Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 15 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
When a spell like Icathian Rain deals damage to multiple units that would die from that damage, do they die simultaneously or in sequence, and can their 'When something dies' abilities trigger?
Ruling: When a spell deals damage to multiple units, all damage is dealt first, then the spell goes to trash, then the cleanup step runs and all units with damage >= might die simultaneously. Their 'When something dies' abilities cannot trigger because units that die at the same time do not see each other's death abilities.
Can a player use Arcane Shift to replay a unit to a battlefield they are attacking (but don't control) after the unit was removed by Void Seeker?
Ruling: No, the attacking player cannot replay the unit to that battlefield because they do not control it. Arcane Shift requires the player to control the battlefield where they want to replay the unit.
Can I target another unit with Singularity if one of the 2 targets I chose gets Retreated in response?
Ruling: No, you cannot retarget. Targets must be locked in when you put the spell on the chain, and if someone responds with Retreat, you cannot change your targets.
What happens when an attacking unit (Leona) stuns a defending unit (Miss Fortune) but neither unit dies in combat?
Ruling: If both attacking and defending units remain alive after combat, the attacking units are recalled to base. Sequence: - Combat occurs with Leona stunning MF - Neither unit dies - Leona is recalled to base - MF remains stunned until end of turn, but damage is cleared after combat
If you empty your deck trying to reveal a unit through Dazzling Aurora and don't find a unit, does this count as a burn out and give your opponent a point?
Ruling: No, this does not count as a burn out. The effect of Dazzling Aurora recycles the cards back into the deck, so you do not burn out.
Can I play an Action spell like Rebuke in response to an opponent playing a unit with an ability (like Pit Rookie) on their turn?
Ruling: No, you cannot play an Action card on your opponent's turn in response to a unit ability. You can only play Action cards on your opponent's turn when you have focus during a showdown and the chain is empty.
What is the purpose of having 3 different battlefields and how are they used in matches?
Ruling: In a best of 3 match, you must rotate through the 3 battlefields (you cannot pick a battlefield already used). In a best of 1 match, both players must randomly pick a battlefield from their deck of 3 battlefields.
Can Charm move a unit from one player's battlefield to an opponent's battlefield if the unit doesn't have Ganking, and does this start a combat with the moved unit as attacker?
Ruling: Charm can move a unit to an opponent's battlefield regardless of whether it has Ganking. This will start a combat with the moved unit as the attacker.
When you play a unit with a 'when you play me' effect, if your opponent reacts and kills or returns the unit to hand, does the on-play effect still trigger?
Ruling: The trigger will always resolve and go on the chain, but it may have no impact on the board depending on the wording of the ability.
Can hidden reaction spells be played at any time like normal reactions, or only when reacting to specific game events?
Ruling: Hidden cards can be played any time you could play a reaction, starting with the next turn after hiding them.
When playing Hard Bargain with Repeat, when must you decide to pay the Repeat cost, and can you counter the same spell twice to make the opponent pay 4 energy?
Ruling: You must declare whether you intend to Repeat when you play Hard Bargain, as Repeat is an additional cost that must be paid when playing from hand. If you Repeat, the opponent must pay 4 energy total or have their spell countered.
When Spectral Matron's ability lets you play a unit from trash 'ignoring its cost', do you still need to pay additional costs like Cruel Patron's 'kill a friendly unit' requirement?
Ruling: When cards say "ignoring costs" they refer to the base costs in the top left only. Additional costs still need to be paid.
When a unit is moved by Dragon Rage onto a battlefield with Ahri Legend, does the unit's Might trigger resolve first, or does Ahri Legend's -1/-1 effect apply first?
Ruling: Dragon Rage fully resolves before any triggers (like Showdown from Might or Ahri Legend's effect) resolve. Sequence: - Dragon Rage effect completes entirely - Triggers that were created during Dragon Rage (Showdown, Ahri Legend's effect, etc.) then resolve
Can Pack of Wonders and cards with 'Spend my Buff' abilities be used at reaction speed, or only at sorcery speed on your turn?
Ruling: Pack of Wonders and 'Spend my Buff' abilities are activated abilities without the Reaction keyword, so they must be used at base speed on your turn, outside of combat, and while there is no open chain.
When a showdown is initiated and a reaction (Stupefy) is played and resolves, can an action (Cleave) be played next, or can only reactions be chained after an action?
Ruling: When a card on the chain resolves, that chain closes. After a chain closes, the active player regains focus and can start a new chain with either an action or a reaction.
If you are already holding one battlefield, and then conquer the other battlefield in the same turn, do you score the 8th point for having conquered both battlefields?
Ruling: No, you do not get the 8th point. You can score at most once per battlefield per turn. Nuances: - Scoring includes both conquering and holding - If you already held a battlefield this turn, you cannot conquer it - You cannot score twice from the same battlefield in one turn
Can a hidden card at Battlefield A be triggered during a showdown at Battlefield B if it doesn't target anything or spawn units (like Consult the Past to draw cards)?
Ruling: You can play hidden cards any time you can play a reaction, regardless of which battlefield they are hidden at.
How do actions and reactions work during a showdown in Riftbound, particularly regarding turn order and when each can be played?
Ruling: Actions can only be played when there is no chain (when you have focus). Once a chain starts with either an action or reaction, only reactions can be played until the entire chain resolves and focus passes to the next player.
Does Nocturne's ability trigger when you draw him from your deck?
Ruling: Drawing a card is not the same as "looking at" cards. Nocturne's ability does not trigger when you draw him.
When NAP plays Zenith Blade in response to AP moving to an open battlefield, does NAP score a point for gaining the battlefield and then another point at start of their next turn for holding it?
Ruling: Yes, NAP scores a point for conquering the battlefield (subject to normal conquer limitations) and will score another point at the start of their next turn for holding it.
Can Seals allow you to play a card without having enough runes to tap for its Energy cost, and can you float Energy/Power between actions?
Ruling: Players can float Energy and Power between actions. Seals provide Power but not Energy, so you still need enough runes to exhaust for the Energy cost before recycling runes to pay for the Seal.
If you use Mystic Reversal on a card that says 'Take a turn after this one', do you get two turns or just one?
Ruling: The rules do not currently define how extra turns interact with Mystic Reversal, so this is a judge's discretion call at the local level. The judge should announce their ruling before the event begins and explain that the rules are ambiguous on this interaction.
Can Showstopper be used on a unit that is in a battlefield, or does the unit need to be in base?
Ruling: Showstopper cannot be used on a unit in a battlefield. The target unit must be in base. Nuances: - The card's first sentence requires buffing a unit in base, which establishes the targeting requirement for the entire card
Does the point scored by Ahri's triggered ability count as a point 'from holding' for Needlessly Large Yordle's cost reduction?
Ruling: No, Ahri does not score a point "from holding." Ahri puts a trigger on the chain when she holds, and that trigger scores the point, so it is not considered a point scored from holding.
When Darius loses a showdown but kills a defending unit, does he return to base exhausted or ready?
Ruling: When a unit loses showdown and is recalled to base, it returns ready (not exhausted). The unit is being 'recalled' back to base, not 'moving' back to base.
Does hiding a card grant it Reaction?
Ruling: Yes, cards that are hidden gain Reaction when face down. Nuances: - A card that gains Reaction from being hidden cannot react in the same turn it was hidden, only in future turns.
In Riftbound combat, does the attacker assign damage to their own units or to the opponent's units?
Ruling: Each player assigns their units' might as damage to enemy units. The attacker assigns damage first, then the defender assigns damage. No units die during assignment - after both players have assigned damage, all damage is dealt simultaneously and units with damage equal to or greater than their might are defeated.
Can you activate a hidden Consult the Past on your opponent's turn even if they aren't attacking the battlefield with the hidden card, and can you activate it at reaction speed without the opponent starting a chain?
Ruling: You can activate hidden Consult the Past on your opponent's turn at reaction speed, but you must be in a showdown or reacting to a spell or ability. The hidden card does not need to be at the same battlefield being attacked.
Are Signature Spells limited to 3 total per deck, and does this limit include the champion itself?
Ruling: You can include a maximum of 3 total Signature cards in your deck. The champion itself does not count toward this limit because champions do not have the "Signature" card type.
When does a 'when you play a card' trigger occur - when the card is put on the chain or after it resolves?
Ruling: In Riftbound, "played" means on resolve. When a card checks "when you play a card," it triggers immediately after the relevant card resolves.
Can Temporal Portal repeat the effect of a card played from Hidden (like Fox Fire) with 0 cost, since it doesn't specify 'base cost'?
Ruling: Whenever card text says "cost" it means the base cost of a card. Temporal Portal looks at the printed cost, so a card played from Hidden with 0 cost cannot be repeated by Temporal Portal since its base cost is higher.
Does Thermo Beam destroy both a hidden Zhonya's Hourglass on the battlefield and a non-hidden Zhonya's Hourglass in base?
Ruling: Thermo Beam only destroys the non-hidden Zhonya's Hourglass. The hidden card on the battlefield is not affected. Nuances: - Hidden cards don't "exist" in the game before they're flipped, so they are not affected by effects that would target or destroy cards with matching names
If I use Here to Help's reaction to play a Deadbloom with the discount, does the Deadbloom need to be played at the battlefield where Here to Help is hidden?
Ruling: Yes, the Deadbloom must be played at the battlefield where Here to Help is hidden. When a hidden spell or play effect causes you to play a unit, you must choose to play that unit at that battlefield.
After a spell resolves mid-chain and you draw a card, do you get priority to play the drawn card before the next item on the chain resolves?
Ruling: Yes, both players must pass priority for the next item in the chain to resolve. After Discipline resolves and you draw En Garde, your opponent (who has priority first since their Void Seeker is next) must pass, then you get priority to play En Garde before Void Seeker resolves.
When Smoke Screen is used on a Daring Poro before it attacks and gets buffed, does it stay at 1 Might or does it gain buffs?
Ruling: When Smoke Screen is played, it snapshots the current Might value and sets it to half (minimum 1). Any buffs that happen after Smoke Screen resolves apply normally starting from that new value.
If a defending Teemo's 'When I defend' ability kills the attacking unit during the initial chain, does combat end immediately or does another chain open for Actions?
Ruling: Combat (showdown) only ends when both players pass focus in succession. Even if all units on one side are eliminated during the initial chain, players still get priority to play Actions before the showdown ends.
Can Singularity target the same unit twice to deal 12 damage, or must it target two different units?
Ruling: Singularity must target two different units (or just one unit). You cannot target the same unit twice to deal 12 damage.
If I hold and score a battlefield on my turn, then leave it, and my opponent conquers it during a showdown, can I score it again (and trigger conquer effects) if I move back to that battlefield later in the same turn?
Ruling: No, you cannot score a battlefield more than once per turn. If you have already held or conquered a battlefield this turn, you cannot score it again by either method during the same turn.
When Yasuo attacks Ahri (both as legend and unit on battlefield), in what order are the attack and defend triggers placed on the chain and resolved?
Ruling: Attack triggers go on the chain first, then defend triggers. They resolve in reverse order (first in, last out).
Can Solari Shrine trigger on an opponent's turn when you kill a stunned unit, even though it doesn't have the 'reaction' tag?
Ruling: Yes, Solari Shrine can trigger on an opponent's turn. When you kill a stunned unit on an opponent's turn, Shrine puts a trigger on the stack, and when it resolves you can pay the cost (exhaust shrine) to draw 1.
Is double sleeving (or triple sleeving) allowed in Riftbound?
Ruling: Double sleeving and triple sleeving are allowed in Riftbound, as long as all cards within a deck are sleeved identically with the same number of layers and orientation, and the deck can be shuffled in good time.
Can players use alternative items (like buttons, dice, or printed proxies) to represent tokens in official Riftbound events, or are official tokens required?
Ruling: Players can use anything to represent tokens in official events, including buttons, dice, printed proxies, or any other items.
Can you use Cannon Barrage to kill a unit in response to Fortified Positions' battlefield trigger before the unit gains shield?
Ruling: Yes, you can respond to the Fortified Positions battlefield trigger with Cannon Barrage to kill the unit before it gains shield. The battlefield trigger that grants shield goes on the chain when combat begins, and you can play a reaction when you have priority.
Can a hidden unit (like Tideturner) be played to a location other than the battlefield where it was hidden?
Ruling: No, the unit must be played at the battlefield where it is hidden. Nuances: - When a unit is hidden at a battlefield, all choices (including location) must only be picked from among valid targets at the battlefield associated with that Facedown Zone - The rules for hidden will likely be reworded to better reflect this intent
If Falling Star reduces Sett's HP to 2, then Smoke Screen reduces his Might, does Sett die?
Ruling: Yes, Sett dies. Units with lethal damage (damage equal to or greater than Might) are killed during cleanup. Sequence: - Falling Star deals damage to Sett - Smoke Screen reduces Sett's Might - During cleanup, the game checks if damage equals or exceeds current Might - Sett is killed because the damage now equals or exceeds his reduced Might
Can you play Hextech Ray on an opponent's unit with Deflect if you only have 1 red rune available (not enough to pay the Deflect cost)?
Ruling: You cannot play Hextech Ray if you cannot pay the Deflect cost. Since Deflect is an additional cost that must be paid when targeting, and you need to target before finalizing the cast, you cannot legally play the spell if you lack sufficient resources.
When Smokescreen reduces a unit's Might to 1 (minimum), and then conditional buffs trigger afterward (like Shield and Mask of Foresight), does the unit gain Might from those buffs or does Smokescreen's -4 persist?
Ruling: Smokescreen and similar debuff effects only affect the unit's Might at the moment they are played, not permanently. Subsequent buffs will increase the unit's Might normally from whatever value it currently has.
Does Traveling Merchant's move effect trigger if it is killed during the showdown when attempting to move to a battlefield?
Ruling: Traveling Merchant triggers before the showdown begins, so the discard/draw effect resolves before the opponent has a chance to kill it with cards like Hextech Ray.
If I have two copies of Vi in play and recycle cards, do both Vi gain Might from the same recycle, or only one?
Ruling: Only one Vi gains Might from a single recycle action. You must declare which Vi is using its ability and only that unit gains the Might.
If an opponent finalizes Cleave and then you react with Here to Help to play Brynhir Thundersong, does Brynhir's ability prevent Cleave from resolving?
Ruling: Brynhir does not prevent already-finalized cards from resolving. Cleave will resolve normally because the "play" action (putting the card on the chain and finalizing it) has already been performed before Brynhir's trigger resolves.