Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: To hide a card, you must control a battlefield, and the hidden card is placed at that battlefield. If there are no units at the battlefield where the hidden card is located, the hidden card is sent to the trash. Nuances: - You can prevent hidden cards from being played by countering them with cards like Defy or Wind Wall - The rainbow symbol on cards means "recycle any rune"

Ruling: Might increases are applied before might reductions. Each Smoke Screen snapshots the unit's current might when played and applies a continuous reduction. The first Smoke Screen sees the Poro at 6 might and applies -4 might continuously. The second Smoke Screen then sees the Poro at 2 might (6 - 4) and applies -1 might continuously, for a total of -5 might reduction. During combat, the Poro will be at 1 might (6 - 5, minimum 1). After combat when shield and Yi passive expire, the Poro will be at -2 might (2 base + 1 buff - 5 from Smoke Screens) but will not die unless damage is assigned to it. Sequence: - Calculate total might with all increases (base + shield + buff + Yi passive = 6) - First Smoke Screen sees 6 might, applies -4 might continuously - Second Smoke Screen sees 2 might (6 - 4), applies -1 might continuously - Total continuous reduction is -5 might - During combat: 1 might (minimum enforced when effect applied) - After combat: -2 might (temporary bonuses expire but reductions remain) Nuances: - The "to a minimum of 1" clause is only checked when the effect is applied, then the reduction continues regardless of how might changes afterward - Units with negative might do not die unless they have non-zero damage assigned to them - Shield and Yi bonus and buff all "remain" but are canceled out by the might reductions

Move triggers function like any other triggered ability in Riftbound: when the condition ("When I move" or similar) is met, the ability is placed on the chain. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #5749** and **Rule 376.3**, "when I move" is a triggered ability that creates a chain, which provides your opponent an opportunity to react. ### How Move Triggers Work 1. **Triggering:** When a unit moves, the "When I move" condition is met. 2. **Chain Creation:** The triggered ability is placed on the chain as a pending item. This creates a **Closed State** (Rule 330.1). 3. **Reaction Window:** Because the chain is now open and in a closed state, players have an opportunity to play [Reaction] cards in response to the move trigger (Rule 325.1). 4. **Resolution:** Once all reactions have been played and both players pass, the chain resolves in LIFO (Last-In, First-Out) order. ### Important Nuances * **Moving vs. Move Triggers:** The act of moving itself is instantaneous and does not use the chain (Rule 424.3.c). You cannot react to the move itself. You are reacting to the **triggered ability** that occurs as a result of the move. * **Showdown Timing:** If a move trigger occurs outside of a showdown, the chain must fully resolve before a showdown can begin (see **RiftJudge FAQ #6117**). A showdown can only begin during the cleanup phase if there is no existing chain. * **Simultaneous Triggers:** If multiple triggers occur simultaneously (e.g., a move triggers an ability for both players), they are placed on the chain in turn order, with the active player's triggers going on first (Rule 376.3.b).

Ruling: Each Vex, Cheerless provides a separate cost reduction of 1 Energy and 1 Power, with each discount having its own "minimum of 1 Energy" constraint that applies only to that individual discount. Players choose the order to apply discounts, and each discount's result becomes the base for the next discount. Sequence: - Start with the spell's base cost - Apply first Vex discount: reduce by 1 Energy and 1 Power, but cannot reduce Energy below 1 for this discount - Apply second Vex discount: reduce by 1 Energy and 1 Power from the new cost, but cannot reduce Energy below 1 for this discount - Apply any additional cost reductions without minimums (like Ezreal - Prodigy) which can reduce the cost to 0 Nuances: - Vex's ability only works during combat showdowns, not regular combat - With two Vex units, Defy (base cost 1 Energy + 1 Power) becomes 1 Energy + 0 Power - The "minimum of 1" applies to each individual discount, not the final cost - Cost reducers without minimum restrictions (like Ezreal) can be layered after Vex discounts to potentially reach 0 cost - For opponent's spells, Vex increases costs by 1 Energy and 1 Power per Vex (e.g., Fight or Flight becomes 3 Energy + 1 Power with one Vex)

Ruling: Multiple units moving TO the same battlefield location can be moved at once to create a single showdown. Damage is assigned based on total combined might (not individually per unit), and damage heals at the end of each showdown and at the end of turns. Sequence: - Move multiple units to the same battlefield location simultaneously to create one showdown - Each player assigns damage however they want based on total might - Damage heals at the end of the showdown - If you want multiple showdowns at the same location, you must move units separately (triggering separate showdowns), but the defending units will heal between showdowns Nuances: - Units must move TO the same location at the same time to be in the same showdown; showdowns trigger immediately when units arrive at a battlefield the player doesn't control - You cannot ready a unit and then add more units to join that showdown - the showdown happens immediately - To conquer a battlefield, at least one of your units must survive the showdown - If units on both sides survive, attacking units are recalled to base - All units on the board heal after combat, not just those involved in the showdown

