Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: You must have 4 units on the battlefield when you conquer. After showdown, you need 4 surviving units on the battlefield to trigger Garen's ability. Sequence: - Showdown occurs - Check if you have 4 units surviving on the battlefield - If yes, Garen's ability triggers when you conquer

Ruling: You must declare the target when Get Excited is put on the chain, but you don't discard until it resolves, so opponents won't know how much damage will be dealt until resolution. Sequence: - Get Excited is put on the chain and you declare the target - Opponents can respond, but don't know the damage amount yet - Get Excited resolves, you discard a card, and damage is dealt instantly Nuances: - All effects that target must declare targets when put on the chain - The discard cost is paid on resolution, not when targeting

Ruling: You target when you put the spell on the chain. The discard happens when the spell resolves, and you deal damage based on that discard. Sequence: - Target a unit when playing Get Excited and putting it on the chain - Opponent can react at this point - When Get Excited resolves, discard cards - Deal damage equal to the discarded cards' power - No reactions are possible once it begins resolving Nuances: - The discard is not a cost (it would need to say "as an additional cost to play me discard 1" to be a cost) - You cannot react to Get Excited knowing its final damage amount, since the discard happens at resolution - This works differently than other TCGs where similar effects typically discard as a cost

Ruling: The '7+ units' condition is checked at the moment you hold the battlefield to determine whether the ability triggers and is placed on the chain at all. If you have fewer than 7 units when you hold, the ability does not trigger. Sequence: - During your Beginning Phase, you hold the battlefield - The game immediately checks if you have 7+ units at that battlefield - If you have 7+ units: the ability is placed on the chain as a Pending Item - If you have fewer than 7 units: the ability does not trigger or go on the chain Nuances: - The '7+ units' requirement acts as a gatekeeper - it must be true for the ability to enter the chain - You cannot use the priority window after the ability triggers to add more units to meet the requirement, because the ability only triggers if you already have 7+ units - This is because conditional statements following a trigger condition must be true for the trigger to be placed on the chain

Ruling: The player draws a card even if the target unit doesn't die, because the draw is not conditional on the death. However, if the unit is removed from play (by effects like Gust or Retreat) before Hidden Blade resolves, there is no draw because the game cannot determine "its owner". Nuances: - The draw happens regardless of whether the unit dies from the damage - If the unit is no longer a legal target at the battlefield when Hidden Blade resolves (removed by Gust, Retreat, or similar effects), no draw occurs

No, the Bird, Cat, Dog, and Poro units do not have to be at the same battlefield to trigger the ability on **Ivern, Friend to All**. The card text specifies: "When I conquer or hold, score 1 point if your **units have all of the following tags among them** — Bird, Cat, Dog, and Poro." Because the condition specifies "among them" rather than "at this battlefield" or "at the same location," the ability checks your units across all locations you control (including your base and all battlefields). As long as you have at least one Bird, one Cat, one Dog, and one Poro currently in play under your control, the condition is met.

Ruling: The discard two is a triggered ability, not a cost. It triggers after Jinx has been played, and you do as much of it as you can based on your hand size. Sequence: - Play Jinx - The 'when you play' trigger occurs - Discard up to 2 cards (discard 1 if you only have 1 card in hand, discard 0 if you have no cards) Nuances: - If it were a cost, the card would say "as an additional cost to play me, discard a card" - The "when you play me" wording indicates it's a trigger that happens after the unit has been played

Ruling: To play Jinx Demolitionist accelerated, you must exhaust 4 runes total and recycle 2 red runes. Nuances: - "Exhaust" means tapping the runes - "Recycle" is the term for putting runes under your runes-deck

