Riftbound Rules Questions (Page 114)

When Kayn has Doran's Shield (Tank) and moves for the 2nd time in a turn, does Tank still apply to him?

Ruling: No, Tank does not apply to Kayn when he has moved twice in a turn. Kayn is exempt from mandatory assignment considerations, which includes Tank.

When you play a second Dazzling Aurora and get a Deadbloom Predator from the first Aurora's trigger, does the Deadbloom's showdown resolve before the second Aurora's trigger, and can you place the second Aurora's unit on the battlefield being contested if you win?

Ruling: The second Dazzling Aurora trigger must fully resolve before the Deadbloom showdown can be initiated, because showdowns can only start when the turn is in a neutral open state with no chain items pending. If you get another Deadbloom from the second Aurora, you can place it on the same battlefield the first Deadbloom is contesting since it's still...

Can you win by conquest if you leave a battlefield after scoring it, and can you score/conquer the same battlefield multiple times in one turn?

Ruling: To win by conquest, you must score both battlefields in one turn (not necessarily control both). You can only score each battlefield once per turn, and conquest effects only trigger when you score.

Can Beast Below's "when you play" trigger be put on the chain if you control no other friendly unit to target?

Ruling: No, you cannot put Beast Below's trigger on the chain if you do not control another friendly unit. To put an object on the chain, valid targets must exist for all required targets.

Does blue Ahri's Inquisitive ability target, and does it therefore trigger Deflect?

Ruling: Yes, Ahri's Inquisitive ability targets and will trigger Deflect. A target is any specific choice required by an effect.

Can Ornn Legend's generic power be used to pay the hidden cost of gear cards like Zhonya's Hourglass (similar to using Kai'Sa Legend for spells)?

Ruling: No, you cannot use Ornn Legend (or Kai'Sa Legend) to pay hidden costs. Hiding cards is not the same as playing them, and these legends only generate power for playing cards of their respective types.

If Darius is played as the second card in a turn (after another card like Hextech Ray), does he enter the game ready with +2 power?

Ruling: Yes, Darius enters the game ready with +2 power when played as the second card in a turn. Sequence: - Play first card (e.g., Hextech Ray) - Play Darius as second card - Darius enters ready with +2 power

Are oversized/proving grounds battlefields legal for play, and can battlefields be mismatched in size?

Ruling: Oversized/proving grounds battlefields are legal for play, and you can use mismatched battlefield sizes. Nuances: - If you need to randomly select between battlefields of different sizes, ensure you have a fair method to do so (e.g., dice roll)

Do spells 'fizzle' in Riftbound if their target gains Deflect after the spell is already on the chain? Specifically, if Stupefy targets Fiora, then Fiora gains Deflect before Stupefy resolves, does the caster need to pay the Deflect cost?

Ruling: Spells do not fizzle in Riftbound. If a spell is already on the chain when its target gains Deflect, you do not need to pay the Deflect cost because costs are paid when putting cards/abilities on the chain, not on resolution. The spell resolves normally.

For Forgotten Monument, can you score it as soon as it's your 3rd turn, or do you have to wait until the 4th turn?

Ruling: You can score Forgotten Monument on your third turn as soon as the condition is met. Sequence: - Turn 1: Play a 2-cost unit - Turn 2: Score the other field and play another unit - Turn 3: Send the unit to Forgotten Monument and score it immediately

When Traveling Merchant moves to a battlefield, does its move trigger go on the initial chain along with defend and attack triggers, or does it need to resolve before an initial chain begins?

Ruling: The move trigger must resolve completely before the initial combat chain begins. Traveling Merchant's move trigger goes on a chain first, and only after that chain closes will combat open and the initial chain be populated.

Can you play a card in a showdown after damage is dealt but before combat ends?

Ruling: You can only play cards after combat damage if there is a triggered ability that results from the combat damage. If no triggered ability occurs, the showdown ends immediately.

Does Karthus's effect stack if multiple copies are active, causing death-knell effects to trigger more than twice?

Ruling: Yes, multiple copies of Karthus stack. Each Karthus adds one additional trigger to death-knell effects. Sequence: - Base death-knell effect triggers once - Each active Karthus adds +1 additional trigger - With 2 Karthus copies: death-knell triggers 3 times total (1 base + 1 per Karthus)

Can you activate Reaction cards and hidden cards on your turn with an empty stack, or do Reactions only respond to other cards?

