Riftbound Rules Questions (Page 123)

If Stacked Deck reveals Nocturne, does it trigger Nocturne's ability to play him for 1 power?

Ruling: Yes, revealing Nocturne with Stacked Deck triggers his ability and allows you to play him for 1 power. Nuances: - Nocturne's text "if you don't draw" refers to not drawing Nocturne itself, not other cards - Drawing is different from revealing or looking at cards - The card must be banished to use the ability

If I use Charm to move an opponent's unit into a battlefield where my Deadbloom is alone, does this trigger Master Yi's 'defend alone' ability?

Ruling: Yes, this triggers Master Yi's defend alone ability. The charmed unit is considered the attacker because it is the unit applying contested status to the battlefield.

If I hide Sprite Call, can I place the token on another battlefield or in base when I cast the spell?

Ruling: When you play a hidden Sprite Call, you must place the sprite token on the same battlefield where the spell was hidden. You cannot choose a different battlefield or your base.

What happens if TF (Twisted Fate) with Red Rune attacks a defender at Reaver Row?

Ruling: When TF with Red Rune attacks a defender at Reaver Row, both the "When I Attack" trigger and the "When I Defend" trigger go on the Initial Chain, with the defend trigger resolving first, then the attack trigger.

In FFA modes (1v1v1, etc) during a showdown, how is priority/focus passed?

Ruling: Priority and focus are passed in turn order, starting with the player who has priority, regardless of which players are currently controlling units at the battlefield.

Can you activate Hidden Within in response to Deathknell triggering during cleanup, before losing control of the battlefield?

Ruling: Yes, you can activate Hidden Within in response to Deathknell before losing control of the battlefield. When cleanup finishes, Deathknell is placed on the chain as a pending trigger, and you must resolve the chain before proceeding to the step where control is lost.

Can you recycle runes at reaction speed to float power in response to an opponent's action?

Ruling: Yes, you can recycle runes at reaction speed to float power because the rune itself has the ability to be recycled, which creates the limited action.

If you use Aurora's end of turn effect to play Deadbloom, win the showdown, and conquer Targon's Peak, do you ready 2 runes from Targon's Peak since you're already in end of turn?

Ruling: No, you do not ready 2 runes from Targon's Peak. Once the Ending Step begins, all "at end of turn" triggers that are currently active go on the chain at that moment. After this point, no more "at end of turn" triggers can trigger for the rest of that turn.

Can I respond after an enemy vanilla is played, like with Rebuke?

Ruling: No, when a vanilla is played, it goes onto the chain and immediately resolves and leaves the chain as a permanent, with neither side having priority for reactions.

If Karma (7 might, hit by Smokescreen) is targeted twice by Falling Star and saved by Sett's ability after the first resolution, does she die when the second Falling Star resolves?

Ruling: Yes, Karma dies when the second Falling Star resolves. After being saved by Sett's ability (which recalls and debuffs her), she returns at 2 might with 3 damage marked, causing her to die.

When do you tap Kaisa to add a Power when playing Hextech Ray in response to an opponent moving a unit to a battlefield?

Ruling: You tap Kaisa at the point when you play Hextech Ray, paying 1 energy and declaring the target. Kaisa's "add" ability can be activated during the process of paying costs for cards.

If a unit is removed from a battlefield during a showdown, does priority continue and can players still cast actions even though no units are present?

Ruling: Yes, the showdown proceeds as normal until both players pass, even if no units are left at the battlefield. Players can still cast action cards during the showdown.

If a unit moves to an unoccupied battlefield and casts Cleave, does it get +3 attack since there are no defenders?

Ruling: No, the unit does not get +3 attack when casting Cleave on an unoccupied battlefield because without defenders present, it does not count as attacking.

Does Heimerdinger's ability copy Renata's legend ability, which has an Exhaust cost but no Exhaust symbol?

Ruling: No, Heimerdinger does not copy Renata's legend ability. An Exhaust ability must be an activated ability that has the Exhaust symbol as its cost.

When an opponent uses an effect to move one of my units to a battlefield they occupy (starting a showdown), who gains focus and priority?

Ruling: The player who owns the unit that was moved gains focus. The moved unit applies contested status and becomes the attacker, giving its owner focus (assuming the unit has no "when I attack" abilities).

When Watcher gives -3 Might (to a minimum of 1) to a 2 Might Poro, and then the Poro receives +3 Might from other effects later in the turn, what is the Poro's final Might?

Ruling: The Poro ends at 4 Might. Watcher's effect applies once when it resolves, calculating the actual reduction based on each unit's current Might at that moment (respecting the minimum of 1), and that specific reduction value is what persists for the turn, not the full -3.

When casting a spell like Dragon's Rage or Charm, do you need to declare targets and destinations before opponents can counter it?

Ruling: Yes, you must declare the target and destination when you cast the spell, before opponents can counter it with cards like Defy or other counter spells.

