Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 22 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
When you rest Heimerdinger, do you cast all of your rest abilities or just one of your rest abilities?
Ruling: When you rest Heimerdinger, you cast just one of your rest abilities. Nuances: - An ability in this context is the full "cost: effect" structure - Heimerdinger gets a copy of each ability that has an exhaust symbol in the cost part, including that cost - When using an ability, you pay the full cost associated with that specific...
Can a hidden card target another battlefield?
Ruling: No, a hidden card has to target the battlefield it's hidden at. Nuances: - Hourglass and Tideturner are exceptions to this rule
In combat, can a 6 Might unit kill two 5 Might units that each have 2 damage already marked on them by assigning 3 damage to each (for a total of 5 damage on each unit)?
Ruling: Yes, you can assign 3 damage to each unit to kill both. When assigning damage, you only need to assign enough damage so that the total marked damage (including previously marked damage) equals or exceeds the unit's Might.
If you conquer one battlefield to reach 7 points with a unit, then remove that unit (leaving no units on that battlefield), then conquer the other battlefield, do you score the 8th point for conquering both battlefields?
Ruling: Yes, you score the 8th point and win by conquering. You only need to have scored all other battlefields in order to score the final point via conquering - you do not need to maintain control of the previously conquered battlefield.
For Teemo's unit ability that searches the top 5 cards and deals 1 damage for each card with Hidden, does a card like Ember Monk (which grants Hidden to other units but doesn't have Hidden itself) count?
Ruling: No, Ember Monk does not count. A card must have the Hidden keyword itself, not just reference Hidden in its text.
If Yasuo is moved to a battlefield (triggering his on-attack ability), then moved to base before it resolves, then moved back to the same battlefield in the same combat, does his on-attack ability trigger a second time?
Ruling: No. On-attack abilities trigger when a unit is declared as an attacker for the first time in a combat. Moving the same Yasuo out and back in during the same combat does not trigger the ability again.
If Lee Sin already has a buff and is targeted with Spirits Refuge (which states it doesn't buff if the target already has a buff), does Spirits Refuge buff him since Lee Sin can have any number of buffs?
Ruling: Yes, Spirits Refuge will buff Lee Sin even if he already has a buff. The text on Spirits Refuge stating it doesn't buff units that already have a buff is reminder text (italicized in parenthesis), not rules text. Lee Sin's passive ability allows him to stack buffs, which overrides the general rule.
After passing priority following playing a reaction, does a player get priority again before that reaction resolves (when both players pass in sequence)?
Ruling: When both players pass priority in sequence (pass-pass), the top item on the chain resolves. The player who added the reaction and then passed priority does not get another opportunity to add items before their reaction resolves.
When attacking, can a player move one unit to the battlefield, realize they need more power, and then add another unit before passing, or must all attacking units be declared simultaneously?
Ruling: All units must be moved together when attacking. Moving units does not create a chain unless there's a trigger from that move, and once you move a unit into an enemy-controlled battlefield, you've started Combat.
What is the correct sequence for game setup in Riftbound, particularly regarding when leaders/champions are revealed, when battlefields are chosen, and when turn order is determined?
Ruling: The game setup sequence has a specific order where champions and legends are revealed first, then battlefields are chosen and revealed, then turn order is determined, and finally players draw and mulligan.
Can a hidden card be revealed in response to a sprite dying from the Temporary trigger at the beginning of a turn?
Ruling: Yes, a hidden card can be revealed in response to a sprite's Temporary trigger. The Temporary trigger goes on the chain and can be reacted to.
Do you reveal battlefields before or after the player that won the dice roll decides who starts?
Ruling: You reveal battlefields before the dice roll and before choosing turn order. Sequence: - Reveal Legend - Reveal Chosen champion - Reveal Battlefields - Choose turn order - Mulligans
When you hide a unit and your opponent successfully contests the battlefield while you choose not to flip the hidden unit, does the hidden object get revealed and discarded or does it play to your base exhausted?
Ruling: The hidden object is discarded to your trash face up. Sequence: - Opponent successfully contests the battlefield - You choose not to flip over the hidden unit - The hidden object is revealed and discarded face up to trash
If Sett with 5 might and a buff gets Smoke Screened, and the buff is removed to save him (bringing him to 0 might), will he die at 0 might given the new errata that Sett replacement heals?
Ruling: Sett will not die at 0 might. A unit only dies from 0 might if they also have damage on them.
If Skysplitter's cost is reduced, can it be countered by Defy?
Ruling: No, Skysplitter cannot be countered by Defy even if its cost is reduced. Defy checks the cost printed on the card, not the actual cost paid.
How is Might calculated when Smokescreen (-4 Might) and Discipline (+2 Might each) are played on a 4 Might unit, and how does timing affect the result?
Ruling: Smokescreen "snapshots" the amount it reduces when it resolves, and that reduction applies for the rest of the turn. The final Might depends on the order of resolution.
If Lee Sin, Centered dies, do other characters with damage equal to their might survive if they previously had +2 might from Lee Sin's effect?
Ruling: If Lee Sin dies to combat damage, other units will be healed before any cleanup happens and therefore won't die even if they have damage equal to their (now reduced) might.
When attacking with 6c green Yasuo's ability before showdown, if the opponent reacts with Shen, does Yasuo's ability target the original enemy or does Shen become the new target?
Ruling: Yasuo's ability targets the original enemy unit and cannot be changed once on the chain. Shen's Tank ability does not affect Yasuo's "When I attack" effect because it is not combat damage, but Shen will require damage assignment during the Combat Damage Step.
Can you use Vi multiple times in a single turn?
Ruling: Yes, you can use Vi multiple times in a single turn, but each activation must resolve individually. Nuances: - In practice, most players will allow you to declare a total amount and resolve all activations at once for convenience.
When Unchecked Power kills an Immortal Phoenix on the battlefield, does the Phoenix's revival trigger occur before cleanup, allowing it to return?
Ruling: Yes, you can return your own Phoenix after Unchecked Power kills it. The Phoenix's ability checks after the spell resolves.
When attacking with a unit that has more power than the combined power of multiple defending units, can the attacker destroy all defending units or must they choose which one to destroy?
Ruling: The attacker must destroy all defending units if they have enough power. Damage cannot be overassigned to a unit unless it is the last unit being assigned damage.
When attacking a battlefield with higher might but getting stunned, who bounces back to base?
Ruling: The attackers bounce back to base when stunned. Nuances: - This applies even when the attacker has higher might than the defender
What happens if you react to a Tideturner being played into the base with a bounce effect that removes it from the board before its ability resolves?
Ruling: The Tideturner's ability whiffs (resolves to no effect) if Tideturner is no longer on the board when the ability resolves.
If Warwick uses Flurry of Blades to move to a battlefield and then uses Ride the Wind during the showdown to move to a second battlefield, does the unit on the second battlefield die without healing from the first combat?
Ruling: No, the unit on the second battlefield will not die without healing. The first combat must fully resolve (including healing) before the second combat can begin.
If Sett without a buff conquers Sunken Temple, can he order his conquer trigger to pay and get the draw?
Ruling: No, Sett cannot trigger Sunken Temple's ability if he is not mighty when he conquers it. Nuances: - Because the mighty condition on Sunken Temple is before the comma, it is part of the trigger condition and will not trigger if no unit is mighty during the conquer - If the condition was after the comma, it would trigger...
Is there a designated place to view/track the chain in the Riftbound TTS mod?
Ruling: There is currently no designated place for the chain in the TTS mod. Players handle it through communication and mental tracking.
When a unit with a shield at Trifarian War Camp is affected by Smoke Screen and then Discipline, what is its final might?
Ruling: When calculating might modifications, apply all increases before all decreases. Smoke Screen's effect is calculated ("snapshotted") when the spell is played, not continuously recalculated.
If Unsung Hero dies after being stupefied (reducing its attack from 5 to 4), does its mighty deathknell trigger?
Ruling: The deathknell triggers, but you won't draw the 2 cards because the mighty condition is checked when the deathknell resolves, and at 4 attack the unit is not mighty.
Can Convergent Mutation be used to decrease a unit's might?
Ruling: Convergent Mutation can only increase a unit's might, not decrease it. If you try to target a second unit with lower might, the first unit's might does not change.
When playing Sprite Mother, can the opponent react to the sprite token it creates, and when can you react to cards being played?
Ruling: Playing Sprite Mother cannot be reacted to, but her "When you play me" triggered ability goes on the chain and can be responded to with reactions. This applies to all "When you play me" effects.
Can a player react with Stupefy when an opponent plays a unit (Ravenbloom Student) that has no 'when I'm played' ability?
Ruling: No, you cannot react to units or gear being played. Even though playing a permanent enters the chain, no player receives priority so it resolves immediately, giving the opponent no window to respond.
If Crackshot Corsair has Gust played on her before her attack trigger resolves, does the trigger still hit the targeted unit?
Ruling: No, the attack trigger does not resolve. When Gust returns Crackshot Corsair to hand before her attack trigger resolves, the effect fails because it requires the target to be "here" and there is no "here" anymore once Corsair is returned to hand.
At what speed does Pack of Wonders trigger? Can it be used as a reaction during opponent's turn or only during your own turn?
Ruling: Pack of Wonders triggers at base speed, which means it can only be activated during your turn when the chain is empty and there is no showdown.
During a showdown, if I pass without playing an action, my opponent plays an action that resolves, can I then play an action afterwards to start a new chain before damage calculation?
Ruling: Yes, after your opponent's action chain resolves, you regain focus and can play a new action. Both players must pass consecutively before moving to damage calculation.
If a unit targeted by Hidden Blade gets removed from the battlefield (to base or hand) before resolution, does the owner still draw 2 cards?
Ruling: If the targeted unit is removed from the battlefield before Hidden Blade resolves, the owner does not draw 2 cards.
