Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 103 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
If I play my Dazzling Aurora and get a Scuttle Crab, if I have over 11 XP and no unit at a battlefield, does Scuttle Crab go to base but ready, and can I move it to a battlefield or no?
No, you cannot perform a standard move with the *Scuttle Crab* in this scenario. Here is the breakdown of the situation based on the rules:
Does Daisy count as an Ivern unit and get a plus 1 might at a Brush Battlefield?
Yes, Daisy counts as an "Ivern" unit and will receive the +1 Might bonus from a Brush battlefield token. According to the Brush battlefield token's ability (Rule 184.8), "Bird, Cat, Dog, Poro, and **Ivern** units here have +1 [M]." Since Daisy possesses the "Ivern" tag, she satisfies the condition for this bonus when she is at a location with a...
My opponent plays Leblanc and conquers a battlefield. They use their leader ability to make a Reflection token and discard a card for it. If I react with a Gust, will the Reflection token still be created?
Yes, the **Reflection** token will still be created, but it will not be able to complete the copy effect. This interaction is covered by **RiftJudge FAQ #10346**, which explains that because *Riftbound* effects do not "fizzle," they continue to execute instructions as much as possible even if a target is removed.
Are there attacking units in a non combat showdown?
No, there are not. According to **Rule 2171** (RiftJudge FAQ), a unit is only considered an "attacker" or "defender" when there is a showdown involving units from two different players (i.e., a combat).
When I play Undertitan do I add the 2 energy from the revealed?
No, you do not add the 2 energy when you play Undertitan from your hand. According to the official Riftbound rules and FAQs (specifically RiftJudge FAQ #9429 and #8794):
If I play Leblanc and copy an Elder Dragon, does that mean that I get all of its non-play abilities including the 1 damage is enough to kill all?
Yes, if you use a LeBlanc effect to create a copy of an Elder Dragon, your copy will have Elder Dragon's passive ability: **"Any amount of your damage is enough to kill enemy units."**
In a showdown, do the opponent's Deathknell units' effects resolve first, or do friendly ones?
In a showdown, when multiple *Deathknell* abilities trigger simultaneously (such as when units from both players die at the same time during combat), the order in which they are placed on the chain is determined by **turn order**, starting with the **Turn Player**.
My opponent controls a battlefield with a sprite and a hidden card (sprite call). On my turn I play Windsinger to bounce the sprite. He then reacts with sprite call, and plays a sprite to that same battlefield. This seems fine to me, but my opponent claimed that this counts as a conquer for him. I believe it's not as he already had control of the battlefield. Am I wrong here?
You are correct—your opponent's claim is incorrect. **They do not Conquer the battlefield.** According to **Rule 464.1**, a "Conquer" occurs specifically when a player gains control of a battlefield **they did not yet score that turn**.
My opponent used salvage to target a gear equipped on a unit I control at a battlefield. In reaction, I sacrifice this unit. Does the salvage trigger since the gear is now on base?
To determine if *Salvage* still triggers, we must look at how targeting and resolution work in Riftbound. ### Ruling **Yes, *Salvage* will still resolve.**
Can I play Gust to a Rek'Sai with +2 Assault when he enters the battlefield, or does the Assault get resolved before I can play Gust?
No, you cannot play *Gust* to remove Rek'Sai, Breacher at the moment he enters the battlefield if he is about to become an attacker, because he gains his *Assault* bonus passively and immediately upon becoming an attacker.
If I react to Elder Drake with flash and bring back the units he targeted, will it still kill them or will it mistargeted?
The units targeted by Elder Dragon's "When you play me" triggered ability will **not** be dealt damage, and they will not be killed.
Does that mean playing an ambush unit is not playing a "spell" and not "activating an ability", and means automatically just passing? And if that's true, when the opponent has passed before, it would start combat?
To answer your question, we must look at how playing a unit (such as an Ambush unit) interacts with the rules of a Showdown.
If Lillia, Fae Fawn moves from a battlefield where I have a hidden card, do I lose the hidden card?
Ruling: No, you maintain control of the battlefield and keep your hidden card. When Lillia moves and her ability triggers, the game enters a Closed State. Under current rules, you only lose control of an unoccupied battlefield during an Open State.
Can you play Stare Down if there are no enemy units at the chosen battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, you can play Stare Down even if there are no enemy units at the chosen battlefield. The card only requires you to choose a friendly unit and a battlefield as targets. The instruction to move enemy units operates on whatever is present at resolution; if no enemy units are there, that part of the effect does nothing, but...
If I use a replacement effect like Unlicensed Armory or Zhonya's Hourglass to save a unit I'm killing to pay for Heedless Resurrection's cost, does the spell still work?
Ruling: No. While the cost is technically paid (per Rule 357.2.a, replacement effects still satisfy cost payment), Heedless Resurrection will fail to resurrect anything when it resolves. The spell references "the killed unit" to determine the Energy and Power limits for what you can play from trash. Since no unit was actually killed (it was saved instead), this reference returns...
If a unit with Deathknell is moved by Charm from a battlefield with a hidden Zhonya's Hourglass to another battlefield where it dies in combat, can you flip the Zhonya's in response to the Deathknell trigger to recall it to base without saving the unit?
Ruling: No. You cannot both let the unit die (to trigger Deathknell) and save the hidden Zhonya's Hourglass to your base in this scenario. If you don't react to Charm, the battlefield becomes uncontrolled when your unit leaves, and the hidden Zhonya's is discarded during cleanup. If you do flip Zhonya's in response to Charm, it goes to your base...
Can you react to Dusk Rose Lab's ability during the Beginning Phase, even if there are no units at the battlefield?
Ruling: No. Dusk Rose Lab's ability does not automatically go on the chain. The ability reads "you may kill a unit you control here to draw 1," which means you choose whether to use it at the start of your Beginning Phase. If you choose to use it, killing a unit is a cost paid during finalization. If you have...
If I am attacking an enemy contested battlefield with one unit by playing "Rengar, Trophy Hunter" while a trigger for "The Syren" is on the stack, what happens?
To resolve this interaction, we must look at how the **Chain** functions during a **Showdown**. ### The Ruling When you play *Rengar, Trophy Hunter* in response to an existing trigger on the Chain, his entry into the game and any resulting "When you play me" triggered abilities are added to the **top** of the Chain. Per the LIFO (Last-In, First-Out)...
If I attack with a Bird token unit, can I play the Stalking Wolf to that battlefield if that's the unit I target to kill with its ability?
Based on the most current RiftJudge FAQ and the core rules for the **Ambush** keyword, **no, this is not legal** if the Bird token is your only unit attacking that battlefield.
If your opponent pulls your unit to a battlefield but you end up winning the showdown, do you get a point for conquering?
Yes, you can score a point for conquering a battlefield on your opponent's turn if you win the showdown there, provided you haven't already scored that battlefield earlier in the same turn.
When can you use LeBlanc's Legend ability?
You can use LeBlanc, Deceiver's ability when the trigger condition is met: **"When you conquer or hold."** Because this is a triggered ability, it functions differently than activated abilities. Here is the breakdown of how and when it can be used:
Does Blue Sentinel give you an additional point off holding with his double hold effect at a battlefield?
No, Blue Sentinel does not give you an additional point for holding a battlefield. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9539** and the card's ability text, Blue Sentinel's effect allows your "hold effects" to trigger an additional time. These hold effects—such as drawing a card from *Grove of the God-Willow* or adding [A] to your Rune Pool from the Sentinel itself—are triggered...
Would Yi unstoppable with wiki master legend and 16 XP get stunned and prevented from moving by Vex Apathetic that is at a battlefield?
Yes, **Master Yi, Unstoppable** (even at Level 16 with the "can't be chosen" protection) will still be stunned and prevented from moving by **Vex, Apathetic**.
When playing Lucian, if playing a unit with 2 might with a weapon attached with 2 might, if there are no defenders, does the unit get +1 assault for Sunken Temple trigger?
No, the unit will not have the bonus from **Assault** when moving into an unoccupied battlefield. ### Explanation According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9128** and **#9076**, **Assault** is a passive ability that is only active when a unit has the "Attacker" designation. A unit only gains the "Attacker" designation during a **combat** showdown, which requires an opposing unit to be present...
When Cull the Weak is played, can the opponent use his Hidden Wages of Pain to do 3 damage to the unit he wants to kill with Cull the Weak? Or does Wages of Pain kill that unit and he has to choose a different unit to kill?
Yes, your opponent can use their hidden *Wages of Pain* to kill a unit in response to *Cull the Weak*, and this will influence the choice they have to make when *Cull the Weak* resolves.
Can you play new spells as items on the chain resolve?
Yes, you can play new spells as items on the chain resolve. According to **Rule 340.4** and supported by various **RiftJudge FAQs** (such as FAQ #3479, #6477, and #4385), after an individual item on the chain finishes resolving, there is a priority window before the next item resolves. During this window, players have the opportunity to add new spells (provided...
Does the Watcher -3 debuff apply before or after Shield +1?
The Thousand-Tailed Watcher's -3 Might reduction effect is applied **independently** from Shield. Based on the rules and retrieved FAQs, here is how they interact:
When moving an Irresistible Faefolk to an uncontested battlefield, am I the attacker after moving an enemy unit to the battlefield Faefolk moved into?
Yes, you are the **attacker**. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9581**, **#9828**, and **Rule 459.2.b.1**, the determination of attacker and defender designations is based on which player applied the "Contested" status to the battlefield first.
If I choose Jae Medarda with my own repeated Frigid Touch do I draw 2?
Yes, you draw 2 cards. Here is the breakdown of why this interaction works this way:
If you use LeBlanc's legend to mirror a unit on Harnessed Dragon, does the new one count as played and reactivate the 'When you play me, kill an enemy unit'?
No, the new unit created by LeBlanc’s legend (**Deceiver**) will not trigger the "When you play me" ability of Harnessed Dragon.
If you Baited Hook and unit and Soraka saves it, do you get the Baited Hook trigger?
No, you do not get the full effect of **Baited Hook** if **Soraka, Wanderer** saves the unit. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8203** and **Rule 359.3.e.12**, because **Baited Hook** references "the killed unit" to determine the maximum might of the unit you can play, no kill game action occurring means there is no "killed unit" to reference.
If I play Mirror Image on an enemy Darius, will it enter ready and +2?
No, your *Reflection* token will not enter ready with +2 Might. Here is the breakdown of why this interaction functions this way:
If I use Evelynn Entrancing to move an enemy Irelia Fervent to my battlefield I'm holding from face down, I also have a Mutated Mouser, does my Mouser get the defend buff as I am defending or am I technically the attacker since I forced the Irelia to fight?
To answer your question, we must look at how you initiated the combat and the combat designations. ### 1. Attacker vs. Defender According to **RiftJudge FAQ #5394**, **#7275**, and **#8263**, when you use an effect (like **Evelynn, Entrancing**) to move an enemy unit to a battlefield you control, **that enemy unit becomes the attacker**.
If I use Baited Hook on Glassic, does its Deathknell happen first or the Baited Hook effect?
When you use **Baited Hook** on a unit with **Deathknell** (such as *Glasc Mixologist*), the resolution order is fixed by the rules of the chain (**LIFO**—Last In, First Out). You do not have a choice to resolve your reveal effect before the *Deathknell* trigger.
If an enemy uses Falling Star on a unit with 3 might but has Guardian Angel, how does it work? Does the first one trigger GA and the second kill, or does it do 6 and GA?
When an enemy uses **Falling Star** on a unit with 3 Might equipped with **Guardian Angel**, the interaction is determined by the fact that **Guardian Angel** acts as a **replacement effect** for the "die" event.
If you draw and play Hidden Blade via Reksa's legend ability to reveal the top 2 from deck, can you still play it as a hidden to a battlefield you control?
No, you cannot play *Hidden Blade* as a "Hidden" card if you are playing it via the effect of the Rek'Sai (*Void Burrower*) legend ability.
If you are in a combat and use Rengar to react and start a fight at another battlefield, do you complete the first one before going to the second, and can you play spells on the second while in the first?
Yes, you must complete the first combat entirely before the second combat can begin. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #5896**, you cannot have two simultaneous combats; the active showdown continues until its combat damage step completes. Only after the first showdown ends can the new combat at the second battlefield begin.
If you play Undertitan and give all units +2 for the turn, if you play a unit from your hand on the same turn after you play Undertitan, does it also get +2?
No, the new unit will not receive the +2 Might bonus. According to the official RiftJudge FAQ #4537, Undertitan's ability "When you play me, give your other units +2 [S] this turn" only affects units that are already on the battlefield at the moment that triggered ability resolves.
Rek'Sai Breacher gives your units Accelerate. Do they still pay to Accelerate? Also, what rune type do they pay? Since Rek'Sai is 1 Energy 1 Fury?
Yes, you still have to pay to use **Accelerate**, even when granted by **Rek'Sai, Breacher**. **Accelerate** is never free; it is an optional additional cost that gives you the choice to have a unit enter the battlefield ready instead of exhausted.
I am running the Draven champion, my opp is currently in control of a bf with an Overzealous Fan, I use my unit to contest that battlefield and my opp trigger the Overzealous Fan, killing it to move my unit back to base. Does that consider as me winning the combat because the Overzealous Fan is being killed first or is there no outcome? Provide the full resolution breakdown.
To determine the result of this encounter, we must follow the sequence defined in the **Showdown Flow** and the **Rules FAQ**.
Can Vex Apathetic ability/trigger be missed?
Yes, the triggered ability of **Vex, Apathetic** can be missed. According to **Tournament Rules Section 702.2 (Missed Trigger)**, a triggered ability is considered "missed" if the accountable player (the controller of Vex, Apathetic) does not demonstrate awareness of the trigger before the first time it would have an observable impact on the game.
Can I return to hand an equipped gear with Pack of Wonders?
Yes, you can use **Pack of Wonders** to return an equipped gear to your hand. According to the card text of **Pack of Wonders**, its ability allows you to "Return another friendly gear, unit, or facedown card to its owner's hand."
If I hide a Consult the Past, then reveal this card on my next turn, can I then play Jhin, Meticulous Killer for its alternative cost of 1 blue power?
Yes, you can. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #10012** and **FAQ #9920**, Jhin, Meticulous Killer's alternative cost requirement is satisfied if you spent 4 or more energy to play a spell this turn, regardless of whether that spell resolved.
If a spell is played from the trash using Fizz, Trickster's ability and that spell is countered, is it recycled or trashed?
Ruling: The spell is recycled. Fizz's ability states "Recycle that spell after you play it," which creates a replacement effect that applies whenever the spell would leave the chain for any reason—including being countered, finishing resolution, or being banished.
If I play a Cull the Weak to kill my Immortal Phoenix and an enemy unit, can I play the cost to play it from the trash as the Cull the Weak killed an enemy unit?
Yes, you can play Immortal Phoenix from your trash in this situation. According to Immortal Phoenix's card text: *"When you kill a unit with a spell, you may pay 1 energy, fury rune (power) to play me from your trash."*
Does Le Blanc's mirror images created by her legend ability trigger Star Spring?
No, the Reflection token created by LeBlanc's (Deceiver) legend ability does not trigger the ability of Star Spring. According to the text of Star Spring, its ability triggers only when a player plays a **non-token unit**. The Reflection token created by LeBlanc's ability is a unit token, so it does not satisfy the condition for Star Spring's trigger.
If I hook a Ruined Rex, does the Deathknell or the Hook summon resolve first?
When you use **Baited Hook** on a **Ruined Rex**, the unit you play from your deck resolves first, and the **Deathknell** trigger resolves second.
Can the repeat effect of Hard Bargain be delayed?
No, the **Repeat** effect of *Hard Bargain* cannot be delayed. According to the RiftJudge FAQ (#816, #3433, #9328), you must decide whether to pay the additional cost for **Repeat** at the moment you play *Hard Bargain* from your hand. Because **Repeat** is an additional cost keyword (Rule 820), it must be paid and declared during the "Make Relevant Choices" step...
Unchecked Power used on my Glask Mixologist. Can I play the unit to the Battle Glask was on?
Yes, you can play the unit to the battlefield where Glasc Mixologist died. According to the rules for battlefield control and *Deathknell* timing, here is how the sequence of events unfolds:
I'm holding a battlefield with 2x2 might and a 1 might unit. My opponent moves a unit in. Scenario A: My opponent moves a single 6 might unit in. Does he kill all my units and conquer? Scenario B: My opponent moves in with a 3 might and a 2 might unit. Does he kill all my units and conquer?
To determine if your opponent kills your units and conquers the battlefield in these scenarios, we must follow the **Showdown Timing Flowchart**.