Riftbound Frequently Asked Questions

Ruling: Damage is checked against might after each item in the chain resolves during a showdown, not after the entire chain completes. Sequence: - Each spell/effect resolves individually - After each resolution, cleanup occurs (damage is checked against might) - If a unit takes damage equal to or greater than its might, it dies before the next item in the chain resolves Nuances: - This follows the normal cleanup rules that apply during the showdown phase of combat

Ruling: During a showdown, When I Attack/When I Defend abilities trigger first on an initial chain where action cards cannot be played. After the initial chain resolves, the attacker gains focus and can play action cards to start new chains, then focus passes to the defender who can play action cards, and this continues until both players pass, after which damage is assigned. Sequence: - Initial chain forms with When I Attack/When I Defend triggers and any reactions (no action cards allowed) - Initial chain resolves backwards - Attacker gains focus and can play action cards to start new chains - After attacker's chain resolves, defender gains focus and can play action cards - Focus passes back and forth between attacker and defender - Once both players pass, damage is assigned Nuances: - Action cards like Stand United or Falling Comet cannot be played during the initial chain with triggered abilities - Only after the initial chain resolves can the attacker use action cards

Ruling: The attacker gets priority first to react to triggers on the initial chain, then gets focus and priority first to play Actions/reactions. Actions cannot be used to react to anything - they can only be played when the chain is empty. Sequence: - Attacker gets priority first to react to triggers on the initial chain - Attacker gets focus and priority first to play Actions/reactions - Focus passes around during a showdown every time a chain is finished - Defender can play Actions on an empty chain once they gain focus Nuances: - Actions require an empty chain to be played; they cannot react to other cards

Ruling: When both units are stunned during a staged combat's noncombat showdown phase, only the attacker's units get recalled. The defender gains control of the battlefield and scores a point. Sequence: - Player A moves a unit to an open battlefield - Player B plays Zenith Blade, moves a unit to the same battlefield, stunning Player A's unit - This creates a staged combat with a noncombat showdown - Player A is the attacker (caused the contested status) - Player A plays Rune Prison, stunning both units - Attacker's units get recalled - Player B gains control of the battlefield and scores a point

Ruling: You must perform ABCD steps in the correct order (Awaken, Begin, Channel, Draw). Holding battlefield triggers occur at the end of the Begin phase. If you skip a step and move to a later one, judges may not allow you to go back. Sequence: - Awaken - Begin (hold battlefield triggers happen at end of this phase) - Channel - Draw Nuances: - Shortcutting is technically allowed if you explain it once and give your opponent time to react, but it's best practice to follow proper order to avoid issues - At casual events like Nexus Nights, players are more lenient about shortcutting - At competitive events, judges have ruled that skipping steps (like channeling before drawing, or drawing before performing Begin phase triggers) means you cannot go back - If you forget to awaken a legend and catch it mid-turn, both players would likely receive a warning (the Kaisa player for General Error, the opponent for Failure to Maintain Game State) and play continues

Ruling: Players continue passing priority in the initial open showdown until both pass without starting a chain. Only after the open showdown ends naturally does combat begin. Sequence: - Player moves a unit to an unoccupied battlefield, starting an open showdown - Opponent plays Ride the Wind, moving their unit to the battlefield (this stages a combat) - Players can continue playing actions and passing priority during the open showdown - Units do not gain attacker/defender designations yet during this open showdown - Once both players pass without starting a chain, the open showdown closes - During cleanup, the staged combat begins and units gain attacker/defender designations - Combat proceeds normally Nuances: - Combat cannot start during a showdown - it requires a neutral open state (no items on chain and no showdown in progress) - The patch notes clarification that "the current showdown will end and a second showdown will begin" is misleading - the showdown ends naturally through normal priority passing, not immediately - The player who first applied contested status to the battlefield is the attacker; any units moved there afterward are defenders - Abilities that trigger "when I attack" or "when I defend" trigger when combat begins and units gain those designations, not during the open showdown

