Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 125 of 145 · 7,241 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Irelia is exhausted at base. I play en-garde on it and also use Irelia's legend ability to ready her. At the moment, how much might would she be at?
Irelia starts at **printed Might 4**, exhausted at your base. Here's the full breakdown: 1. **En Garde** targets/chooses Irelia → triggers her ability (+1 from being chosen). Simultaneously, **Blade Dancer** triggers (choosing a friendly unit) → you exhaust it and pay [A] to ready Irelia. 2. **Blade Dancer resolves** — Irelia goes from exhausted to ready → triggers her ability...
Can I play Grim Apothecary to base and use its effect as a reaction to an opponent attacking a battlefield that I control? Or does it need to be played at that contested battlefield?
No. You cannot play Grim Apothecary to your base as a reaction to an opponent attacking. To use its Ambush timing, you must play it to a battlefield where you control units.
I am playing Darius. I play Cleave. Opponent uses Hard Bargain (non-repeated). Can I pay 1 energy and use Darius Legend Ability to pay Hard Bargain's effect?
**Yes.** You can activate Darius's Legend ability during Hard Bargain's resolution to generate the energy you need to pay the [2].
When Alpha Strike chooses multiple enemy units, can I choose to deal 0 damage to one of those units?
No. Each unit you target with Alpha Strike must receive **at least 1 damage**. Per **Rule 355.14.g**, "Valid damage is a positive integer amount, greater than or equal to 1 damage." Since Alpha Strike splits damage and each chosen unit is a target, you cannot assign 0 to one of them — that wouldn't be valid damage. If you target...
If my opponent is at 7, and he plays Baron Nashor, do the points received from Baron's ability "make a Baron pit and play me to it" give them the final point to win the game? Or would they draw a card if they had not scored all battlefields that turn?
No, playing Baron Nashor from 7 points does **not** automatically give them the win. They still must satisfy the Final Point conquer restriction.
If Fiora Peerless has a +1 might buff from Pit Rookie, does that also count towards her might being doubled when she defends or attacks 1 on 1?
Yes, the +1 Might buff from Pit Rookie counts toward Fiora's doubling. When Fiora, Peerless's trigger resolves, it doubles her **current total Might** — not just her base printed value. With a buff counter from Pit Rookie, her Might is 4 (3 base + 1 buff), so the trigger gives her +4, making her **8 Might** for that combat.
If I played a spell and opponent played Hard Bargain, does it count as I played 1 spell to +1 Might for Ravenbloom?
No. Ravenbloom Student does **not** gain +1 Might if the spell you played gets countered by Hard Bargain. A card is only considered "played" once it resolves (Rule 419.4.a–b). If Hard Bargain counters your spell before resolution — whether because you chose not to pay [2] or couldn't — the spell never resolves, so it doesn't count as "played." Ravenbloom...
Does Shadows Call trigger if you kill the unit Reaction Speed?
**Yes, you still draw 2.** If the unit targeted by **Shadow's Call** is killed at reaction speed while the spell is on the chain, the spell still resolves — you just miss the "Give it [Temporary]" part.
To set the circumstance: I play Akshan, mischievous and take my opponent's B.F. Sword on my turn, on their following turn they play an Akshan, mischievous and take that B.F. Sword back—if at this point I then kill their Akshan, mischievous, what happens to their B.F. Sword?
**You regain control of the B.F. Sword.** Here's why: When you played your Akshan first (stealing the sword), you created a control-change effect that lasts "until I leave the board." Your opponent's Akshan created a newer control-change effect that overrode yours via timestamp order. When you kill their Akshan, their effect stops applying. The game recalculates control, and since your...
Do Reflection Unit tokens have temporary if it doesn't copy?
**No.** A Reflection token does not inherently have Temporary. Per **Rule 184.6**, a Reflection token is defined as just a "domainless unit token with 0 Might" — no Temporary keyword. Compare that with the Sprite token (184.2), which explicitly *does* list Temporary as part of its identity.
If Lonely Poro is on a battlefield with Zhonya's Hidden, can I react with Zhonya's Hidden to its death trigger?
**Yes, you can play Zhonya's from hidden in reaction to the Deathknell trigger, but it won't save the Lonely Poro.**
If I control a bf with Lonely Poro and I hide a Zhonyas there, my opponent attacks with Vex and kills my Poro, can I react to the Deathknell with Zhonyas or my Zhonyas would die before because I don't control units at the battlefield?
