt the original damage would count as killing with a spell if it later becomes lethal through Might reduction

Ruling: Lux's Legend ability only looks at the printed cost in the top left corner of the card. Cost reductions from cards like Eager Apprentice do not affect whether the ability triggers. Nuances: - Discounts are only applied when a card is being paid for; outside of payment, the game only recognizes the cost shown in the top left corner of the card.

No, removing a unit in response to its "When I'm played" ability does **not** prevent that ability from activating or resolving. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8020** and **FAQ #5217**: * "When you play me" abilities (Play Effects) still resolve even if the unit is killed, bounced, or banished by a reaction to that ability. * Once a unit with a Play Effect is played, the unit enters the board immediately. The Play Effect then triggers, enters the chain, and provides a window for players to play reactions. * Triggered abilities resolve independently of their source. While effects within the ability that reference the unit itself (e.g., "this unit," "here," or location-based references) may fail if the unit is no longer in play or at the correct location, the rest of the ability's instructions will still execute to the fullest extent possible. ### The Sequence Following **RiftJudge FAQ #6781** and **Core Rule 383.4.a.2**, the sequence is as follows: 1. **Play:** You play the unit card. It enters the chain and is immediately finalized to the board. 2. **Trigger:** Because the unit has a "When I'm played" ability, that ability triggers and is placed on the chain as a pending item. 3. **Reaction Window:** The state is now **CLOSED** (a chain exists). Players can now play [REACTION] cards to respond to the triggered ability. 4. **Removal:** If you use a reaction to remove the unit, the triggered ability remains on the chain. 5. **Resolution:** When players pass, the chain resolves (LIFO). The triggered ability resolves, performing as many of its instructions as possible.

Ruling: Yes, when you play a spell, you retain priority and can play reactions back-to-back as many as you have resources for. Once you're done, you pass to the next player who will have a chance to play reactions. Sequence: - Player plays a spell (Action or Reaction) and retains priority - Player can play additional Reactions to the chain without passing - When ready, player passes priority to opponent - Opponent can now play Reactions - Once all players pass in succession, resolve the topmost item on the chain Nuances: - You cannot respond to an Action card with another Action card - Actions must start the chain - A chain can only be started by one item - Focus and Priority are different: Focus allows you to start a chain during showdowns (play Actions or Reactions when chain is empty), while Priority allows you to play Reactions when there's an open chain - Focus passes automatically when a chain finishes resolving during showdowns - When you pass priority during a chain, you retain Focus

Ruling: No, it does not count as a Conquer. A Conquer only occurs when a player gains control of a battlefield they have not yet scored that turn. Nuances: - If an effect like Tianna prevents you from scoring for holding a battlefield, and you later remove that effect and gain control, you can still get a Conquer point since you haven't scored that battlefield yet this turn - Holding scores only happen during the Beginning phase, so gaining control later in the turn won't trigger holding score

No, returning a token unit to your hand does not trigger its **Deathknell** ability. According to **Rule 808.1.d**, the trigger condition for **Deathknell** specifically requires the permanent to be **Killed** and sent to the **Trash**. Additionally, RiftJudge FAQ #10284 clarifies this interaction: > "Q: Does Death Knell still proc if the unit is sent back to hand? > A: No, *Deathknell* does not trigger if a unit is returned to your hand. > > According to **Rule 808.1.d**: 'The Trigger for this effect is the Permanent being Killed and sent to the Trash.' Because *Deathknell* requires the unit to be killed and move to the trash, if a card effect causes that unit to be returned to your hand, the 'death' event never occurs. Consequently, the *Deathknell* ability is never triggered." While tokens are game objects that can possess **Deathknell** (as established in FAQ #9398), the requirement to be killed and move to the trash remains unchanged for them. Moving a token to your hand (or any zone other than the trash) prevents the "death" event from occurring, so the ability cannot trigger.

Yes, returning a unit to your hand detaches any gear attached to it. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9348**, when a unit is returned to your hand (such as by the effect of **Grim Apothecary**), any gear attached to that unit does not return to your hand with it. Instead, the gear detaches and remains at the battlefield where the unit was previously located. Following the resolution of the ability, because the gear is now unattached and present at a battlefield, it will be Recalled to your base during the next cleanup phase (per Rule 452.1).