Ruling: You can play Reaction cards to start a chain on your turn when you have priority, even with an empty stack. Reactions function as regular actions but can also be used in response to other cards.

Can Captain Miss Fortune use Gust in response to becoming a defender (after moving and readying a rune) but before Shield and Master Yi Legend passives apply?

Ruling: You cannot respond to becoming an attacker or defender because it is not a trigger. However, you can respond to Miss Fortune's on-move trigger (which happens before combat begins) to play Gust on the Poro, but this requires having an already-ready rune available.

When assigning damage in a showdown with multiple enemy units where one has the Tank tag, must all damage be assigned to the Tank unit even past lethal, or can excess damage be assigned to other units once lethal is assigned to the Tank?

Ruling: You must assign damage to the Tank unit first, but once damage equal to its Might has been assigned (lethal damage), you can and must assign remaining damage to other units.

How do hidden cards work in Riftbound, including: cost to hide vs play, battlefield placement/targeting rules, same-turn play restrictions, and what happens if you lose control of the battlefield?

Ruling: To hide a card costs 1 recycle energy. Playing a card from hidden costs exactly 0 energy (you don't pay the card's energy cost again). You can only hide cards on a battlefield you control, and you cannot play a card from hidden on the same turn you hid it (no exceptions).

Does Irelia's triggered ability with a 'may' clause count as an optional cost that interacts with Ezreal, Prodigy's cost reduction?

Ruling: Irelia's ability is not an optional additional cost and does not interact with Ezreal, Prodigy's cost reduction. Only costs that explicitly include both "may" and "as an additional cost" qualify as optional additional costs.

How does King's Edict work? Does the caster choose a target unit they don't control, and then opponents choose other units to kill?

Ruling: King's Edict does not target. Each opponent (starting with the next player in turn order) chooses a unit you don't control, then all chosen units are killed. The caster makes no choices.

If Leona stuns Yasuo, does his ability damage still happen?

Ruling: Yasuo's ability damage still happens when stunned because stun only prevents combat damage, not ability triggers. However, Yasuo's ability only triggers when he is attacking, so if Leona is attacking (stunning) him, he would be defending and his ability would not activate.

If I target a unit at a battlefield with Void Seeker and the unit moves to a different battlefield, does Void Seeker still hit?

Ruling: Void Seeker will still hit the unit as long as it remains a legal target. A unit that moves from one battlefield to another is still "at a battlefield" even though it is no longer "here" at the original battlefield.

Do multiple sources of Assault and Shield keywords stack/sum together?

Ruling: Yes, multiple sources of both Assault and Shield keywords sum together. Sequence: - If a unit has Assault (or has been granted Assault) and receives Assault from an additional source, sum all Assault values - If a unit has Shield (or has been granted Shield) and receives Shield from an additional source, sum all Shield values

Do 'On Play' effects use the Chain, allowing opponents to react with cards like Gust?

Ruling: Yes, 'On Play' effects (such as Purple Teemo gaining 3 might when played from hidden) go on the Chain and can be reacted to with cards like Gust.

Does using Meditation to exhaust a friendly unit on DreamingTree trigger the battlefield ability to draw +3 cards total?

Ruling: No, Meditation does not trigger DreamingTree's battlefield ability. You only draw the +1 card from Meditation itself. Nuances: - Meditation exhausts a unit as a cost of playing the spell, not as a target or chosen unit - DreamingTree requires choosing/targeting a unit to trigger its ability - Meditation does not choose a unit, so it cannot trigger DreamingTree

How does Stand United interact with buffs on Lee Sin, Ascetic, and how is his Might calculated when buffs are added or removed after Stand United resolves?

Ruling: Stand United makes buffs give +2 Might instead of +1 Might for the rest of the turn. When calculating Lee Sin's Might, count all buffs at their current value (+2 each while Stand United is active), then apply any fixed reductions like Smoke Screen.

Can a Hidden Blade hidden at Battlefield A be used as a reaction to kill an attacker at Battlefield B?