**Yes, you can flip Zhonya's in response to the Deathknell trigger — but it won't save the Poro, and the Zhonya's itself is fine.**
If my opponent uses a Wages of Pain on my 4 might unit at a Forbidding Waste battlefield and then moves a unit onto the battlefield, do I have an opportunity to use flash before my unit dies?
**Yes — you have a window to use Flash before your unit dies.** Here's the timing breakdown:
Can you play Starcrossed when I don't have a unit?
**No.** You cannot play **Star-Crossed** unless you control a friendly unit on the board. The spell reads "Return a friendly unit and an enemy unit to their owners' hands." Both are mandatory targets — there is no "up to" language. At the time you announce the spell and place it on the chain, you must have a friendly unit to...
At what point do you get the point for conquering? Is it after combat resolves?
**You get the point immediately when you Establish Control after a Showdown or Combat resolves** — it's a game action, not a triggered ability on the Chain.
Can you use a reaction at any point on your turn or can a reaction be only played in response to your opponent playing an action?
**Yes, you can play Reaction cards on your turn whenever you have priority — they don't need something to respond to.**
Does Imperial Decree kill units on the Frozen Fortress battlefield during my turn when I play it and there are enemy units there?
**No, playing Imperial Decree during your Main Phase will not kill units already damaged by Frozen Fortress that turn.** Frozen Fortress deals its 1 damage at the start of the **Beginning Phase** — before your Main Phase. Imperial Decree only triggers on damage taken **after** it resolves. It does not look back at damage events that already happened earlier in...
Does using the spell Challenge count as combat?
**No, using Challenge does not count as combat.** Challenge is a spell — it causes two units to deal damage to each other equal to their Might, but this is a non-combat interaction (FAQ #11387, #8835). Combat in Riftbound is a specific game phase that only occurs when a battlefield is **Contested** and units controlled by opposing players are present,...
If I play Rengar, Trophy Hunter as a reaction when my opponent moves a unit into a battlefield, do Assault or Shield abilities still trigger?
**Assault and Shield are both passive abilities (not triggered abilities) — they don't "trigger" at all.** They apply continuously while their conditions are met. But the timing matters here.
If I am defending with a Fiora Peerless and my enemy attacks with 2 units but Starcross one of them away, does my Fiora Peerless trigger at any point?
No, Fiora's ability does **not** trigger. Fiora's "When I attack or defend one on one" checks the one-on-one condition **only at the exact moment she gains the Defender designation** — when combat first begins. At that point, there were 2 enemy attackers, so the condition wasn't met, and the trigger never goes on the chain. (Rule 383.4.f.2.b: if the trigger...
There is a showdown on the battlefield Altar of Blood. At the end of this showdown, units from each side are about to die from damages. Which player chooses first to pay the 3 power cost to save their unit?
**Ruling:** The **turn player** chooses first to pay for their units, then the other player in turn order. Here's why: At the end of combat, all units with lethal damage die simultaneously during the Cleanup (Rule 323.5). Altar of Blood creates a replacement effect for each dying unit — "its controller may pay [A][A][A] to heal it, exhaust it, and...
When Mageseeker is on my battlefield, can enemy LeBlanc still play a Reflection token from Holding?
No, the enemy LeBlanc player cannot play a Reflection token to a battlefield while **Mageseeker Warden** is on your battlefield.
Does revealing Tide Turner and swapping a unit from one battlefield to another make Bellows Breath targeting fizzle?
No, revealing Tideturner and swapping a unit does **not** make Bellows Breath fizzle. Bellows Breath targets "up to three units at the same location" — this is a **group targeting restriction** (Rule 355.11). When its targets move before resolution, the spell does not fizzle. Instead, per **Rule 355.11.b** and **FAQ #9352/#781**, the spell's controller chooses a **subset of the original...
How does Defy work on a repeated spell? For example, Bellow's Breath, repeated. Do I Defy only the one rep or both entirely?
The FAQ already in the context covers this thoroughly. Here's the ruling: **You Defy the entire spell — both the initial effect and the repeat — in one go.**
When I play Switcheroo and my Unit has total 5 Might with Shield 2 included, my Enemy has 5 Might in total as well with an equip (Hextech Gauntlet). How does it work?
Since both units have the **same** current Might (5 each), Switcheroo's swap is effectively a **no-op** — it applies +0 to both and nothing changes during combat.
Can Elder Dragon target an enemy base? Or only battlefield?
**Yes — an enemy Base is a location, so Elder Dragon can target enemy units there.** Per Rule 107.1.b, each Base is a Location. Elder Dragon's play effect says "choose up to one enemy unit **at each location**" — which covers both battlefields and bases (and every other location on the board). So when you play Elder Dragon, you can...
Can Hunt keyword active when my unit died in cleanup phase?
**No.** Hunt does not trigger when your unit dies. Hunt is defined as "**When I Conquer or Hold, my controller gains X XP**" (Rule 823.1.c.1). It triggers on establishing control of a battlefield, not on death. Dying during cleanup is a Kill event, not a Conquer or Hold event — that's what **Deathknell** is for.
If a Karthus dead with temporary and a Soaring Scout die with temporary, what passes?
If Karthus, Eternal dies (whether from Temporary or any other cause) at the same time as another unit with **Deathknell**, his passive still applies — that unit's Deathknell triggers an additional time.
Units resolve instantly correct? So can you still react to Brynhir?
Yes, you're right — units resolve instantly when finalized (Rule 337.1.c). So no, you cannot react to **Brynhir herself** entering the battlefield. There's no window between her being finalized and her being on the board.
If my Ruined Rex dies and my opponent only has a single unit on board which has Deflect, can I choose to not target that unit and decline triggering Ruined Rex's Deathknell ability?
**No, you can't choose to skip triggering the Deathknell or refuse to target the unit.** Here's how it actually plays out:
If mechs are created from Ferrous Forerunner dying, and then Rek'Sai is played after they appear at base, do the mechs get Accelerate?
No, the Mechs do not get Accelerate. Rek'Sai, Breacher's ability — "Friendly units played from anywhere other than a player's hand have [Accelerate]" — is a static ability that applies **as those units are being played**. The two Mech tokens from Ferrous Forerunner's Deathknell were already played, resolved, and are sitting on your base before Rek'Sai even enters the board.
Deceiver when I conquer or hold from Leblanc can it be used on a unit on base?
No, you cannot. The Reflection token and its copy effect are both restricted to **the battlefield you conquered or held**.
Can Hidden Blade be used when we are distributing the damage on the battlefield?
No — Hidden Blade cannot be used while combat damage is being assigned/distributed on the battlefield. Here's why: Once the Showdown closes (both players pass Focus), you enter the Combat Damage Step. The game skips FEPR during this step (Rule 460.3), meaning there is **no priority window** to play any spells — including Hidden Blade — while damage is being...
When I play a Lucian and I have a Shepherd on the board, can I equip that gear even if I don't have XP?
**No.** You cannot equip Shepherd's Heirloom via Weaponmaster if you have 0 XP. Shepherd's Heirloom's Equip cost is **"Spend 1 XP"** — there is no [A] (Power) cost to reduce. Per **Rule 821.1.c.3**, Weaponmaster only reduces the [A] portion of the Equip cost; costs that aren't [A] must still be paid in full. And per **Rule 821.1.c.5**, if the cost...
Is buff a keyword or a limited action?
**Buff is a Limited Action — not a keyword.** Under Rule 426, "Buff" is defined as an action (Buffing) that places a Buff counter on a unit. Rule 426.2 explicitly states: **"Buffing is a Limited Action"** — it can only be done when a game effect directs you to. It is not listed in the Keywords reference, nor is it...
If I use Possession on an enemy unit with gears attached to it, do I take control of the unit with the gears too?
**No.** You take control of the unit itself, but you do **not** gain control of the attached Gear. The Possession spell targets a unit — only the top-most card changes control. The equipped Gear remains attached to that unit, and the **original owner retains control of the Gear itself**. While the Gear stays attached, you benefit from its effect text...
What is the exact rule that says a showdown cannot end while there are items on a chain?
There isn't a single standalone sentence that says *"a showdown cannot end while items are on a chain"* — instead, the prohibition is structural across several rules. Here are the two clearest pathways:
Can Not So Fast counter Mirror Image?
**Yes, but only if your opponent chooses one of your units as the target.** Not So Fast counters an enemy spell or ability that chooses a *friendly* unit or gear. When your opponent plays Mirror Image targeting your unit, it's an enemy spell and the chosen unit is friendly to you — both conditions are met. If they target their...
If I have 2 Glasc Mixologist die at the same time and Deathknell trigger go on chain, the first trigger bring back Karthus, does the second trigger will be affected by Karthus ability?
**No.** The second Deathknell trigger will still resolve only once, unaffected by Karthus. When both Glasc Mixologists die simultaneously, the game checks the board state at that exact moment. Since Karthus, Eternal isn't on the battlefield yet, each Mixologist's Deathknell triggers only once (the base trigger). Those triggers become pending items and the number of resolutions is locked in (Rule...
Does Switcharoo target a unit when cast or on resolution?
**On cast.** Switcheroo chooses (targets) its two units when it's finalized onto the chain, not during resolution. The card text "Swap the Might of **two units** at the same battlefield" requires you to pick two specific units — that's a targeting choice made during Step 2 of playing a card (Rule 355.5–355.8). You must have two legal targets available at...
If your unit has 6 might and 5 damage on it. Then you use Jax to move the gear to a new unit. Does the unit die? Or does it need to be damaged again?
**Yes — it dies** if the gear was providing Might. When Jax moves the gear away, the unit's Might drops. If that reduced Might is now equal to or less than the 5 damage already marked, the unit will be killed during the next Cleanup (Rules 323.5, 143.2.a).
If I push a Draven - Audacious onto an empty battlefield and conquer, do I get 1 or 2 points?
**1 point.** Moving Draven to an empty battlefield means there's no combat — no opposing units to fight. Since there's no combat, his "first time I win a combat" ability doesn't trigger. You only get the 1 point from Conquering the battlefield (per FAQ #9136).
My opponent plays Challenge, I reveal a hidden Bone Skewer bringing Pyke into the battlefield where I have a Sneaky Deckhand. My opponent has a Sand Soldier in their other base. The opponent has declared that Challenge will target my Deckhand and their Recruit. Does this cause the showdown to occur killing Pyke and my Deckhand before the Challenge damage fizzles because the Deckhand is dead?
**No — the Showdown does not interrupt Challenge.** The damage from Challenge happens first, and Sneaky Deckhand survives it. Here's the sequence:
If I cast Hostile Takeover against an attacking unit with Assault, does it retain the Might bonus after I gain control?
Ruling: No. The unit loses the Assault Might bonus after Hostile Takeover resolves because it loses the Attacker designation during the subsequent Cleanup.
Do I play Guards! It says: "Play a 2 might SS unit token. You may pay Order power to ready it." Thinking that they wouldn't defy the spell, I add a SS token and I pay the power cost and ready the SS. The opponent exhausts his runes and plays Defy. So I'm like okay, I get the power back and rewind a step, and they're like no, it's all paid at the same time and insisted that I couldn't take it back. The question is, do I lose that power or not?
No, you do **not** lose that Order power. Here's why. The "pay [C] to ready it" on Guards! is an **instruction that happens during the spell's resolution** — it's written in the ability text box, not as "as an additional cost to play me." This is the same class of cost as Bullet Time's power cost or Thrill of the...
If an opponent uses Gust to remove a unit in response to Gutter Palace's win condition trigger, does Gutter Palace still win the game?
Ruling: Yes, Gutter Palace still wins the game. The win condition is checked when the trigger is placed on the chain, not when it resolves. Once the trigger has been placed on the chain, removing a unit in response does not prevent the win.
Can you cast Void Assault targeting a unit that has been stunned by Vex, Apathetic and is restricted from moving?
Ruling: Yes, you can cast Void Assault targeting a unit that cannot move due to Vex, Apathetic's "can't move it this turn" restriction. The unit is still a legal target as it meets the targeting requirement of being a friendly unit. At resolution, the first move instruction fails due to the movement restriction, but under DAMAYC (Do As Much As...
If a spell is countered, does it count as played for Battering Ram discount effect?
**No** — a countered spell does not count toward Battering Ram's cost reduction. Per **Rule 425.1.b**, a card that is Countered is not considered to have been played. Since Battering Ram's ability checks how many cards you've **played** this turn, a spell that gets Defy'd or otherwise countered never reaches that threshold. The spell is removed from the chain before...
Does the 4 damage from Ruined Rex get added onto the Showdown Might calculation? (i.e. does my unit fail to conquer if the damage from Ruined Rex + the Might total of the defense is higher than my Might?)
**No** — Ruined Rex's Deathknell damage is never added to the Showdown Might calculation, and it cannot cause your unit to fail to Conquer in that way.
Can I charm a unit that is played this turn but stunned by Vex Apathetic?
**Yes, you can Charm a unit that's been stunned by Vex, Apathetic.** The key is who the "they" refers to in Vex's text: *"They can't move it this turn."* That restriction applies to the unit's **controller** (your opponent) — not to you. Charm is your spell moving an enemy unit, so the restriction doesn't stop you.