Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 124 of 151 · 7,519 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
If my sprite has been dealt 1 damage prior by Frozen Fortress, my opponent attacks me with Stalwart Poro. During the showdown, my opponent plays Discipline and I chain with Stupefy. How does the combat resolve? Please explain the details.
To resolve this, we must first look at the state of your units and then the combat showdown chain. ### Current State * **Sprite:** Your Sprite is at the battlefield with **1 damage** marked on it (from *Frozen Fortress*). It has **3 Might**, meaning it is not yet killed (lethal damage is 3). * **Stalwart Poro:** As a defender, it...
If I singularity a glasc mixologist can the units still be played to that battlefield?
Yes, you can play a unit to that battlefield using the **Glasc Mixologist**'s *Deathknell* ability after it is killed by **Singularity**.
Does "when I'm played" trigger when LeBlanc plays her Reflection on a Harness Dragon?
No. The Reflection token created by LeBlanc's Deceiver legend does **not** trigger the "When you play me" ability, even if it copies Harnessed Dragon.
I move my unit into a bf with my opponent's Fiora Peerless and they have a buff putting them at 4 might. If I play an ambush unit after, would they double the +2 from Yi Legend before my unit is there?
Yes, **Fiora, Peerless** will still double her Might if you play an **Ambush** unit to the battlefield after she has been designated as the lone defender.
Does playing a gold token proc playing a card for Legion effect?
**No.** Playing a Gold gear token does not count as playing a card for the Legion condition. Per **Rule 812.1.c**, Legion checks whether a *card different* from the one with Legion has been finalized that turn. Rule 052 defines "card" in game effects as shorthand for "Main Deck card," and tokens explicitly are not cards (Rule 182). A Gold gear...
Can I play a reaction if I have Vex apathetic on a battlefield and my opponent plays units. Like react to the stun?
**Yes, you can play a Reaction after Vex, Apathetic's trigger is on the chain.** Here's the timing breakdown:
Can the list card choose the Ruin Runner?
No, **The List** cannot choose a **Ruin Runner** with its activated ability. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #11380**, The List’s activated ability requires you to choose a specific unit with the named tag, which counts as targeting that unit. Since **Ruin Runner** has the ability "I can't be chosen by enemy spells and abilities," an enemy cannot target it with The...
If I react to Annie readying her 2 runes at the end of turn, by playing Rengar into a battlefield, what happens with the showdown?
To answer your question, we must look at how the **Ending Phase** and **Showdowns** interact. First, it is important to clarify a timing detail: Runes are readied during the **Awaken Phase** (at the start of a turn), not at the end of the turn. However, regardless of the timing, if you play *Rengar, Trophy Hunter* as a **[Reaction]** to an...
If my opponent has Carrion Dredger in his base and I play Repeated Bellows, can I kill the bird token after with the second trigger of Bellows?
No, you cannot kill the Bird token created by **Carrion Dredger** with the second execution of a repeated **Bellows Breath** in this scenario.
Can I use an action to an opponent reaction?
No, you cannot. According to the **Showdown timing flow** and **Riftbound FAQ #9306**, an **Action** spell can only be played when the state is **Open** (the chain is empty).
Creating a Sand Soldier with Emperor's Dais gives plus 1 to another unit using Rengar's Legend?
Yes, creating a Sand Soldier token with **Emperor's Dais** will trigger your **Pridestalker (Rengar)** legend ability, allowing you to give +1 Might to another unit.
Can Thrill of the Hunt instantly activate a Darius unit ability?
Yes, using **Thrill of the Hunt** to play **Darius, Trifarian** can activate his ability, provided that his entry onto the battlefield coincides with him being the **second card played** in your turn.
Can I defy a sacrifice?
Yes, you can **Defy** a **Sacrifice** once it is on the chain. However, it is important to understand the timing of when this happens. According to **Rule 357** and **RiftJudge FAQ #10480**, the additional cost of a spell (in this case, killing a friendly Mighty unit) is paid **instantly** when you play the spell, *before* the spell is finalized and...
Does Garbage Grabber work if I can't recycle cards?
**No.** Garbage Grabber's "Recycle 3 from your trash" is a **cost**, not an effect. Costs must be paid in full to activate the ability, so if you have fewer than 3 cards in your trash, you can't activate it at all (Rule 416.3).
