Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 136 of 151 · 7,519 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Does Commander Ledros's cost reduction effect trigger if a unit survives being killed (e.g., through Soraka's effect)?
Ruling: Commander Ledros only reduces cost for units that actually die. If a unit survives through an effect like Soraka, it does not count toward the cost reduction.
Does Arcane Shift require a valid enemy unit target to deal 3 damage to in order to be played, or can it be played just to blink a friendly unit when no enemy units are at a battlefield?
Ruling: Arcane Shift requires valid targets for both parts of the effect (a friendly unit to blink AND an enemy unit to deal 3 damage to) in order to be played on the chain. You cannot play it if there is no enemy unit at a battlefield.
If I control a battlefield on my turn but then move all my units off of it, do I retain control until end of turn and can I still play units there?
Ruling: No, you lose control of the battlefield immediately after moving your units off of it during the cleanup step, and you cannot play units there without control.
In a 2v2 game, if my partner's unit controls a battlefield at the start of my turn, and I flash their unit away and move my unit onto the battlefield, do I score conquest?
Ruling: No, you cannot score conquest on a battlefield that your teammate controlled during the beginning phase of your turn, even if you remove their unit and place yours during that turn.
When you control multiple Dazzling Aurora permanents, do both triggers resolve before any creatures enter, or does the first creature enter before the second trigger resolves?
Ruling: Both Dazzling Aurora triggers go on the chain at end of turn, then resolve one at a time. Each creature enters and fully resolves (including any when-you-play-me abilities) before the next Aurora trigger resolves.
If Yasuo deals damage to a unit when attacking, then is moved back to base before combat resolves, does the damaged unit heal or does the damage persist?
Ruling: Once Yasuo attacks and triggers combat, a combat cleanup will occur at the end of the showdown. During cleanup, units heal all damage unless they were killed.
If Caitlyn has Tank, or if there are multiple units with Tank including Caitlyn, how do the damage assignment rules work?
Ruling: If Caitlyn has Tank, the opponent chooses whether to apply her Tank keyword or her "damage last" ability. If they choose Tank, they can assign damage to her first along with other Tank units. If they choose her ability, they ignore Tank on her and assign damage to her last.
In what order do attacker and defender abilities resolve during a showdown, and how do layers interact with this timing?
Ruling: When a showdown occurs, "when you defend" triggers go on the chain after "when you attack" triggers, meaning defender abilities resolve first, then attacker abilities resolve. Layers do not affect this timing.
If I buff a 2 might unit to 4 might in response to Gust targeting it, what happens to Gust?
Ruling: Gust still resolves and triggers any relevant effects (like Darius or Student abilities), but it has no effect on the now-illegal target.
Can Rumble Hothead's conquer trigger be activated when there are no mechs in the graveyard, with the intention of ordering Zaun Warrens' trigger first to discard a mech from hand, then targeting that mech with Rumble's effect on resolution?
Ruling: No, this does not work. Rumble Hothead requires a valid mech target in the graveyard when the trigger is declared and added to the chain, even though the effect itself is optional ("you may") on resolution.
Can I use Sprite Call to place a Sprite at a battlefield I'm currently contesting with my units?
Ruling: No, you cannot use Sprite Call to place a Sprite at a battlefield you are contesting. You can only play units to your base or to a battlefield you control.
When is the last opportunity to recycle a rune during combat to trigger Sivir, Battle Mistress's ability to create a gold token, and can you recycle runes without paying for anything?
Ruling: You can recycle a rune whenever you have priority (even without paying for anything) because recycling is a reaction ability that adds power to your pool. During combat, the last opportunity is when you have focus after your opponent's chain resolves, when your opponent passes focus to you, or after the initial chain if you are the attacker.
If I play a gear before conquering and gaining Ornn's Forge, does my next gear still get the discount, or does it not count because it's not the first gear of the turn?
Ruling: Ornn's Forge does not discount your next gear if you already played a gear earlier in the turn before conquering. The ability cannot "look back" to check if a gear was already played.