Ruling: Passive effects (indicated by "while" wording) like Shield, Assault, and Master Yi's Legend ability apply immediately at the start of combat before any player can play cards or trigger abilities. They cannot be reacted to. Might reduction effects like Smokescreen reduce the unit's current might (including any passive bonuses already applied), and units can have negative might without dying. Sequence: - Combat showdown begins - All passive effects (Shield, Assault, Master Yi Legend, etc.) apply immediately - If there are "when I attack" or "when I defend" triggers, they go on the chain and can be reacted to - If there are no such triggers, attacking player immediately gets priority on an empty chain - Players alternate playing cards and passing until both pass on an empty chain - Combat damage occurs Nuances: - Passive effects use "while" wording, triggers use "when" wording - Assault bonus applies whenever a unit is an attacker, even if Cleave is played late in the showdown - Units at negative might do not die until they take at least 1 damage - After Smokescreen resolves on a unit with passive might bonuses, the unit's might equals its new reduced value (e.g., 5 might reduced to 1), and when combat ends and passives stop applying, it can go negative

Ruling: In best-of-3, players select a battlefield and simultaneously reveal it after legend and chosen champion are revealed but before determining who plays first. Players cannot select the same battlefield in subsequent games of the match. Sequence: - Game 1: Each player picks from their 3 battlefields - Game 2: Each player picks from their remaining 2 battlefields (cannot reuse Game 1 battlefield) - Game 3: Each player must use their last remaining battlefield (the one not used in Games 1 or 2) Nuances: - Random battlefield selection is specific to best-of-1 format only - In best-of-3, you actively choose which battlefield to use each game

Ruling: To play a gear (seal) from hand, you recycle 1 rune of the matching color one time. Once on board, using the gear each turn is free and it produces 1 power of that color, which can pay for power costs on cards without needing to recycle additional runes. Sequence: - Pay the initial cost (recycle 1 matching rune) to play the seal from hand to board - Each turn thereafter, activate the seal for free to generate 1 power - Use that power to pay for power costs on cards (e.g., a card costing 3 runes + 1 yellow power would only require paying 3 runes if you have 1 yellow power from a seal) Nuances: - Seals cannot pay for effects that specifically require you to recycle runes (like Sigil of the Storm) - Seals have speed "reaction" but nothing can react to them, preventing opponents from responding before you receive the resources - This prevents counter-spell scenarios where an opponent could act before you gain the power needed to respond - You can stack multiple reactions before passing priority to the next player

Ruling: When calculating might modifications that have already been applied, increases are calculated first, then decreases. This ensures that "to a minimum of 1" effects are checked after increases have been applied. Sequence: - Apply all increases to the base might - Apply all decreases (including minimum checks) to the result Nuances: - This rule applies to the mathematical calculation of already-applied effects, not to chain resolution order - Triggered abilities that modify might still resolve via the chain as normal - Passive abilities that modify might (like Shield) do not use the chain and apply immediately - The biggest practical impact is with effects like Leona's that reduce might to a minimum of 1 - these are always calculated after static might increases, so a 6 might unit at a location with +1 might under Leona's effect ends up at 1 might (6+1-6=1, not 1+1=2)

Ruling: The new Deathknell rules fix Kog'Maw so his ability now correctly resolves. Previously, "my battlefield" was invalid when Kog'Maw was in trash, but now the game remembers his original battlefield before he dies, allowing his damage effect to work properly. Sequence: - Deathknell abilities pend before units are killed by damage - All units heal - Units die and Deathknell abilities finalize (or come off the chain if death was replaced) - After cleanup, a chain is created with all Deathknell abilities (but not Conquer abilities yet) - Normal non-showdown priority rules apply for this chain - Deathknell abilities resolve - When the chain is empty, control is established and Conquer effects happen Nuances: - This is technically a huge buff since Kog'Maw didn't work before under strict rules interpretation - In practice, players already played him as if he worked this way (or didn't play him at all), so functionally nothing changed

Ruling: Rule 541 is a generic rule stating that if a Chain exists, triggered abilities are added to that Chain. Rule 543.2 describes what happens when a triggered ability is triggered while resolving an item on the Chain, with 543.2.a following the same principle as 541 (add to existing Chain) and 543.2.b creating a new Chain. Sequence: - If a Chain exists and a triggered ability is triggered, add it to the existing Chain (rule 541) - When resolving an item on the Chain triggers an ability, apply rule 543.2 - Rule 543.2.a: add to existing Chain (same as 541) - Rule 543.2.b: create a new Chain Nuances: - Rule 541 is not a step in the process but rather a generic rule that applies whenever the condition is met - Both rules work together to handle different timing scenarios for triggered abilities

Ruling: In a best-of-one scenario, the battlefield must be chosen randomly. Nuances: - In best-of-three, for games 2 and 3, both players select their battlefields in private (from the 2 they have not used) and reveal them simultaneously