Ruling: Yes, revealing a card with Apprentice Smith triggers Nocturne. After Nocturne's errata, both "look" and "reveal" effects work to trigger it. Nuances: - There is a difference between "look" and "reveal" as game mechanics - "Reveal" shows the card to all players, while "look" does not - Both mechanics trigger Nocturne's ability after the errata

Ruling: Yes, revealing cards counts as looking at cards for Nocturne's ability, as confirmed by the card's errata. Nuances: - Looking at cards does not count as revealing them (e.g., for other card interactions)

Ruling: Rule 552 does not apply to the initial chain. While the rule as currently written would apply to the initial chain, this was an oversight and there will be an exception added for the initial chain. Nuances: - The initial chain refers to situations covered by rule 551, such as when you attack or defend

Ruling: Yes, spell damage works with Imperial Decree. Imperial Decree triggers on any damage dealt to a unit, regardless of source. When a unit takes damage while Imperial Decree is active, it creates a pending trigger that will kill the unit. Sequence: - Damage is dealt to a unit (from spell, combat, or any source) - Imperial Decree's "kill it" trigger becomes pending - If damage is lethal, cleanup step attempts to kill the unit from damage - If Zhonya's Hourglass is used, it prevents death from lethal damage and recalls the unit exhausted, then Zhonya's is destroyed - Imperial Decree's pending trigger resolves and kills the unit Nuances: - If damage is LETHAL: Zhonya's saves the unit from the damage death, but Imperial Decree's trigger still resolves afterward and kills the unit anyway (the unit effectively "dies twice") - If damage is NON-LETHAL: Zhonya's can successfully save the unit from Imperial Decree's kill trigger, and the unit survives at the Base - Effects that modify Might (like -1 Might counters) or Stupefy do not count as damage and will not trigger Imperial Decree - Imperial Decree only triggers once per damage instance

Ruling: Spending buffs reduces Kraken Hunter's power cost. Seal of Strength can provide power in place of exhausting runes. If you exhaust Seal of Strength, you only need to remove 1 buff (instead of 2) to summon Kraken Hunter exhausted by exhausting 3 runes total. Nuances: - Buffs can also be spent to reduce Kraken Hunter's accelerate cost, as additional costs are just added to the base cost

Ruling: Taking an open battlefield starts a showdown. Moving units to a battlefield you already control does not start a showdown unless the move triggers an ability. Sequence: - When units move, a cleanup occurs - During cleanup, any triggered abilities are processed - At the very end of cleanup, a showdown starts if one should start - Control of a battlefield being contested (even from no one) triggers a showdown Nuances: - Moving to an empty battlefield counts as contesting control, so it starts a showdown - Moving to your own battlefield only opens a response window if the move causes an ability to trigger and create a chain - A cleanup after conquering only occurs if an ability was triggered due to conquering, once the chain it created is emptied

Ruling: Taking damage reduces a unit's HP but does not reduce their might. Units deal damage equal to their original might in combat, not their current HP. Only effects that specifically reduce might will affect damage calculation. Sequence: - Cast damage spells before combat (not after) - Units deal damage based on their might stat during combat - Units heal after combat Nuances: - Timing matters: damage spells must be cast before combat starts, as units heal after combat

The **Tank** keyword only functions during the Combat Damage step of a showdown. It has no effect on spells, abilities, or any other game actions outside of combat. According to **Rule 815.1.b**, Tank is functionally short for: *"I must be assigned lethal damage before any other unit with the same controller as me that does not have [Tank] during the Combat Damage step."* Regarding your question about **Falling Comet**: 1. **Tank does not apply:** Because Falling Comet is a spell and not combat damage, the Tank keyword is ignored. 2. **Targeting:** Falling Comet says "Deal 6 to a unit at a battlefield." This targets a single unit. You are free to target any unit at the battlefield, regardless of whether it has the Tank keyword or not. You are not required to target a unit with Tank first when using spells. As confirmed by **FAQ 7743**: *"Tank only applies to combat damage and does not affect spell damage."*

Ruling: Tapping Kai'Sa gives you 1 "power" (represented by symbols), which is the same resource you get from recycling a rune, not "energy" (represented by numbers) which comes from tapping runes. Nuances: - Numbers on cards represent "energy" which you get from tapping runes or certain effects - Symbols represent "power" which you get from recycling runes or effects like Kai'Sa's - If you have 2 ready runes and tap Kai'Sa for 1 power, you cannot activate a spell that costs 3 energy unless you have other ways to generate energy

Ruling: No, reflexive triggers do not allow you to draw from Dreaming Tree. Dreaming Tree requires targeting with a spell itself, not with triggered abilities that resolve after the spell. Sequence: - You play a spell that does not target - The spell resolves - Triggered abilities from that spell go on the chain and may target - These triggered ability targets do not count as "targeting with a spell" for Dreaming Tree Nuances: - The distinction is between targeting with the spell itself versus targeting with a triggered ability that was created by a spell