If Hidden Blade targets a unit but the opponent uses Hourglass to save it, does Hidden Blade still resolve and does the unit's controller still draw 2 cards?
Ruling: Hidden Blade still fully resolves even if Hourglass replaces the kill effect. The targeted unit's controller still draws 2 cards because Hidden Blade has no conditional "if you do" clause that would prevent the draw from happening.
Can I use Last Breath to ready an exhausted unit in base, then move it to the battlefield to trigger Mask of Foresight's +2 bonus before Last Breath deals its damage?
Ruling: No, you cannot move the unit to trigger Mask of Foresight before Last Breath deals damage. Once Last Breath begins resolving, the entire effect (ready the unit, then deal damage) must complete before any other actions can be taken.
If my unit is possessed by Hostile Takeover and has equipment attached, can I reattach that equipment to another unit?
Ruling: You cannot use the Gear's own Equip ability to reattach it (because attached Gear has inactive rules text), but you can reattach it using other effects that move equipment, such as Weaponmaster or Jax's legend ability.
Does Rally the Troops buff tokens created by cards like Vanguard Captain?
Ruling: Yes, Rally the Troops applies to tokens created by cards. The card would need to explicitly state "non-token unit" to exclude tokens from the effect.
Can the attacking player split the 2 damage from a recruit among both defending units when Imperial Decree is in play, since it makes 1 damage lethal?
Ruling: No, Imperial Decree does not change how damage is assigned. You must still apply damage equal to a unit's might before moving on to assign damage to another unit.
Does Frigid Touch kill units when they are at 2 or 1 Might, and how does negative Might interact with buff spells?
Ruling: Frigid Touch does not kill units regardless of their current Might. Units with negative Might are treated as 0 Might for all purposes, but the actual negative value is tracked for arithmetic operations.
Can you target a stunned unit with Facebreaker to trigger stun-related effects like Leona?
Ruling: You can target stunned units with Facebreaker, but stunning an already stunned unit does not trigger effects that require a unit to become stunned (like Leona's ability).
Can a card with Repeat (like Bellows Breath) be countered by Defy when the owner intends to repeat it, and does Defy stop the repeat effect?
Ruling: Yes, a card with Repeat can be countered by Defy even when being repeated, because Defy only cares about the base cost of the card. When Defy counters the spell, it stops the entire spell including the repeat effect.
Can you play Rengar at an open battlefield you're contesting?
Ruling: No, you cannot play Rengar at an open battlefield you're contesting because you are not assigned as an attacker when contesting an open battlefield.
How does focus work when attacking and playing actions/reactions in a chain, and does focus automatically pass when a chain resolves?
Ruling: When you attack and play an action to start a chain, you are the first who can use a reaction on that chain. Focus automatically passes every time a chain fully resolves. After the attacker plays an action and the chain resolves, the defender has focus and can play an action to start a new chain before the attacker...
If a unit has negative Might (e.g., -3 Might) and then receives a positive Might buff (e.g., +2 Might), does it end up with -1 Might or 2 Might?
Ruling: The unit would have -1 Might (which is then treated as 0 for purposes like damage calculation). Might modifications apply to the actual current value, not the value it's treated as.
When Teemo's ability resolves (flip 5 cards and deal damage), does it all resolve at once, or can players react between the flipping and the damage?
Ruling: Teemo's ability resolves all at once. You cannot interrupt abilities while they are resolving. Sequence: - Teemo enters play or becomes a defender - His ability goes on the chain - Players have an opportunity to play Reactions before it resolves - Once it begins resolving, the entire ability (flip 5 and deal damage) completes without interruption
Can you float energy from runes at the same time as paying the power cost for Bullet Time after it resolves?
Ruling: Yes, you can activate "Add" abilities (such as floating energy from runes) when paying a cost for a spell like Bullet Time.
Can I play a Quickdraw gear during my opponent's turn when I have no units on board?
Ruling: Yes, you can play a Quickdraw gear even when you have no friendly units on board. The gear will remain at your base.
Can Vi - Destructive's effect be used while she is at a battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, Vi - Destructive's effect can be used at a battlefield as long as it is your turn, the chain is empty, and there is no showdown occurring.
When Teemo Scout is revealed from hidden, can you respond to its on-play ability with Gust before the on-play resolves?
Ruling: Yes, you can respond to Teemo Scout's on-play ability with Gust. Gust will resolve first, bouncing Teemo back to hand before the on-play ability resolves.
Does Leona Zealot's -8 might reduction to stunned enemies snapshot when applied, or does it continuously reapply as a passive effect? Specifically, if a stunned Ravenbloom Student (reduced to 1 might by Leona) receives +5 might from Discipline, does it go to 5 might or stay at 1 might?
Ruling: Leona Zealot's ability is a passive effect that continuously reapplies, not a snapshot. The Ravenbloom Student stays at 1 might because Leona's -8 (minimum 1) reapplies after Discipline resolves.
When two Dazzling Aurora triggers resolve, one revealing Deadbloom Predator and another revealing Whiteflame, what is the correct order of resolution? Can Whiteflame buff Deadbloom before the showdown?
Ruling: You must fully resolve each Aurora trigger before moving to the next one. The first Aurora reveals and plays Deadbloom (staging a showdown), then the second Aurora reveals and plays Whiteflame to your base (since combat is staged, you cannot play it to battlefield). Whiteflame's "When I'm played" ability can target and buff Deadbloom before the showdown begins.
How do Trifarian War Camp's +1 Might buff and Thousand-Tailed Watcher's -3 Might debuff interact? Is the +1 Might snapshotted, and what happens when a unit leaves the battlefield after being affected by both effects?
Ruling: Might modifiers are applied symmetrically and continuously, not snapshotted. When a unit is in Trifarian War Camp, it has +1 Might; when affected by Thousand-Tailed Watcher, it gets -3 Might (minimum 1). If the unit leaves the camp, the +1 Might bonus is removed, and the -3 Might effect continues to apply to the new base value.
Can Riposte be used to counter your own spells?
Ruling: Yes, Riposte can counter your own spells. The card says "counter a spell" without specifying "enemy spell," so it can target any spell including your own.
In a Showdown, if the attacker casts an Action and both players pass priority, does the Showdown Action Step end immediately, or does focus return to the attacker after the Action resolves?
Ruling: When you cast an Action in a Showdown, both players can pass priority for it to resolve, then focus passes to your opponent. Both players must pass focus (not just priority) for the Showdown Action Step to end.
If I control a Battlefield with a sprite from last turn that will die during the Awaken-Beginning step, can I react by playing Shen to that Battlefield before the sprite dies, and do I score points without triggering a showdown?
Ruling: Yes, you can react to the temporary trigger (sprite dying) by playing Shen to the Battlefield. Because Shen resolves before the temporary trigger (last in, first out), you score points with Shen without triggering a showdown.
When Kayn has Doran's Shield (Tank) and moves for the 2nd time in a turn, does Tank still apply to him?
Ruling: No, Tank does not apply to Kayn when he has moved twice in a turn. Kayn is exempt from mandatory assignment considerations, which includes Tank.
When you play a second Dazzling Aurora and get a Deadbloom Predator from the first Aurora's trigger, does the Deadbloom's showdown resolve before the second Aurora's trigger, and can you place the second Aurora's unit on the battlefield being contested if you win?
Ruling: The second Dazzling Aurora trigger must fully resolve before the Deadbloom showdown can be initiated, because showdowns can only start when the turn is in a neutral open state with no chain items pending. If you get another Deadbloom from the second Aurora, you can place it on the same battlefield the first Deadbloom is contesting since it's still...
Can you win by conquest if you leave a battlefield after scoring it, and can you score/conquer the same battlefield multiple times in one turn?
Ruling: To win by conquest, you must score both battlefields in one turn (not necessarily control both). You can only score each battlefield once per turn, and conquest effects only trigger when you score.
Can Beast Below's "when you play" trigger be put on the chain if you control no other friendly unit to target?
Ruling: No, you cannot put Beast Below's trigger on the chain if you do not control another friendly unit. To put an object on the chain, valid targets must exist for all required targets.
Does blue Ahri's Inquisitive ability target, and does it therefore trigger Deflect?
Ruling: Yes, Ahri's Inquisitive ability targets and will trigger Deflect. A target is any specific choice required by an effect.
Can Ornn Legend's generic power be used to pay the hidden cost of gear cards like Zhonya's Hourglass (similar to using Kai'Sa Legend for spells)?
Ruling: No, you cannot use Ornn Legend (or Kai'Sa Legend) to pay hidden costs. Hiding cards is not the same as playing them, and these legends only generate power for playing cards of their respective types.
If Darius is played as the second card in a turn (after another card like Hextech Ray), does he enter the game ready with +2 power?
Ruling: Yes, Darius enters the game ready with +2 power when played as the second card in a turn. Sequence: - Play first card (e.g., Hextech Ray) - Play Darius as second card - Darius enters ready with +2 power
Are oversized/proving grounds battlefields legal for play, and can battlefields be mismatched in size?
Ruling: Oversized/proving grounds battlefields are legal for play, and you can use mismatched battlefield sizes. Nuances: - If you need to randomly select between battlefields of different sizes, ensure you have a fair method to do so (e.g., dice roll)
Do spells 'fizzle' in Riftbound if their target gains Deflect after the spell is already on the chain? Specifically, if Stupefy targets Fiora, then Fiora gains Deflect before Stupefy resolves, does the caster need to pay the Deflect cost?
Ruling: Spells do not fizzle in Riftbound. If a spell is already on the chain when its target gains Deflect, you do not need to pay the Deflect cost because costs are paid when putting cards/abilities on the chain, not on resolution. The spell resolves normally.
For Forgotten Monument, can you score it as soon as it's your 3rd turn, or do you have to wait until the 4th turn?
Ruling: You can score Forgotten Monument on your third turn as soon as the condition is met. Sequence: - Turn 1: Play a 2-cost unit - Turn 2: Score the other field and play another unit - Turn 3: Send the unit to Forgotten Monument and score it immediately
When Traveling Merchant moves to a battlefield, does its move trigger go on the initial chain along with defend and attack triggers, or does it need to resolve before an initial chain begins?
Ruling: The move trigger must resolve completely before the initial combat chain begins. Traveling Merchant's move trigger goes on a chain first, and only after that chain closes will combat open and the initial chain be populated.
Can you play a card in a showdown after damage is dealt but before combat ends?
Ruling: You can only play cards after combat damage if there is a triggered ability that results from the combat damage. If no triggered ability occurs, the showdown ends immediately.
Does Karthus's effect stack if multiple copies are active, causing death-knell effects to trigger more than twice?
Ruling: Yes, multiple copies of Karthus stack. Each Karthus adds one additional trigger to death-knell effects. Sequence: - Base death-knell effect triggers once - Each active Karthus adds +1 additional trigger - With 2 Karthus copies: death-knell triggers 3 times total (1 base + 1 per Karthus)
Can you activate Reaction cards and hidden cards on your turn with an empty stack, or do Reactions only respond to other cards?
Ruling: You can play Reaction cards to start a chain on your turn when you have priority, even with an empty stack. Reactions function as regular actions but can also be used in response to other cards.
Can Captain Miss Fortune use Gust in response to becoming a defender (after moving and readying a rune) but before Shield and Master Yi Legend passives apply?
Ruling: You cannot respond to becoming an attacker or defender because it is not a trigger. However, you can respond to Miss Fortune's on-move trigger (which happens before combat begins) to play Gust on the Poro, but this requires having an already-ready rune available.