Does Teemo Strategist need to pay Deflect to do the effect? If so, can they choose not to pay Deflect, and what would happen if they don't?
Yes, if you target a unit with Deflect (e.g. Deadbloom Predator), the Deflect cost is incurred once — Deflect is paid per targeting instance, not per damage.
If someone counters your spell, does it not count as being played for Ravenbloom Student or Abandoned Hall?
**No** — if a spell is countered, it does **not** count as being played for either Ravenbloom Student or Abandoned Hall.
If I hide a card like Smoke & Mirrors at Battlefield B with a Sprite token at that Battlefield, then move a Lillia to Battlefield A and start Showdown, am I allowed to react with Smoke & Mirrors to swap the Sprite at Battlefield B with my Lillia?
**Yes, you can do this.** Here's why: FAQ #10085 directly confirms that Smoke and Mirrors played from hidden can target a unit at the hidden battlefield (B) and another unit at a different location (A), because the card's requirement of "another unit at a different location" makes it impossible to fulfill using only targets at the hidden battlefield — an...
When Lilia Fae Fawn is the only unit at a battlefield and moves from a battlefield to base, do I still have control of the battlefield from the sprite that gets created (so no hidden card gets removed)?
**Yes.** When Lillia, Fae Fawn moves from a battlefield where she's the only unit, you maintain control — the Sprite token she creates will be there to keep it, and any hidden card stays put.
If I flash my unit back to base from Abandoned Hall, can I use the Abandoned Hall trigger to buff the unit I flashed back?
No, you cannot. The unit left Abandoned Hall during Flash's resolution, so it is no longer "here" when the Abandoned Hall trigger resolves.
Can you Not So Fast a Defy?
**No.** You cannot use **Not So Fast** to counter **Defy**. **Not So Fast** can only counter an enemy spell or ability that "chooses a friendly unit or gear." **Defy** does not choose a unit or gear — it targets a spell on the chain (one costing ≤4 energy and ≤1 power). Spells are not units or gear, so Defy doesn't...
Can I attack with a unit, kill it with Headless Resurrection to play an ambush unit to the battlefield that unit was attacking?
**No, you cannot** — once you kill your attacking unit as the cost, you no longer control any units at that battlefield, so the Ambush condition fails.
If I hold a Battlefield with Allay Eager Admirer, and I have Ornn, does he have 3 Deflection instead of just 2?
Yes, Ornn would have **Deflect 3** in that scenario. Here's the breakdown:
What happens when I react to a Deathknell trigger of one of my units in a combat with Janna? Will all units be healed?
**No, playing Janna in reaction to a Deathknell trigger after combat will not result in your units being healed by her — they've already been healed by Combat Cleanup.**
Can Heimerdinger use the tap ability of Renata to gain a point even when not on a battlefield?
**Yes.** Heimerdinger can use Renata's exhaust ability from base to gain a point. Heimerdinger copies Renata's exhaust ability (pay 4 blue, tap 4, and tap himself → Score 1 point) but does **not** inherit her passive battlefield restriction. That restriction is a separate line of text, not part of the exhaust ability itself (Ref: FAQ 650).
When you score your 8th point outside your turn, do you still need to control all the battlefields?
Yes, with a key clarification: the rule is about **scoring** (not just controlling) all battlefields that turn. **Ruling:** To win by scoring the 8th point on an opponent's turn, you must conquer **every** battlefield that same turn. A single conquer on the opponent's turn will only draw you a card instead.
Can I choose not to target a unit with the ability of Teemo, Strategist?
**No.** Teemo's ability says "choose an enemy unit here" — there's no "up to" or "any number" qualifier. You must target exactly one enemy unit at his battlefield if any exist (Rule 355.13).
Does Forbidding Waste and Master Yi cancel each other out when a unit is damaged?
Yes, they effectively cancel each other out — the unit ends up at its printed Might regardless of damage. Master Yi (Wuju Bladesman, Starter) gives a defending-alone unit **+2 Might**, while Forbidding Waste gives a defending-alone unit **-2 Might**. Per the arithmetic layer system (Rule 472.3.d), all increases are applied first, then all decreases — so the unit gets +2,...