Ruling: Yes, temporary resolution goes on the chain as a triggered ability and can be reacted to by both players. Sequence: - The trigger condition occurs at the controller's Beginning Phase - The temporary trigger goes onto the chain - Both players can react to it Nuances: - Units with temporary can be saved via effects like Zhonay's (this is not optional)

Yes, units with the **Temporary** keyword can earn hold points. According to the rules, **Temporary** is a keyword that triggers a specific effect at the start of the controller's Beginning Phase (Rule 742.1.b). It does not restrict a unit's ability to participate in game actions like holding a battlefield or scoring points. As long as the unit is on the board and meets the requirements to hold a battlefield, it functions like any other unit. It will continue to contribute to holding a battlefield until the **Temporary** trigger resolves at the start of your Beginning Phase, at which point the unit is killed.

To answer your question, we must look at how playing a unit (such as an Ambush unit) interacts with the rules of a Showdown. ### 1. Playing a Unit is a "Legally Timed" Action Rule 348 refers to "playing a spell" or "activating an ability," but this is a shorthand for all legal actions a player can take during a Showdown. Rule 347 clarifies what a player with Focus may do: * **Rule 347.1:** A player with Focus may **"Play a card that is legally timed."** * **Rule 347.1.a:** **"The card will start a Chain as normal."** When you play a unit with **Ambush** during a Showdown, you are playing a card that is legally timed (thanks to the Ambush keyword's granted [Reaction] timing). By doing so, you are exercising one of the permitted actions under Rule 347. ### 2. Does Playing an Ambush Unit End the Showdown? No. Playing a card (including an Ambush unit) is not "passing Focus." According to Rule 348 and Rule 347.3.a, the Showdown only ends if **all players pass Focus in sequence** without any actions being taken. If you play an Ambush unit, you have taken an action, which resets the sequence of passes. ### 3. Summary of the Flow * **If you play an Ambush unit:** You have used your Focus to start a chain. Because you took an action, the "all players have passed" condition for ending the Showdown is **not met**. * **The Showdown continues:** After your unit enters play (and any triggered abilities resolve), the state returns to Open. Focus then passes to your opponent, who gets the opportunity to play their own cards or pass. * **Combat Progression:** Combat only proceeds to the damage step if **both players pass Focus consecutively** without playing any cards or activating abilities (Rule 348.1). Playing an Ambush unit prevents this from happening until your opponent subsequently passes their own Focus as well. In short: **Playing a unit is a distinct action in a Showdown.** It prevents the Showdown from ending and keeps the combat state active, meaning you are not forced into the combat damage step by simply playing a unit.

Yes, Elder Dragon's ability applies to any damage you deal to enemy units, regardless of the source, as long as you are the one controlling that source. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8684**, Elder Dragon's ability modifies how your damage interacts with enemy units. It does not matter if the damage comes from a spell, an ability, or combat; if the damage is yours and it is dealt to an enemy unit, that unit is killed. **Key points to remember:** * **"Your damage":** You must control the source of the damage (e.g., a spell you played, an ability of a unit you control, or combat damage from your units). * **"Enemy units":** The ability only affects enemy units. It does not protect your own units from your own damage (as clarified in FAQ #8684). * **Damage must be dealt:** The damage must actually be dealt to the unit. If the damage is prevented (e.g., by *Unyielding Spirit*), the condition for Elder Dragon's ability is not met, and the unit will not be killed (as clarified in **RiftJudge FAQ #9396**).

To answer your question: **Yes, the "hold" effect of *Last Rites* triggers during the ABCD steps.** ### Reasoning * **Card Analysis:** *Last Rites* is a Gear card with the effect: "When I conquer, you may play a unit from your trash." * **Game Mechanics:** According to Rule 376.4.c, "Hold Effects" are triggered abilities that occur when a player maintains control of a battlefield and gains a Victory Point during their Beginning Phase. * **Timing:** The FAQ (ID 7779) notes that "holding battlefield triggers occur at the end of the Begin phase." Because the "Begin" phase is the "B" in the ABCD sequence, the trigger occurs as part of that phase. ### Clarification on ABCD The ABCD sequence (Awaken, Begin, Channel, Draw) defines the turn structure. Since the "hold" trigger occurs at the end of the Begin phase, it is part of the ABCD sequence. *Last Rites* is a triggered ability that responds to the game event (holding) that occurs during this phase. Once the hold condition is satisfied and the point is scored, the ability is placed on the chain. Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules, as the provided context indicates *Last Rites* triggers on "conquer" rather than "hold."

