Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 28 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Can you play multiple reaction cards back-to-back before passing priority to your opponent?
Ruling: Yes, you can play multiple reaction cards back-to-back before passing priority to your opponent. Sequence: - After an action is put on the chain, you receive priority - You can react with your first card and retain priority - You can immediately play your second reaction card while still holding priority - Priority only passes to your opponent when...
At what point can I spend a buff (specifically Udyr buff during a showdown)?
Ruling: Buffs can only be spent on your turn, outside of combat/showdown, at base speed. Nuances: - The only exception is if the buff specifically says it can be used as an Action or Reaction
Can I capture/conquer a battlefield twice in one turn by leaving it and then moving back to it?
Ruling: You can only score a battlefield once per turn. Since both holding and conquering a battlefield count as scoring, you cannot score it again even if you leave and return to it in the same turn.
Can you use Dragon's Rage to move an enemy unit back to base (or anywhere) if there's no other enemy unit at the new location?
Ruling: Yes, you can use Dragon's Rage to move an enemy unit even if there is no other enemy unit at the new location. The only initial target required is an enemy unit to be moved. If there is no target for the reflexive trigger (another enemy unit at the destination), then that part of the effect simply won't happen.
Does tapping Kai'Sa give you an extra rune for spells, or does it give you 1 power (the resource from recycling)?
Ruling: Tapping Kai'Sa gives you 1 "power" (represented by symbols), which is the same resource you get from recycling a rune, not "energy" (represented by numbers) which comes from tapping runes.
If I play Hextech Ray on an opponent's minion and they respond with Unyielding Spirit, can I then play a damage spell like Voidseeker or Shakedown to kill the unit before Unyielding Spirit resolves?
Ruling: Action spells cannot be added to an existing chain, so Voidseeker cannot be played in response to Unyielding Spirit. However, Reaction spells can be added to a chain and will resolve before Unyielding Spirit, potentially killing the unit before it gains protection.
If a unit with an attack/defend trigger (like Yasuo) is moved into combat after combat has started, does the trigger activate?
Ruling: "When I attack/defend" triggers are triggered the first time a unit gains attacker/defender in that combat, regardless of when they enter the combat.
Does Mask of Foresight grant its boost when a unit moves against an empty battlefield (with no enemy units to fight)?
Ruling: No, Mask of Foresight does not grant its boost when moving against an empty battlefield. Attacking and defending only occur when there is combat, which requires enemy units to be involved.
Can you react to Viktor Legend's ability, and are tokens summoned immediately without going to the chain?
Ruling: Viktor's activated ability goes on the chain and can be reacted to. Once the ability resolves, the Recruit token it creates will finalize and immediately resolve without a window to react to the token itself.
Can you target a 4 might friendly unit with Gust, even though it won't have any effect?
Ruling: No, you cannot target a unit with 4 might with Gust. The 3 might restriction is a targeting restriction, and the target must be valid at the time of playing Gust.
If I attack an occupied battlefield with Chemtech Enforcer and my opponent plays Gust, does Assault 2 trigger before the reaction?
Ruling: Assault is a passive effect that happens immediately at the start of showdown and cannot be reacted to, so Gust would not work against it during combat. However, if the battlefield was empty (no combat), you would not get the Assault +2 and Gust would work.
Does a defending unit gain the Might bonus from Shield if it receives Shield 2 from Fortified Position's 'When I defend' trigger during combat?
Ruling: Yes, the defending unit immediately gains +2 Might from Shield 2 when Fortified Position resolves during combat. Shield is a passive ability that is always active in combat, not a trigger, and applies as soon as the unit gains it.
If a unit that is already mighty loses mighty status and then gains it back, can Fiora - Worthy's effect (readying a unit when it becomes mighty) trigger?
Ruling: Yes, Fiora - Worthy's effect can trigger when a unit loses mighty status and then gains it back. Sequence: - Control Fiora - Worthy and an exhausted, buffed Fiora - Victorious - Cast Call to Glory on the buffed Fiora - Victorious, spending the buff for cost - Fiora - Victorious loses mighty status (loses the buff) - Call...
Can you respond to both Brynhilder Thundersong and Thousand Tail being played?
Ruling: Yes, you can respond to both cards. Both Brynhilder Thundersong and Thousand Tail have play effects that use the chain and can be reacted to.
If I hold a point then move off, can I reactivate conquer effects by recapturing it?
Ruling: No, you cannot reactivate conquer effects by recapturing a point you already held. A conquer is part of scoring, and you can score a battlefield only once per turn.
Can you use Dragon's Rage between 2 units that are in the same location?
Ruling: No, you cannot use Dragon's Rage between 2 units in the same location. The ability requires you to move a unit, and it cannot stay at the same place.
Does damage dealt to a unit reduce the amount of damage it deals in combat, or does it still deal damage equal to its original might value?