If I Hidden Blade my Recruit then my opponent in reaction uses Wages of Pain, do I still draw 2?
No, you do **not** draw 2 cards. Here's why: You play Hidden Blade targeting your Recruit (Chain). Your opponent responds with Wages of Pain targeting the same Recruit (added on top). Wages of Pain resolves first — it deals 3 damage and kills the Recruit, sending it to the trash. When Hidden Blade then tries to resolve, its target (the...
If Vex is on a BF and a unit is played with Aurora at the end of turn, is it stunned the turn after?
**Yes, the unit is stunned and will remain stunned into the next turn.** Here's the timing breakdown:
If I have Spirit Wheel and then play Cull the Weak and kill one of my units with it, have I chosen a unit and thus be able to draw a card with Spirit Wheel?
**No.** Cull the Weak does not target or "choose" a unit in the game-mechanics sense — the choice happens during resolution, not when the spell is placed on the chain. Spirit Wheel triggers when you *choose* (i.e., target) a friendly unit, and Cull the Weak's instruction is a non-targeting resolution choice (Rule 355.10.e). So you don't get the draw off...
If you play Switcheroo from hand, do you get a draw with Yordle Explorer?
**Yes, you draw a card** — Yordle Explorer triggers when Switcheroo is played from Hidden. Yordle Explorer checks the **printed** Power cost on the card, not what you actually paid. Switcheroo has a printed Power cost of 2 (A A), so it satisfies the "cost 2 or more" condition even though playing it from Hidden costs 0.
If I attack an occupied battlefield with both Lucian Gunslinger and Warwick Hunter, would the Lucian attack trigger enable Warwick's attack trigger?
**Yes, you can.** Both are "When I attack" triggers that fire simultaneously when both units gain the Attacker designation. Since you control both, you choose the order they go on the Chain (Rule 383.3.d). Put Lucian's trigger on top (resolves first) — he deals damage to an enemy unit at that battlefield — then Warwick's trigger resolves and kills all...
If I repeat Bellows Breath, does it target twice so I can't activate Ezreal Prodigal Explorer?
**No — Repeat helps you activate Ezreal, it doesn't block you.** When you pay the Repeat cost for **Bellows Breath**, you make choices for **both** instances during the Make Relevant Choices step of playing the spell (Rule 820.2). That means you choose enemy units for the first volley **and** enemy units for the second volley — both sets of choices...
When I have Darius Trifarian and my opponent has a Vex on the battlefield, I played my Darius after killing the Vex, but I played the Darius Trifarian as the fifth card on my turn, so does my Darius enter ready, or does he need to be the second card or see the second card played in order to be ready?
No, **Darius enters exhausted.** His ability only triggers when he is exactly the **second card** played in your turn. Playing him as the fifth card means the condition ("second card") has already passed — he won't see it and won't ready himself.
If I am holding Grove of the Garden with Blue Sentinel, do I draw 2 cards extra?
**Yes, you draw 2 cards total — that's 1 extra card beyond the normal 1.** When you hold the battlefield where Blue Sentinel is at **Grove of the God-Willow**, Blue Sentinel's passive causes all your hold effects at that battlefield to trigger an additional time. Grove's "When you hold here, draw 1" triggers normally once, then a second time, for...
Baited Hook on Glasc Mixologist → finds Harnessed Dragon which occurs first, Harnessed Dragon entering the battlefield or Glasc Mixologist deathknell?
Harnessed Dragon's "When you play me" resolves **first**. Glasc Mixologist's Deathknell resolves **after**. Here's the full sequence:
Am I able to decline to pay the Deflect cost, fizzling the Deathknell ability of the Ruined Rex when it dies?
**Yes, you can decline to pay the Deflect cost, and the Deathknell ability will be removed from the Chain without resolving.**
Can I play Rengar Trophy Hunter as a reaction to an open Battlefield?
**No.** Rengar, Trophy Hunter cannot be played to an open battlefield. An **open** battlefield is unoccupied and uncontrolled — it has no enemy units (Rule 169.10.c). Rengar's card text lets him Ambush to "a battlefield where there are enemy units," and an open battlefield has none. The standard Ambush keyword also requires "a battlefield where you control Units" (Rule 822.1.b),...