Ruling: In 2v2, turns alternate between teams with players on each team taking turns in sequence: Team 1 Player 1 → Team 2 Player 1 → Team 1 Player 2 → Team 2 Player 2, and so on. Sequence: - Randomly choose a player who decides whether they go first or last - Turns alternate between teams - Team 1 Player 1 goes first - Team 2 Player 1 goes second - Team 1 Player 2 goes third - Team 2 Player 2 goes fourth - Pattern continues Nuances: - Only the last player in turn order (Team 2 Player 2 in the example) channels an extra rune - The first player (Team 1 Player 1) does not draw a card on their first turn - The procedure for determining which specific player on each team goes first is not strongly defined in the rules

Ruling: A card's domain identity is determined by the color of the bar behind the card's name, or alternatively by the symbol at the bottom right of the card (for colorblind accessibility). Nuances: - The term "domain identity" specifically refers to the identity of legends and decks themselves - Individual cards have a "domain" (not "domain identity"), and cards with a domain that falls under your deck's domain identity are allowed in the deck - For example, Ravenbloom Student has a blue bar indicating Mind domain, so it can only go into Mind decks

Ruling: Cards reference current might unless they specifically indicate otherwise. Might is a property of units, not cards. Nuances: - Gust references current might, not original might - The distinction matters for units whose might has been modified during play

Ruling: Rainbow-colored symbols indicate [A] (any power/any domain), while solid colored symbols indicate [C] (power of that specific domain/color). Sequence: - Look at the symbol's coloring: rainbow = any power, single color = that color's power - Alternatively, check the symbol's shape: generic domain symbol (rainbow-colored) = any power, while domain-specific shapes (Fury, Mind, etc.) = that domain's power Nuances: - Both Sett The Boss and Kai'Sa, Daughter of the Void have rainbow rune icons, meaning [A] (any power) - In Sealed, you can recycle a Red Rune for Sett's ability or tap Kai'Sa for Yellow power because they use [A] - The distinction matters in all formats, not just Sealed

To equip **Guardian Angel**, you must use its **Equip** ability. According to **Rule 818.1**, Equip is an activated ability found on Gear. To equip the card, you must: 1. **Pay the Cost:** Pay the cost listed next to the **Equip** keyword on the card. 2. **Choose a Target:** Choose a unit you control to be the target. 3. **Attach:** The **Guardian Angel** gear becomes attached to that unit. Once attached, the unit is considered "Equipped" (Rule 818.2). As specified in the **Patch Notes (2025-05-12)**, because the card is now attached, its printed rules text becomes inactive (Rule 135.4), but the replacement effect it provides remains active because it is an equipment-based ability. **Important Note:** You cannot activate the **Equip** ability if the **Guardian Angel** is already attached to a unit. If a unit equipped with **Guardian Angel** is killed, the gear stays attached to the unit (as the unit is recalled to the base rather than sent to the trash), and you can continue to use it in future turns.

Ruling: When multiple triggered abilities trigger simultaneously, they all go on the same chain. The controller of those triggers chooses the order they go on the chain (placing them in inverse order of desired resolution, since the chain resolves last-in-first-out). Sequence: - When multiple triggers occur simultaneously, the turn player puts their triggers on the chain first - The turn player chooses the order for their own triggers - Then other players add their triggers to the chain - The chain resolves with non-turn player triggers resolving first, then turn player triggers (in reverse order of how they were placed) Nuances: - All simultaneously triggered abilities go on one chain, not separate chains - Abilities are placed on the chain in inverse order to how you want them to resolve (last on resolves first) - When multiple players have simultaneous triggers, the turn player's triggers are added to the chain first, meaning non-turn player triggers resolve first

Ruling: The attacker gains focus first in a showdown and can pass focus, play an action, or play a reaction. You can use reactions when the chain is empty. Both players must pass priority before proceeding to damage. Sequence: - The attacker is the first to gain focus in a showdown - They can pass to give the other player focus, or play an action or reaction - After that resolves, the other player in the showdown gains focus - The order of timings is base speed > action > reaction (each has all properties of the one before) - Both players must pass priority with no actions before proceeding to damage Nuances: - It is not possible to go to damage without your opponent having the chance to play cards - Reactions can be used when the chain is empty

Ruling: Exhausting a rune generates energy, which is used to pay numerical costs on cards (color doesn't matter). Recycling a rune generates power (the colored symbol), which is used to pay symbol costs on cards (color dependent). Runes themselves do not directly pay for costs. Sequence: - To pay a numerical cost: Exhaust runes to generate energy - To pay a symbol/power cost: Recycle runes to generate power (or tap a seal) - You can exhaust a rune before recycling it - Energy doesn't have to be used immediately Nuances: - Energy and power are not interchangeable - Seals can also generate power when tapped - The key principle: "Runes do not pay for costs, and costs on cards are not looking for runes"

