Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 24 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
When moving a unit to initiate a showdown, what is the correct sequence for playing action cards like En Garde - do you move and immediately play it, or can you move, wait for opponent's response, then play it?
Ruling: When you move a unit to initiate a showdown, you gain the first focus/priority and can choose whether to play action cards immediately or wait. However, if you need the card to win combat, you must play it during your first priority - if both players pass without playing cards, the combat resolves and you cannot play cards afterward.
How does Ride the Wind work - can it move units between battlefields, does it bypass ganking, and can it move multiple units at once?
Ruling: Ride the Wind moves one unit to a declared destination when added to the chain. It is not a Standard Move, so it bypasses ganking and can move units directly between battlefields.
If I hide a spell (Wages of Pain) at a battlefield during my turn, then use Charm to move an opponent's unit to that battlefield to begin combat, does the hidden spell gain Reaction speed and can I play it before that combat?
Ruling: No, the hidden spell does not gain Reaction speed until the turn after you hide it, and it cannot be played at all until the following turn.
Can you recycle an exhausted rune to pay for a card's Power cost?
Ruling: Yes, you can recycle exhausted runes to pay for a card's Power cost. Sequence: - Exhaust one rune of any color to pay the energy cost - Exhaust another rune that matches the required color - Recycle that same exhausted colored rune to pay for the Power cost
Does Cleave work with Assault if played during the Focus step, since Assault applies before the Initial Chain when no Action/Reaction windows exist?
Ruling: Yes, Cleave works with Assault. Assault is a passive ability that applies as long as your unit is the attacker, not a one-time activation that ends.
Do Sprite tokens dying trigger Viktor's ability that creates a Recruit Token whenever a non-Recruit unit dies?
Ruling: Yes, Sprite tokens dying trigger Viktor's ability. Viktor's ability triggers on any non-Recruit unit dying, and Sprite tokens are Fae units, not Recruits.
Does Mageseeker Warden prevent cards with 'I enter ready' (like Master Yi and Warwick) from entering ready?
Ruling: Mageseeker Warden does not prevent units with "I enter ready" from entering ready. These units come into play already readied rather than readying while on board.
If Blastcone Fae is played from hidden and its triggered ability targets an opponent's unit with -2, can the opponent use Void Seeker as an action to kill Blastcone Fae before the -2 resolves?
Ruling: No, the opponent cannot play Void Seeker in response. The Blastcone Fae's triggered ability goes onto the chain and will resolve even if Blastcone Fae is killed, because the ability does not reference Blastcone Fae itself. Additionally, actions can only be played when the chain is empty, so Void Seeker cannot be played while the triggered ability is on...
Can attack/defend triggers activate multiple times in the same combat, such as if a unit moves into a battlefield or arrives late?
Ruling: Each unit can only trigger their on attack or on defense trigger once per combat. If a unit arrives late to attack or defend during a combat, it does get the trigger the first time the attacker/defender status is applied to it in that combat.
When Hidden Blade kills Undercover Agent and the opponent draws 2 cards (one being Gust), can the opponent play Gust before the Undercover Agent's Deathknell trigger resolves?
Ruling: Yes, the opponent can play Gust before the Deathknell trigger resolves. Sequence: - Hidden Blade resolves, killing Undercover Agent and drawing two cards - Deathknell trigger goes on the chain - There is an opportunity window for Reactions (like Gust) before the Deathknell resolves - After Reactions are played or passed, the Deathknell trigger resolves
Can a defender use Gust to return a 3 might attacking unit to hand when Mask of Foresight is active?
Ruling: Yes, the defender can use Gust to return a 3 might unit to hand when it attacks with Mask of Foresight up.
Can a hidden Tideturner be activated during the beginning step to react to a Sprite token's Temporary trigger in order to score a point for holding a battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, you can activate a hidden Tideturner during your beginning step by chaining it to the Sprite token's Temporary trigger to score the point for holding the battlefield.
When playing Mystic Reversal in response to an opponent's damage spell, can you choose to have it fizzle or choose no target?
Ruling: No, you cannot choose to have the spell fizzle or choose no target. You must choose legal targets if legal targets exist.
If Annie with Cleave (granting Assault 3 until end of turn) attacks one battlefield, drops back to base might after combat, then is moved via Ride the Wind to another occupied battlefield, does she gain the +3 might again?
Ruling: Yes, Annie will gain +3 might again at the second battlefield. Cleave grants Assault 3 until end of turn, and Assault gives +3 might while the unit is an attacker.
When playing Mystic Reversal in reaction to a spell, do you take control of only the spell you're reacting to, or can you choose any spell currently on the chain?
Ruling: You can choose to take control of any spell currently on the chain, not just the spell you're reacting to.
Can Volibear's 'split 5 damage' when attacking ability target a unit that Tideturner swaps in when revealed from hidden, before showdown?
Ruling: No, you cannot target the new unit that Tideturner swaps in. Targets for Volibear's attacking ability are chosen when the ability is finalized to the chain, and targets cannot be changed once finalized in Riftbound.
When an attacker is stunned by Facebreaker at Vilemaw's Lair (which prevents units from moving to base), can the attacker return to base during cleanup?
Ruling: Yes, the attacker returns to base during cleanup. Attackers who are stalled in combat recall to base, which is not considered a move, so Vilemaw's Lair's restriction does not prevent it.
If I reveal Pakaa Cub after my last unit is killed on the battlefield, does the cub become an attacker or a defender?
Ruling: You cannot reveal Pakaa Cub after your last unit dies because hidden cards are removed during cleanup when you have no units at the battlefield. You must reveal the cub before your last unit dies, and when revealed, it is designated as a "defender" when it joins the showdown.
Does a unit heal after any chain resolution (specifically, will Voli heal between two Void Seekers)?
Ruling: Units do not heal after chain resolution. Units only heal at the end of combat and at the end of turn.
If Promising Future would start a showdown, does the showdown start before or after the rest of the card resolves?
Ruling: You cannot start a showdown while a chain exists. The showdown will stage and start at the first open state, which means after Promising Future fully resolves.
In the end step, do players have the chance to play reactions?
Ruling: Players cannot play reactions during the end step unless something triggers that creates a chain. Phase changes do not grant priority on their own.
When combat ends at one battlefield, do units at other battlefields (and at base) heal from damage, including units damaged by spells like Falling Star?
Ruling: Yes, all units everywhere heal when any combat ends, including units at other battlefields and at base. Sequence: - Combat cleanup occurs as the first step of the Resolution Step after combat - During combat cleanup, a Special Cleanup is invoked - All marked damage is cleared from all units (everywhere)
Can Darius's ability be used to pay energy costs?
Ruling: Darius's activated ability generates energy that can be used to pay any energy cost, as long as you've already cast at least one spell during that turn. He functions like an extra rune.
Can you hold priority after attacking with Warwick to cast a reaction card before the attack ability resolves?
Ruling: Yes, you can hold priority after attacking with Warwick to cast a reaction card before the ability resolves.
Can you tap 1 rune for Acceleration and use the same rune for the recycling cost?
Ruling: Yes, you can tap 1 rune to pay for Acceleration and use that same rune for the recycling cost.
When playing Get Excited, when do you choose and reveal what to discard, and what happens if it gets defied?
Ruling: You choose what to discard on resolution of Get Excited, not when you cast it. Your opponent will not know how much damage Get Excited will do before it resolves. If Get Excited gets defied, you do not have to discard.
Can Charm move a unit from one battlefield to another, or only to and from battlefields?
Ruling: Charm can move a unit from one battlefield to another. It does not have restrictions limiting it to only moving units to and from battlefields.
Can Vi's buffing ability be used on an opponent's turn?
Ruling: No, Vi's ability cannot be used on an opponent's turn. It is an activated ability at base speed, which can only be used during your own turn with no existing chain.
Does Sett count himself as a friendly unit when calculating his buff that gives him +1 Might for each friendly unit?
Ruling: Yes, Sett counts himself as a friendly unit when he has his buff, making him 7 Might total (6 base + 1 from counting himself).
Can Draven Vanquisher's ability be activated multiple times in one turn by recycling multiple gold tokens or red runes at the same time to get +4 power in a single combat?
Ruling: No, you get one opportunity to pay the cost per first time Draven is declared attacker or defender in a combat. You need multiple combats in the same turn to stack the bonus one at a time.
When using Ride the Wind to move Yasuo into a battlefield during an opponent's turn after they moved a unit there, does Yasuo trigger his attacker ability and do you get a conquer point if you win?
Ruling: When you use Ride the Wind to move Yasuo into a battlefield that your opponent is attempting to capture on their turn, Yasuo is considered a "surprise defender" (not an attacker), but you still get a conquer point if you win the showdown because you did not control the battlefield at the start.
When conquering a battlefield that has a 'discard 1 and draw 1' effect, and my unit also has a 'draw one when conquering' effect, what order do these effects resolve?
Ruling: When multiple abilities trigger at the same time (such as "when you conquer" effects), the owner of those abilities chooses the order they are placed onto the Chain.
Can Acceptable Losses be played if the player casting it doesn't have gear but their opponent does?
Ruling: Yes, Acceptable Losses can be played even if you don't have gear as long as your opponent does. This works the same way as Cull the Weak.
Can Kai'Sa's legend ability pay for the power cost to hide Sprite Call?
Ruling: No, Kai'Sa cannot pay for hiding Sprite Call because hiding is not playing a spell, and Kai'Sa's ability only generates power when playing spells.
Does revealing cards count as looking at cards for the purpose of Nocturne's ability?
Ruling: Yes, revealing cards counts as looking at cards for Nocturne's ability, as confirmed by the card's errata. Nuances: - Looking at cards does not count as revealing them (e.g., for other card interactions)
Do replacement effects that save units (like Unlicensed Armory's power payment, Zhonya's save, or Sett Legend's save) open a chain that can be reacted to?
Ruling: Replacement effects indicated by the word "instead" (like Zhonya's, Sett Legend, and Unlicensed Armory's save effects) do not use the chain and cannot be reacted to. They replace one action with another without opening a reaction window.
If a unit with a mutual damage effect (like Snapvine) has either itself or its target bounced to hand, does the effect still resolve?
Ruling: The ability will still resolve even if either the source or target is bounced to hand. The effect remains on the chain and attempts to resolve, though it will not deal damage to the missing target.
If Falling Star deals damage to a unit with 3 HP left, then Thousand-Tailed is played afterward (same turn), does that unit die?
Ruling: Yes, the unit dies. When Thousand-Tailed reduces the unit's might while it still has damage marked from Falling Star, the damage can exceed the reduced might total, causing the unit to die.
When you have a Ravenbloom Student and play a spell, does Ravenbloom Student gain power before or after the spell resolves?
Ruling: Ravenbloom Student gains power after the spell resolves. Cards are only considered "played" when they fully resolve. Sequence: - Spell is placed on the chain - Spell resolves - Ravenbloom Student's trigger activates and she gains power
Can cards be revealed during showdown if they are on a battlefield but not in combat?
Ruling: Yes, cards can be revealed during showdown even if they are on a battlefield but not in combat. Nuances: - The revealed card can only target things at the battlefield where it is hidden.
When Kayn moves for the second time to a battlefield from a battlefield and doesn't kill the defending units, does he recall back to base or back to the field he attacked from?
Ruling: Kayn recalls back to base. Recalling always means return to base. Sequence: - Kayn moves for the second time from battlefield to battlefield - Kayn fights but doesn't kill the defending units - Combat ends in a tie - Kayn (the attacker) gets recalled to base
If I use 2 Cleaves (each giving a unit ASSAULT 3) on the same unit, does it get +3 or +6 (does ASSAULT stack)?
Ruling: ASSAULT is a stacking keyword. Multiple instances of ASSAULT add up together, so two Cleaves giving ASSAULT 3 each would result in ASSAULT 6.
If you have 7 points and hold a single battlefield at the start of your turn, do you win the game?
Ruling: Yes, if you have 7 points and hold a single battlefield at the start of your turn, you win the game. The only restriction for the final point is that you cannot win by conquering a single battlefield alone - you must conquer both battlefields on the same turn to win via conquest.
Can hidden units be played to any controlled location, or only to the battlefield they are hidden in?
Ruling: Hidden units can only be played to the battlefield where they are currently hidden. Their effects can also only target units at that same battlefield.
If an opponent reacts to Baited Hook activation and kills/removes the targeted unit, does the Baited Hook player still get a unit from their deck?
Ruling: If the opponent removes the targeted friendly unit (e.g., with Gust) in response to Baited Hook, you still look at the top cards of your main deck and recycle them, but you do not get a unit off the hook.
Are hidden spells affected by Divine Judgement?
Ruling: Hidden cards are not affected by Divine Judgment, unless you lose control of the battlefield. Nuances: - Hidden spells exist as hidden cards on the battlefield - They are not counted as unplayed cards
Can you play a card while the chain is in the middle of resolving?
Ruling: Yes, after each element on the chain resolves, there is a window where both players get priority and can play reactions before the next element resolves.
When playing a piece of equipment, does it enter the base readied or exhausted?
Ruling: Equipment enters the battlefield ready by default (unless specified otherwise on the card). Nuances: - Equipping or using the equip ability does not require the equipment to be ready - You can use the equip ability while the equipment is tapped - Equipment does not need to be in the same location (base or battlefield) as the unit to...
If I play a Kraken Hunter with Cithria on board and spend her buff to reduce the cost, does Cithria get a new buff from Kraken Hunter being played?
Ruling: Yes, you can spend Cithria's buff to reduce Kraken Hunter's cost, and then Cithria will receive a new buff when Kraken Hunter is played.
Does the first player draw a card on their first turn?
Ruling: In 1v1 mode, the first player draws on their first turn. In 3+ player modes, the first player does not draw on their first turn.