Can you win the game by moving a champion from one battlefield to another (using Ganking and Mistfall) to conquer both battlefields in one turn when at 7 points?

Ruling: Yes, you can win by scoring on both battlefields in one turn. When you move a champion from one battlefield to another and conquer the second battlefield, both scores count toward the "all battlefields" win condition even though the first battlefield is no longer occupied.

Does Flurry of Blades require paying the recycle cost for Deflect when there are multiple units with Deflect at battlefields?

Ruling: Flurry of Blades does not require paying recycle costs for Deflect because it does not target units. Nuances: - Flurry of Blades programmatically selects units rather than having the controller choose targets - The phrase "deal 1 to" does not mean targeting - the spell blankets all units at battlefields without the controller making choices - Unlike targeted spells...

Does playing Sneaky Deckhand to an open battlefield earn you a point?

Ruling: Yes, if you play Sneaky Deckhand to an open battlefield and conquer it (opponent doesn't respond with removal like Gust), you score a point.

When Yasuo moves to a battlefield using Ride the Wind during a showdown, does he trigger his 'when I attack' ability, or is he classified as a defending unit?

Ruling: Yasuo will not trigger his "when I attack" ability because he gains the defender designation, not the attacker designation, when moved to a battlefield that is already being contested.

If I activate Baited Hook targeting a unit, then respond by playing Hidden Blade to kill that unit, does Baited Hook still resolve and do I get its effect?

Ruling: Baited Hook will still resolve, but since the targeted unit is now dead, its Might Value is null. You will reveal 5 cards but be unable to play any of them, and all 5 will be recycled.

Does Volibear Imposing have to tank ability damage first, or just combat damage? Can Yasuo Remorseful target other units with his ability when Volibear Imposing is defending?

Ruling: Tank only applies to combat damage. Yasuo can target any unit at the battlefield with his ability, even when Volibear Imposing is defending.

When playing Promising Future with Lux as your Legend and revealing Final Spark while opponent reveals Mindsplitter, what is the correct order of resolution?

Ruling: When Promising Future resolves with Lux, both revealed cards are placed on the chain as pending during resolution, then Lux's legend trigger is added as pending. During cleanup, all pending items finalize in order (Mindsplitter, Final Spark with target declared, Lux trigger), then Mindsplitter skips reactions and instantly resolves adding its trigger to the chain.

Can Miss Fortune - Captain use her Move trigger to ready another unit that attacked with her (Traveling Merchant), since both units are exhausted after declaring the attack?

Ruling: Yes, Miss Fortune - Captain can target and ready another unit that attacked with her, such as Traveling Merchant, because triggers resolve after the triggering event completes.

Can Defy counter spells like Cleave when they are played outside of showdowns (e.g., at a player's base)?

Ruling: Yes, Defy can be used to counter spells like Cleave even when they are played outside of showdowns, such as at a player's base.

Can the attacking player choose the order of their 'When I attack' triggers, and when are units considered 'in combat' for the purposes of playing Cannon Barrage as a reaction?

Ruling: When multiple triggers happen simultaneously, the controller decides the stack order, so the attacking player can sequence their attack triggers (like Anivia before Warwick). Units are considered in combat immediately when showdown starts at a contested battlefield, which occurs when moving units to an occupied battlefield resolves.

Can you play Reactions (like Shen or flip Hidden Units) after your units die to a spell during combat, and maintain control of the battlefield before losing it?

Ruling: During combat (when a battlefield is Contested), you maintain control of the battlefield even after all your units die to a spell, until both players pass focus without taking actions. This allows you to play Reactions like Shen or flip Hidden Units after your units die but before losing control. Outside of combat, you cannot do this - any...

When a 1 Might unit is buffed to 2 Might by Trifarian War Camp and attacks Ahri (who applies -1 Might), does it stay at 2 Might because War Camp's buff is static, or does it become 1 Might?

Ruling: The unit becomes 1 Might. Ahri snapshots the unit's Might when her ability sees it (at 2 Might), then applies -1 Might continuously for the rest of the turn.

When a defender plays an action in combat, does focus pass back to the attacker after it resolves, or does the defender get to play a second action first?

Ruling: Focus bounces back and forth between attacker and defender after each action resolves. Sequence: - Defender plays an action - Action and any reactions resolve - Focus passes back to attacker

If Thousand Tailed Watcher is played and later in the turn the opponent plays a reaction speed unit (like Shen or Teemo) from hidden, will those units have the -3 applied to them?

Ruling: No, units played after Thousand Tailed Watcher resolves will not have the -3 applied to them. Thousand Tail and other spells and abilities that change stats do so when they resolve, and the amount added/removed and the number of units affected aren't updated until the effect wears off.

If a unit is moved to a battlefield on an opponent's turn (via Charm or Ride the Wind) and defeats the units there, does the unit's controller gain a Conquer point immediately, and then a Holding point at the start of their next turn?