Ruling: You need to exhaust 1 rune of any color (generating 1 energy) and recycle 1 yellow rune (generating 1 yellow power). These can be the same rune done in sequence: exhaust a yellow rune to float 1 energy, then recycle that same rune to generate 1 yellow power. Sequence: - Exhaust 1 rune of any color to generate 1 energy - Recycle 1 rune that produces yellow power (can be the same rune) - Tap the card Nuances: - Number in circle symbols mean energy (which has no domain type) - Colored symbols always mean power - Energy and power are different resources - The rainbow symbol is the generic version of colored power symbols (can pay or be paid for with any color) but still requires recycling

Ruling: You need to pay 3 Energy (by tapping runes) AND 1 Fury Power (by recycling a fury rune or using a fury gear). The number represents energy cost and the rune icon represents power cost. Nuances: - Energy (numbered costs) can only be paid by tapping runes - Power (colored rune icon costs) can be paid by either recycling runes of that color OR by tapping gear that produces that color - Gear cannot pay energy costs, only power costs

Ruling: You pay power costs by recycling cards or exhausting a Seal. Seals do not add mana; they are used for the exhausting cost. Sequence: - To pay a power cost, recycle a card of the appropriate color OR exhaust a Seal - Seals themselves do not generate or add mana to your pool

Ruling: Poro Snax is a Gear card (not Equipment) that is played directly to your Base, not attached to a unit. When you play it, you immediately draw 1 card, and you can later use its activated ability to pay 1 Energy, 1 Calm, and Tap and Kill it to draw another card. Sequence: - Play Poro Snax from hand to your Base - Its triggered ability activates: draw 1 card immediately - Later, you may activate its ability by paying 1 Energy and 1 Calm, Tapping it, and destroying it to draw 1 additional card Nuances: - Poro Snax provides no Might and doesn't strengthen units in combat - It's played for card advantage: it replaces itself immediately when played, effectively thinning your deck - It can trigger "play a card" or "play a Gear" effects on other cards you control - Only Gear cards with the "Equipment" tag and "Equip" keyword attach to units; standard Gear cards like Poro Snax stay at your Base

Ruling: Players make choices in turn order (the turn player chooses first, then the opponent), and both players can choose units from any battlefield. All chosen cards are recycled at the same moment. Sequence: - Turn player chooses their units/gears to keep (up to 2) - Opponent then chooses their units/gears to keep (up to 2, can choose the same ones the turn player chose) - All non-chosen cards are recycled simultaneously Nuances: - You cannot choose the same unit twice (even though the card doesn't say "different") - If you have fewer than 2 units, you must choose from your opponent's board to reach 2 choices - Deflect does not apply to Divine Judgement choices because they are not targets - In rare cases like Promising Future where a non-turn player casts Divine Judgement, that player would still choose first as the turn player

In a 3-player game (FFA3/Skirmish), the **Victory Score is 8 points** (Rule 482.3). To win the game, you must be the first player to reach the Victory Score. According to Rule 467, a player wins when a cleanup occurs if they have accrued points greater than or equal to the Victory Score **and** have more points than any opponent. ### How to Score Points There are two ways to score points (Rule 446): 1. **Hold (Rule 446.2):** You maintain control of a battlefield during your Beginning Phase. You score 1 point for each battlefield held. 2. **Conquer (Rule 446.1):** You gain control of a battlefield you did not yet score this turn. ### Important Restrictions for Winning * **The Final Point:** If you are at 7 points and attempting to reach 8, specific rules apply: * **Winning by Holding:** If you Hold a battlefield at the start of your turn, you gain the winning point automatically (Rule 466.1.b.1). * **Winning by Conquering:** If you Conquer a battlefield for your final point, you only win if you have also scored every other battlefield in play during that same turn (Rule 466.1.b.2). If you conquer a battlefield but haven't scored all others that turn, you do not gain the point and instead draw a card. ### Additional Notes * **Holding Multiple Battlefields:** If you hold multiple battlefields at the start of your turn, you score 1 point for each (up to the limit of the battlefield count for that turn), potentially allowing you to jump from 6 points to 8 points (see RiftJudge FAQ #1094). * **Immediate Win:** If you gain two or more points in a single sequence of events (such as holding two battlefields at the start of your turn), and doing so puts you at or above the Victory Score with a lead over all opponents, you win immediately without waiting for a cleanup (Patch Notes 2026-03-30).