If Fiora Peerless is defending alone with Master Yi Legend, and my opponent attacks with 1 enemy, do I go to 10 might or 8 might?
**You go to 10 Might.** Here's why:
I play Heedless Resurrection and kill my Fizz as additional cost. Can I resurrect that Fizz for the Heedless?
No, you cannot resurrect the same Fizz you killed to pay the cost. **Why:** When playing *Heedless Resurrection*, targets are chosen before costs are paid (step 2 of playing a card). Fizz is still on the board at that point — not in the trash — so he's not a legal target. By the time you kill him as the...
If my unit is holding a gear, can I recycle a card to equip it to another unit even if they don't have weapon master?
**No — not while it's already attached to another unit.** When a gear is attached, its printed Rules Text (including the Equip ability) becomes **Inactive** (Rules 135.4, 718.2). Inactive abilities "cannot be activated" (Rule 721.2). So the Equip cost that includes "Recycle 2 from your trash" is unavailable — you can't pay it to move the gear directly.
If my opponent attacks with yellow Vi and tries to stun my unit, I react with Janna to push it back to base. Does the Vi stun still apply?
No, the stun does **not** resolve. Here's the sequence: 1. Vi attacks, and her "When I attack, [Stun] an enemy unit here" trigger goes on the chain. 2. You play Janna, Savior as a [Reaction]. Janna resolves first (LIFO) — she heals your units and moves Vi to its owner's base. 3. When Vi's trigger attempts to resolve, it needs...
I move a unit to a battlefield. The opponent reacts with Rengar Trophy Hunter. I play Vi Peacekeeper. Does Vi stun?
**Yes, Vi stuns.** You moved into an occupied battlefield, making you the Attacker. The opponent then plays Rengar via Ambush (as Defender). When you respond by playing Vi, Peacekeeper via Ambush, she enters the ongoing combat and is designated as an attacker — this triggers her "When I attack" ability, letting you stun an enemy unit at that battlefield.
For Ivern Brush and Power Nexus, if I remove the Brush, can I still use the Power Nexus after?
**It depends on the timing — specifically, which turn you swap back and try to use Power Nexus.** **On the same turn you swap back:** No. When you score at Brush (which allows the swap back), that's already a score at that battlefield location this turn. When Power Nexus returns via the swap back (Rule 438.7.b), it inherits "all current...
Does Eye of the Herald spawn where I moved or where I moved from?
**The token is spawned at the destination — where you moved to, not from.** *Eye of the Herald* reads "here," and the game checks the unit's location when the trigger resolves. At that point the unit is at its new location (the destination), so "here" refers to the battlefield it moved to. This is confirmed across multiple RiftJudge FAQs (#11204,...
Is there a limit to how many times I can attack the same battlefield? If I send in a Skuttle, after it dies, can I send in other units to start a new showdown?
**Yes, there's no hard limit.** You can initiate as many showdowns at the same battlefield in one turn as you can afford to move units there.
How does Teemo's defense ability work on a chain, do I have to choose which unit to target first, or do I just reveal my 5? Where is the window of that chain to react/counter to?
**Yes, you choose the target first, then the opponent can react, then you reveal.** Here's the exact order: 1. **Teemo gains Defender designation** (during combat setup, or immediately if revealed from Hidden mid-combat per FAQ #8317). 2. **The "When I defend" trigger goes on the Chain** as a pending item. 3. **During finalization** (while the trigger is still pending), **you...
When does a combat end?
Combat ends after the **Resolution Step** (Rule 461), specifically at step **461.7** — when Attacker/Defender designations are removed and all "this combat" effects expire.
If I hit a unit with 4 might with a Wages of Pain on the Forbidden Waste battlefield and then move in with a unit, can my opponent react with a Hidden Zhonyas to save their card at the battlefield or does it die automatically from the move trigger?
**Yes, your opponent can react with a hidden Zhonya's — but only if they do it *before* Wages of Pain resolves.**
Can my opponent reach to me playing a Spinning Axe and attaching it to an Over Zealous Fan with a Gust?
**Yes, your opponent can play Gust in response to your Spinning Axe.** Here's the sequence: