Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 114 of 145 · 7,246 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
If I play Thousand-Tailed Watcher with Baited Hook, do I need to pay the accelerate cost or is it free?
Yes, you can choose to pay the Accelerate cost if you wish, but it is not required. According to RiftJudge FAQ #10495 and the associated rulings (#5335, #7120), when you play a unit using **Baited Hook**, you are playing that unit while ignoring its base energy and power costs. However, **Accelerate** is an optional additional cost, not a base cost.
If I play token, can I ready red Darius?
No, playing a token will not ready **Darius, Trifarian**. According to the rules and established RiftJudge FAQs:
If I play Grand Stratagem, then I play units after stratagem has resolved, do those new units get the +5 might?
No, the units played after *Grand Stratagem* has resolved do not receive the +5 Might bonus. According to RiftJudge FAQs #8163, #8376, and #7861, *Grand Stratagem* creates a snapshot effect. When the spell resolves, it grants the +5 Might bonus only to units that are already present on the battlefield at that moment. Because the effect is not a continuous...
Can you play Star-Crossed if you don't control a unit?
No, you cannot play **Star-Crossed** if you do not control a unit on the board. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9865**, **#10187**, and **#10769**, **Star-Crossed** creates a targeting relationship with both a friendly unit and an enemy unit. Because the spell lacks "up to" language, both are mandatory targets. You must control a friendly unit on the board to serve as...
If an opponent plays Fading Memories on my unit, can I react to the temporary trigger during my beginning phase with Tactical Retreat to save the unit?
Yes, you can react to the **Temporary** trigger from **Fading Memories** during your Beginning Phase with **Tactical Retreat** to save your unit.
Can you play Solari Shieldbearer with no other units in play?
Yes, you can play **Solari Shieldbearer** with no other units in play. According to **Rule 055**, when executing card text, you do as much as you can and ignore impossible instructions. Because the ability "stun a unit" does not require you to have another unit already in play to *play* the Solari Shieldbearer itself, you can successfully play it. If...
I move a 2 might unit into a BF controlled by the opponent and ambush with a Vilemaw. They have 13 might split across 4 units. If none of them are higher than Vilemaw, do I win combat or bounce since I don't have the might to kill all?
To determine the outcome, we must evaluate the combat based on the rules for **Combat Damage** and **Vilemaw's** specific ability.
If I play Cull the Weak and I target my unit but my opponent reacts with Gust on my unit do I still kill the target that was gusted?
No, you do not kill the unit targeted by *Cull the Weak* if it is returned to your hand by *Gust*.
If Rengar pulls my Vex Apathetic to a battlefield with Irresistible Faefolk, will their ambush units be stunned if played right after?
To determine if your *Ambush* units will be stunned when played, we must analyze the interaction between the *Vex, Apathetic* trigger and the timing of playing a unit via *Ambush*.
Can you play Ride the Wind to the same place the unit is in?
No, you cannot use **Ride the Wind** to move a unit to the same location it currently occupies. According to Rule 355.4.a, when a spell or ability moves a unit, you must choose a destination that is "other than the Units’ current Location." Since the destination must be a different location, targeting the unit's current location is not a valid...
If I move Kha'Zix, Mutating Horror to a battlefield with just put Rookie, and at reaction to my Kha'Zix trigger, they ambush Rengar to the battlefield, does my Kha'Zix trigger still go through?
Yes, **Kha'Zix, Mutating Horror** will still receive the +2 Might bonus and gain 2 XP. ### Reasoning According to the rules for triggered abilities and established RiftJudge FAQs (e.g., #9849, #10198, #10748), the "alone" condition is checked at the exact moment the unit gains the "Attacker" or "Defender" combat designation.
Can Desert's Call soliders be played to battlefield?
Yes, you can play the Sand Soldier token created by **Desert's Call** to a battlefield you control. While there are many FAQs regarding *Guards!*—which forces you to play its token at a specific battlefield because it is being played from a **Hidden** position—**Desert's Call** does not have the **Hidden** keyword.