Ruling: No. When you play a hidden card, if it targets, those targets must be chosen from among options at the battlefield where the card is hidden, unless the ability explicitly restricts targeting in a way that makes this impossible.

Does Sett - Brawler trigger Fiora's leader ability when he spends his buff to get +4M, or when he is played?

Ruling: Yes, Sett triggers Fiora's leader ability both when played and when he spends his buff. He momentarily exists at 4M before his buff applies or reapplies.

When Warmog's Armor detaches from a unit, does the unit keep the buff it gained from conquering while equipped?

Ruling: When an equipment detaches from a unit, the unit keeps any buffs it already gained, but will not gain new buffs from future triggers since the equipment text is no longer active on that unit.

Does the Minefield effect trigger abilities that say 'When you discard'?

Ruling: No, Minefield does not trigger "When you discard" abilities. Nuances: - You must perform the Discard game action to trigger "When you discard" effects - Discarding specifically refers to moving cards from hand to trash

Can units at Vilemaw's Lair move to base using effects like Flash of Foresight (FoF) or Ride the Wind, and what are the ways to bypass Vilemaw's restriction?

Ruling: Units at Vilemaw's Lair cannot move to base using any movement effects, including Flash of Foresight, Ride the Wind, Flash, or Charm. The only way to get a unit from Vilemaw's Lair to base is through Recall effects (like Zhonya's Hourglass), which are distinct from movement.

When Convergent Mutation targets a unit to match Dr. Mundo's Might (which is 18 with 12 cards in discard), does the unit become 18 Might total, or does it gain +18 Might, and does it continue to track Mundo's Might if it changes later?

Ruling: The targeted unit's Might is increased to match Dr. Mundo's current Might at the time Convergent Mutation resolves. This is a one-time snapshot that does not continue to track Mundo's Might if it changes later.

Can Whirlwind bounce an opponent's Ruin Runner despite Ruin Runner's ability 'I can't be chosen by enemy spells and abilities'?

{"ruling": "YES, Whirlwind can bounce Ruin Runner. Whirlwind does not choose units—it targets players, who then choose units during resolution.", "sequence": ["You play Whirlwind (no units are chosen at this time)", "Whirlwind resolves", "Starting with the next player, each player in turn order makes a choice during resolution", "When it's your opponent's turn to choose, they select which unit to...

Can a player attack a battlefield with units from base in multiple waves, and how does damage assignment work during showdowns?

Ruling: Yes, a player can move units from base to attack a battlefield in multiple waves, but if using standard movement (not spell-based), they must wait for the current combat to end before moving additional units. During showdowns, each player sums the might of all their units and independently decides how to distribute that total damage among the opponent's units.

When casting Divine Judgement, if I pass priority without floating resources and my opponent floats energy/power using mana abilities without adding other effects to the chain, do I get priority back before the spell resolves?

Ruling: Yes, you get priority back. When your opponent activates mana abilities (add abilities), those go on the chain and immediately resolve without passing priority, but they count as "adding something to the chain" which means you receive priority again when your opponent passes.

If you play a 4 might unit directly to Trifarian War Camp, does it 'become mighty' for the purposes of Fiora's legend?

Ruling: No, the unit does not become mighty. When the unit resolves to the battlefield, Trifarian War Camp's passive is immediately applied, so there is no window where it exists as a 4 might unit before becoming 5 might.

How does damage work in relation to Might? Does damage reduce Might, or does it work differently?

Ruling: Damage does not reduce Might. Instead, damage is "marked" on a unit, and if the total marked damage equals or exceeds the unit's Might, the unit dies.

Does Janna's healing ability remove negative Might effects like Stupefy or Smoke Screen?

Ruling: No, healing does not remove negative Might effects. Healing only removes marked damage from units. Nuances: - Negative Might effects (like Stupefy, Smoke Screen) are not considered damage - Healing specifically targets marked damage, not stat modifications or debuffs

Can I equip items to Dauntless Vanguard when playing it from hand to attack a battlefield where the opponent is already present, if those equips are already active at my base from a previous turn?

Ruling: No, you cannot equip items to Dauntless Vanguard when playing it to a battlefield with an opponent present. Equip can only be activated at base speed, and playing a unit to a battlefield where an opponent is present opens combat, during which base speed actions cannot be performed.

When Ahri (Legend) defends at Trifarian War Camp against attacking units, does her ability to reduce attacking units' might to 1 work, or does the War Camp's +1 might buff continuously override it?

Ruling: Ahri's ability successfully reduces the attacking units to 1 might. The War Camp's +1 might bonus allows Ahri's -1 might penalty to apply without violating the minimum might rule, and these effects counteract each other.

If a unit gains Temporary from an effect (not printed on the card), and then Portal Rescue is used on it, does it lose Temporary when it returns to play?

Ruling: Yes, the unit loses Temporary when Portal Rescue banishes and returns it. When game objects move from a board zone to a non-board zone, they lose all effects that were applied to them and become new game objects.

Does Svellsongur copy abilities that are added to a unit by other equipment (like Trinity Force's effect text)?

Ruling: Svellsongur only copies the printed text on a unit card, not abilities added by other equipment's Effect Text. Nuances: - This was clarified via Red Text by Riot as a day 0 clarification, not a formal errata yet - The intention is to prevent equipment order from mattering - At tournaments without formal errata, resolution depends on head judge...

Can you add new chain links during the resolution of a chain, and when are spell cards placed into the discard pile?

Ruling: You can play reaction spells in response to items on the chain before they resolve - you're adding to the current chain, not starting a new one. Spell cards go to the discard pile after they execute their instructions on resolution, and countered spells are discarded as part of being countered.

If Hidden Blade targets a unit at a battlefield, but the opponent uses Flash to return that unit to base in response, does Hidden Blade still draw 2 cards?

Ruling: No, Hidden Blade does not draw any cards. When the target becomes illegal (unit returned to base), all information about the target returns null, including owner information.

In 2v2, if my teammate controls a battlefield during an opponent's turn, loses control, and then I conquer it during that same opponent's turn (e.g., with Ride the Wind), do I score a point?

Ruling: Yes, you score a point. The rule preventing scoring on teammate-controlled battlefields only applies during your own turn, not during opponent turns.

If Zero Drive banishes a unit as a deathknell and Karthus is in play (adding a second banishment trigger), can Zero Drive play two copies of that unit later when its ability triggers?

Ruling: While Karthus does add a second banishment trigger, the second trigger cannot reference the unit because it was already moved by the first banishment. Only one copy can be played later.

When controlling Dunebreaker (holding a battlefield) with Jinx Legend and 1 card in hand when opponent passes, can you stack triggers to draw from Legend, then Dunebreaker's hold ability, then normal draw, for 4 cards total?

Ruling: Yes, you can draw 4 cards total. The triggers are forced to resolve in a specific order based on when they occur during the turn structure.

If I target my opponent's unit at a battlefield with a kill spell, and they react by playing a hidden unit at that same battlefield, does the hidden unit resolve before the kill spell?

Ruling: Yes, the hidden unit enters play before the kill spell resolves. Permanent items (including units) leave the chain immediately after finalizing and enter play, then the chain continues resolving in reverse order.

If Fiora attacks a battlefield with 1 unit and 1 hidden card, her might doubles. If the opponent then reveals the hidden card (Pakaa Cub) as a unit, does her might get reduced back to normal?

Ruling: Once Fiora's ability triggers and goes on the chain, her might will double when it resolves. The trigger condition ("one on one") is checked when the ability triggers, not when it resolves, so revealing the hidden card afterward does not prevent the might doubling.

If Smokescreen is cast on attacking Vayne (reducing her from 5 Might to 1 Might), and she survives by removing the defender, then moves to another battlefield with Ride the Wind where there's a defender, what is Vayne's Might in the new combat?

Ruling: Vayne will be 1 Might in the new combat. Smokescreen snapshots the Might reduction as -4 when cast and applies it continuously for the rest of the turn, regardless of whether Vayne's Might calculation temporarily goes negative.

When I use Charm to pull an enemy unit into a base I control, and combat results in a tie, which unit recalls - mine or theirs? Who is the attacker/defender?

Ruling: The opponent's unit is the attacker and recalls after a tied combat. You are the defender because you control the battlefield, and the opponent's unit applied the Contested status by moving into your controlled base.

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