To play **Jinx, Demolitionist** with **Accelerate**, you must pay the total costs associated with both her base play cost and the optional Accelerate additional cost. ### The Breakdown of Costs To play her accelerated, the total requirement is: 1. **Energy Cost:** 4 Energy total (base cost). 2. **Power Cost:** 2 Fury Power total (1 base power cost + 1 additional for the Accelerate power cost). ### How to Pay Because the Accelerate ability is an "Optional Additional Cost" (Rule 805.2), you pay it during the process of playing the card (Rules 357 and 805.1.a): * **Exhaust:** You must exhaust **4 runes total** to generate the 4 Energy needed. * **Recycle:** You must recycle **2 Fury (red) runes total** to generate the 2 Power needed. According to Rule 805.1.a.1, because Jinx is a Fury-domain unit, the Power portion of her Accelerate cost must be paid with a Power that matches her domain. ### Summary When playing Jinx, Demolitionist accelerated, you must exhaust **4 runes** total and recycle **2 Fury runes** total. This fulfills both the base card requirement and the optional Accelerate cost, allowing her to enter the battlefield ready. *Note: As per Rule 805.6, this is a replacement effect, so Jinx enters the board ready; she does not enter exhausted and then ready.* Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules.

Ruling: No, Kadregrin's ability does not count Mighty units in your hand. It only counts Mighty units you control (in play).

Ruling: You choose the target when you play the spell and it goes on the chain, not when it resolves. Nuances: - This means you must commit to targets before your opponent can respond, potentially requiring you to overkill a unit if you anticipate a buff in response - You cannot wait to see if your opponent responds before allocating damage to multiple units

Ruling: No, you cannot equip Last Rites if you don't have two cards in your trash to recycle. Recycling two cards from your trash is part of the cost of equipping it, and costs must be paid in full to take an action.

For Legion, it does **not** have to be specifically your second card. As long as you have played at least one other Main Deck card earlier in the same turn, the Legion condition is satisfied for any subsequent cards you play that turn. According to Rule 738.1.c.1 and the related FAQs: * **Legion** is active once you have played at least one other Main Deck card during the turn. * It does not need to be the second card; it can be the third, fourth, or any subsequent card played that turn. * Playing a card satisfies the Legion condition for all Legion abilities you control for the remainder of that turn. In the case of **Noxus Hopeful**, if you play another Main Deck card before it, the Legion ability will trigger, reducing its cost by 2 energy.

Ruling: The "same controller" restriction prevents you from attaching an opponent's equipment to the moved unit. You can attach an equipment that's already on the board to the unit you move, as long as both the equipment and unit have the same controller. Nuances: - In 1v1 matches, all friendly units and equipment share the same controller, so this restriction doesn't typically matter - In 2v2 matches, this prevents you from moving your teammate's unit and then equipping your equipment to it - Without the "same controller" restriction, you could attach an opponent's equipment

No, you cannot "activate" *Switcheroo* before *Shield* activates because **Shield is not a triggered ability**—it is a passive effect that applies continuously as long as the unit has the "Defender" designation during combat. ### Why this interaction happens: 1. **Shield is Passive:** According to **Rule 814.1**, *Shield* is a passive ability keyword. It does not go on the chain and cannot be "responded to." It automatically applies its Might bonus to the unit the moment that unit is designated as a defender in combat. 2. **Timing of Switcheroo:** You can play *Switcheroo* from Hidden (which grants it [Reaction] timing per **Rule 811.6**) during a combat showdown. However, because *Shield* is passive, the bonus is already active and included in the unit's Might value before you even have a chance to play *Switcheroo* or while it is on the chain. 3. **Snapshotting:** Per **RiftJudge FAQ #8532**, *Switcheroo* snapshots the **current** Might of the units when it resolves. If *Mutated Mouser* is a defender, its Might value already includes the +2 from its *Shield* keyword. *Switcheroo* will swap that total Might value, but the *Shield* bonus itself remains a passive effect attached to *Mutated Mouser* for the remainder of the combat. ### Summary Because *Shield* is not a trigger, there is no moment where *Mutated Mouser* exists as a defender *without* the *Shield* bonus being applied. Any *Switcheroo* you play will be calculating the swap based on the Might value that **already includes** that *Shield* bonus.

