Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 13 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
When is damage healed from a unit? Specifically, if an opponent has Monastery of Hirana and a 6 might unit with 5 damage, will spending the buff after conquering kill the unit?
Ruling: No, spending the buff after conquering will not kill the unit. Damage is healed before the conquer happens. Sequence: - Damage is healed from the unit first - Then the conquer effect occurs
When Dr. Mundo's passive ability increases his might based on cards in the trash, does this happen before or after spell effects resolve? Specifically, does the spell card going to the trash save Mundo from lethal damage, and how does this interact with might modification effects like Convergent Mutation or Switcheroo?
Ruling: Cards go to the trash as part of the resolution of the card, which happens before cleanup. This means Mundo's passive will increase before checking if he dies from damage. When might modification effects like Convergent Mutation or Switcheroo are applied, they snapshot the might difference at the time they're played, then Mundo's passive increases by 1 after the...
Can a player respond with an action spell when their opponent plays an action spell during a showdown, and can action spells be played when an opponent moves to an unclaimed battlefield?
Ruling: Players always have an opportunity to play an action spell in a showdown they're part of, allowing them to respond to opponent action spells.
Can another card spend Sett's buff to activate Sett's ability that gives +4 might?
Ruling: No, Sett must spend his own buff to activate his ability. Another card spending a buff (like Call to Glory) will not trigger Sett's ability.
If a spell targets a unit, but the unit becomes an illegal target before the spell resolves (e.g., due to another spell making it untargetable), does the spell still deal damage?
Ruling: The spell still resolves, but it checks if the target is still valid before resolving. If the target is no longer valid, the spell will not deal any damage.
If Ahri's trigger is on the chain and she dies before it resolves, does the trigger still resolve or does it whiff because she is no longer holding?
Ruling: The trigger still resolves. Since Ahri satisfied the holding condition when the trigger was put on the chain, her death before resolution does not cause the trigger to whiff.
When you use an 'Add' ability (like Kai'sa's legend ability or Malzahar) during a Showdown, does focus pass after it resolves, or do you retain focus?
Ruling: Add abilities do not pass focus when they resolve. You retain both focus and priority after an Add ability resolves, allowing you to immediately play another action or reaction without waiting for your opponent.
Can Blitzcrank, Impassive be played to a battlefield to trigger his ability, or must he be played to your base?
Ruling: Blitzcrank can be played to a battlefield you already control, which allows his ability to trigger. He can also be played to a battlefield using external effects like Miss Fortune, Buccaneer.
Can you float power/energy during the resolution of an ability like Bullet Time, even when the ability doesn't require you to pay that resource?
Ruling: Yes, you can float power and energy during the resolution of abilities, even if those abilities don't require you to pay those resources. You can use [reaction][add] abilities (like tapping runes for energy or recycling runes for power) anytime you can play a reaction or are asked to pay costs.
If an opponent plays Promising Future and banishes Vanguard Armory, then I banish Salvage, can I target their Vanguard Armory with my Salvage?
Ruling: No, Salvage cannot target Vanguard Armory in this situation. Sequence: - Promising Future puts all items on as pending first - Promising Future resolves - The permanents finalize in the cleanup immediately after Promising Future resolves - The permanents exit the chain and get "played" immediately after being finalized
Can Facebreaker stun units when you are asked to help in a showdown that you are not participating in, or do you need a friendly unit in order to cast?
Ruling: You need a friendly unit to cast Facebreaker. Spells need all their targets in order to be announced and go on the chain.
During a showdown triggered by a move, can you target a unit at a battlefield that did not trigger the showdown with an action?
Ruling: Yes, you can target any legal target for your spells during a showdown, including units at battlefields that did not trigger the showdown.
How long does damage remain on a unit, and does it matter whether the damage is from a commit effect, exhaust effect, or spell?
Ruling: Damage is cleared at the end of combat and end of turn, regardless of the source. Nuances: - The timing of when damage is dealt doesn't change when it's cleared (commit effect damage and exhaust effect damage both follow the same clearing rules) - When damage is cleared at end of combat, it clears from all units everywhere, not...
Can I track recycled runes by placing them face-down or at a 90-degree angle in my rune deck during a turn, then fixing them at end of turn?
Ruling: No, you cannot modify your rune deck orientation to track recycled runes. Cards in decks must have the same orientation at all times, and explicitly tracking how many runes you have recycled by modifying how you present your rune deck is not allowed.
When Cull the Weak is played and the opponent responds with Discipline on their unit, after Discipline resolves and they draw a card, does the opponent get priority again to play a card they just drew (like Defy) before Cull the Weak resolves?
Ruling: Yes, after Discipline resolves, the opponent (as the controller of the next item on the chain) gains priority again and can play reaction spells like Defy before Cull the Weak resolves.
In what instance would you have surviving attackers after combat, given that might is summed and compared?
Ruling: Surviving attackers occur when units have the Stun ability, which prevents them from being destroyed in combat despite the might comparison.
