Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 104 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Do your runes untap before temporary triggers?
Yes, your runes untap before *Temporary* abilities trigger. According to **Rule 315.1.a**, the **Awaken Phase** (where you ready all your exhausted game objects, including runes) occurs at the very start of your turn. The **Beginning Phase** (where *Temporary* abilities trigger per **Rule 816.1.b**) occurs after the Awaken Phase has concluded.
Does Ruined Rex damage happen before healing?
No, Ruined Rex's damage does not happen before healing. According to established **RiftJudge FAQs (#10018, #10069, #10090, #10182)** regarding the combat cleanup sequence, the healing step occurs *before* the resolution of the **Deathknell** ability.
I have an 8 might unit with tank and three 6 might units at the same battlefield, and an opponent's elder dragon attacks. Does he have to assign full damage to all might to each one unit before moving to another unit, or can he just assign one to all units and kill them?
Because you control **Elder Dragon**, the rules for assigning combat damage are modified. **Yes, your opponent can assign just 1 damage to each of your units to kill them.**
How does it work if my opponent moves up to my battlefield and I have an Overzealous Fan at the battlefield? Does my opponent have focus first or me?
When your opponent moves a unit to a battlefield you occupy, a Showdown begins. According to **Rule 345**, the player who applies the "Contested" status—in this case, your opponent who moved their unit into your battlefield—gains **Focus** first.
If a spell is played through Fizz's triggered ability and it is countered, does it still get recycled?
Yes, if a spell is played using **Fizz, Trickster**'s ability and is subsequently countered, it is still **recycled**. According to RiftJudge FAQ #10401, this occurs because Fizz's ability creates a **replacement effect** that applies whenever the spell would leave the chain for any reason. This replacement effect overrides the standard rule (Rule 425.1.a) that a countered spell is sent to...
If I play Frigid Jewel on my turn, and I would draw another card later, does its effect still trigger? Has it already "registered" the card I drew at the start of my turn?
To answer your question, we need to look at how *Frigid Jewel*'s ability identifies the condition and how turns function.
When my opponent moves to an open battlefield starting a showdown, passes focus, and I play a unit with Ambush and pass, does my opponent get focus again or does combat start immediately?
Ruling: Combat starts immediately. After your unit resolves and enters the battlefield, a cleanup occurs. Because opposing units are now present at the contested battlefield, combat becomes staged. Per the updated rules, the non-combat showdown immediately transitions into a Combat Showdown without requiring both players to pass consecutively.
Can I distribute damage any way I want with Elder Dragon in base and kill 2 units with 1 damage each?
Yes, you can. With **Elder Dragon** in play, its passive ability ("Any amount of your damage is enough to kill enemy units") modifies the definition of lethal damage for damage you are responsible for.
Does the damage from Teemo defending revealing hidden cards resolve before combat might dmg goes through?
Yes. When Teemo, Strategist triggers while defending, his ability resolves **before** combat damage is dealt. According to the **Riftbound Showdown Timing** and related FAQs:
Can I play my hidden card after combat ends and I have no units on battlefield?
No, you cannot play your hidden card in that situation. According to **Rule 461.5.c** and related **RiftJudge FAQ #4944**, once combat ends and you have no units remaining on the battlefield, you lose control of that battlefield. At that point, any hidden cards remaining there are removed and placed in your trash.
If I use Moonfall, do I have to pay Deflect if I move an enemy unit to that bf?
To determine if you must pay the **Deflect** cost when using **Moonfall**, you must consider how its effect interacts with the **Deflect** keyword.
If I am moving a Stellacorn Herder to a battlefield, does my opponent have a window to gust Stellacorn before the move trigger resolves?
Yes, your opponent has a window to play **Gust** to return *Stellacorn Herder* to your hand before its "When I move" trigger resolves.
If I capture 1 base to get to 7 points and then capture a base on my opponent's next turn, can that give me the 8th point for victory?
No, you cannot win the game by conquering a battlefield on your opponent's turn to reach 8 points. According to **Rule 466.1.b.2**, when you attempt to gain the final (winning) point through a **Conquer** action, you must have scored on **every** battlefield through either method (Hold or Conquer) during that same turn.
If I play Fallen Star on a unit and it has 1 HP left and then I play Stupefy on it, will the unit end up dying?
Yes, the unit will die. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #2426** and **#4751**, marked damage and Might are tracked separately. If a unit has marked damage equal to or greater than its current Might, it will die during the next Cleanup phase.
If I react, killing or taking out the board the unit selected with a "Death from below", my opponent, owner of the spell, can play it again? I think not, because "Death from below" checks the might of the unit killed with it.
You are correct. Your opponent **cannot** use the recast effect of **Death from Below** if you remove the targeted unit from the battlefield before the spell resolves.
To play Acceptable Losses, do I need to have a gear to play it, or can I simply play it when only my opponent has a gear?
No, you do not need to control your own gear on the field to play **Acceptable Losses**. According to RiftJudge FAQ #4344 and #9554, you can play **Acceptable Losses** even if you do not control any gear, as long as your opponent does. The card does not target; at resolution, each player who controls gear will choose one to kill.
When a 3 might unit attacks a battlefield that has 3 enemy units, can it distribute the 3 might onto 1 each?
No, you cannot distribute the 3 Might onto three 1-Might units in that way. According to **Rule 460.2.c.3**, "Units must have lethal damage assigned to them in full before damage is assigned to a different Unit."
Does Heedless Resurrection require you to pay the recycle cost of the unit you are playing from trash?
*Heedless Resurrection* does not require you to pay any "recycle cost." The spell has an additional cost—killing a friendly unit—and it specifies that you play a unit from your trash that costs no more Energy and Power than the unit you killed. You do not need to pay the Energy or Power cost of the unit you are bringing back...
You have a hidden card on a BF and it's Zhonya's Hourglass and a unit with Deathknell. The unit dies and you don't react with the Zhonya's. Do you take the Zhonya's to base or is it gone?
According to the RiftJudge FAQs regarding hidden Zhonya's Hourglass, if you do not react to save your unit when it dies, the hidden card is discarded.
Can I use Acceptable Losses even if I don't have a Gear?
Yes, you can use **Acceptable Losses** even if you do not control any gear, as long as your opponent does.
Can Repulse stop Hidden Blade and Cull of the Weak?
To determine if **Repulse** can stop **Hidden Blade** or **Cull the Weak**, we must compare the specific targeting requirements of each card.
With Diana's ability, you basically predict twice correct?
No, that is not correct. Diana, Lunari's ability does not have you "Predict twice." According to her card text, her ability reads: **"When a showdown begins here, you may pay [1]. If you do, [Predict], then reveal the top card of your Main Deck. If it's a spell, draw it."**
Can I use Rek'Sai Conquer trigger to play a unit and draw a card from Fresh Beans?
No, you cannot trigger the draw effect of **Fresh Beans** using a unit played via a Rek'Sai conquer trigger. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #10088**, the trigger condition for **Fresh Beans** requires you to play a unit during an active showdown. However, Rek'Sai’s conquer-related abilities (and other similar conquer effects) trigger during the **Resolution Step** after the combat showdown has already...
If I play Convergent Mutation targeting a unit to match another unit's might, and one of those units is Ravenbloom Student, what is the final might of each unit?
Ruling: When Convergent Mutation resolves, the targeted unit's might is set to match the reference unit's current might. After the spell fully resolves, Ravenbloom Student's "When you play a spell" trigger is added to the chain and then resolves, granting Ravenbloom +1 might.
I play Heedless Resurrection, killing my Elder Dragon. Can I then play the same Elder Dragon I just killed?
No, you cannot use *Heedless Resurrection* to kill your Elder Dragon and then immediately play that same Elder Dragon from your trash.
If a Scuttle at a bf dies and Zhonyas is hidden, can you reveal Zhonyas after the Scuttle dies or does the reveal have to happen before it dies?
To answer your question, it depends on whether the battlefield is **contested** and whether there are **triggered abilities** (like *Deathknell*) occurring as the unit dies.
Star-Crossed as reaction to Thrill of the Hunt?
Yes, you can play **Star-Crossed** as a reaction to **Thrill of the Hunt**. ### Why this works: 1. **Reaction Timing:** Both *Star-Crossed* and *Thrill of the Hunt* have the **[Reaction]** keyword. Per Rule 813.1.c.1, this allows them to be played during Closed States (when the chain is not empty), such as in response to another spell. 2. **Chain & Resolution:**...
If I am at 7 points and my opponent controls both battlefields but I conquer one with a Lucian that has 2 Trinity Forces and 1 Skyfall of Areion, do I win the game?
Yes, you win the game. When you conquer a battlefield while at 7 points with a unit equipped with two **Trinity Forces** and one **Skyfall of Areion**, you trigger the effects of both Trinity Forces and reach the 8th point, winning the game.
When I move into an occupied battlefield and start a showdown, I am the attacker. If I play Vi Peacekeeper, is she also attacking and can she stun a unit?
Yes, **Vi, Peacekeeper** is considered to be attacking when she enters a combat showdown, and she can stun an enemy unit.
If Karthus and Watchful Sentry die at the same time to Falling Star, do you still get the effect from Karthus?
Yes, you still get the effect from Karthus, Eternal. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9028** (and similar FAQs #9890, #8974, #9711, and #9317), Karthus, Eternal's ability ("Your [Deathknell] effects trigger an additional time") is a **passive ability**, not a triggered ability.
If opponent uses Unchecked Power, can I let damage resolve and then use Hidden Card?
No, you cannot. You must play your hidden card **before** *Unchecked Power* resolves. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #7958**, the window to play a hidden card as a reaction exists while *Unchecked Power* is on the chain, before it resolves. Once *Unchecked Power* resolves and deals its damage, there is no further opportunity to react until a new chain begins. If...
If I use Relentless Pursuit on my opponent's turn, can I move the unit back to base after conquering even though it's not my turn?
Yes, you can move your unit back to your base after conquering, even if it is currently your opponent's turn.
For Sunken Temple, do you exhaust or recycle a ruin to get its effect?
Sunken Temple's ability does not require you to exhaust or recycle a rune. According to its card text, the ability is: "When you conquer here with one or more [Mighty] units, you may pay [1] to draw 1."
Does Vex Cheerless pay for Deflect as an additional cost?
Yes, when your opponent casts a spell that targets a unit with **Deflect** while **Vex, Cheerless** is in combat, the cost of that spell includes the **Deflect** cost as a mandatory additional cost.
If I spend 4 or more energy to cast a spell on my opponent's turn, can I play Jhin, Meticulous Killer for his alternative cost during that turn?
Ruling: No. While spending 4 or more energy on a spell during your opponent's turn satisfies Jhin's alternative cost condition, you still cannot play him because you lack the timing permission to do so. Units can only be played during your own turn in a Neutral Open state unless they have a keyword like Ambush that grants special timing.
When do Deathknell abilities resolve during combat?
Ruling: Deathknell abilities resolve at the end of the combat special cleanup, which occurs after units are healed and after attackers have been recalled (if defenders are still present).
if I play whirlwind, can I choose an enemy's baron nashor?
Yes, you can choose an enemy **Baron Nashor** with **Whirlwind**. According to RiftJudge FAQ #9057 and FAQ #3563, **Whirlwind** does not target or "choose" units; instead, it instructs players to make a choice during the spell's resolution.
Is there a maximum hand size in Riftbound?
There is no maximum hand size in Riftbound. While the rules define the "Hand" as a zone for cards (Rule 108.7), there are no rules stating that a player must discard down to a specific number of cards or that there is a limit to how many cards a player can hold.
If opponent uses Dazzling Aurora and pulls Elder Dragon, and I have Vex holding, and it gets stunned when played, does the passive ability still go through?
Yes, the passive ability of **Elder Dragon** still goes through even if it is stunned by **Vex, Apathetic**. ### Reasoning 1. **Passive Abilities and Stun:** According to **Rule 423.1.b**, a stunned unit cannot contribute its might to combat damage; however, being stunned does not turn off a unit's passive abilities. Passive abilities remain active unless the unit is removed from...
Can someone use Gust on Reflection token LeBlanc Legend?
Yes, you can use **Gust** on a **Reflection** token created by **Deceiver** (LeBlanc), but the timing and effect depend on when you play it.
can my oponent use cult the weak if he dont have any unit?
Yes, your opponent can play **Cull the Weak** even if they control no units. According to several RiftJudge FAQs, this is a legal play because:
If I have no units on a battlefield that my opponent currently controls with a single unit, if I use conscription , I take control of that unit and i get a point right? Then I can do anything else with it but will just give it back to your hand right?
### 1. Does Conscription grant a Conquer point? **No.** Using Conscription on an opponent's unit at a battlefield they control does not grant you a Conquer point.
can you react with flurry of feathers before you score your point for holding and win the game with the grand plaza battlefield?
No, you cannot react with *Flurry of Feathers* to help satisfy the win condition for *The Grand Plaza*. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #10151**, *The Grand Plaza*'s ability follows a strict "condition, condition, effect" structure. You must already have 7 or more units at that battlefield the moment you hold it during your Beginning Phase for the ability to trigger.
If I have a Hwei and one hidden Tideturner at a battlefield, and my Hwei gets pulled to the other battlefield by Blitz, can I react by playing Tideturner? Or is the battlefield no longer under my control?
Yes, you can react by playing Tideturner from hidden. According to Rule 187.4.c and the corresponding clarifications, **control of a battlefield cannot be lost while there are items on the chain.**
if my opp starts a showdown with 2 units, 4 might total, then in the action phase of the showdown, cast a Ride the wind making Kha'zix a 3rd attacker, if I win the showdown and succed as a defender in the Bf those the k6 still ready or is exhausted for the recall?
To answer your question: **Kha'Zix, Mutating Horror stays in the same state he was in before being recalled.** ### Regarding Exhaustion Upon Recall According to **Rule 453.1** and confirmed by **RiftJudge FAQs #5810, #6702, and #7084**: * A "Recall" is a specific game action where a permanent is relocated to its base (Rule 450). * Recalls **do not** change the...
if i take a battlefeild with nidalee. which gives me card draw when i win combat. but i kill scuttle. who triggers first? does scuttle see the draw card?
According to the RiftJudge FAQ #10347, **Scuttle Crab's Deathknell resolves completely before Nidalee, Cat Form's draw ability triggers.** The game processes combat outcomes and triggered abilities sequentially during the Combat Cleanup phase using the FEPR (Finalize, Execute, Pass, Resolve) process. They do not trigger simultaneously.
when leblanc clones a unit with her sig spell. does she get the gear and buffs?
When LeBlanc (or any other effect) creates a copy of a unit, **the new copy does not get the gear or buffs** that were on the original unit.
if i hidden blade a unit and it has a guardian angel, does the controller still draw 2?
Yes, the controller of the targeted unit will still draw 2 cards. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8724**, when **Hidden Blade** resolves, it checks if its target is still a legal target on the battlefield. Because **Guardian Angel** acts as a replacement effect that intercedes during the resolution of **Hidden Blade** (replacing the "kill" event with "Heal me, exhaust me, and...
if my oppponent has a 8 might unit on the field and then plays sky splitter to reduce its cost to 0, since it cost 0 for my opponent, can i defy this now?
No, you cannot use **Defy** on **Sky Splitter** in this situation. According to RiftJudge FAQ #4278, #3402, and #6358, **Defy** checks the **printed energy cost** of the target spell, not the actual cost paid after reductions.
5 PM My 2 might unit with a buff has a damage counter of 2. If I consume the buff to play Call to glory, does my unit die or does the spell resolve and the unit lives?
Your unit will **die**. ### The Breakdown 1. **Playing the Spell:** When you play *Call to Glory*, you must pay its costs. You choose to spend the buff as an additional cost. The moment you pay this cost, the buff is removed from your unit. 2. **State Assessment:** Your unit began with 2 might (1 base + 1 buff). After...