If Cithria is already buffed on board and Wildclaw Shaman is played, can Cithria be buffed again after spending Wildclaw Shaman's buff to make it ready?
Ruling: Yes, Cithria can be buffed again. When Wildclaw Shaman is played, it triggers Cithria's ability because a new character entered play, even if the buff from Wildclaw Shaman is spent to make it ready.
Does a unit that enters Ready receive the +1 Might from Pirate's Haven?
Ruling: No, a unit entering ready does not count as readying the unit, so it does not trigger Pirate's Haven's +1 Might bonus.
Can Shen be played as a reaction to the attacker's side of the battlefield during a showdown chain, and would he be affected by Ahri's legend ability that gives attackers -1?
Ruling: Shen cannot be played to the attacker's side of the battlefield as a reaction because units can only be played to locations you control unless the card explicitly says otherwise, and attackers never control the battlefield. In a hypothetical scenario where a unit appears later as an attacker, it would receive Ahri's -1.
Does Retreat require valid targets to be played?
Ruling: Yes, Retreat requires valid targets to be played. All cards need valid targets for their effect to enter the chain.
Does Divine Judgement force you to choose opponent's permanents if you don't have enough of the chosen type yourself (e.g., if you have 1 unit, must you choose an opponent's unit to reach 2)?
Ruling: Yes, you must choose opponent's permanents to reach the required number if available. Divine Judgement instructs each player to choose up to 2 of each permanent type from all permanents on the board (not just ones they control). You must do as much as you can (DAMAYC rule), so if there are available permanents to choose and you haven't...
After the attacker plays an action and both players pass on the chain, does focus return to the attacker if the defender passes without creating a new chain, or does the showdown end due to consecutive passes on an empty chain?
Ruling: Focus returns to the attacker, who can play another action. The showdown only ends when both players consecutively pass focus on an empty chain (no chain exists). A pass that occurs while responding to a chain does not count toward the two consecutive passes needed to end the showdown.
Can you use Defy on a Bullet Time that paid 2+ power to deal 2+ damage?
Ruling: You cannot Defy a Bullet Time after the opponent has paid power for it. Paying power is part of Bullet Time's effect, and once the power is paid, it is too late to Defy.
If you use Baited Hook on a buffed unit and then use Sett's legend ability to save it, does Baited Hook resolve with the unit's might value before it was saved, or does it fail to find a killed unit?
Ruling: When Sett's legend ability saves a unit targeted by Baited Hook, the replacement effect changes "kill" to "recall." Since no unit was actually killed, Baited Hook cannot find a "killed unit" to reference for its might value. You will look at the top 5 cards but cannot play a unit, then recycle the rest.
Is it possible to put runes in the rune deck with a color not matching the legend?
Ruling: No, you cannot put runes in the rune deck with a color that does not match your legend. Nuances: - TF (Twisted Fate) could work in sealed/limited formats that permit 3 color decks - In constructed, TF will have more play options in future sets with new legends - Since TF is purple himself, he can currently only use...
If Darius (with Hold) has 3 damage dealt to it by Hextech Ray, then Thousand Tail Watcher reduces its Might by 3, does Darius die?
Ruling: Yes, Darius will die. The game checks if damage marked on a unit is greater than or equal to its current Might, so when Watcher's ability resolves and reduces Darius to 2 Might while it has 3 damage marked, Darius dies.
When can an opponent activate Stopwatch (Zhonya's Hourglass) during combat, and can the attacker force them to use it before damage assignment to save a different unit?
Ruling: The opponent must activate Stopwatch before damage assignment. Once activated, Stopwatch will save whichever unit would die from the assigned combat damage. There is no reaction window between damage assignment and units dying.
Can hidden cards on one battlefield interact with or affect the opposite battlefield, specifically can Hidden Blade hidden at one battlefield be used to aid an attack on the opposite battlefield?
Ruling: Hidden cards gain a targeting restriction when played - units must be played to the battlefield they're hidden at and spells must target things at the battlefield they're hidden at. Hidden Blade must target a unit at the battlefield it's hidden at, though it can be revealed and played any time the owner could play a normal reaction.
For Divine Judgement's 'choose' effects, what is the player order for choosing, and can you choose your opponent's permanents if you don't control any of that type?
Ruling: When not specified otherwise, the turn player chooses first, then other players choose in turn order. You must choose any valid permanents even if they belong to your opponent when you don't control any of that type.
If a unit with 4 might and assault 1 is attacking and gets marked to 4 damage (5 might, 4 marked damage), then is returned to base with Flight or Fight, does it die from losing assault before Back-Alley Bar can give it +1 might?
Ruling: The unit dies. After Flight or Fight resolves, Back-Alley Bar's ability finalizes during cleanup, but the unit loses its attacker designation in that same cleanup, triggering a second cleanup where the unit dies (4 might, 4 marked damage).
How do you decide turn order in 2v2?
Ruling: In 2v2, turns alternate between teams with players on each team taking turns in sequence: Team 1 Player 1 → Team 2 Player 1 → Team 1 Player 2 → Team 2 Player 2, and so on.