Ruling: Only the attacking player recalls their units. The defending player does not recall. Sequence: - Attackers are recalled during combat cleanup - Then the defender gains control of the battlefield and conquers it (since they didn't have control before) Nuances: - This applies even when the defending player moved to defend using cards like Ride the Wind - The defender conquers the battlefield but does not "maintain control" since they didn't have control before the combat

Ruling: Player A never controls the battlefield during the open showdown. The open showdown transitions to a combat showdown where Player A becomes the attacker (because they applied contested status) and Player B becomes the defender. Leona does not trigger because she is a defender, not an attacker. Sequence: - Player A moves unit to open battlefield, starting an open showdown - Player B plays Zenith Blade and moves Leona to the battlefield during the open showdown - The open showdown becomes a combat showdown - Player A is designated attacker, Player B is designated defender - At the end of the showdown, all attackers are recalled if defenders are still present - The defender's units remain and the defender gains control of the battlefield Nuances: - Attacker and defender designations only happen during a combat showdown, not during an open showdown - The player who applied contested status to the battlefield becomes the attacker - Leona gets +1 for shield as a defender - The outcome depends on the might comparison between the units

Ruling: No, there is no attacker or defender in an uncontested showdown. The attacker and defender designations only exist during combat. Nuances: - When a player moves to an unoccupied battlefield, this triggers what is called an "Open Showdown" rather than an uncontested showdown, since all showdowns require Contested status to start - Even without attacker/defender designations, all players still get an opportunity to play actions and reactions during the showdown - Players alternate playing actions/reactions when they have focus, with both players needing to pass before resolving each item on the chain

Ruling: Yes, you reveal the battlefields first, then roll to determine who goes first. Sequence: - Step 1: Reveal the battlefields - Step 2: Roll to see who goes first

Ruling: Ahri wins the combat regardless of who is the attacker. Wielder of Water starts at 4 might but Ahri reduces it to 2, making Ahri the winner. Sequence: - Wielder of Water gets +2 might when showdown opens (passive ability) - Ahri's "When I Attack" trigger goes on the initial chain - Ahri's ability resolves, reducing Wielder's might by 2 - Final might: Ahri wins vs Wielder at 2 might Nuances: - This interaction is not turn player dependent because Wielder's ability is passive (applies when showdown opens), while Ahri's is a triggered ability - If Wielder had a "When I Attack" or "When I Defend" trigger instead, it would be turn player dependent, with triggers going on the initial chain in order: When I Attack, then When I Defend, resolving in reverse order

Ruling: Yes, both players distribute their might as damage to enemy units regardless of who has more might. Each player decides how to distribute their own damage. Sequence: - Each player sums their might - Each player distributes their might as damage to enemy units with restrictions: * Must obey ordering from abilities like Tank * Must assign lethal damage to one unit before assigning to the next unit * Cannot overassign damage unless it's the last unit - All units with lethal damage die simultaneously - Attacker states damage dealt first Nuances: - Combat is not "winner takes all" - both players deal damage even if one has significantly more might - At the end of most combats only one player remains, but there are some exceptions

Ruling: Yes, there is absolutely a round of priority between when the Reavers Row trigger resolves and when combat damage is assigned. Combat damage assignment doesn't begin until all players stop playing actions and reactions (pass priority and focus without playing any cards). Sequence: - Attack is declared with one unit into a battlefield with one unit - Reavers Row trigger goes on the stack - Both players pass priority - The trigger resolves and the defending player decides whether to move their unit - Players now have another opportunity to play actions (starting with the attacker) or reactions - Once both players pass priority without playing anything, combat damage is assigned Nuances: - On the initial Reavers Row trigger chain, players can only play Reactions - After the trigger resolves, both players can play Actions or Reactions on the empty chain - The attacker has priority first after the trigger resolves - "When I attack" and "When I defend" triggers create the first of potentially many chains that can be created in a showdown

Ruling: Yes, you can assign 3 damage to each unit to kill both. When assigning damage, you only need to assign enough damage so that the total marked damage (including previously marked damage) equals or exceeds the unit's Might. Nuances: - The rule does not distinguish between damage being assigned and damage already marked on the unit - You cannot assign more damage than would result in lethal damage to a unit before moving to the next unit - Imperial Decree does not change the math for lethal damage assignment - the game cannot look ahead to delayed triggers when determining what counts as lethal damage

Ruling: You cannot assign more damage to a unit than its Might in combat. You must assign lethal damage (damage equal to the unit's Might) to units before moving to the next target. Sequence: - Assign damage equal to the first unit's Might (lethal damage) - Move to the next unit if you have remaining damage - Continue until you run out of units or damage Nuances: - You can assign all your damage to a single unit if your total damage is less than or equal to that unit's Might (e.g., assigning 3 damage to a 3+ Might unit) - This prevents triggering death effects on other units if you don't have enough damage to kill the first unit - The rule text saying "equaling or exceeding" for lethal damage does not mean you can assign more than a unit's Might; Riot confirmed this will be clarified in the next rules document

Ruling: Players must assign damage in combat if they have any might available. You cannot choose to take damage without assigning damage back if you have at least one might. Nuances: - You must assign lethal damage to all units if possible - Even if assigning damage would kill an opponent's unit (like Kogmaw with a death trigger), you cannot avoid assigning the damage

Ruling: Yes, rule 702.2.f.2 only applies if the missed trigger is noticed during the same turn it was missed. If the trigger is noticed in a subsequent turn, rule 702.2.f.1 applies and play simply continues. Sequence: - If trigger is missed and noticed in the same turn: The next opponent in turn order chooses whether to resolve it or miss it (702.2.f.2) - If trigger is missed and noticed in a later turn: Play continues without resolving the trigger (702.2.f.1) Nuances: - Triggers can be considered missed very quickly in high OPL - even between resolving one effect and asking for reactions - Missing a trigger that would have been bad for you results in a warning - Missing a trigger that would have been good for you results in no penalty - Opponents are not obligated to remind you of your triggers - At low OPL, judges have more discretion to allow missed triggers to be placed on the chain

Ruling: You need both domains to include a signature spell while drafting in limited mode. Nuances: - This applies even if you are drafting colors that include one of the required domains (e.g., drafting red-blue-green does not allow you to include Dragon's Rage, which requires the orange domain in addition to red)

Ruling: The "invited" rule has been removed from the current rules. Priority passes clockwise during showdowns, allowing all players to participate without needing an invitation. Nuances: - The Tabletop Simulator rulebook contains outdated rules that still reference the invitation system - The official core rules no longer include the invitation mechanic

Ruling: To win via conquest, you must have scored all the battlefields, not just one additional battlefield when you reach 7 points. Nuances: - In 2v2, turn order alternates between teams, so teammates never take consecutive turns - Players cannot share battlefields and score them individually - Teammates do not score points for battlefields controlled by their teammate - A teammate could move away from a battlefield and allow their teammate to conquer it on their turn

Ruling: A team only scores points from a battlefield at the beginning of the turn of the player whose unit controls that battlefield. If your teammate controls a battlefield, your team does not score during your turn. Nuances: - If a teammate's unit is moved off a battlefield during your turn, you cannot score by moving onto that battlefield (you can move there, but get no point) - Neither player on a team can score on a battlefield if their team already controls it at the beginning of their turn

Ruling: Players cannot play reactions during the end step unless something triggers that creates a chain. Phase changes do not grant priority on their own. Sequence: - During your turn, you can play actions/reactions when you have priority - When you pass turn, phase changes (including to end step) do not grant priority to either player - Priority is only granted off-turn during chains (passing priority) or showdowns (passing focus/priority) - If a triggered ability occurs in the end step, it goes on the chain and creates reaction windows Nuances: - Playing units or gear does not create a priority window for the opponent - Some cards like Annie legend or Jinx legend always go on the chain at their respective phases, which would create reaction windows - You must have priority to play cards, and off-turn you only get priority during chains or showdowns

