Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 101 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
My opponent moves Kha'Zix Evolving Hunter to attack my Diana Lunari. A Tactical Retreat is on top of my deck. Can I draw and play Tactical Retreat before Kha'Zix's ability can kill Diana?
No. Diana's triggered ability goes on the same chain as Kha'Zix's attack trigger, but it triggers before any triggered abilities that happen because units gained attacker or defender.
I have 3 Bird units, 2 Poros, and 1 Cat unit in play. How much Might does Friendship give? How much energy discount applies when I play Daisy?
Friendship gives +3 Might. Daisy gets a discount of 3 generic energy.
Can I use Flash on a unit that is in base?
Yes. Flash does not choose a destination, so it is not required to pick a valid destination under 355.4 and 355.4.a. (Same idea as Azir Ascendant choosing a unit already at his location—the move portion can be ignored while the target remains legal.)
I attack a battlefield where my only attacker is a Poro. In the showdown my opponent plays a spell that would kill my Poro. I react by playing Stalking Wolf with Ambush and choose to kill my Poro as part of its cost. Is this legal?
It is not legal on the battlefield you are attacking. It is legal if Stalking Wolf is played to a different battlefield than the one where the Poro is. (Stalking Wolf may receive updated wording later.)
I play Alpha Strike, choose my 3 Might unit, and target three enemy 1 Might Recruits. My opponent reacts with Stupefy on my 3 Might unit and En Garde on one of their Recruits. After all spells resolve, can I choose to kill only the Recruit that is now 2 Might?
No. When ceasing to be a target under 355.14.h., you cannot remove an arbitrary number of targets—you remove only enough so that the number of targets matches the damage being split (do as much as you can). If only En Garde had been played (no Stupefy), you could not kill the 2 Might unit either.
I play a spell; my opponent reacts with Lilting Lullaby targeting my spell. I react with Abandon targeting my own spell. After everything resolves, can I still play more spells this turn?
Yes. Lilting Lullaby mistargets and instructions tied to the abandoned spell are ignored. The linked "controller can't play spells" instruction does not apply if the counter instruction is ignored for any reason (359.3.e.14.a).
After I choose to discard a card to Insightful Investigator, does my opponent still have to reveal the new card they drew?
No. Reveal applies a temporary modification to a defined set of cards. The hand stays private as a zone; new cards entering it stay private unless something says otherwise.
I have a Reflection token that copied Atakhan. I play another real Atakhan from my hand and kill the Reflection token as an additional cost. Can I play that Atakhan for free?
Yes. Its cost is reduced by 10 and three Domain pips because of how the cost reduction applies.
I have a Reflection token that copied a unit. I attack with Azir Sovereign. Can I move the Reflection token with Azir's effect?
Yes. This is ambiguous in the current rules text, but the ruling follows design intent; expect clearer rules and token-copy wording in a future update.
If I choose to trigger Valley of Idols, is its cost paid on finalization or on resolution?
On finalization.
Is the recycle ability on Fizz Trickster and Kai'Sa Evolutionary a delayed replacement effect or a delayed triggered ability?
A delayed replacement effect—equivalent to: if that spell would leave the chain for any reason, recycle it instead.
I play Jayce Man of Progress, trigger his ability targeting friendly Gear, resolve it, and destroy that Gear. Am I playing the 7-cost Gear during that ability's resolution or any time later on the same turn?
Any time after Jayce's ability finishes resolving, still on the same turn.
If I can play the 7-cost Gear after Jayce's ability resolves, can I play more than one 7-cost Gear from my hand that turn?
No. The ability lets you play a gear—only one.
I have The Academy and play Meditation as my first spell of the turn. What is the maximum number of cards I can draw?
Three. If the optional additional cost is paid on finalization and the spell repeats, you draw 2 on the first execution and 1 on the repeated execution. The "exhaust a unit; if you do, draw 2" lines are linked; "Otherwise, draw 1" is not linked to that payment, so on the repeat you did not pay the cost and only...
Does Lotus Trap affect how combat damage is assigned?
No. Assignment uses the definition of lethal damage for that unit; dealing the damage is a separate step. As written, 460.2.c.3 does not pull in replacement effects that only apply when damage is actually dealt.
I played The List and named the Poro tag. If I activate Heimerdinger Inventor using The List's ability, can I reduce a Poro unit's Might?
No. The List's activated ability is linked to the passive that names a tag. Heimerdinger copies only the activated part, so "the named tag" is undefined and you cannot choose a legal target.
