Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 111 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
When Tideturner is hidden, can it be played into the base to switch with another friendly unit on a battlefield, or must it be played at the battlefield where it was hidden?
Ruling: Tideturner can only be played at the battlefield where it was hidden, not into the base to switch with units on other battlefields.
Can Eclipse Herald ready multiple times per turn, every time you stun an enemy?
Ruling: Yes, Eclipse Herald can ready multiple times per turn, each time you stun an enemy.
What are the rules for missed triggers in Riftbound, and do triggers like drawing cards from Jinx Legend follow missed trigger rules or missed draw rules?
Ruling: Players must announce their triggers when they have an observable impact on the game (e.g., drawing a card, buffing a unit, exhausting a rune). If a trigger like Jinx Legend is missed, it follows missed trigger rules, not missed draw rules. Missed draw rules only apply when a player had an obligation to draw cards and didn't (e.g., forgetting...
Does Standard Move use the chain, and why are the rules around it unclear about its mechanics (when costs are paid, what type of ability it is, etc.)?
Ruling: Standard Move does not use the chain. It is classified as an "inherent ability" and a "discretionary action," which are distinct from activated abilities that do use the chain.
When playing Sett Brawler with Volibear's Legend ability, does Sett get his buff and become Mighty before triggering Volibear's ability?
Ruling: Sett does not become Mighty in time to trigger Volibear's Legend ability. Volibear triggers when you play a unit that is already Mighty at the moment of play, not after the unit resolves its own "When Played" effect.
When do you select the runes to ready for Targon's Peak, and does it create a chain?
Ruling: Targon's Peak creates a delayed trigger when you conquer. You select the runes at the end of turn when the delayed trigger goes onto the chain, not when you conquer.
How does Unyielding Spirit work to prevent damage, and what types of damage/effects does it block or not block?
Ruling: Unyielding Spirit prevents damage from spells and abilities for the rest of the turn when played. It does not prevent effects that don't deal damage (like might reduction, banish effects, or units dealing damage to each other).
Does a unit that has taken damage but not died still attack with its full might value when defending?
Ruling: Yes, damage does not reduce might. A unit will attack with its full might value regardless of how much damage it has taken, unless an effect specifically reduces its might.
How does Royal Entourage's ability to exhaust enemy legends interact with different legendary units (Daughter of the Void, The Boss, Blind Monk, and Lux)?
Ruling: Royal Entourage can legally exhaust enemy legends, but the practical impact varies by legend. Tapping legends prevents them from using abilities that require tapping as a cost.
When attacking with a unit and using Ride The Wind as an action to move Yasuo into the same battlefield, does Yasuo's 'when I attack' effect still trigger?
Ruling: Yes, Yasuo's "when I attack" effect triggers even when moved into the battlefield with Ride The Wind after an attack has already been declared.
If a unit is reduced to 1 Might by Smoke Screen (which prevents reduction below 1), then a buff is removed from it, can it go to 0 Might or does Smoke Screen keep it at 1?
Ruling: The unit can go to 0 Might. Smoke Screen's limitation only applies at the time it is played and "snapshots" the reduction magnitude at that moment. After Smoke Screen resolves, other effects can reduce the unit below 1 Might.
Does Wielder of Water retain its +2 might bonus from being alone if a showdown is contested and Tideturner is revealed?
Ruling: Wielder of Water does not retain the +2 might bonus because it uses "while" language (static ability) that continuously checks conditions. Mask of Foresight does retain its bonus because it uses "when" language (triggered ability) that checks only once and lasts "this turn."
When playing Stormbringer after Darius, does Stormbringer use Darius's base Might of 5 or his resolved Might of 7?
Ruling: Stormbringer uses Darius's base Might of 5. A card is not considered resolved/played until its text is fully performed and it is in the trash.
Does Mask of Foresight's +1 might bonus persist after a unit leaves combat, and does it stack if the unit attacks alone multiple times in the same turn?
