Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 121 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
If you use Hidden Blade on your own unit and save it with Sett's legend ability, do you still draw 2 cards?
Ruling: Yes, you still draw 2 cards. Hidden Blade's kill effect and draw effect are separate from each other, so the draw happens regardless of whether the unit actually dies.
If a unit has 5 damage on it and 6 might, does it die if Stupefy is used on it (reducing might)?
Ruling: Yes, the unit dies. If a unit has damage markers on it equal to or greater than its might, it dies.
Does Ravenbloom Student trigger when a spell is placed on the chain, or only when it resolves?
Ruling: Ravenbloom Student triggers when a spell resolves (is played successfully), not when it is placed on the chain. Sequence: - Spell resolves - Ravenbloom triggers and is put on the chain - Trigger resolves
If Strategist Teemo is defending and triggers to find Nocturne, can Nocturne be played directly to the battlefield being defended?
Ruling: Yes, you can play Nocturne directly to the battlefield you're defending because you're still controlling it until combat ends.
When playing Ride the Wind during an opponent's attack to move a unit to another occupied battlefield, what happens with combat timing and attacker designation?
Ruling: The new showdown is put in pending status, and the original combat resolves first. Since you are contesting the new battlefield, you are designated as the attacker in that showdown.
When a unit with Hidden is un-hidden on a later turn, must it be played to the same battlefield where it was hidden, or can it be played to a different battlefield or base?
Ruling: When a card is played from Hidden, it must be played to the same location where it was hidden. An additional restriction of "Here" is added to the card when played from Hidden.
Does 'board' include the trash pile, or is it just the base and battlefield?
Ruling: The board does not include the trash pile. It consists only of the base and battlefield zone. Nuances: - According to the comprehensive rules, the board specifically consists of: Base, Battlefield Zone (which includes Facedown Zone and Legend Zone) - Trash is a separate public zone that is not part of the board
Can you play Primal Strength on Carnivorous Snapvine after playing it so it fights with additional power?
Ruling: No, you cannot play Primal Strength on Carnivorous Snapvine after playing it because Primal Strength is Action speed, not Reaction speed. Only Reaction speed cards can be used in response to Snapvine's effect.
When can spells be played based on their timing keywords (no timing keyword, Action, Reaction)?
Ruling: Spells with no timing keyword are used in neutral open state (nothing on chain, no showdown). Action speed can be used in neutral open and showdown open states. Reaction speed can be used in all states including when the chain is closed.
Does Trinity Force score twice (for 3 points total) when both Trinity Force and Skyfall of Areion are attached to a unit on Reckoner's Arena?
Ruling: Yes, you score twice from Trinity Force when both Trinity Force and Skyfall of Areion are attached to a unit on Reckoner's Arena, for 3 points total.
Does Grabber require all three conditions (recycle 3, tapping the card, and paying 1 energy) to activate its effect?
Ruling: Yes, all three requirements must be met to activate the ability. Everything to the left of the semicolon represents the cost that must be paid.
When Thousand Tail Watcher reduces might to a minimum of 1, and Sett gains might from other units, how is Sett's total might calculated when all units have buffs?
Ruling: Sett becomes 6 might total. The calculation is: 5 (base) + 1 (buff) + 3 (from his effect counting other units) - 3 (Watcher reduction) = 6. The other small units become 1 might each.
When playing Imperial Decree with a 3 might unit attacking 3 units with 10 might each at a battlefield, can you choose to deal 1 damage to each unit to kill them all?
Ruling: No, you cannot deal 1 damage to each unit. Imperial Decree does not modify the concept of Lethal Damage, so you must still assign enough damage to kill a unit via normal means before assigning damage to another unit.
If Teemo Strategist is hidden and played during a showdown, does his ability trigger twice (once for playing from hidden and once for being declared defender)?
Ruling: With the original printed text and current core rules, the ability would trigger twice - once when played from hidden and once when declared as a defender.
Does Ezreal's cost reduction work on Draven's ability that has a 'may pay' cost when attacking or defending?
Ruling: Ezreal's cost reduction does not work on Draven's ability. Ezreal only discounts cards that have "as an additional cost" and "may" wording together, which are optional additional costs paid when playing a card. Draven's ability is a triggered ability with its own cost, not an additional cost to cast.
If you control two Zhonyas Hourglass and two units die simultaneously, can both Zhonyas save one unit each?
Ruling: Yes, if two units die simultaneously and you control two Zhonyas Hourglass, each Zhonyas can save one unit. X Zhonyas can save X units, even if they die simultaneously.
When Zhonya's triggers to save a unit that was about to be killed by damage, does the unit return with damage on it or does it heal? Also, do debuffs like Stupidify remain on the unit?
Ruling: When Zhonya's triggers, the unit is recalled and healed (damage is cleared). However, other effects like might reductions from Stupidify remain on the unit.
Does Tideturner's ability count as moving its target unit for the purpose of Kayn's ability that requires moving twice?
Ruling: Yes, Tideturner's ability moves the targeted unit (Kayn), so if Kayn is moved by Tideturner and then moved again, his passive ability activates and he doesn't take damage.
When a Sprite token dies, does Viktor create a token since Sprites are 'fae' (non-recruit units)?
Ruling: Yes, Viktor can create a token when a Sprite dies because Sprite tokens are not recruits. Nuances: - Sprites count as non-recruit units due to their 'fae' unit type
When attacking with Crackshot Corsair (deals 1 damage to an enemy unit when I attack) and Warwick (kills all damaged units here when I attack), can I choose which trigger resolves first?
Ruling: Yes, when abilities you control simultaneously trigger, you get to choose the order they resolve. Sequence: - Both "when I attack" triggers happen simultaneously - You choose which trigger resolves first - You can choose to have Crackshot Corsair deal 1 damage first, then Warwick kills all damaged units
Where in the Comprehensive Rules is it defined that action spells cannot be played in response to something and must be played on an empty chain?
Ruling: Action spells can only be played during closed states, not in response to other effects. This means they must be played when the chain is empty.
Can Ride the Wind move one of your units from battlefield A to battlefield B mid-showdown (during opponent's turn)?
Ruling: Yes, Ride the Wind can move one of your units from one battlefield to another mid-showdown during your opponent's turn, similar to how Charm works.
Does Mask of Foresight trigger when a unit with Challenge initiates a fight, or only during combat in showdowns?
Ruling: Mask of Foresight only activates during combat, which occurs when units from 2 players become present at a battlefield. Challenge does not create a combat, so Mask of Foresight does not trigger from Challenge fights.
If Foxfire targets a unit on the battlefield (chain 1), then the opponent moves that unit back to base (chain 2), does the damage still resolve, fizzle, or does the caster choose a new target?
Ruling: The spell will still resolve, but nothing will happen because Foxfire specifically requires the unit to be at a battlefield.
If you pay the deflect cost to target a unit with deflect, and then the spell gets countered, do you get the rune back?
Ruling: No, you do not get the rune back. Countering a spell does not refund any costs paid for that spell, including the mandatory additional cost from deflect.
Can Sett the Boss's legend ability be used during the opponent's turn?
Ruling: Yes, Sett's legend ability is a replacement effect that is active at all times, including during your opponent's turn.
After initial attack/defend triggers resolve, does the attacker retain focus?
Ruling: The attacker retains focus after the initial attack/defend trigger chain resolves. The attacker always gets to play an action first in showdown.
When Green Yasuo deals 6 ability damage to Orange Master Yi (who has +2 might from defending alone), then Yasuo is moved to base with Flash during the showdown, does Master Yi die? When does the +2 might passive end?
Ruling: Orange Master Yi survives. Flash does not cause the combat showdown to end, and the combat continues to full resolution including cleanup.
When Stormbringer moves a unit to Kog'maw's battlefield and kills Kog'maw, does the moved unit take damage from Kog'maw's Deathknell trigger?
Ruling: Yes, the unit moves to the battlefield first via Stormbringer, then Kog'maw's Deathknell trigger resolves and deals damage to the moved unit.
Can Bard move himself when he's played?
Ruling: Yes, Bard can move himself when played. The ability says "any number" of units, not "any number of other units," so Bard can include himself in the units he moves.
When playing a hidden card with Viktor Blue in play, does Viktor's 'when you play a card' ability trigger when the hidden card is placed on the battlefield or when it is revealed?
Ruling: Viktor's ability triggers when the card fully resolves (completes the play process), not when it is initially revealed or placed.
Does the layers update change how Thousand-Tailed Watcher's -3 power effect works? Specifically, is the effect retroactive or does it snapshot?
Ruling: Thousand-Tailed Watcher's -3 power effect is a snapshot that only applies to units in play when it resolves. It does not continuously check or apply to units that enter play afterward.
Can Baited Hook be used during a showdown to play Noxus Hopeful into a contested battlefield?
Ruling: Baited Hook cannot be used during a showdown because it is base speed, not action speed. Additionally, units can only be played into a battlefield you control, not a contested one.
If I move Traveling Merchant, do I have an option to not use his ability?
Ruling: You must use triggered abilities unless they say "may". For Traveling Merchant, there is no "may", so you have to use the ability every time it moves.
If Watcher sends a unit from 2 might to 1 might, then that unit is buffed by 1 might, does it go back to 2 might or stay at 1 might?