Ruling: Lux does not provide ramp. When you exhaust her, you get 2 energy that can only be spent on spells during that turn. Sequence: - Exhaust Lux to gain 2 energy - This energy can only be used for spells - The energy does not persist beyond the current turn - On a 6 rune turn, you can exhaust 6 runes + Lux to play an 8 cost spell Nuances: - This works similarly to Kai'Sa's Legend ability, though Kai'Sa gives Power instead of Energy

Ruling: To play a card with Accelerate, you pay the card's base energy cost plus 1 additional energy, and you recycle one rune of the power type shown in the Accelerate cost. Numbers represent energy costs (exhaust runes), while symbols represent power costs (recycle runes). Sequence: - Exhaust runes equal to the base energy cost plus 1 - Recycle one rune matching the power symbol shown in the Accelerate cost - Example: A card with base cost 5 and Accelerate cost 1 fury power requires exhausting 6 runes total and recycling 1 fury rune Nuances: - The power type required for Accelerate always matches the card's domain type (shown in bottom right) - Energy and power are two different resources, though runes can produce both - Rainbow symbol represents power of any domain

Ruling: Ahri Fox Fire targets any number of units as long as the total might of all units is less than or equal to 4. After the opponent reacts with spells/buffs, the Ahri player chooses a subset of the originally selected targets (not redistributing damage, but selecting which targets to affect). Sequence: - Select any number of units with total might ≤ 4 as targets - Opponent can react with spells/buffs when allowable - Ahri player then chooses a subset of the selected targets Nuances: - Technically you don't redistribute damage; you choose a subset of targets from those originally selected

Ruling: Aspirant's Climb has a passive effect that is active simply by being in play. It does not need to be conquered or held. It increases the points needed to win by 1 for all players (9 points in 1v1/FFA, 12 in 2v2). Nuances: - If multiple Aspirant's Climb cards are in play, the effect stacks (e.g., if both players have one in 1v1, the win condition becomes 10 points) - The card would explicitly say "while you hold" or "when you conquer" if those conditions were required

### How Assembly Rig Works **Assembly Rig** is a Gear card with the following activated ability: > "[1] [C], Recycle a unit from your trash, [T]: Play a 3 [S] Mech unit token to your base." To activate this ability, you must pay all three costs simultaneously: 1. **[1] [C]**: Pay 1 energy and 1 power of the card's domain (Fury). 2. **Recycle a unit from your trash**: You must choose one unit card from your trash and move it to the bottom of your Main Deck (Rule 403.1). 3. **[T]**: Exhaust the Assembly Rig. Because this is an activated ability, it uses the chain (Rule 370.2). Once the costs are paid and the ability is on the chain, your opponent has an opportunity to respond. If it resolves, you play a 3 [S] Mech unit token into your base. ### Can you summon a 3 [S] Mech unit token every turn? Yes, provided you can consistently pay the costs. There is no "once per turn" restriction on the card's text. However, you are limited by the following factors: * **Resource Availability**: You must have the required energy and a Fury power available each time you wish to activate it. * **Trash Availability**: You must have at least one unit card in your trash to pay the "Recycle" cost. If your trash is empty, you cannot pay the cost, and therefore cannot activate the ability (Rule 403.3). * **Ready Status**: Because the ability requires you to exhaust the Assembly Rig ([T]), you can only activate it once per turn unless you have a way to "ready" the Gear to activate it again. *** **Important Rules References:** * **Rule 403 (Recycle)**: Recycling is the action of taking one or more cards from a specific zone (in this case, your trash) and putting them on the bottom of the corresponding deck (your Main Deck). When listed as a cost, the action must be able to be completed in full for the cost to be paid. * **Rule 370.2 (Activated Abilities)**: Activated abilities use the chain, meaning they can be responded to by your opponent. * **Rule 179.1.d (Tokens)**: The 3 [S] Mech unit token is a unit. It enters play exhausted (as is standard for units played from hand/effects unless otherwise specified) and follows all rules for units. Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules.

Ruling: Baited Hook sees the unit's current might when killed (including any buffs), which determines the upper limit for searching. Sett's leader ability and Baited Hook are anti-synergistic - you cannot use both together because Sett's ability is a replacement effect that prevents death, and if no unit dies, Baited Hook has no legal target to search for. Sequence: - If Sett's ability replaces the death, no unit died and Baited Hook cannot find any legal unit to play (no upper limit exists) - If you let the unit die for Baited Hook, there is nothing left for Sett to save - Sett's ability works by replacing death, not by reviving units after death Nuances: - Buffed units (whether from Buff cards or effects like Trifarian War Camp) increase the upper limit that Baited Hook can search for - You cannot stack the triggers to get both effects - choosing one prevents the other from working

Baited Hook is a Gear card that allows you to sacrifice a friendly unit to potentially play a stronger unit from your deck. Here is how it works: ### **Activation and Targeting** * **Speed:** Baited Hook is played at base speed because it does not have the "Reaction" keyword. * **Targeting:** When you activate the ability, you must pay the costs (1 energy, 1 power, and exhaust the gear) and declare a friendly unit as the target. This target must be declared to finalize the ability onto the chain. * **Opponent Interaction:** Once the ability is on the chain, your opponent has an opportunity to respond with reactions. If they remove your targeted unit (e.g., using a spell like *Gust*), the "kill" portion of the ability will fizzle because there is no valid target. ### **Resolution** 1. **Kill the Unit:** If the target is still on the board, it is killed. 2. **Look at Cards:** You look at the top 5 cards of your Main Deck. 3. **Play a Unit:** You may choose one unit from those 5 cards to play for free, provided its Might is equal to or less than the killed unit's Might + 1. 4. **Recycle:** All remaining cards from the 5 you looked at are recycled. ### **Important Nuances** * **Null vs. Zero:** If the targeted unit is removed from the board before the ability resolves (e.g., returned to hand or killed by another effect), the Might value becomes **null**, not zero. Because you cannot compare a value to "null," you will be unable to play any unit from the 5 cards you reveal, though you will still recycle them. * **Buffs:** Baited Hook checks the unit's current Might at the moment it is killed. If the unit was buffed, that higher Might value increases the upper limit of what you can search for. * **Replacement Effects:** If a card like *Sett* prevents the unit from being killed (a replacement effect), the unit is not considered "killed." Consequently, Baited Hook cannot determine a Might value to compare against, and you will not be able to play a unit from the revealed cards. * **Not a Spell:** Baited Hook is a Gear card. It does not trigger abilities that specifically require a "spell" to be played (such as *Dreaming Tree*).

When a unit targeted by **Bellows Breath** moves to a different location (e.g., via a reaction) before the spell resolves, the following rules apply: ### The Ruling According to **RiftJudge FAQ #7422**, when **Bellows Breath** resolves and its targeted units are no longer at the same location, you must choose one location among those where the targeted units are currently present. You then deal damage only to the targeted units at that chosen location. ### Sequence of Events 1. **Targeting:** You choose up to three units at the same location when you play the spell. These targets are locked in at that time. 2. **Movement:** If a targeted unit moves to a different location (e.g., to a base or another battlefield) before the spell resolves, the targets are now split across different locations. 3. **Resolution:** When the spell resolves, you cannot deal damage to all targets if they are in different places. You must choose one location where at least one of your targeted units is currently located. 4. **Damage:** You deal 1 damage to all of your originally targeted units that are present at that chosen location. Any targeted units that moved to a different location (and are not at the chosen location) do not take damage. ### Key Nuances * **Targeting Restriction:** The "same location" requirement is a restriction for *playing* the spell, not for *resolving* it. * **No Re-targeting:** You cannot choose new targets after the spell has been played. You are limited to the units you originally selected. * **Repeat:** If you paid the **Repeat** cost, the two instances of the spell resolve separately. The movement of a unit only affects the instance(s) where that unit was targeted. If the second instance of the spell targets different units at a different location, their status is evaluated independently of the first instance.

Ruling: You cannot choose the same unit multiple times. You choose zero, one, two, or three units at the same location and deal each of them 1 damage. Nuances: - With repeat paid, the maximum damage to a single unit is 2 (choosing it once in each resolution of the ability)

Ruling: You reveal cards from your opponent's deck, choose one, banish it, then play that card from banishment. You become the Controller of any unit played this way, while your opponent remains its Owner. Sequence: - Reveal cards from opponent's deck - Choose one card - Banish the chosen card - Play the chosen card from banishment (on the same chain, as a pending item) - If the card cannot be played for any reason, it stays banished Nuances: - The banishment step was added via errata as a fail-safe in case the chosen card cannot be played - Units are played immediately as you cannot respond to units being played - If you choose a spell with no legal targets, it stays banished - Controller vs Owner distinction matters for card effects that reference those terms - The card is played on the same chain (not a new chain) as pending items are added before chain end

Ruling: Blood Money does not require killing the unit to generate gold tokens, but it does require being able to determine the controller of the target unit. If the target becomes invalid or illegal (leaves the battlefield, is no longer 2 or less might, etc.) before Blood Money resolves, the controller lookup returns "null" and no gold tokens are created. Sequence: - Blood Money is cast targeting a unit with 2 or less might at a battlefield - If the unit is saved by Zhonyas (recalled but stays on board), controller can still be determined and appropriate gold tokens are created - If the unit leaves the battlefield entirely (Retreat to hand, Fight or Flight to base, killed by another effect), controller cannot be determined and no gold tokens are created - If the unit's might is increased above 2 in response, the target becomes illegal and no gold tokens are created Nuances: - Works the same way as Hidden Blade regarding controller determination - Zhonyas is an exception because the unit stays on the board (just recalled), so controller information is still available - Fight or Flight sending a unit back to base makes the target invalid, even though it's a board zone, because the spell targets "a unit at a battlefield"

Ruling: Caitlyn has two abilities. The first is a passive that makes Caitlyn always the last of your units to die when assigning combat damage. The second is an activated ability that requires paying a cost to use. Nuances: - Moving Caitlyn to a battlefield and exhausting her does not trigger her effect because it is an activated ability, not a triggered ability - You must pay the cost to activate the second ability