Ruling: Surviving attackers occur when units have the Stun ability, which prevents them from being destroyed in combat despite the might comparison. Nuances: - Under normal circumstances where might is simply summed and compared, there would only be one side remaining - Stun is the exception that allows attackers to survive even when they would normally be destroyed

Ruling: When a showdown occurs, "when you defend" triggers go on the chain after "when you attack" triggers, meaning defender abilities resolve first, then attacker abilities resolve. Layers do not affect this timing. Sequence: - The defending player's triggers (Ahri's ability and Fortified Position) go on the chain in whatever order that player chooses - The attacking player's triggers (Yasuo's ability) go on the chain after - The chain resolves in reverse order: Yasuo's ability resolves first, then the defender's abilities - Wait, correction: "When you attack" triggers go on the chain BEFORE "when you defend" triggers - This means defender triggers resolve first (last in, first out) - So: Ahri gives Yasuo -1 Might, then Fortified Position gives Shield 2, then Yasuo deals damage Nuances: - The defending player can choose the order for their multiple triggers (Ahri and Fortified Position) - Layers (trait altering, ability altering, arithmetic) are separate from trigger timing and don't affect when abilities go on the chain

Ruling: All movement triggers must be declared and resolved first as part of moving into the battlefield, before the combat showdown begins and any attacker triggers resolve. Sequence: - Movement effects happen and resolve completely - Combat showdown begins - Attacker triggers (like damage abilities) resolve as part of the initial chain during combat Nuances: - You cannot choose to resolve attack triggers before movement triggers - movement always comes first

Ruling: For all games in a match (games 1, 2, and 3), battlefields are revealed simultaneously by both players before turn order is determined. After battlefields are chosen, players then decide who goes first/second, followed by draw/mulligan. Sequence: - Both players select and reveal their battlefields simultaneously - Determine turn order (first/second) - Draw and mulligan

Ruling: The turn player's triggers go on the stack first, then the non-turn player's triggers go on top. This means the non-turn player's triggers resolve first (last in, first out). Sequence: - Turn player's triggers go on the stack (they order their own triggers) - Non-turn player's triggers go on the stack on top (they order their own triggers) - Stack resolves: non-turn player's triggers resolve first, then turn player's triggers resolve Nuances: - Each player orders only their own triggers, not their opponent's triggers

Ruling: Immortal Phoenix can be played from trash when destroyed by a spell (including your own spells), but not when destroyed by unit damage (Challenge, Combat) or by stat reduction effects. Sequence: - If a spell deals damage that destroys Phoenix, it can be played from trash - If unit damage (Challenge/Combat) destroys Phoenix, it cannot be played from trash - If a spell deals partial damage then unit damage finishes it, it cannot be played from trash - If a spell deals partial damage then another spell finishes it, it can be played from trash Nuances: - Vengeance counts as a spell for this purpose (can revive) - Challenge and Last Breath damage is dealt by units, not spells (cannot revive) - Stat reduction (reducing Might) that causes destruction during cleanup does not count as spell damage (cannot revive) - This applies whether the stat reduction comes from a spell or gear - Phoenix can see itself being killed by your own spells and still trigger - If Phoenix is already on board and you kill another Phoenix with your spell (like Flurry of Blades dealing final damage after Challenge damage), it should trigger

Ruling: Yes, "When you play me" is a trigger ability, and when it triggers simultaneously with "When you play another unit" abilities, the player can determine the order of resolution. Nuances: - When the "When you play me" ability triggers, the unit is already in play

Ruling: A unit is only defending when it is in a Combat Showdown, not as a permanent state while at the battlefield. Nuances: - Effects like Mask of Foresight trigger when a unit is designated as a defender and is alone during the showdown, not continuously while at the battlefield.

Ruling: Yes, 'when I move' is a triggered ability that is placed on the chain, giving the opponent an opportunity to react when a unit like Merchant moves from one battlefield to your base. Nuances: - Triggered abilities wait for something to happen and then do something, and they create chains - Activated abilities (those you choose to activate by paying a cost) also create chains - You cannot respond to a unit being played itself, only to abilities that play a unit or abilities that unit has that trigger when it's played

Ruling: Blitzcrank's hold effect is required. You must return him to hand when the effect triggers. Nuances: - If the effect said "you may..." then it would be optional, but it would still go on the chain and resolve without effect if you chose not to return it

Ruling: Yes, the ability is mandatory if there is at least one valid target. Nuances: - The ability must be used if there is at least one unit with 8+ might on the battlefield

Ruling: The Deathknell trigger is mandatory and the effect is also mandatory unless it uses the word "may". Nuances: - In situations where the Deathknell trigger would do nothing, it still happens but just does nothing.

Ruling: Master Yi's ability is not a trigger effect; it is a passive ability that is active whenever the condition (defending alone) is met. Nuances: - "While" indicates a passive ability that applies as long as the condition is true - "When" indicates a triggered ability that activates when an event happens - Passive abilities exist in the game, unlike what the asker initially assumed

Ruling: No, Rengar is not considered Mighty when played. He enters play at 3 power without the attacker designation, and only gains the attacker designation (and becomes 5 power) during the cleanup triggered by his entering the board. Sequence: - Rengar enters play at 3 power without attacker designation - His play effect triggers (relevant for effects like Volibear) - Cleanup is triggered by his entering the board - During cleanup, he gains the attacker designation and becomes 5 power Nuances: - Because he enters at 3 power, he would trigger effects that care about non-Mighty units entering play (like Fiora in sealed) - This differs from a unit with a passive ability like base 4:Might - such a unit would have the passive take effect as soon as it enters (when it's resolving) and would be Mighty for effects like Volibear

Ruling: Yes, Teemo Strategist is considered defending when revealed from hidden after attackers have been declared. Units gain the Defender designation when they become present at the battlefield after combat has begun. Sequence: - You can reveal Teemo from hidden whenever you have priority during combat - This could be before defender/attacker triggers resolve, when the attacker passes priority to you, when the attacker plays an action/reaction and passes, or when the attacker passes on an empty chain - The unit gains the Defender designation during the Cleanup phase following the action that caused it to become present - Defender status triggers will activate the first time the unit is flagged as a defender Nuances: - Attacker and defender statuses are only given once per unit per combat, but this doesn't mean they only happen at one specific time - If a unit is added to combat after the initial designation, it still receives the appropriate status

Ruling: Yes, The Arena's Greatest's effect is a triggered ability. If you miss the trigger (by not demonstrating awareness before it would affect the game visibly), the next opponent in turn order decides whether to resolve the trigger immediately or miss it altogether. Sequence: - When the battlefield flips, demonstrate awareness of the trigger (e.g., say "point for me" and tick up the score) - If you miss the trigger in the same turn cycle, your opponent chooses whether you get the point or not - If the trigger was missed in a previous turn, continue playing without resolving it Nuances: - The rule about forgetting to score points only applies to holding and conquering, not card-triggered abilities like The Arena's Greatest - Best practice is to increment both players' scores immediately when the battlefield flips to avoid disputes - Demonstrating awareness verbally ("point for me") before taking other actions is sufficient to avoid missing the trigger

Ruling: Vi's effect is an activated ability that can only be used at base speed (during your turn, outside of showdowns). It does not specify "once per turn," so it can be activated multiple times as long as you can recycle cards from your trash. Sequence: - Activate Vi's ability during your turn at base speed - Choose a card from your trash to put at the bottom of your deck - Vi gains 1 Might - Repeat as many times as desired (if you have cards in trash) Nuances: - The ability does not exhaust Vi, so there's no limit beyond having cards in your trash to recycle - Gaining Might is not the same as getting a "Buff" - Vi can gain Might multiple times without restriction - This ability cannot be used on your opponent's turn or during showdowns - If you have 2 Vi units out, only the one that activated the ability gets the Might boost

Ruling: Volibear's ability deals 5 additional damage, separate from his might. This damage is dealt by an effect and has nothing to do with combat damage. Nuances: - Units damaged but not killed by Volibear's effect still contribute their full might during combat - These units will take less damage before being killed by combat since they were already damaged by the effect

Ruling: Yi's Legend Ability is a passive ability, not a trigger. Abilities using "while" language are passive and the bonus is active whenever the condition is true. Nuances: - If there are 2 units on Yi's side in a showdown and one gets killed/moved before the combat damage step, the +2 bonus will no longer apply since the condition is no longer met.

Ruling: Zhonya's Hourglass is not a trigger but a mandatory replacement effect. You cannot choose to let the unit die to save the Hourglass for later. Nuances: - The only time you have a choice with Hourglass is if multiple units die simultaneously, in which case you choose which one to save.

Ruling: No, a draw cannot happen in Riftbound. When you run out of cards (burnout), you shuffle your trash into your Main Deck, choose an opponent to gain 1 point, and then perform the action that caused the burnout. Sequence: - When attempting to draw with an empty Main Deck, burnout occurs - Shuffle your trash into your Main Deck - Choose an opponent to gain 1 point - Then perform the action (e.g., draw the card) Nuances: - You can win the game by receiving the final point from your opponent burning out (e.g., if the score is 8-8 with a 9-point victory condition, the opponent burning out gives you the winning point)

Ruling: Master Yi is a passive ability, not a trigger. You are not required to proactively announce it, but you cannot lie about it if asked. It is the opponent's responsibility to account for Yi's ability. Nuances: - Yi and similar abilities like Shield/Assault apply automatically when their conditions are met (being the Attacker or Defender) - If an opponent mistakenly moves a weaker unit without accounting for Yi's ability, that is on them - Better etiquette to announce it, but not required until it matters (damage, ordering triggers, being asked, or anything signifying acknowledgement)

Ruling: Recalls are not moves. This is explicitly stated on recall cards. Nuances: - A "corrective recall" is a special case where something would be in an illegal location, so it gets recalled to base instead. This rarely happens and requires an effect that forces a unit to be somewhere illegal. - Standard recalls and corrective recalls are both not considered moves.

Ruling: A unit is only considered defending when there is a showdown involving units from 2 players (a combat). If there is no showdown, or if the showdown is not a combat between two players (like an open showdown), units are not considered attackers or defenders. Nuances: - Open showdowns do not define attackers or defenders - A showdown must be a combat between two players for defender status to apply

Ruling: Yes, a unit that attacked Targon's Peak with Assault is still considered an attacker while the Targon's Peak trigger is on the chain. Combat lasts through conquer. Sequence: - The unit attacks and conquers Targon's Peak - Targon's Peak triggers when conquered and goes on the chain - The unit is still considered an attacker during this time - The trigger adds a game effect at the end of the turn that doesn't enter the chain Nuances: - You can Gust a Phoenix attacking and conquering Targon's Peak on the enemy turn if the battlefield was previously open - If it was a combat, the Phoenix won't be gustable while the opponent has a chance to react - Targon's Peak is different than Annie Legend ability - it triggers during conquer/combat, not at end of turn

Ruling: No, damage dealt to a unit is not healed when conquering an empty/neutral showdown. Damage only heals at the end of combat and end of turn. Nuances: - Only combat showdowns count as combat - Open/neutral showdowns do not assign attackers/defenders, which is why they don't count as combat

Ruling: Yes, damage is always removed at the end of combat, even if no units die. Sequence: - Combat damage is dealt - Any units with lethal damage are killed - Units are healed of all damage (this happens once per combat, immediately after units have died from lethal damage) - After healing, any triggers resolve Nuances: - Abilities that trigger at end of combat (like Deathknell) resolve after the heal step, so damage dealt by those abilities remains on units after combat ends - If you stun an enemy unit, deal damage but it doesn't die, then recall your unit and engage again, the enemy will have healed from the first combat

Ruling: Double sleeving and triple sleeving are allowed in Riftbound, as long as all cards within a deck are sleeved identically with the same number of layers and orientation, and the deck can be shuffled in good time. Nuances: - All sleeves must be identical within a deck - All cards must be placed in sleeves in the same manner - Cards must have the same number of layers and orientation at all times - The deck must be shuffleable in good time