No, you cannot get a channel effect from the **Obelisk of Power** battlefield every turn. According to the card text for **Obelisk of Power**, its ability states: "*At the start of each player's **first** Beginning Phase, that player channels 1 rune.*" Because the effect is restricted to the "first" Beginning Phase, it only triggers once per player during the game, rather than every turn.

Ruling: The active player looks at their top 3 cards and banishes one first, then the next player does the same. Since banished cards are public information, the opponent sees what the active player banished before making their own choice. When playing the banished cards, the next player (opponent) plays their card first, then the active player plays theirs, so the active player's card resolves first. Sequence: - Active player looks at top 3 cards and banishes one - Next player looks at top 3 cards and banishes one (knowing what active player banished) - Next player plays their banished card - Active player plays their banished card - Active player's card resolves first (if both are spells creating a chain) Nuances: - If either or both players pick units, those units resolve immediately upon being played rather than going on the chain - The play instruction allows non-reaction cards to be played after other cards, which normally wouldn't be chainable - The public nature of banished cards may be an unintended consequence of the card's design

Ruling: The player whose turn it is reveals first. The lines before the relevant text establish that actions are done one at a time, with the active player going first, and their banished card stays revealed. Sequence: - Active player (whose turn it is) chooses and reveals their card first - The revealed card stays revealed - Then the other player chooses and reveals their card

Ruling: Reaver's Row chooses a target when the trigger is put on the chain. When the trigger resolves, the player has the option to move the unit or not. Sequence: - Reaver's Row trigger is put on the chain and a target is chosen - When the trigger resolves, the player decides whether to move the chosen unit or not Nuances: - This allows the card to be used to buff units that care about being chosen (like Green Irelia) without necessarily moving them

Ruling: You target a unit when the trigger goes on the stack, but decide whether to actually move it (the "may" part) when the trigger resolves. You must target a unit every defense and make the choice on each resolution. Sequence: - When Reaver's Row triggers, you must target a unit - When the trigger resolves, you decide whether or not to move the targeted unit Nuances: - This allows you to target a unit to potentially bait reaction spells, then choose not to move it when the trigger resolves

Ruling: You choose the target unit at the beginning of the stack when Reaver's Row is activated. You decide whether to actually retreat that unit at the end of the stack when Reaver's Row resolves. Sequence: - Opponent attacks Reaver's Row - You defend and choose your unit as the target (e.g., Trav Merchant) - Other effects can be played and resolve on the stack - When Reaver's Row resolves, you choose whether to retreat the previously targeted unit Nuances: - The "may" clause is part of the resolution, so the choice to retreat happens during resolution, not when initially declaring the target

Yes, you must pay the full cost of the unit when using the Rek'Sai (Void Burrower) legend ability. According to RiftJudge FAQ #9215 and FAQ #284, you are required to pay the card's energy and power costs as normal when you play it using this ability. Only effects that explicitly state "ignoring its cost" allow you to play cards for free.

Ruling: Yes, you must pay the full cost of the unit (or non-unit card) when using Rek'Sai's legend ability. Only effects that explicitly say "ignoring [their/its] cost" allow you to play cards for free, and even then only the base cost is ignored. Sequence: (for Candlelit Sanctum interaction) - When both Candlelit Sanctum's battlefield effect and Rek'Sai's legend ability trigger from the same event, you control both triggers - You may order them as you please since you control both effects Nuances: - Rek'Sai's ability works with non-unit cards as well, not just units - You still pay the full cost for those cards unless an effect specifically says to ignore cost

Yes, the effect granted by **Relentless Pursuit**—"When I conquer, you may move me to my base"—remains active on that unit for the rest of the turn. As specified on the card, the effect explicitly states: "**This turn**, that unit has 'When I conquer, you may move me to my base.'" Because it is a continuous effect with a duration of "this turn," it will apply every time that unit successfully conquers a battlefield for the remainder of the turn (subject to the standard restriction that you can only score each battlefield once per turn, as per **RiftJudge FAQ #7610** and **RiftJudge FAQ #9258**).