Ruling: Yes, you gain a Conquer point immediately when your unit defeats opponents and takes control of a battlefield on your opponent's turn, and then you gain a Holding point at the start of your next turn.

How does Targon's Peak work, specifically regarding when it triggers and when runes are chosen and readied?

Ruling: Targon's Peak triggers when conquering and creates a delayed trigger that resolves at end of turn, at which point runes are chosen as targets and then readied.

When Smokescreen is played on a unit that later gains might from another effect (like Cleaver), does Smokescreen's might reduction snapshot at resolution or apply based on the unit's current might?

Ruling: Smokescreen's effect is "snapshotted" when it resolves, meaning the might reduction is determined by the unit's might at the time Smokescreen resolves and that reduction amount applies for the rest of the turn.

Can I cast a spell without legal targets (like Stupefy) just to draw a card?

Ruling: No, if a spell needs a target, you can't cast it without a valid target. Nuances: - If there is a valid target when you cast the spell, but the target becomes invalid before resolution, you'll still draw the card - You cannot cast a spell with mandatory Deflect cost and decline to pay it (you can only decline...

How does priority work during a Showdown in Riftbound, specifically regarding when Reaction cards can be played, when Action cards can be played after chains resolve, and how passing priority works?

Ruling: Reaction cards can be played anytime Action cards can be played, not just in response to Action cards. When a chain resolves fully, focus passes to the player who didn't start the chain, who now has priority to play actions.

If my opponent moves a 1/1 unit to a battlefield and passes priority, then I play Hextech Ray to deal 3 damage to it, is there any window where they could play Primal Strength to save the unit?

Ruling: No, there is no window to play Primal Strength to save the unit in this scenario. Once the opponent passed focus to you without playing an action, they cannot respond to your Hextech Ray with an action. The unit will die when Hextech Ray resolves.

If a battlefield has one unit and one hidden unit, and the opponent plays Unchecked Power, can the hidden unit be flipped after the damage to prevent losing control of the battlefield, or must it be flipped before taking damage?

Ruling: The hidden unit must be flipped before taking the damage. You cannot flip it after damage to save it from being trashed when you lose control of the battlefield.

If Tasty Faefolk dies at a battlefield with Zhonya's hidden, can you flip Zhonya's in reaction to the Deathknell trigger to save the Zhonya's proc?

Ruling: You can flip Zhonya's in response to Deathknell, but this only saves the Zhonya's proc (prevents it from being trashed) - it does not save the Faefolk itself, which is already dead. Whether this works depends on if the battlefield is contested.

How does focus work in Riftbound combat, particularly regarding who gets priority to act and when combat/showdowns end?

Ruling: Focus is not retained by a player. Whenever a chain closes in combat or a showdown, focus passes to the next player in turn order. A showdown only ends when all players pass without starting a chain in succession.

If a unit with 2 Guardian Angels equipped dies, do both Guardian Angels get destroyed or just 1?

Ruling: Only one Guardian Angel will be destroyed when the unit dies, because only one can replace the dying event.

If an opponent plays Piercing Light targeting my unit, can I respond with Wages of Pain to kill that targeted unit before Piercing Light resolves, and if so, does Piercing Light still deal its second 2 damage to another unit?

Ruling: You can react with Wages of Pain after Piercing Light is played and targets are chosen. Piercing Light will still deal 2 damage to the other unit even if the first target is killed by Wages of Pain before Piercing Light resolves.

Is there an overtime procedure for best of 3 matches when both players have won 1 game each?

Ruling: Yes, there is an overtime procedure for best of 3 matches when the series is tied 1-1. The player with the most points at the end of 5 turns wins the overtime game.

If both players pass their actions sequentially in combat, can either player then play a reaction before combat damage?

Ruling: No. If both players pass sequentially on an empty chain, combat immediately progresses to combat damage with no opportunity to play additional cards.

Does Immortal Phoenix's effect work in the graveyard to revive when you play Cull the Weak and kill your own unit?

Ruling: Yes, if you play Cull the Weak and kill one of your own units, Immortal Phoenix can return from the graveyard.

If you control Zaun Warrens on your turn, then move all units back to base (e.g., with Flash), can you send another unit back to Zaun Warrens and get the conquer effect even though you already scored the hold point that turn?

Ruling: No, you cannot get the conquer effect again. You can only score each battlefield once per turn, and to conquer you must be able to score.

When a showdown starts and multiple attacker and defender abilities trigger, in what order do they go on the chain and who decides the order? When can players add reactions?

Ruling: When a showdown starts, all "when attacking" triggers are placed on the chain in an order chosen by the controller of those units, then all "when defending" triggers are placed on the chain in an order chosen by the defender. After triggers are arranged, the defender has priority to add reactions first (as the player who owns the top...

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