Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 20 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Does Ahri's passive work on all units on a battlefield that are attacking, or just one?
Ruling: Ahri's ability applies to all units on the battlefield, triggering individually for each one of them. When a new unit joins combat later in the showdown, Ahri's ability will trigger again for that newly joined attacker.
How many chains can occur during a showdown, and can you play actions after your opponent plays a reaction?
Ruling: You can have as many chains as you want during a showdown. The showdown only moves to damage calculation when the chain is empty and both players pass priority back to back consecutively.
In a best-of-3 match, if both players pick the same battlefield, does one of them have to swap it?
Ruling: No, if two opponents flip up the same battlefield, play continues normally. There is no rule requiring a player to change their battlefield once it has been revealed.
With Grove of the God Willow and a Jinx deck, can you hold before triggering Jinx's beginning step ability?
Ruling: No, you must trigger Jinx's beginning step ability before holding. Jinx triggers in the beginning step, while holding happens in the scoring step.
If a unit providing a static stat increase (like Lee Sin Centered) dies first in a showdown, do other units lose that stat increase immediately or keep it until the showdown ends?
Ruling: Units keep the stat increase during the combat damage step even if the unit providing the buff dies first, because all combat damage is dealt simultaneously.
If an opponent would conquer a battlefield on your turn using Ride the Wind (via Promising Future), can they score the final point to win the game?
Ruling: To score the final point through conquer, you must have scored all other battlefields that turn. Since the opponent did not score any other battlefield on that turn (it was the active player's turn), they would draw a card from the conquer instead of winning.
Does Darius Trifarian get ready if he is played as the 3rd card (instead of the 2nd card)?
Ruling: No, Darius Trifarian does not get ready if played as the 3rd card. He only triggers when played as the 2nd card because he needs to see the 2nd card being played to activate his effect.
Does Whirlwind trigger deflect, and if so, who pays the deflect cost?
Ruling: Whirlwind does not trigger deflect because it does not target. Deflect is a passive ability that levies an additional cost only for spells or abilities that target the permanent with deflect.
If a player casts two Time Warp cards in one turn, do they get two additional extra turns or just one?
Ruling: A player who casts two Time Warps in one turn gets two additional extra turns. Nuances: - The rules do not explicitly address how "non-standard" turns should be handled - This ruling is based on a consensus that Houston is currently using - The "Eyes for Houston" article (a riot document, but not official rules) supports this consensus
Does Wraith of Echoes trigger and draw a card when it dies, or only when other units die?
Ruling: Wraith of Echoes does not trigger on its own death. It only triggers when another friendly unit dies. Nuances: - The card received a clarity errata (not functional) that added the word "another" to make this explicit - Original text: "The first time a friendly unit dies each turn, draw 1." - Errata text: "The first time another friendly...
When you play a card with a 'when you play me' effect that targets a battlefield (like Carnivorous Snapvine), can you target units at any battlefield?
Ruling: When you play me (WYPM) targets are not restricted by where you play the unit unless the WYPM says "here" in it. The ability may have its own targeting restrictions (like "at a battlefield"), but you can target any valid battlefield, not just the one where you played the unit.
When an opponent uses Possession on my unit and then either I Rebuke it or they use Retreat on it, does the unit return to my hand as the owner? Does Retreat also give me the exhausted rune?
Ruling: When a possessed unit is returned to hand (whether by Rebuke or Retreat), it returns to the owner's hand, not the controller's hand. If the controller uses Retreat on a possessed unit, the owner gets the unit back and also receives 1 rune exhausted.
How does Yasuo's 'When I Attack' ability resolve when he moves into a battlefield, and can you respond with action spells or only reaction spells?
Ruling: When a unit moves to a battlefield and triggers a showdown, all 'When I Attack/Defend' abilities go on an initial chain at the beginning of the showdown. Players can only respond to this initial chain with reactions, not actions.
Does a showdown occur mid-chain if one player moves a unit away from a battlefield and another player reacts by moving a unit to that same battlefield?
Ruling: Showdowns do not occur mid-chain. The chain must fully resolve before a showdown starts. Sequence: - Player A uses a spell to move their unit from battlefield back to base - Player B reacts by moving a unit to the same battlefield - The chain resolves completely - After chain resolution, a showdown occurs where Player B attempts to...
When a hidden card is played and its target is moved to a different battlefield before resolution, does the spell mistarget due to hidden targeting rules?
Ruling: Yes, the spell will mistarget (whiff). When a card is played from hidden, it adds "here" to the targeting requirement, and this restriction is maintained when checking valid targets on resolution.
If Yasuo's 'when I attack' trigger is on the chain and Yasuo is removed before the ability resolves, does the ability still resolve?
Ruling: The ability stays on the chain and attempts to resolve even if Yasuo is removed, but Yasuo's specific ability does nothing because it cannot determine where "here" is or what Yasuo's might value is when he's no longer on the field.
If 2 Zonyas are in play, do they both trigger when a single unit dies?
Ruling: No, only one Zonya triggers. The owner decides which Zonya replaces the death. Sequence: - A unit would die - Owner chooses which Zonya to apply - That Zonya kills itself instead of the unit dying - Since there is no unit death anymore, the second Zonya has nothing to replace
When Yi has a defending unit that gets +2 might for being the only defender, and then a hidden unit on the same battlefield is revealed, does the original unit lose the +2 might bonus?
Ruling: Yes, the original unit loses the +2 might bonus when the hidden unit is revealed. Yi's ability is a continuous effect that uses "while", so the moment a unit is no longer the only defender on a battlefield, it loses the might boost.
Can Charm move a unit that does NOT have ganking from battlefield to battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, Charm can move a unit without ganking from battlefield to battlefield. Nuances: - Spells and abilities that move a unit don't care about Ganking - Moving a unit via spell or ability will not change the exhausted or ready state of the unit
Can a player use Charm to move an opponent's unit into their own base, and if so, does combat occur there?
Ruling: No, a unit cannot appear in the opponent's base for any reason. Combat is a term tied to battlefields only, so no combat would occur in a base regardless.
Can I play a reaction at the last opportunity before my opponent's turn ends, preventing them from taking further actions?
Ruling: No, there is no "end of turn" opportunity to play reactions that prevents your opponent from taking further actions. Reactions can only be played when a chain is already open (during closed states), which means if you play a reaction on your opponent's turn, they can still go back to taking normal actions afterward.
If Ahri Inquisitive puts -2 on a unit with deflect in a showdown, does the Ahri player have to recycle a rune?
Ruling: Yes, the Ahri player must recycle a rune. Ahri Inquisitive targets, so the recycle cost from deflect is forced.
Can you move a unit to the same location it's already in, and if so, does it count as movement for triggering other game effects?
Ruling: No, you cannot move a unit to the same location it is already in. Moving requires the unit to go between two different locations.
Can you win the game during an opponent's turn by conquering a battlefield to reach 8 points when you already control one battlefield and are at 7 points?
Ruling: To score the final point and win, you must score all battlefields in the same turn. If you already control one battlefield and are at 7 points, you cannot immediately win by conquering the second battlefield because you would need to also score the battlefield you already controlled that same turn.
When Lee Sin is buffed with Last Stand (giving Temporary) and saved from Temporary's kill trigger by Zhonya's Hourglass, does Lee Sin keep the Temporary keyword and his buffs when returned to base?
Ruling: Yes, Lee Sin keeps both the Temporary keyword and his buffs when Zhonya's saves him and returns him to base. Zhonya's only prevents damage/death, it does not remove keywords or buffs.
Can I move units to a battlefield where I just lost a showdown?
Ruling: Yes, you can move units to a battlefield even after losing a showdown there. There is no restriction on how many times you can move units to the same battlefield.
Can Player C use Ride the Wind to move a unit into a showdown between Player A and Player B?
Ruling: No, Player C cannot use Ride the Wind to move a unit into a showdown between Player A and Player B. Any action that would result in units from 3 players occupying the same battlefield is illegal and cannot resolve.
Why did Sett win when they didn't control both battlefields?
Ruling: You can win by holding a battlefield (controlling it at the start of your turn) to gain your final victory point, even if you don't control both battlefields. The restriction requiring control of both battlefields only applies when conquering (scoring during your opponent's turn), not when holding.
When moving Travelling Merchant to a contested battlefield, can you respond to the move trigger by playing Rengar (who can be played at reaction speed to a battlefield you're attacking) to that battlefield, allowing Rengar to benefit from the discard/draw trigger and be an attacker?
Ruling: No. You cannot play Rengar to the contested battlefield in response to the move trigger because you do not have attacker status yet. The move trigger being on the chain prevents combat from being initiated (the game is in a closed state, not neutral open). You only gain attacker status when combat actually begins, which happens after the move...
Can I play Champion Units that share a region tag with my legend, but aren't the same character as my legend?
Ruling: Champion units are main deck legal if they share a domain with your legend. Champion units are chosen champion legal only if they share a character tag (like "Jinx" or "Viktor") with your legend.
When can Sett Brawler's ability be used, and can counterspells target unit abilities?
Ruling: Sett Brawler's ability can only be used during your turn when there is no chain present and outside of a Showdown. Counterspells cannot counter unit abilities unless the counterspell specifically states it can counter abilities.
Does deflect stack when multiple sources grant it to the same unit?
Ruling: In general, deflect stacks. However, Spirit Refuge specifically is worded with "if they didn't already" which prevents it from stacking with itself.
How do focus and priority work in Riftbound, specifically: what's the difference between them, how are they passed when a chain ends, and who gets focus first after the initial chain resolves?
Ruling: Focus is the ability to start a new chain during a showdown open state, while priority is the ability to play reactions to an existing chain. When the last item on a chain resolves, both focus and priority automatically pass to the next player.
When conquering The Candlelit Sanctum with 7 points already, does the score point and draw happen before or after looking at the top two cards?
Ruling: The score point and draw happen first, before looking at the top two cards. The Candlelit Sanctum's ability triggers after the conquer is completed, which includes scoring and drawing.
When Mageseeker is at a battlefield preventing unit play there, what happens when you try to play a hidden unit or Sprite Call from that battlefield?
Ruling: When a hidden unit (like Teemo) is at a battlefield where Mageseeker prevents unit play, you cannot play that hidden unit at all - you cannot flip it. For Sprite Call played from hidden at that battlefield, you can play the spell itself, but you cannot play the sprite token, so the spell does nothing.
Does Leona's legend effect trigger multiple times per turn, and can you stun the same enemy multiple times to trigger it?
Ruling: Leona's legend effect can trigger multiple times per turn. However, you cannot stun an enemy that is already stunned to trigger the effect again, as they will not be considered stunned again.
Can Zhonya's Hourglass be played hidden at base to recall a battlefield minion when a champion dies, or does it need to be on the same battlefield?
Ruling: You cannot hide cards at base. Zhonya's Hourglass must be played face up to your base, where it can save your next unit to die anywhere on the board.
Can a card with Hidden be played for its normal cost from the facedown zone in the same turn it was hidden?
Ruling: No, a card with Hidden cannot be played from the facedown zone in the same turn it was hidden. Cards can only be played from your hand by default, and the Hidden ability only grants permission to play the facedown card beginning on the next turn.
When Smoke Screen and Call to Glory are both played on the same unit during a showdown (with Smoke Screen resolving first), what is the unit's final might?
Ruling: Smoke Screen locks in the magnitude of its might penalty when it resolves and never changes thereafter. So it reduces might to 1, then Call to Glory brings it up to 4, resulting in a final might of 4.
Can I have more than two different domain runes in my Rune Deck?
Ruling: In constructed format, you cannot have more than two different domain runes in your Rune Deck. In limited format, you can have three different domains.
Can Viktor Innovator tokens enter the battlefield with Miss Fortune Buccaneer effect (which would place them in the arena instead of the base)?
Ruling: Viktor's restriction specifying tokens are created "in your base" overrides Miss Fortune's effect. The recruit token would be created in your base.
When playing Nocturne using his ability to play him for any power when looked at from deck, do you still have to pay the 1 Chaos Power cost?
Ruling: No, when you play Nocturne from your deck using his ability when looked at, you pay only one power of any color. If you play him from hand normally, you pay 1 Chaos Power and 4 Energy.
After combat damage is assigned, is there a window to cast action or reaction spells before damage is healed?
Ruling: No, there is no window to cast spells after combat damage is assigned but before damage is healed. Nuances: - Damage does not reduce might, so effects that target based on might values (like Foxfire) do not work differently on damaged units - This applies even in cases where a unit dies in combat and you want to cast...
When a unit refers to itself (e.g., 'give me +3'), does it count as choosing itself for effects that trigger when you choose a friendly unit?
Ruling: No, when a unit refers to itself using "me" or similar self-reference, it is not considered choosing or targeting that unit.
Can an opponent respond to a buff being applied to a unit when cards like Rookie or Cynthia are played?
Ruling: Yes, opponents can respond to buffs from cards like Rookie or Cynthia because "When..." triggers create a chain that allows responses.
Can Blitz be played to the base and attack next turn, or does he hold in the base and return to hand?
Ruling: Blitz does not hold in base. You can play Blitz to your base and move him to the battlefield next turn.
What is the precise order of setup steps in Riftbound, specifically what information is revealed before determining who goes first or second?
Ruling: All Legends, Champions, and Battlefields are revealed before determining first player and turn order. Players do not draw their opening hands until after the first player is determined.
If a unit is stunned and then targeted by Challenge during showdown, does the stunned unit deal damage via Challenge's effect?
Ruling: No, a stunned unit does not deal damage when targeted by Challenge. Stun only applies to combat damage, not to damage from card effects like Challenge.
Does a character with 0 Might die immediately, or only when they take damage?
Ruling: A character with 0 Might does not die immediately. They only die if they have non-zero damage marked on them that equals or exceeds their Might.
When Yasuo attacks Reavers Row, can the defender move the targeted unit to base before Yasuo's damage resolves?
Ruling: Yes, the defender can move the targeted unit to base with Reavers Row before Yasuo's damage resolves, causing Yasuo's ability to fail because its target is no longer present.