Does Mindsplitter trigger and reveal hand if I use Star-Crossed on it in response to the trigger?
Yes, **Mindsplitter’s** "When you play me" ability will still resolve and force your opponent to reveal their hand, even if you use **Star-Crossed** in response to return the Mindsplitter to its owner's hand.
If an opponent tries to conquer a battlefield with a unit, and then I react with [Rengar the trophy hunter], who is the attacker? Or how does it resolve in detail? Is there a difference if I react in showdown or on attack trigger?
When an opponent moves a unit to an empty battlefield, they initiate a non-combat showdown and are designated the **Attacker**. If you play *Rengar, Trophy Hunter* in response to this move, you become the **Defender**.
If I conquer with Last Rites, can I hide a unit directly from the trash?
No, you cannot hide a unit directly from your trash. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9774**, "hiding" is a specific game action (Rule 421) that requires the card to be in your hand or your Champion Zone (Rule 421.2.a). The effect of *Last Rites* only grants permission to **play** a unit from your trash, which is a distinct game action from...
If I use Retreat on my Ekko, and chain Sacrifice on the same Ekko, does Retreat still give me the rune?
No, you will not receive the rune. ### Ruling According to **RiftJudge FAQ #7774**, if the unit targeted by **Retreat** is removed from the battlefield before **Retreat** resolves, the spell cannot return the unit to its owner's hand. Because the target is no longer present, the spell cannot complete its first instruction, and the subsequent instruction—channeling the rune—will not occur.
If I use Void Seeker on Darius Trifarian and afterwards use The List with Noxus, does Darius die?
To determine if Darius, Trifarian dies when targeted by *Void Seeker* and affected by *The List*, we must examine how damage and Might modifications interact.
If I hide here to help at a battlefield, can I use it to play a unit into the other battlefield on the enemy turn?
No, you cannot. According to **Rule 811.1.d.3** and **RiftJudge FAQ #3476**, when a hidden card causes you to play a unit, you must choose to play that unit at the **same battlefield** where the hidden card was hidden.
If I target a unit at a battlefield with piercing shot and then a unit in base, if my opponent kills the unit at the battlefield with hidden blade, does the unit in base still take damage?
Yes, the unit in the base will still take 2 damage. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #813** and **#9000**, the "then" in *Piercing Light* is a timing instruction, not a condition that requires the first target to remain valid for the second part of the effect to resolve. *Piercing Light* follows "Do As Much As You Can" (DAMAYC) logic.
If I move into a battlefield with Traveling Merchant and discard Flame Chompers, can I play it as an attacker?
No, you cannot play *Flame Chompers* as an attacker in this situation. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #5319**, when you move *Traveling Merchant* to an unoccupied battlefield, you do not control that battlefield until the movement fully resolves. Because *Flame Chompers*' ability triggers and resolves while the *Traveling Merchant* move trigger is still on the chain, you do not yet control...
Can Forge of the Future kill itself and target itself to return back to the deck?
No, **Forge of the Future** cannot recycle itself. According to RiftJudge FAQ #6281: * You must choose your targets (up to 4 cards in trashes) when you activate the ability and place it on the chain. * Because the card is still on the board at the moment you choose targets, it cannot be one of the targets in the...
I have Heedless Resurrection as my only card in hand after playing Fizz, I play Lunar Boon off the Fizz effect in the trash, can I chain Heedless Resurrection to it and still draw 2?
Yes, you can successfully draw two cards by playing *Heedless Resurrection* in response to *Lunar Boon* when triggered by *Fizz, Trickster*.
Does Bellows Breath repeated create two triggers on the stack?
No, **Bellows Breath** with **Repeat** does not create two separate triggered abilities, nor does it place two items on the chain.
If I Star Crossed an elder dragon on its play trigger and they react with Flurry of Blades - do all my units at battlefields die?
### Ruling **Yes, your units at the battlefields will die.** Even if you successfully return the *Elder Dragon* to its owner's hand using *Star-Crossed*, the *Elder Dragon* player's passive ability—**"Any amount of your damage is enough to kill enemy units"**—remains in effect for damage dealt by that player while the effect is active, and the 1 damage dealt by *Flurry...
Can attacking Glasc which gets killed during showdown summon units to the same battlefield it's attacking? (How about defending?)
No, an attacking **Glasc Mixologist** cannot summon a unit to the battlefield it is attacking if it dies during the showdown. However, a **defending** Glasc Mixologist is permitted to do so.
Ruined Rex kills Irelia with GA on Battlefield and Irelia kills Ruined Rex. Irelia has GA. When does damage for Ruined Rex get assigned, before or after GA? Can you not choose Irelia with Ruined Rex's Deathknell if you do not want to pay the Deflect cost?
In the scenario where **Ruined Rex** and **Irelia** (equipped with **Guardian Angel**) trade lethal damage during combat, the **Guardian Angel** replacement effect and the **Deathknell** ability behave according to the standard combat sequence.
If I have scored on both battlefields this turn, move off my units and then move a unit onto the battlefield, does a showdown start?
Yes, a showdown does start when you move a unit onto that battlefield, even if you have already scored on both battlefields this turn.
Does Deathgrip draw if target unit is removed?
Yes, you will still draw one card. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #10082**, **#10334**, and **#10055**, the draw effect of *Deathgrip* is not contingent on the success of the kill or the Might bonus.
Can I play Rengar bouncing when my opponent is conquering and I have no units there?
To answer your question, no, you cannot play **Rengar, Pouncing** to a battlefield your opponent is currently conquering if you have no units there.
If I void assault targeting my Yone and the enemies Rengar, moving Rengar to base and Yone to the battlefield Rengar was at, does Yone's passive trigger off Conqueror?
Yes, Yone, Blademaster's ability will trigger in this scenario. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #10336**, moving Yone into a battlefield and simultaneously moving the only enemy unit out results in that battlefield becoming uncontrolled during the cleanup phase (before the showdown begins). When Yone then conquers this now-uncontrolled battlefield during the resulting showdown, his ability will trigger.
When an ability instructs you to play a card from a zone other than your hand, do you have to pay its cost?
Ruling: Yes, you must pay the full cost of the card unless the ability explicitly states otherwise. Riftbound uses the principle that costs must be paid when playing cards, and only abilities that include phrases like "ignoring its cost" or "play it for [cost]" allow you to bypass the normal cost.
If I play Flurry of Blades before Dazzling Aurora triggers, then reveal Elder Dragon from Aurora and the opponent plays Star-Crossed in response, do all enemy units die from the 1 damage?
Ruling: Yes, all enemy units with 1 damage from Flurry of Blades will die before the opponent can play Star-Crossed. Elder Dragon's passive ability becomes active immediately when it enters the battlefield, making the 1 damage lethal during the mandatory cleanup that occurs before the "When you play me" trigger is finalized.
If I play an Irresistible Faefolk to an occupied battlefield and move an enemy unit from base to that battlefield, am I then the attacker still or do I become the defender?
When you move **Irresistible Faefolk** to a battlefield that is **already occupied** by an opponent's unit, the battlefield is already contested (or becomes contested by the arrival of your unit).
If I have a 4 might unit defending at the Frozen Fortress and my opponent plays a Thousand Tail Watcher dealing the -3 might to a minimum of -1, does my unit die?
Yes, your unit will die. Here is the breakdown of why this happens based on the *Riftbound* rules:
If I react to a charm by playing an Ambush Rengar which immediately resolves, will my opponent then have a window after that to react to their own charm on the chain?
Yes, your opponent will have an opportunity to react to their own **Charm** after your **Rengar, Trophy Hunter** has finished entering play.
I am using Master Yi Wuju Master Legend. When I defend with Fiora Peerless, do I get the +2 from Yi first, then my Fiora ability procs going to 10 might, or does it do the double before and then apply the +2 might?
When defending with *Fiora, Peerless* while your *Master Yi, Wuju Bladesman* legend is active (and *Fiora* is defending alone), your *Fiora* will reach a total of **10 Might**.
If I use Heedless as the attacker, can I play a unit to the battlefield I was attacking?
As the attacker, **no, you cannot play the resurrected unit to the battlefield you are attacking.** According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9753** and the related ruling logic:
If I use Imperial Decree and Bellows Breath on an Irelia with Guardian Angel, will both die?
Yes, your **Irelia** will be killed. The interaction between **Imperial Decree** and a **Repeated** spell results in multiple kill triggers. Because **Guardian Angel** is a one-time replacement effect, it can only save the unit from the first kill trigger; the subsequent trigger will then find and kill the unit.
If I first use Bellow Breath and then play Watcher, will an enemy unit of 4 might die? How does the process work?
Yes, an enemy unit with 4 Might will die in this scenario. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9019** and **#10231**, a unit is killed if it has marked damage equal to or greater than its current Might during a lethal damage check (which occurs after an effect resolves). Because damage remains marked on a unit and does not reduce its Might,...
Can I play Janna, Savior in a Showdown when I am the attacker?
Yes, you can play **Janna, Savior** in a showdown while you are the attacker, provided you are playing her to a battlefield you control.
If I become the surprise defender in a showdown and that showdown ends in a combat draw, then what will happen?
According to the rules of Riftbound and the RiftJudge FAQ #4553, if a defender uses an effect to join a showdown (often called a surprise defense) and the showdown results in a draw (meaning both players have units remaining at the battlefield after combat), the attacking units are recalled to their base, and the defender remains to establish control and...
Does Teemo Strategist on defend effect happen during finalisation or resolution? I want to know whether I can react to Teemo's on defend effect after targets have been chosen.
Yes, you can react to **Teemo, Strategist**'s "When I defend" ability after its target has been chosen. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #7962**: * The triggered ability is added to the chain, and targets are chosen as the trigger is placed on the chain (during finalization). * Once the ability is on the chain with its target locked, your opponent has...
Can I play Cull the Weak and Safety Inspector with no other minions on board?
You can play **Cull the Weak** even if you control no units, and you can play **Safety Inspector** even if you control no other units.
Can you play reactions in response to a unit gaining the Attacker designation during combat?
Ruling: You cannot react to the designation itself, but you can react to the "When I attack..." triggers that result from gaining the Attacker designation. The designation is a state change that happens outside the chain, but any attack triggers it causes are placed on the chain, creating a closed state where reactions can be played.
Does forbidding waste still work if a unit joins mid combat?
When a second unit joins a battlefield with **Forbidding Waste**, the penalty immediately stops applying. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #10921**, the -2 Might penalty from *Forbidding Waste* is a continuous static effect that is constantly re-evaluated. The battlefield checks the condition "defending alone" at all times. The moment a second friendly unit enters the battlefield, the condition is no longer...
Can a unit with ambush be played to base or does it have to be at a battlefield with a friendly unit?
You can play a unit with **Ambush** to your base at any time you could normally play a unit (during your Main Phase, in an Open State).
Does Fiora Peerless double her might with equipment or just her own equipment?
Fiora, Peerless doubles her **total Might** when her ability resolves, which includes any Might bonuses she is receiving from equipment attached to her.
When I proc Jhin Virtuoso Legend ability and I am at 12 runes do I get 4 floating? Or does it just ready 4?
As established by **RiftJudge FAQ #9949** and **RiftJudge FAQ #10084**, the ability of the Jhin Legend, **Virtuoso**, cannot be used to exceed the maximum of 12 runes on the board.
Does Relentless Pursuit allow me to move an unready unit to a battlefield?
Yes, **Relentless Pursuit** allows you to move an exhausted (unready) unit to a battlefield. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #10072** and **RiftJudge FAQ #8882**, when a unit is moved by a card effect (such as *Relentless Pursuit*), it does not exhaust as part of the movement, and there is no requirement for the unit to be ready to be moved. Since...
Does heal happen on Battlefield Showdown if my damaged unit moves to an open battlefield and conquers?
No, healing does not occur in that scenario. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9649** and **FAQ #9131**, there is a critical distinction between a combat showdown and an open showdown: