Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 125 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
When a unit's power is reduced below its minimum (e.g., -3 to a 2 power unit that goes to 1), does the excess reduction carry over if the unit gains power later in the same turn?
Ruling: The excess reduction does not carry over. When an effect would reduce more might than allowed, the decrease is "snapshotted" to the amount it was actually able to apply.
If Lee Sin (centered with 7 might) and another buffed unit (5 might) are both targeted by Icathian Rain (Lee Sin 4 times, other unit twice), will both units die during cleanup even if Lee Sin takes the last instance of damage? Does the order of triggers matter?
Ruling: The order does not matter. Both units will die. Once Lee Sin dies, the other unit will have its might reduced (losing the centered buff) and then die in the cleanup after the one where Lee Sin dies.
Can players choose the same targets for Divine Judgment?
Ruling: Yes, players can choose the same targets for Divine Judgment. Sequence: - You select 2 units (can be the same unit twice if you only have 1 unit) - Your opponent selects 2 units to keep (can be the same unit twice) - All other units are destroyed
Can Dragon's Rage target a unit already in a location and 'move' it to that same location to trigger the fight effect?
Ruling: No, you cannot target a unit that is already in a location and move it to that same location. You must move the unit to a different location.
When played from hidden, can Fae target units outside of his battlefield?
Ruling: No, Fae cannot target units outside of his battlefield when played from hidden. Only Tideturner has this unique ability among hidden cards.
Can you Float Energy during the resolution of Bullet Time to pay its Power cost?
Ruling: Yes, you can Float Energy during the resolution of Bullet Time before paying the Power cost. Anytime a player has to pay any resources, that player can activate abilities with the "add" and "reaction" tags.
Does Not So Fast cancel out Rebuke when targeting a defending unit?
Ruling: Not So Fast can counter Rebuke when Rebuke targets a unit on your battlefield. Nuances: - Not So Fast cannot counter spells that target battlefields (like Bullet Time) rather than units or gear, even if you control that battlefield - Units affected by area effects are not the same as targets - When Not So Fast counters a triggered...
In FFA4 (4-player free-for-all), how does the chain work during a showdown - can multiple players play Action speed cards, and how does priority/focus shift between players?
Ruling: In FFA4, only one Action speed card can normally be played per chain. Focus and priority shift between all 4 players in turn order starting from the attacker. Players can play as many Reactions as they want during their priority window, but only one Action card can start a chain.
Can you use Flash on a unit at Battlefield A in reaction to an opponent's move to Battlefield B, then use Ride the Wind to move a unit from your base to Battlefield B when the showdown starts?
Ruling: You cannot react to a standard move with Flash because standard moves do not create a chain. However, once the showdown begins and you have focus, you can cast Ride the Wind to move a unit from your base to that battlefield.
How does the card Shakedown work?
Ruling: You choose an enemy unit, and then its controller decides whether that unit takes 6 damage or you draw 2 cards.
Can you hide your chosen champion from the champion zone?
Ruling: Yes, you can hide your chosen champion from the champion zone.
Can a player respond to an Action with another Action, and can an Action be played after a Reaction is used in the chain?
Ruling: Actions cannot be used in response to another Action. Once an Action starts a chain and that chain fully resolves (including any Reactions played to it), then the opponent gains Focus and can play an Action.
Does Overzealous Fan target an enemy unit, can Not So Fast counter it, and if so, does the Fan die?
Ruling: Overzealous Fan does target an enemy unit because the targeting is part of the effect, not the cost. Not So Fast can counter it. When countered, the Fan does not die because the whole ability is countered and the instruction (including the cost within instruction to kill the Fan) is not executed.
If a unit conquers one battlefield, then uses Ride the Wind to move to and conquer a second battlefield, do you win the game or must a unit remain on the first battlefield?
Ruling: You will win the game (assuming you had 6 points at the start of your turn). Only one unit is needed to conquer both battlefields sequentially; you do not need units on both battlefields simultaneously to win.
If a unit is targeted by a spell that requires the unit to be at a battlefield (like Voidseeker or Hextech Ray), and the opponent uses Flash to move that unit back to base in response, does the spell's damage fizzle?
Ruling: When a unit is moved from the battlefield to base in response to being targeted by a spell that targets units at a battlefield, the unit becomes an invalid target and the spell's damage will not be dealt.
What is the difference between the old and new text of Sigil of the Storm, and why was the change made?
Ruling: The new text prevents you from targeting a rune when the effect triggers, instead requiring you to recycle a rune upon resolution. This change prevents the interaction where you could recycle a targeted rune before the effect resolved to float a power.
For Foxfire, do you choose targets when the card goes on the chain or on resolution?
Ruling: You declare targets when the spell goes on the chain. The targets must meet the condition (total might 4 or less) at that time, and those targets are locked in.
During a showdown, if the defender plays an action-speed card (like Hextech Ray), the chain resolves and focus passes to the attacker. If the attacker then passes focus, does the showdown end, or does the defender get focus back to play more actions?
Ruling: The showdown does not end. When the attacker passes focus after the defender's chain resolves, the defender gets focus back and can play more actions. The showdown only ends when two players pass focus consecutively.
How is it determined who goes first in Riftbound, and does the randomly selected player get to choose or are they forced to go first?
Ruling: A player is randomly designated after battlefields are revealed, and that designated player decides who goes first. Sequence: - Randomly select a player (using any mutually agreed method like dice roll or coin flip) - That designated player chooses whether they or their opponent goes first
If Zhonyas is hidden at battlefield A and a unit is dying at battlefield B, can Zhonyas be played from hidden at battlefield A to save the unit at battlefield B?
Ruling: Yes, Zhonyas can be played from hidden at battlefield A to save a unit dying at battlefield B. Nuances: - Zhonyas's ability is not a play ability, so it isn't restricted to the battlefield where it was hidden - Play abilities and spells played from hidden have targeting restrictions that limit them to the battlefield they were hidden at...
When a card says to play it ignoring its costs, do you pay power or nothing?
Ruling: When you play a card ignoring its costs, both its base Energy cost and base Power cost are set to zero, so you pay nothing.
Can seals be used to pay for Hextech Anomaly's power cost to generate energy?
Ruling: Yes, seals can be used to pay for Hextech Anomaly. Seals produce power, and power of any domain can be used to pay universal power costs.
In a best-of-3 match, do you reveal the battlefield before or after deciding turn order?
Ruling: You reveal the battlefield first, then determine turn order. This applies to each game in the match. Sequence: - Step 1: Reveal the battlefield for the current game - Step 2: Determine turn order (choose first or second) - Step 3: Begin the game
How does damage work in combat - does it reduce a creature's might, and can you cast Gust on a creature after it takes damage in combat?
Ruling: Damage does not reduce might. Damage counts up separately, and when damage equals or exceeds might, the unit dies. You cannot cast Gust on a 6 might creature just because it took 3 damage in combat - it still has 6 might.
Can you play an exhausted unit to your base, move Miss Fortune to ready that unit, then move the newly readied unit to a battlefield as part of the same challenge/contest?
Ruling: No, you cannot do this in the same challenge/contest. Miss Fortune's move ability goes on the chain, and the unit only becomes ready once that ability resolves, which is after the showdown has already started.
If a unit at a battlefield is targeted by Riptide Rex and then moved to a different battlefield, will it still take the damage?
Ruling: Yes, the unit will still take the damage. The unit would have to be moved to base to avoid the damage.
Can actions and reactions be activated at the end of an opponent's turn in Riftbound, or are they tied specifically to showdowns on opponent's turns?
Ruling: Phase changes do not grant priority windows in Riftbound. You cannot play actions or reactions at the end of an opponent's turn unless there is a trigger (such as an end-of-turn effect) that goes on the chain.
Does Forge of the Fluft's ability exhaust your legend in a way that prevents you from using your legend's own ability (e.g., can Azir still create a Sand Soldier if you use Forge of the Fluft's control ability)?
Ruling: No, you cannot use both abilities. Exhausting your legend is a cost for both Forge of the Fluft's ability and your legend's ability (like Azir's Sand Soldier creation), so you cannot exhaust your legend once to pay both costs, nor can you activate two abilities at the same time.
For Promising Future, when each player looks at the top 3 cards and banishes one, does the active player choose first (meaning the opponent sees what they banished before choosing their own)? And how do the cards resolve on the chain?
Ruling: The active player looks at their top 3 cards and banishes one first, then the next player does the same. Since banished cards are public information, the opponent sees what the active player banished before making their own choice. When playing the banished cards, the next player (opponent) plays their card first, then the active player plays theirs, so...
If Mask of Foresight is removed during combat, does the static bonus (+1 might) disappear?
Ruling: No, the bonus does not disappear when Mask of Foresight is removed. It is a triggered ability, not a passive effect.
If a unit is moved to a battlefield during a showdown (after attacker/defender triggers have already occurred), does this trigger attack/defend trigger abilities again?
Ruling: When a unit is moved to a battlefield during an ongoing showdown, it does not start a new showdown. Triggers that happen as a result of a NEW unit being declared attacker or defender can happen late, but triggers that require the unit itself to become an attacker/defender again (when it's already in that state) do not trigger again.
Does Dr. Mundo's ability still recycle cards when there are fewer than 3 cards in the trash?
Ruling: Yes, Dr. Mundo recycles as many cards as possible even with fewer than 3 cards in trash. Recycling effects do not target, so they follow "do as much as you can" rules.
During a showdown with attacker triggers (like Yasuo), can the attacker play action cards before triggers resolve, and who gets focus/priority first after the initial trigger chain resolves?
Ruling: You cannot play action cards or activate action abilities until the chain is empty. After the initial chain of attacker/defender triggers resolves, the attacker retains focus and has the first opportunity to play action speed cards in the showdown.
Can Gust target a unit with 3 or less health remaining (due to marked damage) if its Might is higher than 3?
Ruling: Gust can only target units with 3 Might or less. Marked damage and Might are separate values with no relation to each other except that a unit dies when marked damage equals or exceeds its Might.
Does Ahri's legend effect target units, requiring players to pay deflect costs when a unit with deflect attacks?
Ruling: Ahri's legend effect does not target and therefore does not require paying deflect costs when a unit with deflect attacks.
Can an Evangel with Imperial Decree resolved assign 1 damage to each of 4 defending creatures (3 Ravenblooms and 1 Recruit)?
Ruling: No. Imperial Decree does not change the meaning of "lethal damage" - you must still assign enough damage to a unit so that its total damage equals its might value before moving to the next unit during combat damage.
In combat with 18 might vs 9 might, does the player with 9 might still kill some units if the opponent has small units with 3 and 2 health?
Ruling: Yes, both players distribute their might as damage to enemy units regardless of who has more might. Each player decides how to distribute their own damage.
Can you use a spell like Incinerate to kill a unit after combat damage is assigned but before it heals, and does a unit killed by a spell during showdown still deal its combat damage?
Ruling: Once you reach the point of assigning combat damage, the showdown is closed and you cannot cast spells. However, you can cast spells like Incinerate during the showdown (before damage assignment) to mark damage on units. If a unit dies to a spell during the showdown, it is not present during the combat damage step to deal its might.
Does Ahri's Alluring ability affect only one character when multiple characters move to showdown, and when is the target declared? Does her leader ability affect one or all units?
Ruling: Ahri's Alluring character ability affects only one unit when multiple units move to a showdown at her battlefield. Her leader ability affects all units you move to a battlefield she controls.
When Discipline is played in a chain, when do you draw the card - immediately when played or after the chain resolves?
Ruling: You draw the card when your Discipline resolves (as the chain resolves backwards), not when it is initially played onto the chain.
If an opponent uses Blitzcrank to move my only unit away from a battlefield I control, then I use Ride the Wind during Showdown to move it back, do I score a Conquer point?
Ruling: Yes, you score a Conquer point. You can score Conquer during an opponent's turn as long as you haven't already scored that battlefield this turn.
If I move into an occupied battlefield and play Hidden Blade (killing their unit), can my opponent still play their Hidden Blade from hand even though their unit is now dead?
Ruling: Yes, the opponent can still play Hidden Blade from hand after their unit dies. The showdown doesn't close until both players pass in succession, regardless of how many units either player has remaining on the battlefield.
When Noxian Runner moves from base to an empty battlefield, can the opponent play Hextech Ray before the 'When I move, Recruit a unit here' trigger resolves?
Ruling: No, the opponent cannot play Hextech Ray before the Recruit trigger resolves. Hextech Ray has the action keyword, so it can only be played in a neutral open state (nothing on the chain and the other player has passed focus), not while a trigger is on the chain.
If a hidden card is played on a battlefield with a unit, and that unit dies the same turn (due to combat from a Charm effect), what happens to the hidden card?
Ruling: The hidden card goes to the trash. Hidden cards can never be played the same turn they are hidden.
When can hidden cards be revealed, particularly on an opponent's turn during neutral open state or when passing priority?
Ruling: Hidden cards can be revealed any time you have priority, just like reactions. On an opponent's turn during neutral open state, you do not gain priority through phase changes - only through chains being opened. If an opponent passes during an open state, their turn ends and you don't have a chance to respond unless this causes something to...
During a showdown, who has priority to play the first action, and how does priority work after an action resolves?
Ruling: During a showdown when the initial chain is resolving and the chain is empty, the attacker gets focus and priority. After an action resolves, priority goes to the owner of the next effect on the chain if the chain is not empty; if the chain is empty during a non-initial chain, the next player (not the owner of the...
Can you score on your opponent's turn if they Charm you into combat and you win?
Ruling: Yes, you can score on your opponent's turn if they force you into combat (such as through Charm) and you win the showdown.
Do players pick targets with spells before resolution or after, and can targets fizzle?
Ruling: For most spells, you must declare targets when you play them. Spells and effects never fizzle in Riftbound - they are either countered with specific cards (Defy/Wind Wall) or they always resolve as much as they can, though they can whiff (resolve with no impact) if target requirements aren't met.
Can Fox-Fire target units at different battlefields to kill them both, or must all targets be at a single battlefield?
Ruling: Fox-Fire targets units and those units must all be at a single battlefield. Nuances: - If Fox-Fire is played from hidden, you must pick units at the same battlefield where Fox-Fire was hidden.
If a unit with Hidden Zhonya's is targeted by two Yasuo Remorseful triggers on the chain, and the first Yasuo resolves (causing Zhonya's to recall the unit), does the second Yasuo trigger still resolve and kill the unit?
Ruling: The second Yasuo trigger becomes invalid and does not kill the unit, because the unit is no longer at the same location as Yasuo after being recalled by Zhonya's.