If I played Kha'Zix mutating horror as a reaction on a chain, and then later on I use gust twice on the same chain to remove 2 out of the 3 enemy units back to their hand, leaving only 1 of their unit on the battlefield now, does my Kha'Zix mutating horror get its effect of an enemy defending alone, thus getting +2 might?
No, your **Kha'Zix, Mutating Horror** will not receive the +2 Might bonus in this scenario. ### Reasoning According to the rules for triggered abilities and the specific "alone" condition on Kha'Zix, Mutating Horror:
Can I Tactical Retreat my temporary unit at beginning of turn to prevent it from dying?
Yes, you can use **Tactical Retreat** on your unit with the **Temporary** keyword to save it. ### Why this works: 1. **The Trigger:** The **Temporary** keyword triggers at the start of your Beginning Phase ("At the start of this permanent's controller's Beginning Phase... kill this"). This trigger is placed on the chain. 2. **Reacting:** Because this is a triggered ability...
If two units with Backline Attack a battlefield, what happens with damage assignment?
When multiple units with **Backline** attack a battlefield simultaneously, the standard rules for combat damage assignment apply with the specific restriction that Backline imposes.
If I equip Blade of the Ruined King to one of my units, do I kill another unit as part of starting a chain? Can the chain be reacted to and, for example, my opponent play Star Crossed to bounce the unit I want to kill to hand? Or if they bounce the unit I am equipping it to, does it stop the chain and/or stop me from killing my own unit?
To address your questions regarding **Blade of the Ruined King**, here is the breakdown of how the mechanics and timing work:
Can I use Sacrifice on a unit that got targeted by a Tactical Retreat earlier and get full value from it?
Yes, you can use **Sacrifice** on a unit already targeted by **Tactical Retreat**, and you will receive full value from the spell.
Does Ezreal Prodigy reduce Death from Above cost?
No, **Ezreal, Prodigy** does not reduce the cost of playing **Death from Below** from your trash. According to the RiftJudge FAQ #10246, Ezreal, Prodigy’s ability only reduces **optional additional costs**. These costs must be specifically identified by having both the text **"as an additional cost"** and the word **"may"** (for example, keywords like **Accelerate** and **Repeat**).
Can you upstage comedy targeting an already readied unit? And is it possible to repeat upstage comedy targeting twice a single unit, just to proc the legend?
Yes, you can target an already-readied unit with **Upstage Comedy**, and you can target the same unit twice if you pay the **Repeat** cost. However, because a unit that is already readied cannot be readied again, targeting the same unit a second time will not trigger "when you ready" effects for that second instance.
Does Death Knell still proc if the unit is sent back to hand?
No, *Deathknell* does not trigger if a unit is returned to your hand. According to **Rule 808.1.d**: > "The Trigger for this effect is the Permanent being Killed and sent to the Trash."
Is a unit considered attacking if there are no units to defend?
No, a unit is not considered to be attacking if there are no enemy units present at the battlefield to defend.
If I hold one Battlefield and I Ride the Wind to the other one, do I win or only if I hold?
To determine if you win by using *Ride the Wind* to move to the second battlefield, we must look at how the game handles winning the final point.
Can Baron be chosen from hand to be discarded Mindsplitter?
Yes, Baron Nashor can be chosen and discarded from your hand by Mindsplitter's ability. According to the card text for **Baron Nashor**, he has the ability: *"I can't be chosen by enemy spells and abilities."*
If my Sand Soldier is equipped with a BF Sword and someone damages it with a 3 damage spell, does it die?
Yes, your Sand Soldier will be killed. Here is the breakdown:
Does reacting to Elder Dragon with Janna save my unit?
To answer your question: **No, healing your unit with Janna will not save it from the damage dealt by Elder Dragon’s play effect.**
If I play Lillia, Fae with no stun then move to battlefield that opponent has Vex, Apathetic. Lillia, Fae creates sprite token with stun by Vex then I play Smoke and Mirrors what result?
To determine the result, let's break down the interactions step-by-step. ### 1. Initial State * **Lillia, Fae Fawn** moves to a battlefield where your opponent controls **Vex, Apathetic**. * **Lillia's Trigger:** When Lillia moves, she creates a 3 [M] Sprite unit token with **[Temporary]** at the location she left (Rule 359.3.f.3). * **Vex's Trigger:** Since the Sprite token is "played"...
Do I score a point playing Baron Nashor?
Yes, playing Baron Nashor can score you a point, provided you have not already scored the Baron Pit battlefield during that turn.
Can I cast Meditation during showdown and as an attacker, exhaust my only attacking unit to draw 2?
Yes, you can cast **Meditation** as an attacker during a showdown and exhaust your only attacking unit to draw 2 cards.
Does Mask of Foresight work on an open showdown?
No, **Mask of Foresight does not work on an open showdown.** According to the **RiftJudge FAQ (ID 1368)**, Mask of Foresight only activates during combat, which occurs when units from two players are present at a battlefield. It does not trigger during an open showdown (when you move to a battlefield without any enemy units).
I gank to another battlefield and they react to Ride the Wind a unit from their base to the BF I left to get a point. If I ready my unit and gank back over to take it again can I get a point even if I had a point from holding it before?
### The Short Answer **No, you cannot score the battlefield again in the same turn.** The restriction that "a player may only Score... once per Battlefield per turn" (Rule 465) prevents you from scoring the same battlefield twice within a single turn, regardless of how you move or interact with that battlefield.
Can you sideboard before the start of the match after seeing the opponent legend/champion unit?
No, you cannot sideboard before the start of the match after seeing your opponent's Legend or Champion unit. According to **Rule 403.5**, players may not use sideboard cards in the first game of a match. Sideboarding is only permitted between games of a match (Rule 403.4).
Does Abandoned Hall's effect count as "choosing" a unit for the purpose of triggering Irelia, Fervent's ability?
Ruling: Yes. When a player activates Abandoned Hall's effect and selects a unit to receive +1 Might, they are choosing that unit. If Irelia, Fervent is chosen, her ability triggers, giving her a total of +2 Might (+1 from Abandoned Hall and +1 from her own ability).
If I play Sacrifice on a unit targeted by Stupefy, will Stupefy still draw a card?
To determine what happens, we must look at how costs are paid and how targeting works in *Riftbound*. ### The Ruling **Yes, you will still draw the card.**
Can I react with Star Crossed to Elder Dragon's played ability when my opponent plays it?
Yes, you can react to the Elder Dragon's "When you play me" ability with **Star-Crossed**. ### Why this works: 1. **Chain Rules:** When you play a unit with a "When you play me" (WYPM) triggered ability, the unit enters the battlefield immediately, and then the ability is placed on the chain. Placing this ability on the chain creates a **Closed...
I have two Glasc Mixologists in my Battlefield, my opponent clears both in by combat, I put both Mixologists on the chain, the first one to resolve reborns a Karthus. Does the Mixologist which is resolving second trigger twice?
No, the second *Deathknell* trigger will not trigger twice. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9606**, the number of times a *Deathknell* ability triggers is determined at the moment of death, based on the board state at that exact time. Because **Karthus, Eternal** was not on the battlefield when the two **Glasc Mixologist** units died, he was not present to modify those...
If I have a buffed mighty unit, can I use Sacrifice then protect it with Sett the Boss? Will I still draw and channel if so?
Yes, you can do this, and **yes, you will still draw 2 cards and channel 1 rune.** ### How it works This interaction works because *Sacrifice* has a "kill" instruction as an additional cost, and *The Boss*'s ability is a replacement effect that modifies that event.
When playing Arcane Shift on Fizz, what resolves first, the 3 damage or the Fizz ETB?
When playing **Arcane Shift** targeting your own **Fizz, Trickster**, the 3 damage dealt by Arcane Shift resolves **before** Fizz’s "When you play me" (WYPM) ability.
When I have a temporary unit that channels runes on death, do those runes channel in the beginning phase and then awaken so that I can use them that turn?
No, that is not how the timing works. The **Awaken Phase** happens at the very start of your turn, before the **Beginning Phase** where your *Temporary* unit triggers and dies.
If I have a buffed unit that is in my base and being affected by my opponent's The List and it is targeted twice by their Falling Star, if the first damage instance of Falling Star would kill the unit what would happen if I use my Sett the Boss to save it?
Regarding **Sett, The Boss** and the interaction with *Falling Star*: ### The Interaction 1. **Falling Star Resolution:** When *Falling Star* resolves, it executes its instructions top-to-bottom: "Deal 3 to a unit. Deal 3 to a unit." 2. **First Instance of Damage:** The first 3 damage is dealt to your buffed unit in your base. If this damage is lethal, Sett,...
Does Facebreaker choose units?
Yes, **Facebreaker** chooses (targets) units. According to RiftJudge FAQ #4087 and Rule 355.7, although Facebreaker's text does not explicitly use the word "choose" or "target," any instruction that requires you to designate specific game objects to affect is considered targeting in the Riftbound rules system. Therefore, when you play Facebreaker, you are targeting one friendly unit and one enemy unit...