Ruling: You choose the target when you play/activate Ride The Wind. It needs a valid target to enter the chain, and when it resolves you decide where to move that unit. Sequence: - Choose the target on activation - Put it on the chain - When it resolves, decide where to move that unit

Ruling: You choose both the unit and its destination when you put Ride the Wind on the chain. Sequence: - Choose the unit - Choose the destination - Put the ability on the chain

Ruling: You can only recycle a unit from the board (base or battlefield). "Unit" without further specification only refers to units on the board. Nuances: - "Friendly unit" means a unit you control, which excludes opponent's units - Units in hand and trash are in non-board zones and are not considered "units" for this purpose - The term "unit" by default only refers to objects on the board unless specified otherwise

Ruling: The rule should reference Champion Legend, not Chosen Champion. This was a typo in the rules. Your Rune Deck cards must match the Domain Identity of your Champion Legend. Nuances: - The original rule text incorrectly stated "Chosen Champion" but this has been acknowledged as an error and will be corrected

Ruling: No, you cannot add SMDR to your hand without discarding a card. The "discard to add to hand" wording means the discard is a cost that must be paid on resolution to get the effect. Nuances: - The "to" wording indicates a cost-effect relationship, not a simple instruction that can be partially followed - This is a cost paid on resolution (when the ability resolves from the chain), not on finalization - The triggered ability is placed on the chain every time you conquer if SMDR is in the trash, but you only get the effect if you can pay the cost when it resolves - Instructions that can be partially followed (like "discard 2, then draw 2") work differently from cost-effect instructions (like "discard to add to hand")

Ruling: You choose targets when you announce the spell. The two hits happen at the same time. Nuances: - When both units would be destroyed simultaneously and one has Zhonya's, the Zhonya's controller decides which unit is saved - This is similar to when multiple units die from combat clean-up

Ruling: When you play Spectral Matron, you select the target unit from trash when adding the trigger to the chain (because playing a card from trash is a targeted ability), but this does not create a pending item. You only pay costs and actually play the unit when the effect resolves. Sequence: - Play Spectral Matron and its "when you play me" trigger goes on the chain - Select which unit from trash to target when adding the trigger to the chain - Opponent can now react to the trigger on the chain - When the trigger resolves, pay additional costs and play the unit from trash Nuances: - The "pending" state applies to items pending to be added to the chain (like cards played during resolution of another effect, such as Promising Future) - Spectral Matron's trigger goes directly on the chain and is not a pending item - Target selection happens when adding to chain, but actual playing happens on resolution

Yes, you must kill a Bird, Cat, Dog, or Poro you control to play *Stalking Wolf*. This is a mandatory additional cost that must be paid when you play the card; if you cannot pay it, you cannot play the card.

Ruling: A card counts as Hidden only if it has the Hidden keyword itself. Cards that merely mention or reference Hidden (like Ember Monk) do not count as Hidden cards. Nuances: - Ava Achiever revealed from Strategist Teemo's effect does not count as a "card with Hidden" - Ember Monk does not count as a Hidden card despite mentioning Hidden in its text

Sunken Temple's ability does not require you to exhaust or recycle a rune. According to its card text, the ability is: "When you conquer here with one or more [Mighty] units, you may pay [1] to draw 1." To use this effect, you simply pay **1 Energy** from your Rune Pool at the moment you conquer. You do not need to perform an action on a specific rune (like exhausting or recycling it) as part of this ability's cost; you just need to have the required 1 Energy available in your pool.

Ruling: To accelerate Tasty Faefolk, you need to pay 1 energy and 1 calm power. You can get energy by exhausting any rune, and you can get calm power by recycling any calm rune. Nuances: - Numerals always represent energy costs - Symbols always represent power costs - How you generate the required energy and power is flexible (exhaust/recycle are the most common methods)

Ruling: No, Ember Monk does not count. A card must have the Hidden keyword itself, not just reference Hidden in its text. Nuances: - "Having X" means having the ability X on the card itself - Simply having the text "X" written on the card does not count as having that keyword

Ruling: Excess damage only counts after ALL defending units are killed. You must assign lethal damage to all units before any damage can be considered "excess." Sequence: - Assign damage to first defending unit until lethal (3 damage) - Assign remaining damage to second defending unit until lethal (3 more damage) - Only after both units have lethal damage assigned can the remaining damage (2 in this case) be considered excess - If Tryndamere attacks with an ally who can kill one unit, then Tryndamere's 8 damage against the remaining 3 Might unit would result in 5 excess damage Nuances: - Units cannot have more damage assigned than minimum lethal unless no further units remain to have damage assigned - Units that cannot be dealt damage (like immune Kayn) are exempt from mandatory damage assignment rules, meaning you can choose whether to assign damage to them or not, but they don't block excess damage calculation if you choose not to assign to them

Ruling: Only combat damage assigned during the combat damage step counts toward Tryndamere's exceeding damage requirement. Spell damage does not count, even if cast during combat. Sequence: - Spells (like Hidden Blade) resolve before combat damage is assigned - Combat damage is resolved last - Tryndamere must be present in the combat and conquer - You need to damage at least one unit in the combat damage step with at least 5 exceeding damage in that step Nuances: - You can use spells to damage units before combat, reducing the amount of combat damage needed to reach 5 exceeding damage - Direct kill spells like Hidden Blade resolve before combat damage, so they don't contribute to the exceeding damage calculation

The stun applied by **Vex, Apathetic** lasts until the beginning of the next Ending Step. According to **Rule 423.1.a.2**, stunned units lose the Stunned status at the beginning of the next Ending Step. As clarified in **RiftJudge FAQ #3710**, this refers to the next Ending Step that occurs in the game, which is the active player's (the player who applied the stun) Ending Step. This means the unit becomes unstunned during the same turn it was stunned. Additionally, Vex's ability text explicitly states: "They can't move it this turn," which reinforces that the restriction on the unit's movement is limited to the turn in which it was played and stunned.

Ruling: When Volibear attacks, the trigger goes on the chain and you choose targets at that time. When the trigger resolves, you then assign the 5 damage between the chosen targets (must assign at least 1 damage to each). Sequence: - Attack with Volibear, trigger goes on the chain - Choose targets for the damage - When trigger resolves, assign the 5 damage between chosen targets Nuances: - You must assign at least 1 damage to each chosen target - Because targets are chosen before resolution, opponents can respond by buffing units before damage is assigned

Weaponmaster is a triggered ability that only activates when you play the unit. It does not remain in effect while the unit is on the board. According to Rule 747.1 and Rule 747.3: * **Rule 747.1:** "Weaponmaster is a Triggered Ability keyword... [that] is a Play Effect..." * **Rule 747.3:** "Weaponmaster has no function while on the board." **Key takeaways:** * **Timing:** The ability triggers only at the moment you play the unit. You cannot use it at any other time while the unit is on the board. * **Cost Reduction:** The cost reduction (by 1 power) applies only during the resolution of that specific "When you play me" trigger. * **Functionality:** Once the unit is on the board, the Weaponmaster keyword becomes inactive and provides no further benefits. Any subsequent equipping of gear to that unit must be done through the gear's own standard Equip ability (paying the full cost) or other card effects.

An uncontrolled battlefield is a battlefield that is not currently controlled by any player. According to **Rule 184.2.b**, a battlefield is either "Controlled by a specific player or Controlled by no one." When a battlefield is "Controlled by no one," it is considered **uncontrolled**. In the context of Yone's ability, "When I conquer a battlefield that was uncontrolled," this refers to a situation where you move Yone to a battlefield that has no controller at the moment the move occurs (or at the moment the showdown begins), and you subsequently establish control over it by the end of that showdown. Key points regarding control and uncontrolled battlefields: * **Establishment of Control:** Control is established by having units at a battlefield at the end of a showdown or combat (Rule 184.4). * **Losing Control:** A player loses control of a battlefield immediately if they have no units there, unless the battlefield is currently contested (Rule 184.4.c). * **Contested Status:** If you move a unit to an uncontrolled battlefield, it becomes contested (Rule 184.3.a). The battlefield remains contested until control is established or re-established (Rule 184.3.b). If you move Yone to a battlefield that no player currently controls, it is an uncontrolled battlefield. If you then win the resulting showdown or combat and establish control, Yone's ability will trigger.

Ruling: You declare the targeted unit when you put Get Excited on the chain, but you don't discard until the spell resolves. This applies when the discard is part of the resolution of the spell and isn't an additional cost. Sequence: - Declare the targeted unit when casting (putting on chain) - Discard during resolution Nuances: - This timing only applies to cards where the discard is part of the spell's resolution, not an additional cost - Bullet Time works the same way - These appear to be the only two examples in the current card pool

Ruling: You can play the card as long as any player controls a gear (including your opponent's). You draw 1 card regardless of whether the gear is killed or not. Sequence: - Target any gear (yours or opponent's) when playing the spell - The gear's controller chooses whether to kill it during resolution - Draw 1 card regardless of the choice made Nuances: - You cannot play the card if no gears are on the battlefield at all - The draw effect is independent from the kill effect (separated by a full stop/period) - You can target your own gear and choose not to kill it, still drawing the card

Ruling: You must declare all targets when the ability goes on the chain/stack, before the ability resolves and before any reactions can be played. This applies even when the target is mentioned in the middle or end of the ability text. Sequence: - Play the ability card - Immediately declare all targets (before knowing information like damage amounts) - The effect goes on the stack - Priority passes and reactions can be played - The ability resolves (executing instructions in order) Nuances: - If a targeted unit dies before the ability resolves, the ability still resolves but cannot find the target, so nothing happens (the effect is not "negated") - You have no information about variable effects (like damage amounts from card reveals) before choosing targets - The active player retains priority after playing the ability and declaring targets, allowing them to play reactions before passing priority

Ruling: May choices are made on resolution. The trigger always goes onto the chain, and as it resolves, the controller may choose to do the effect. Sequence: - The trigger goes onto the chain (this always happens) - The trigger resolves - On resolution, the controller chooses whether to use the may effect Nuances: - This applies to all "when [trigger], you may do" effects - they always go onto the chain and then optionally have an effect - You cannot skip putting the trigger on the chain to avoid starting a chain

Ruling: When an ability with "you may" wording triggers, you must choose targets during activation (before opponent can react), but you decide whether to actually execute the "you may" effect during resolution. Sequence: - The ability triggers and goes onto the chain if there is a valid target - You choose any required targets as part of activation - Opponent can now react to the ability on the chain - When the ability resolves, you decide whether to use the "you may" option Nuances: - This ruling comes from Riot devs and Chinese judges, though it has been acknowledged as confusing and may be clarified in upcoming rules updates - If there are no valid targets, the ability does not trigger at all

Ruling: You must recycle exactly 3 cards to activate Garbage Grabber's ability because it is a cost. You can play Chemtech Enforcer with an empty hand because the discard is an on-play effect, not a cost. Nuances: - Costs (like recycle 3) must be paid in full to activate an ability - On-play effects happen after the unit has already resolved and hit the board, so they attempt to resolve even if they cannot be fully completed - On-play effects are not the same as on-cast effects

Ruling: Yes, you still draw the card. The spell resolves even if some or all of its targets become illegal. Nuances: - Only instructions that specifically need or refer to a target can mistarget - Other effects on the spell (like drawing a card) still resolve normally even when the target becomes illegal

Ruling: When you play a unit with Accelerate, you may choose to pay the Accelerate cost or not at that time. You cannot pay the Accelerate cost later in your turn. Sequence: - When playing the unit card, decide whether to pay the Accelerate cost - If paid, the Accelerate effect occurs as part of playing the card - Once the unit is on the board, Accelerate can no longer be paid Nuances: - Accelerate costs can only be paid as part of the steps of playing a card, not while the unit is on the board