Ruling: The +1 might bonus from Mask of Foresight lasts for the rest of the turn regardless of whether the unit leaves the battlefield, joins other units, or loses attacker/defender status. Each time the unit attacks alone in the same turn, it gains an additional +1 might that stacks with previous bonuses.
Can you score the 8th point by conquering only one battlefield when both battlefields are empty?
Ruling: To score the 8th point via conquest, you must score on both battlefields during your turn. Alternatively, you can reach 8 points by holding a battlefield at the start of your turn (going from 7 to 8).
What exactly is a round cycle, and if a player forgets to draw at the start of their turn, can they draw on their next turn?
Ruling: If it's the same player's turn again, a full turn cycle has passed and it's too late to retroactively draw the missed card.
For Garbage Grabber, is 'Recycle 3 from your trash' part of the cost to draw 1, or does the 'Do as much as you can' rule apply so you only need to pay 1 Energy and exhaust to draw 1?
Ruling: Recycling 3 cards from your trash is part of the cost to activate the ability. You must be able to recycle 3, pay 1 energy, and exhaust Garbage Grabber in order to draw 1 card.
How does Ride the Wind interact with conquering battlefields and scoring points, particularly regarding timing and whether you can score on an opponent's turn?
Ruling: You can conquer and score a battlefield on your opponent's turn using Ride the Wind, as long as you haven't already scored that battlefield during the current turn. At the end of showdown, if you don't control the battlefield but your units are present, you conquer it and score if you haven't scored it this turn.
Can you gain priority during a Hold step (after readying runes from Annie's ability) to use an action like Gust before the opponent scores?
Ruling: No, you cannot normally gain priority during a Hold step to use the runes readied by Annie's ability before scoring occurs. Once Annie's trigger resolves, you cannot use actions during that step.
Does Mageseeker prevent green Leona (Leona Zealot) from entering play ready?
Ruling: No, Mageseeker does not prevent Leona Zealot from entering play ready. Nuances: - Mageseeker only prevents exhausted units from being readied - Mageseeker does not prevent units that were never exhausted from entering play in a ready state
When attacking with 2 Anivia into a battlefield with 2 Nocturnes and a hidden Teemo Strategist, when is the latest the defending player can flip Teemo before losing control of the battlefield due to all units dying to Anivia triggers?
Ruling: The defending player can wait until after both Anivia triggers resolve to flip the hidden Teemo Strategist. During a showdown, you maintain control of a contested battlefield even if you have no units remaining on it.
Can you retreat a unit after damage has been assigned in a showdown?
Ruling: No, you cannot retreat a unit after damage has been assigned. Once damage assignment begins, damage is dealt and lethally damaged units are removed before any player receives priority to take actions like retreating.
Does revealing a card with Apprentice Smith count for the purpose of triggering Nocturne?
Ruling: Yes, revealing a card with Apprentice Smith triggers Nocturne. After Nocturne's errata, both "look" and "reveal" effects work to trigger it.
Does equipping a gear count as choosing for Irelia's ability (cost reduction for spells that choose/target)?
Ruling: Equipping gear does count as choosing/targeting, but Irelia's ability only reduces the cost of spells, not gear. Equipment is targeting but is not a spell, so Irelia does not reduce gear costs.
Can Retreat be cast on a champion that was played from the chosen champion zone (rather than from hand)?
Ruling: Yes, you can cast Retreat on a champion that was played from the chosen champion zone. Once a champion is played from the champion zone onto the board, it becomes a valid target for cards like Retreat that return units to hand.
How does Hextech Anomaly work, specifically how to use it to convert power into energy?
Ruling: Hextech Anomaly allows you to convert power into energy at a 1:1 ratio. Power and energy are distinct resources that go into a common pool and can be spent later in the turn.
Can Bellows Breath target the same unit multiple times with one cast to deal multiple damage to it?