If I have three Blue Viktor in my base, would I generate three 1-Might recruits every time I play a card on my opponent's turn?
Ruling: Yes, having three Blue Viktor in your base will generate three 1-Might recruits every time you play a card on your opponent's turn. Each Viktor triggers independently.
If I have 7 points and my opponent has 6, I control Battlefield A with a big unit while Battlefield B is free. My opponent conquers Battlefield B (scoring to 7), then moves into Battlefield A. If I use Ride the Wind to move my big unit from Battlefield A to Battlefield B before losing the showdown, do I lose or does my Ride the Wind showdown resolve first?
Ruling: Your opponent wins. They score their 7th point from conquering Battlefield B, then when you move from Battlefield A (triggering Ride the Wind), the showdown on Battlefield A goes to cleanup and results in a conquer, giving them their 8th point before your Ride the Wind showdown on Battlefield B even starts.
Does Experimental Hexplate add the Mech tag to existing tags, or does it replace them? Does the card work given that 'I am a' is not explicitly listed in the rules?
Ruling: Experimental Hexplate adds the Mech tag without removing existing tags. The phrase "I am a" functions the same as "is" and "are" (all conjugations of "to be"), which the rules cover.
Does Trifarian War Camp continuously buff units, and how does its +1 might interact with effects like Stupefy that reduce might?
Ruling: War Camp's +1 might buff is continuous and always applies while a unit is at War Camp. When effects like Stupefy reduce might, you apply all increases and decreases to the base might together - the War Camp buff doesn't "reapply" after other effects resolve.
Can spell or ability effects that say 'move a unit' (like Charm or Ride the Wind) move units directly from one battlefield to another battlefield without Ganking?
Ruling: Yes, effects that say "move a unit" can move units from battlefield to battlefield without Ganking. Ganking only applies to Standard Move, which is a different type of movement than general "move" effects.
What happens if you hide a unit on Rockfall Vale (Rockfall Path)?
Ruling: The card cannot be played while hidden at Rockfall Vale/Path. Nuances: - Hiding a unit at Rockfall Vale is considered a bad strategic move
Can you react to Sett's Legend ability (e.g., with Shakedown)?
Ruling: No, you cannot react to Sett's Legend ability. It is a replacement effect, not a triggered ability, despite being worded similarly to one.
If an opponent conquered a battlefield and then moved all units away, is it still considered an enemy conquered battlefield before I move my unit there?
Ruling: No, an empty battlefield is not considered conquered. A player loses control of a battlefield when they move all their units away from it.
For Rune Deck domain identity, do you use the Chosen Champion's domain(s) or the Champion Legend's domain(s)?
Ruling: The rule should reference Champion Legend, not Chosen Champion. This was a typo in the rules. Your Rune Deck cards must match the Domain Identity of your Champion Legend.
Can Irelia's Legend ability be used multiple times per turn with only a single target, or does each use require meeting the trigger condition again?
Ruling: Irelia's ability is a triggered ability that activates when you target a friendly unit. To use the ability multiple times in a turn, you must meet the trigger condition (targeting a unit) each time.
When you play Sprite Mother to your Base, does the spawned Sprite enter tapped, making it unable to move to a battlefield before it dies from Temporary? Can you play Sprite Mother directly to a battlefield?
Ruling: The Sprite enters ready (untapped) because Sprite Mother's text specifies "play a ready 3 [M] sprite." You can also play Sprite Mother directly to a battlefield if you control it.
If Sett is buffed, does he get +1 from the buff and +1 from his ability (total +2), or just +1 from the buff only?
Ruling: If Sett is buffed and at a battlefield, he gets +2 total: +1 from the buff and +1 from his ability. Sett's ability counts himself because the text says "each buffed friendly" and not "each other buffed friendly unit."
Can you move an enemy unit from one battlefield to another?
Ruling: Yes, it is possible to move an enemy unit from one battlefield to another. Nuances: - The asker specifically mentioned this in the context of "ganking" (concentrating forces against an opponent)
If Ms. Fortune Captain moves to attack a battlefield, does her move trigger resolve in time to ready another unit and move it into the same battlefield to be part of the same combat?
Ruling: No, by the time Ms. Fortune Captain's move trigger resolves, a showdown is already staged, so the readied unit cannot join the same combat.
Can you float mana from runes in response to Sona's end-of-turn trigger, let her ready them, then use the floating mana plus newly tapped runes to cast an action spell before the turn ends?
Ruling: No, you cannot cast an action spell in this scenario. After end-of-turn abilities resolve, the turn ends immediately, so action spells cannot be played at this timing.
Can spells/abilities target and kill attached equipment gear?
Ruling: Yes, spells and abilities can target and kill attached equipment gear. They are still gear even when attached. Nuances: - Attached gear has its rule text disabled, but the type line is still active and referenceable - Effects that target or affect gear (like Thermo beam) would affect all gear including attached gear
Can you react to ON CONQUER effects before the conquer happens, specifically to kill Draven before he gets +1 might from Qiyana's conquer trigger?
Ruling: You cannot react before the conquer happens. By the time Qiyana's ON CONQUER trigger is on the chain, the conquer has already occurred and Draven's passive ability will have already updated his might.
Why does Falling Star kill a Poro on the battlefield when Master Yi's leader ability should make it 4 might?
Ruling: Master Yi does not boost the Poro because attackers and defenders are only designated once a combat showdown starts, and a showdown cannot start while there is an item on the chain. Since Falling Star is on the chain when it resolves, the Poro is not yet a defender and does not receive Master Yi's bonus.
If my opponent targets my unit with Shakedown and I Retreat it in response, can they choose a different target?
Ruling: No, they cannot choose a different target if you Retreat the unit in response to Shakedown.
In a best-of-3 match, how is turn order decided for games 2 and 3, and when is it decided relative to battlefield selection?
Ruling: The loser of the previous game decides turn order for the next game, and this decision is made after choosing the battlefield.
Does Deadbloom Predator's Deflect trigger when an opponent plays Cull the Weak and Deadbloom Predator is the only character available to be chosen?
Ruling: Deflect does not trigger because Cull the Weak does not target. The players make the choices on resolution, so the opponent is not making the choice to kill Deadbloom Predator.
Can you play a unit to your occupied battlefield during a showdown?
Ruling: Yes, you can play units to any location you control, including your occupied battlefield during a showdown. However, you can only play a unit during showdown if an effect specifically allows it (like Nocturne, Chompers, or Shen).
If Lee Sin - Ascetic is exhausted to activate his buff ability, and then readied by another card effect, can he be exhausted again to activate his buff ability a second time?
Ruling: Yes, you can exhaust Lee Sin again to activate his buff ability after readying him. Exhausting is the cost of getting the effect, so as long as you have ways to ready him, you can use the ability multiple times.
Does Fox-Fire target, and what happens if the targets' Might is increased above 4 in response?
Ruling: Fox-Fire targets. If the total Might of the targets becomes illegal (over 4) upon resolution, you choose a subgroup from among the initial targets that is still legal (4 Might or less).
Does Tibbers' "When you play me" text count as an ability that would be buffed by Annie?
Ruling: Tibbers' "When you play me" text is an ability that goes on the chain when played, so Annie will increase the damage from it. All functional text on cards are abilities.
Does playing a spell card count as a discard towards another card's discard requirement?
Ruling: No, playing a card and discarding are separate game actions. You only discard when a card ability or effect specifically tells you to discard.
How does priority work in Riftbound after each item on the chain resolves, and how does focus work during showdowns?
Ruling: After each player passes priority without adding anything to the chain, the top item resolves. Then the player with the most recent item on the chain gets priority to potentially add further to the chain, and it requires all players passing priority without adding to resolve each item. Focus automatically switches to the next player in turn order when...
In Riftbound combat, after both players pass focus during a showdown with no when I attack/defend abilities, can players take actions or play reactions before moving to the next step?
Ruling: After both players pass focus in a row during combat, the game goes straight to resolution. Players cannot take additional actions at that point.
If a unit targeted by Hextech Ray is moved to base with Flash in reaction, does it still take damage or does the spell have no effect?
Ruling: The spell does not fizzle. It resolves with no effect, and the unit does not take damage because it is no longer a legal target at resolution.
In a best-of-3 match, who chooses who plays first in the second game?
Ruling: For games after the first game of a match, the loser of the previous game gets to choose if they play first or last.
When Party Favors is played in a 4-player game where Player 1 plays it, Player 2 chooses Cards, and Players 3 and 4 both choose Runes, does each player who chose Runes channel 1 rune (Outcome 1) or 2 runes (Outcome 2)?
Ruling: It's Outcome 1. Each player who chose Runes channels 1 rune, not 2. Sequence: - Player 1 and Player 2 draw a card - Player 1 and Player 3 each channel 1 rune - Player 1 and Player 4 each channel 1 rune
Do I have to show the facedown card that was put in my hand with Pack of Wonders?
Ruling: Yes, you have to show the facedown card to your opponent. Nuances: - Since only cards with the Hidden keyword can be played facedown, opponents must be able to verify that any facedown card is indeed a card with Hidden - This verification prevents illegal plays where players could bluff with non-Hidden cards played facedown - Opponents must be...
When attacking a battlefield controlled by an opponent, can you move units in separate batches (e.g., move a 3 might unit to trade, then move a token afterward to conquer), and do you score when conquering this way?
Ruling: You can move units to the same battlefield in multiple batches during your turn. When you conquer a battlefield by moving in additional units after a trade, you do score.
When Sett Brawler is played and gets a buff, can the buff be immediately spent to give it +4 Might, or must you wait until it's in the ready state?
Ruling: You can immediately spend the buff when Sett Brawler is played. Nuances: - You do not need to wait for Sett Brawler to be in the ready state before spending the buff