Ruling: The unit goes back to 2 might. Watcher's effect is continuous, so when the unit's might is increased, Watcher reapplies its effect based on the new total.
How do buffs and debuffs interact when calculating a unit's might, specifically when Smokescreen (-4 might) is applied to a unit with base 1 might and a +1 might buff?
Ruling: Buffs and debuffs are applied in layers - increases first, then decreases. Smokescreen snapshots its debuff value when it resolves (calculating the reduction to a minimum of 1 might), then continuously applies that snapshotted value for the rest of the turn.
Does Sett Brawler's ability require both playing AND conquering to get a buff, or does it trigger separately on each event?
Ruling: Sett Brawler's ability triggers separately - once when played and once when it conquers. Each trigger grants a buff independently.
Does Iron Ballista count as ability damage for interactions with Unyielding Spirit and Deflect?
Ruling: Iron Ballista counts as ability damage, so Unyielding Spirit prevents it. If you target a unit with Deflect, you must pay its power cost because you are choosing to select that unit.
Can Jinx Rebel be readied more than once per turn, and does she still get +1 if already ready when you discard?
Ruling: Jinx Rebel can be readied multiple times per turn, with each discard trigger activating her ability separately. If she is already ready when you discard, she still gets +1 (do what you can).
Does Ravenbloom Student gain +1 Might after every spell cast, allowing it to potentially gain +12 Might from casting 12 one-cost spells?
Ruling: Yes, Ravenbloom Student gains +1 Might until end of turn after each spell you cast, so casting 12 one-cost spells would result in +12 Might total.
If I use Void Seeker to deal 4 damage to a 7 might unit, then use Smoke Screen to reduce it by 4 might, does the unit die?
Ruling: Yes, the unit will die during the next cleanup when the game checks if damage marked on it is greater than or equal to its might.
When a unit is affected by Smoke Screen (which reduces might to a minimum of 1), how do subsequent might modifications interact with that reduction?
Ruling: When Smoke Screen or similar effects that reduce might to a minimum resolve, they snapshot the current might of the unit at that moment and calculate the reduction amount. That calculated reduction then applies as a passive modifier for the rest of the turn, regardless of any subsequent might increases or decreases.
Can you hard cast Sprite Call as an attacker, and how does it work in FFA format when cast as a 3rd party?
Ruling: You cannot hard cast Sprite Call as an attacker to the battlefield you're attacking because you don't control it. However, you can play it during that showdown to your own base/battlefield that you do control.
Can you play a new action spell during a showdown after the opponent passes focus? Specifically, can the attacker play Cleave after the defender plays a spell and the chain resolves?
Ruling: Yes, the attacker can play action spells like Cleave after the opponent's chain resolves and focus returns to them. A showdown only ends when both players pass in a row without starting a chain.
When conquering Candlelit Sanctum for your 8th point (which draws a card instead of scoring), do the card draw and conquer effects happen simultaneously so they can be layered, or is there a specific order?
Ruling: You draw the card before resolving Candlelit Sanctum's conquer effect. The scoring (or drawing instead of scoring at 8 points) happens before conquer triggers are put on the chain.
When does an attacking unit get recalled in combat, and how is damage resolved when multiple defending units are present?
Ruling: An attacker is only recalled if they cannot kill the defending unit(s), which typically requires an effect that prevents the attacker from dealing combat damage (like stun). When multiple defenders are present, damage is resolved sequentially - the attacker kills defenders in order until either all defenders are dead or the attacker's might is exhausted.
When a 2-power unit on Trifarian War Camp (which gives +1 power) is affected by Thousand Tailed Watcher (which gives -3 power), what is the final power? Does War Camp's +1 continue to apply after Watcher's effect?
Ruling: The unit ends up at 1 power. Thousand Tailed Watcher snapshots the current power (including War Camp's +1, so 3 total) and applies -3 to set it to 1. This becomes the new fixed power value, and War Camp's lingering effect no longer applies to that snapshotted value.
Can you use Retreat on a unit that you select with Cull?
Ruling: You can play Retreat as a reaction to Cull before Cull resolves, but not while Cull is resolving. Sequence: - If you only have one unit, you can Retreat it in response to Cull, leaving no units to kill - If you have more than one unit, something will die even if you Retreat one unit
Can Nocturne be played for [A] when drawn for turn, or only when looked at/revealed by a spell or ability?
Ruling: Nocturne can only be played for [A] when you look at or reveal it from the top of your deck through an effect, not when drawing it for turn.
Can you score the 8th point with Ride the Wind if you haven't scored both battlefields this turn?
Ruling: You cannot score the final point with Ride the Wind's conquer if you haven't scored both battlefields this turn. You would draw instead.