Ruling: No, Bellows Breath cannot target the same unit multiple times. The spell deals 1 damage to up to three different units at the same location, where each target must be a distinct unit (though you can choose fewer than three targets).
Who are the relevant players during a Showdown in a 4 player FFA, and can players other than the attacker and defender play actions and reactions?
Ruling: In multiplayer games, all players can participate in a Showdown without needing invitations. Priority and focus pass in turn order.
When you have multiple Zero Drives in play, do you need to track which units were banished by each specific Zero Drive, or can triggering one Zero Drive's play effect return units banished by any Zero Drive?
Ruling: Each Zero Drive can only return units that were specifically banished by that individual Zero Drive's effect. Cards can only refer to things banished by their own effects, not by other cards with the same name.
Does Unyielding Spirit negate Vi's might increase or remove cleave effects?
Ruling: Unyielding Spirit does not affect Vi's might increase or cleave effects. These are normal combat damage, not spell damage or ability damage.
Can Gust target a 4 Might unit that has been damaged by Hextech Ray, or does the unit's Might stat need to be reduced below 4?
Ruling: Gust cannot target a 4 Might unit that has been damaged. Damage does not reduce a unit's Might stat; it only marks damage on the unit. To target a 4 Might unit with Gust, you must use an effect that reduces its Might stat (like Stupefy) to 3 or less.
When Ride the Wind is played on a unit at Vilemaw's Lair targeting the base as destination, what happens? Does the unit move nowhere, or must the opponent choose a different destination like the other battlefield?
Ruling: Ride the Wind resolves legally. The unit is readied, but does not move because Vilemaw's Lair prevents movement to base. The opponent is not forced to choose a different destination.
If Warwick attacks and his attack trigger is on the stack, can the trigger be stopped by Flight or Fright or Rebuke?
Ruling: Yes, Warwick's attack trigger can be stopped by Flight or Fright (or similar effects) if Warwick is removed before the trigger resolves. Rebuke cannot be used in response to the trigger because Rebuke is an action, not a reaction.
How does priority and spell casting work during a showdown in Riftbound, specifically regarding when players can play actions and reactions, and when the showdown ends?
Ruling: During a showdown, the active player has focus and can play actions or reactions without automatically passing priority - they can cast multiple spells before passing to their opponent. The showdown ends when both players consecutively pass focus without starting a new chain.
When the chain is resolving in Riftbound, can players play reactions between each spell resolution, or does the entire chain resolve at once?
Ruling: After both players pass priority, each chain item resolves one at a time. Before each chain item resolves, there is another round of priority where players can add reactions, starting with the owner of the next chain item to resolve.
Can a player exhaust a rune for no reason (without using the energy) in order to ready it again with Mana Flow and effectively gain an extra rune?
Ruling: Yes, you can exhaust a rune for no reason. Runes have the text "Exhaust - Add 1 energy" which can be activated without needing to use the energy generated, allowing you to exhaust it and then ready it again with Mana Flow.
If you are at 7 points with one open battlefield and another battlefield with a unit, do you win immediately by using Ride the Wind on the opponent's turn to conquer the second battlefield?
Ruling: No, you do not win immediately by using Ride the Wind to conquer a battlefield on your opponent's turn. You need to score both battlefields during the scoring phase to reach 8 points and win.
If Azir, Ascendant attacks and then uses its ability to swap with Azir, Sovereign from another battlefield, does Azir, Sovereign trigger its 'When I attack' ability and bring sand soldiers?
Ruling: Yes, Azir, Sovereign becomes an attacker when swapped into the attacking battlefield and triggers its 'When I attack' ability, allowing it to move sand soldier tokens.
If I pass focus during a showdown, then my opponent plays a card, do I get another opportunity to gain focus, or am I locked out for passing earlier?
Ruling: You get focus again after your opponent plays a card. Passing focus is not permanent - players pass focus back and forth until both players pass consecutively without playing any action/reaction cards.
If an opponent plays Cull the Weak targeting my only unit, can I respond with Gust to return that unit to my hand, and what happens to Cull the Weak if I have no other units?
Ruling: Yes, you can play Gust in response to move your unit back to your hand. If you have no units remaining in play after Gust resolves, your opponent must still sacrifice one of their own units to fulfill Cull the Weak's requirement.
If Hidden Blade is flipped from hidden to kill a unit at a battlefield, and in response Tideturner is flipped to move that unit to a different battlefield, does Hidden Blade lose its target?
Ruling: Yes, Hidden Blade loses its target and no unit will die and no cards will be drawn. However, the card is still considered played (so effects like Ravenbloom that trigger on playing cards still work).
When Forge of the Future recycles 4 cards at once, does Karma trigger 4 times (buffing 4 units) or only once?
Ruling: Karma only triggers once when Forge of the Future recycles multiple cards, because all the recycles happen simultaneously as a single instance.
When does Assault apply in relation to Ahri Legend's ability that reduces attacking units' Might by 1?
Ruling: Assault is a passive ability that applies as soon as a unit gains the attacker designation. By the time Ahri Nine-Tailed Fox's ability goes on the chain, the unit already has the attacker designation and thus already has the Assault bonus.
When Yasuo Remorseful's ability and a defender's ability (like Reavers Row) both trigger, does Yasuo have to choose his target before the defender chooses which unit to retreat?
Ruling: Yes, Yasuo must choose his target before the defender makes their choice. Attacker triggers go on the chain first, including all ordering and targeting decisions.
Does Sudden Storm deal 4 damage when a unit attacks an open battlefield?
Ruling: No, Sudden Storm does not deal 4 damage when moving to an open battlefield because moving to an open battlefield does not result in combat or attacking—it only starts contesting that battlefield. The 4 damage effect only applies if there is either a unit already there or a unit moved in during the showdown, making the first unit designated...
If a unit moves to a battlefield during an ongoing showdown at a different battlefield, does the new showdown interrupt the current one, or does the current showdown finish first?
Ruling: The ongoing showdown must always finish completely before a new showdown can begin at a different battlefield. Sequence: - Player A moves Kaisa Survivor to a battlefield, triggering a showdown - Player B plays Ride the Wind during this showdown to move a unit to the opposite battlefield - The original showdown with Kaisa finishes completely (including drawing the...
In a Showdown, does passing priority after playing an action count as 'passing' for the purpose of ending the Showdown, or does the rule only refer to the Pass action when you have focus?
Ruling: The rule refers specifically to the Pass action (voluntarily passing focus), not to passing priority. Passing priority after playing an action/reaction is a separate mechanic and does not count toward the sequence of passes that ends a Showdown.
When Irelia Fervent is chosen by a spell and then readied by Blade Dancer Irelia's ability, does she gain +1 or +2 Might total? Does Blade Dancer Irelia target?
Ruling: Blade Dancer Irelia does not target. Irelia Fervent gains +2 Might total: +1 from being chosen by the spell and +1 from being readied by Blade Dancer's ability.
Does the Watcher ability affect all enemy units count as 'choosing' them for the purpose of triggering 'when chosen by enemy spells or abilities' effects?
Ruling: The Watcher does not choose enemy units. It applies a blanket effect to all enemies, which is mechanically different from choosing.
If my only unit on Battlefield A is charmed to Battlefield B during my opponent's turn, and I use Ride the Wind to move it back to the now-empty Battlefield A, do I score a conquer point from Battlefield A?
Ruling: Yes, you score a conquer point from Battlefield A. Sequence: - Your unit is charmed from Battlefield A to Battlefield B during opponent's turn - Battlefield A becomes empty - You use Ride the Wind to move the unit back to Battlefield A - You score a conquer point because you did not score on that battlefield during your...