A stunned unit can still deal damage via the spell **Challenge** because the Stun status only prevents a unit from dealing **combat damage**. According to **Rule 423.1.b**, a stunned unit "does not contribute its might to damage in the combat damage step." Because the damage dealt by the spell **Challenge** is an effect of a card and not combat damage, the stun does not prevent it. This interaction is confirmed by several RiftJudge FAQs: * **FAQ 3841:** "Ruling: Yes, a stunned unit can deal damage with the spell Challenge. Stun only affects the ability to deal combat damage and nothing else." * **FAQ 6766:** "Ruling: Yes, a stunned unit can deal damage through Challenge because Challenge damage is not combat damage, which is what Stun prevents." In summary, while a stunned unit cannot deal damage during the combat damage step of a showdown, it functions normally when targeted by card effects like Challenge.

Ruling: Cithria does not buff herself when played alone. She only gains a buff when you play another unit after her, and only if she doesn't already have a buff. A unit can only have one buff at a time (except Lee Sin). Sequence: - When Cithria is played alone, she does not gain a buff - When you play another unit after Cithria is on the board, she gains a +1 buff (if she doesn't already have one) - If you play multiple units after Cithria, she can continuously buff herself, but only maintains 1 buff at a time - If a buff is expended from Cithria, she can regain a buff when another unit is played Nuances: - The reminder text "if I don't have a buff, I get a +1 buff" explains what "buff me" means, not that she instantly gets a buff when lacking one - A "buff" is a specific game term - general +1 might increases are not buffs unless the card specifically says "buff" - Only cards that specifically say "buff" count as buffs, which are restricted to 1 per unit

Ruling: When you flip Teemo and respond to his "When you play me" trigger by playing Convergent Mutation before the trigger resolves, Convergent Mutation resolves first (setting Teemo's Might equal to the targeted unit's current Might), then Teemo's trigger resolves (adding +3 to Teemo's Might). If you let Teemo's trigger resolve first, he gets +3 Might before Convergent Mutation sets his Might equal to the target. Sequence: - Lee Sin attacks and passes priority - Reveal Teemo, "When you play me" trigger creates a chain - React with Convergent Mutation targeting Teemo and Mundo, no responses - Convergent Mutation resolves, setting Teemo to 8 Might (Mundo's current Might) - Mundo goes to 9 Might from Convergent Mutation entering trash - Teemo's trigger resolves, giving him +3 Might up to 11 Might - Combat resolves: 20 total Might (11 Teemo + 9 Mundo) vs 18 Lee Sin Nuances: - Convergent Mutation snapshots the target unit's Might at time of resolution; later changes to that unit's Might don't retroactively affect the boosted unit - If Teemo's trigger had resolved before playing Convergent Mutation, Teemo would end at 8 Might total (not 11) because Mutation would overwrite the previous buff

Ruling: Convergent Mutation applies a one-time might increase on resolution to match the target unit's current might at that moment. The boosted unit does not continue tracking further changes to the source unit's might, and you can choose any friendly unit to match. Sequence: - Choose a friendly unit to boost and another friendly unit to match - On resolution, the boosted unit gains might until it equals the chosen unit's current might - The boosted unit maintains this new might value for the remainder of the turn - At end of turn, the might bonus expires and returns to base value Nuances: - If the source unit (like Mundo) gains or loses might after Convergent Mutation resolves, the boosted unit does NOT track those changes - If the source unit dies, the boosted unit keeps the might bonus until end of turn - You can choose any friendly unit to match, not necessarily the closest in might value

Darius, the **Hand of Noxus** Legend, functions as a resource-generating tool that allows you to gain extra energy during a turn. According to the card text and the associated RiftJudge FAQ (FAQ #2457), here is how it works: ### **How to Activate** * **Requirement:** You must have already played another card (a Main Deck card) earlier in the same turn to satisfy the **Legion** condition. * **Action:** You must exhaust the Legend to activate the ability. * **Timing:** Because it has the **Reaction** keyword, you can activate this ability on both your turn and your opponent's turn (provided you have priority and have met the Legion requirement). ### **Key Mechanics & Nuances** * **Immediate Resolution:** As noted on the card and in the FAQ, abilities that add resources (like this one) resolve immediately and cannot be reacted to by your opponent. * **Chain Interaction:** Using Darius mid-chain does not end the chain; other items already on the chain can still be reacted to after his ability resolves. * **Energy Usage:** The 1 energy generated must be spent during the turn it is created, or it is lost. It does not carry over to the next turn. * **Not a Rune:** Darius does not un-exhaust a rune; he functions as an additional source of energy for that turn. *** *Note: This information is based on the card "Hand of Noxus" (Darius) and the provided RiftJudge FAQ #2457.*

Ruling: Darius Legend can generate 1 energy by tapping himself, but only if you have already played another card that turn (Legion requirement). This works on both your turn and your opponent's turn - during your opponent's turn, you can play Action or Reaction cards which then allows you to use Darius's Legion ability as a Reaction to generate energy. Sequence: - Play a card (any card that turn) - Tap Darius to generate 1 energy - The energy must be spent that turn or it's lost Nuances: - Darius doesn't actually un-exhaust a rune; the energy generated doesn't carry over to the opponent's turn if unused - Spells and abilities that add resources (like Darius) resolve immediately and can't be reacted to - Using Darius mid-chain doesn't end the chain - other items on the chain can still be reacted to

Ruling: If you play two spells on your opponent's turn and they both resolve, Darius will ready and get +2 Might until the end of that opponent's turn. This can happen during the End of Turn phase because end of turn effects expire after end of turn triggers occur. Sequence: - End of turn effects trigger (like Dazzling Aurora) - Players can respond with reactions (you can play spells here) - End of turn cleanup happens - Expiration occurs (Darius's bonus Might goes away) Nuances: - Darius only triggers when you play your second spell, which can only happen once per turn - You need priority to play cards on the opponent's turn - If responding to a showdown started by Deathbloom during End of Turn, playing two reactions will trigger Darius - You can react to Aurora itself, but if you don't and they play Deathbloom to base, there would not be a reaction window past that

Ruling: Dazzling Aurora is mandatory to use at the end of your turn. When you reveal cards, you must play the first unit you reveal and cannot choose to recycle it instead. Sequence: - At the end of your turn, you must use Dazzling Aurora - Begin revealing cards from your deck one by one - Reveal each card publicly so your opponent can see - When you reveal the first unit, you must play it Nuances: - Cards must be revealed publicly as proof that you are not picking something else or skipping over cards

When **Dazzling Aurora** triggers at the end of your turn, it interacts with **Deadbloom Predator** as follows: ### How the Interaction Works 1. **Dazzling Aurora Trigger:** At the end of your turn, Dazzling Aurora triggers. You reveal cards from the top of your Main Deck until you reveal a unit. You play that unit and recycle the rest of the revealed cards. 2. **Playing Deadbloom Predator:** If the unit revealed is Deadbloom Predator, its ability allows you to play it directly onto an occupied enemy battlefield. 3. **Initiating a Showdown:** Because Deadbloom Predator enters an occupied battlefield, it initiates a showdown. ### Timing and Sequence According to the established rulings (FAQ #1207, #4139, #8080), the showdown does not begin immediately. The game must reach a "neutral open state" (where the chain is empty) before the showdown can start. **Sequence:** 1. **Dazzling Aurora resolves:** You reveal cards, find Deadbloom Predator, and play it to an occupied enemy battlefield. 2. **Chain Check:** If there are any other pending items on the chain (such as a second Dazzling Aurora trigger or "When you play" abilities from the unit), they must resolve first. 3. **Cleanup:** Once the chain is completely empty, the game performs a cleanup (Rule 322). 4. **Showdown Initiation:** If the battlefield is still occupied by opposing units, the showdown initiates during the ending step. ### Key Nuances * **No "Until you hit Deadbloom":** Dazzling Aurora does not specifically search for Deadbloom Predator. It reveals cards until it hits *any* unit. If that unit happens to be Deadbloom Predator, you gain the option to place it on an occupied enemy battlefield. * **Chain Priority:** You cannot start a showdown while the chain is active. If you have multiple Dazzling Auroras, you must resolve all of them and any resulting triggers before the showdown begins. * **End of Turn:** The showdown occurs during your end step. After the showdown resolves, the turn passes to your opponent. Note: I could not fully verify this ruling against the retrieved rules.

Ruling: Defy can target Called Shot based on its printed cost, even if the repeat cost was paid. When Defy resolves, Called Shot is removed from the chain. Sequence: - Opponent places Called Shot on the chain as pending - As it finalizes, opponent chooses whether or not to pay the repeat cost - Costs are paid, item is finalized to the chain - Opponent passes priority - Defy is added to the chain targeting Called Shot, maybe there are reactions - Defy resolves, Called Shot is removed from the chain Nuances: - Defy only checks the printed cost of Called Shot, not the modified cost if repeat was paid

Ruling: Defy can counter Rocket Barrage even if it has been Repeated. Defy always looks at the printed cost in the upper left corner of the card, not the actual cost paid. Sequence: - Repeat is declared on finalization - One Defy counters the entire spell, including all repeated effects - The spell does not create separate instances like in other games Nuances: - When you Repeat a spell, the rules text is duplicated but the cost for Defy purposes remains the printed cost - All cards that look at the cost of a card use the printed cost, not what was actually paid - You cannot Defy the first "wave" and then Repeat it afterward, because Repeat is declared during finalization

Ruling: Divine Judgement ignores hidden cards entirely. They are not selected and they are not recycled. Nuances: - Hidden cards are not considered spells, units, or gear - Hidden cards are not units, gear, runes, or cards in hand, so they don't fall under the categories that get recycled by "recycle the rest"