Ruling: Attack triggers activate once per unit per combat. If a unit attacks multiple times in the same combat (e.g., via multiple Ride the Wind effects in one showdown), the trigger only activates once. If a unit is recalled and attacks again in a different combat, the trigger will activate again. Sequence: - First attack in a combat triggers the attack ability - Additional attacks in the same combat do not trigger the ability again - If the unit attacks in a new/different combat, the trigger activates again Nuances: - The restriction is per combat, not per turn or per game - Multiple instances of effects causing attacks in the same showdown count as the same combat

To address your question regarding the interaction between **Eager Apprentice** and **Vex, Cheerless**, we must look at how cost modifications are applied in Riftbound. ### The Ruling Yes, the cost reduction from Eager Apprentice can offset the Energy cost increase from Vex, Cheerless. However, because Vex's effect also increases the **Power** cost, the final cost of your spell will be affected by both. According to **Rule 353**, cost modifications are applied in a specific sequence: increases (Rule 353.3) are applied before discounts (Rule 353.4). Because Eager Apprentice's discount has a "minimum of 1 Energy" restriction, the order of operations ensures the final cost is calculated based on the total modified value. ### Example: Playing a 1-Energy Base Cost Spell If you play a spell with a base cost of **1 Energy + 0 Power** while you control an Eager Apprentice and your opponent controls a Vex, Cheerless: 1. **Start:** Base cost is 1 Energy + 0 Power. 2. **Apply Vex (Increase):** The spell's cost increases by 1 Energy + 1 Power. The new cost is **2 Energy + 1 Power**. 3. **Apply Eager Apprentice (Discount):** You reduce the Energy cost by 1. * *Note:* Eager Apprentice's discount has a "minimum of 1 Energy" restriction. * Applying the discount to the 2 Energy cost results in **1 Energy + 1 Power**. **Final Cost: 1 Energy + 1 Power.** ### Key Mechanics * **No Snapshotting:** These are continuous effects that apply during the **Determine Total Cost** step (Rule 353). * **Minimum Restrictions:** As clarified in **Rule 353.4.c** and **FAQ 8597**, the "minimum of 1" restriction applies to the specific discount providing it. You cannot reduce the Energy cost below 1 if a "minimum of 1" restriction is active on that specific discount. * **Power Costs:** Vex, Cheerless specifically increases both Energy and Power costs for enemy spells. Eager Apprentice only reduces the Energy cost. Therefore, even if you reduce the Energy cost to its minimum, the Power cost increase from Vex remains. Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules.

Ruling: Yes, the Darius unit reads itself when played as the 2nd card in a turn. Sequence: - The card is played and fully resolves - The unit enters the board - The "play" ability triggers - Since the unit is now on the board, it counts itself Nuances: - "Play" abilities trigger after a card has been played (fully resolved), so the unit is already on the board when its ability triggers

Yes, the triggered ability of **The Arena's Greatest** creates a chain at the start of the specified Beginning Phase, which allows players to respond with **[Reaction]** cards or abilities. According to **Rule 383.3** and supported by **RiftJudge FAQ #9468**, when a triggered ability's condition is met, it is placed on the chain, creating a **Closed State**. This allows players to play [Reaction] cards or activate [Reaction] abilities in response to the trigger before it resolves. ### Sequence of Events: 1. **Trigger:** At the start of the turn player's first Beginning Phase, the condition for The Arena's Greatest is checked. Since the condition is met, the ability triggers and is added to the chain. 2. **Priority:** Once the ability is on the chain, a **Closed State** is created, and priority passes to the players. 3. **Reaction:** Players may play [Reaction] cards or activate [Reaction] abilities. 4. **Resolution:** The chain resolves in reverse order (LIFO - Last In, First Out). If a reaction changes the game state such that the ability no longer has a legal target or valid conditions (if applicable), the effect would fail to resolve as intended. **Note on Frequency:** Per the card text ("At the start of each player's first Beginning Phase"), this trigger only occurs once per player per game. Once a player has had their first Beginning Phase of the game, this specific ability will not trigger for them again in that game. (Reference: **RiftJudge FAQ #506.3.c**)

Ruling: No, Assault does not trigger when moving to an open battlefield. Assault requires a combat with an attacker and defender, but moving to an open battlefield is a showdown without an opposing unit, so there is no attacker/defender roles. Nuances: - This means units with Assault buffs can be targeted by removal effects like Hextech Ray when moving to open battlefields, since they don't gain their combat-triggered benefits.