Ruling: A unit deals damage equal to its current might value. Damage marked on a unit does NOT reduce its might or the damage it deals. Only effects that explicitly reduce might (like Stupefy) will reduce the damage dealt.
Do hidden cards have a ready/exhausted state, and if so, do they enter play exhausted when revealed?
Ruling: Hidden cards do not have an exhausted or ready state while hidden. When you play a unit from hidden, it enters play following standard rules—meaning it enters exhausted unless otherwise stated, just like playing from hand.
If Volibear Furious attacks into a Void Gate battlefield occupied by an opponent with a 2 might unit and a 5 might unit, can you assign 1 damage to the 2 might unit and 4 damage to the 5 might unit, expecting both to die due to Void Gate's additional damage from spells or abilities?
Ruling: No, this interaction does not work as described. Nuances: - The specific rule reference provided indicates this interaction is not valid, though the exact mechanical reason is not elaborated in the thread
If Void Seeker targets a unit and the opponent plays Retreat in response (removing the target), does Void Seeker still draw 1 card even though there's no valid target for the 4 damage?
Ruling: Yes, you still draw 1 card. In Riftbound, spells never "fizzle" and you do as much as you can.
Can you play multiple reactions in a row before passing priority to your opponent?
Ruling: Yes, players hold priority until they choose to pass it. You can play as many reactions in a row as you can afford before passing priority to your opponent.
If I play Discipline in response to an opponent's Void Seeker, and Discipline resolves drawing me another Discipline, can I play that second Discipline before Void Seeker resolves?
Ruling: Yes, you can play the second Discipline before Void Seeker resolves. Before each item on the chain resolves, both players have a chance to play reactions.
Does Immortal Phoenix have an additional cost or alternate cost, and would it work with the new purple Ezreal?
Ruling: Immortal Phoenix does not have an additional cost or alternate cost. Purple Ezreal only reduces optional additional costs (like Accelerate), so it does not work with Immortal Phoenix or Flame Chompers.
Can you play Blood Money on a 3 Might unit and then chain Stupefy to reduce it to a legal target, or does the unit need to be 2 Might or less when Blood Money is played?
Ruling: The unit must be 2 Might or less at the time Blood Money is played for it to be a legal target. You cannot play Blood Money on a 3 Might unit and then chain Stupefy.
If a unit with 4 might has 3 damage marked on it, and then Stupify reduces its might by 1, does the unit die?
Ruling: Yes, the unit dies. The game tracks might and marked damage separately. When Stupify reduces the unit from 4 might to 3 might while it has 3 marked damage, the unit will die during the next cleanup because marked damage equals might.
In a free-for-all game, if I make a deal with another player where we agree 'I will do X if you do Y', is that deal binding according to the rules?
Ruling: Deals between players are not binding according to the rules. There is nothing in the rulebook that compels players to keep their word; it relies on social contract and trust.
When Soulgorger brings back a unit that has Accelerate, does it make the energy cost of Accelerate free?
Ruling: No, Accelerate is an additional cost, so it is not included in effects that ignore costs (which implicitly means base costs only).
When Teemo Strategist triggers on attack and reveals cards that deal damage, can you play Stupefy as a reaction before the Teemo damage resolves to reduce the target's HP first?
Ruling: You cannot react once you have started resolving a card or ability. However, if you deal damage to a unit and then reduce its Might to or below the damage it has taken, it will die.
If I conquered a battlefield on turn 2, scored it and moved my unit back on turn 3, and my opponent didn't conquer it on their turn 3, do I conquer and score it again when I move a unit there on my turn 4?
Ruling: Yes, you would conquer and score the battlefield again on turn 4. Nuances: - When turn 4 starts, the battlefield is uncontrolled (not yours), even though you previously controlled it - You can only score each battlefield once per turn - You can only conquer if you score
Can a Gear like Seal of Rage be used to pay the power cost for playing another card, and if so, does the Gear get recycled?
Ruling: Yes, you can use a Gear like Seal of Rage to pay the power cost for playing another card. No, the Gear will not be recycled when used this way.
Can I play Shen when enemy units move to my controlled battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, you can play Shen when enemy units move to your controlled battlefield. When a battlefield you control becomes contested by an enemy moving into it, you retain control of that battlefield until the contested status is lifted (likely at the end of combat).
Can you play Gust targeting an 8 Might unit as Chain 1, then chain Teemo to deal damage to it as Chain 2, making it a legal target for Gust before the chain resolves?
Ruling: No, this does not work. A unit must be a legal target at the time you play Gust. Damage does not reduce a unit's Might, so dealing damage would not make it a legal target anyway.
When Switcheroo is cast on an attacking Kai'sa with Assault 3 (7 total might) and a defending Teemo with 1 might, what are their final might values?
Ruling: Assault and shield are situational increases to might that are included in the calculation when Switcheroo resolves. When Switcheroo targets an attacking Kai'sa with 4 base might + 3 assault and a 1 might Teemo, Kai'sa becomes 1 might and Teemo becomes 7 might.
Does Sona's ability target runes, and if so, does it require exactly 4 friendly runes to be on the board for the ability to trigger?
Ruling: Under the original card text, Sona's ability targets 4 friendly runes and cannot be put on the chain if there are fewer than 4 friendly runes on the board. The runes do not need to be exhausted - you can target already readied runes. The revised card text now says "up to 4 friendly runes," which allows the ability...
When playing Bullet Time, does the player have to declare how much power they're paying and which units are being damaged before passing priority, or is that determined during resolution?
Ruling: Paying power for Bullet Time happens during resolution, not when the card is played. The player does not declare damage amounts or targets when passing priority after playing Bullet Time.
Can Hidden Blade be activated in response to combat damage being assigned to kill a creature and draw cards?
Ruling: Hidden Blade cannot be activated after combat damage is assigned. Nuances: - Hidden Blade cannot be activated in response to damage allocation during a showdown
If only one side has units remaining before the Combat Damage Step, is the step skipped or do the remaining units assign damage with no targets?
Ruling: The Combat Damage Step is skipped if units remain on only one side. The step only occurs if both Attacking and Defending units remain at the location.
Does Smoke Screen's MIGHT reduction allow a lower MIGHT unit to trade with a higher HP unit, and how does MIGHT reduction differ from damage?
Ruling: Reducing a unit's MIGHT makes it easier to destroy in combat because it will die from fewer combat damage counters. A unit with reduced MIGHT will be destroyed when it receives combat damage counters equal to its reduced MIGHT value.
When combat is initiated and triggers go on the initial chain, does the defender get focus after the initial chain resolves, or does the attacker always get focus first in the showdown?
Ruling: After the initial chain resolves, the attacker always gains focus first, regardless of whether triggers were present on the initial chain.
Does paying an additional cost (like for Akshan, Mischievous) increase a card's cost for Yordle Explorer's effect, or does Yordle Explorer look at printed cost?
Ruling: Yordle Explorer looks at the printed cost only. Whenever a card refers to a cost, it's always the printed cost, not the total cost including additional costs.
Does Heimerdinger's ability only copy from cards currently in play, or can it copy from cards in other zones like the trash?
Ruling: Heimerdinger can copy exhaust abilities from cards you or your ally controls that are currently in play (units and gear) or in the Legend Zone (legends). It cannot copy abilities from cards in the trash or other zones.
Does Zenith Blade let you move exhausted cards?
Ruling: Yes, Zenith Blade can move exhausted cards. The exhaust cost only applies to the standard move action, not to moving from other effects.
How does Svellsongur interact with Deathknell abilities, both on units and on equipment attached to those units?
Ruling: Svellsongur copies Deathknell abilities that are part of a unit's printed text, but does not copy appended rules text from equipment or other sources.
Does Warwick's attack trigger go on the chain even if there are no damaged units at that battlefield, and can you respond to it with reaction speed spells?
Ruling: Yes, Warwick's attack trigger goes on the chain when he moves to an occupied battlefield, even if there are no damaged units present. You can respond to this trigger with reaction speed spells before it resolves.
Can you score on a battlefield on your opponent's turn if you already scored on that battlefield on your own turn?
Ruling: Yes, you can score on a battlefield once per turn, meaning you can score on your turn and again on your opponent's turn (every turn, not only every 2 turns).
For Hidden Blade, does the player still draw a card if the target unit doesn't die or leaves the battlefield?
Ruling: The player draws a card even if the target unit doesn't die, because the draw is not conditional on the death. However, if the unit is removed from play (by effects like Gust or Retreat) before Hidden Blade resolves, there is no draw because the game cannot determine "its owner".
Can cards like Ride the Wind that move units override Vilemaw's Lair's restriction that prevents moving from the location to base?
Ruling: Cards like Ride the Wind cannot override Vilemaw's Lair restriction. Vilemaw's Lair prevents any type of move from that location to base, including standard moves, spell moves, and ability moves.
If Victor and other units die simultaneously (from combat damage or effects like Unchecked Power), does Victor generate recruit tokens from those other units dying?
Ruling: No, Victor does not generate recruit tokens when it dies simultaneously with other units. Nuances: - This applies both to combat damage scenarios and to effects that wipe the battlefield - Units don't see themselves or anything that dies simultaneously with them die
Can Leona stun an already stunned unit to trigger her legend ability buff?
Ruling: No, a stunned unit cannot be stunned again, so Leona cannot target an already stunned unit to trigger her legend ability.
Does Teemo enter exhausted when revealed from hiding?
Ruling: Yes, Teemo enters exhausted when revealed from hiding because you 'play' him from hidden and units enter exhausted when played.