Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 3 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
When Sprite Mother is played, if it is killed in response to its triggered effect, does the Sprite still come out?
Ruling: No, the Sprite does not come out if Sprite Mother is killed before the triggered effect resolves, because the effect specifies "here" which requires Sprite Mother to still be on the field.
Do Hidden reacts count as playing cards on your opponent's turn for Viktor Innovator's recruit generation?
Ruling: Yes, playing a card from hidden for free counts as playing a card on your opponent's turn for Viktor Innovator's recruit generation.
Does Orange Volibear draw 1 card per character that moves, or 1 card per movement action (if 4 units move to another battlefield simultaneously, is it 1 card or 4 cards)?
Ruling: Orange Volibear draws 1 card per movement action, not per unit. If 4 units move to another battlefield at the same time, you draw 1 card total because the card says "opponent" not "unit".
When my opponent has Zhonya's Hourglass and 2 of their units die in combat, how do we decide which one is brought back?
Ruling: The controller of Zhonya's Hourglass chooses which unit to bring back when multiple units die. Nuances: - Zhonya's Hourglass must trigger when a unit dies; the controller cannot choose to not activate it to save it for a later unit - The controller can choose the order if multiple units die simultaneously
When Yasuo Remorseful attacks Teemo Strategist and both have abilities that deal damage, in what order do they resolve?
Ruling: Attacker triggers go on the chain first, then defender triggers. The chain resolves in reverse order, meaning Teemo (defender) deals damage first, then Yasuo (attacker).
When attacking with one unit against multiple defending units, can damage be split freely between defenders, or must lethal damage be assigned to one unit before assigning damage to the next?
Ruling: When assigning combat damage to multiple defending units, you must assign damage to one unit at a time until it receives lethal damage before you can assign any damage to the next unit. The exception is if a unit has Tank, which must be assigned damage first.
What happens when units with equal Might face each other in a Showdown, and when does a Showdown occur?
Ruling: When units with equal Might face each other in a Showdown, both sides deal damage simultaneously equal to their total Might. All units that receive lethal damage go to trash. If both sides are destroyed, the battlefield becomes empty and control is lost.
When can I activate hidden cards?
Ruling: You can activate hidden cards whenever you would normally be able to activate a card with the reaction tag, except during the turn you hid them.
How does scoring work in Riftbound, particularly for the final point needed to win?
Ruling: Scoring is a specific term in Riftbound that only occurs at Battlefields through Hold (controlling a Battlefield during Beginning Phase) or Conquer (gaining Control of a Battlefield you didn't Score this turn). Gaining victory points through other means is not considered Scoring.
If Warwick attacks while Ahri Legend is defending, his attack trigger goes on the chain, then Ahri's trigger goes on the chain. After Ahri's trigger resolves (reducing Warwick to 4 Might), can a hidden Fox Fire be played to kill Warwick, and if so, does Warwick's attack trigger still resolve?
Ruling: When Warwick is killed by Fox Fire after Ahri Legend's trigger resolves but before Warwick's attack trigger resolves, Warwick's trigger will attempt to resolve but the 'here' check will fail to find a location, so the damaged units will survive.
If you're at 6 points on your turn and conquer two battlefields in the same turn, do you win or draw?
Ruling: You win. The condition for winning through conquering is that you have scored both battlefields in the same turn.
Does Warwick's 'when I attack' trigger go on the stack even when there are no damaged units on the opponent's battlefield, and can damage be added in response?
Ruling: Warwick's trigger always goes on the chain when he attacks because it doesn't target. Cards can be chained in response to damage units before his ability resolves.
When you use Charm on an opponent's unit and bring it to your occupied battlefield, who is the attacker and defender?
Ruling: When you Charm an opponent's unit to a battlefield you control, your opponent becomes the attacker and you are the defender. The attacker is the player who gave the contested status to the battlefield.
If Get Exited! has no valid target when it resolves (because the opponent killed their own unit with Hidden Blade in response), does the caster still have to discard a card?
Ruling: Yes, you still have to discard a card even if there is no valid target when Get Exited! resolves.
When Thousand Tailed Watcher is pushed onto an opponent's battlefield using Accelerate, does its -3 debuff affect a Shen that is played afterwards?
Ruling: No, Shen comes in at full power. Thousand Tailed Watcher's effect resolves once when it enters play and does not create an ongoing aura effect.
Is there an interactive rules page or online resource for Riftbound card interactions and rules examples?
Ruling: Yes, riftrules.net provides an interactive rules resource for Riftbound. Additionally, Riot has stated they will provide an online resource for errata text.
Can a hidden Zhonya's Hourglass in one battlefield be used to save a Carnivorous Snapvine in a different battlefield from trading with an enemy unit?
Ruling: Yes, a hidden Zhonya's Hourglass can save any unit anywhere on the board, not just units in the same battlefield. However, the Zhonya's must have been hidden on a previous turn, as hidden cards cannot be flipped on the same turn they were played hidden.
Can you tap runes for energy during an opponent's turn (e.g., during a showdown) and float that energy until end of turn, even if you don't use it immediately?
Ruling: Yes, you can tap runes for energy at Reaction speed during an opponent's turn, and that energy will float until the turn ends.
When using Charm to move an opponent's Traveling Merchant, who discards and draws from the Merchant's ability?
Ruling: The player who controls the Traveling Merchant (the opponent) gets the trigger to discard and draw, not the player who used Charm to move it.
Can I move a unit into an occupied battlefield with standard movement (tap) and move another unit with Sett's signature spell (Showstopper) into the same battlefield before the start of the showdown?
Ruling: No, you cannot combine standard movement with non-standard movement like Showstopper in this way. Nuances: - Showstopper is a slow spell, not an action - If it were a fast spell like Zenith Blade, you could move your unit with standard movement, then during the showdown use the fast spell to move another unit onto the battlefield
When conquering a battlefield, can you move ready units from base to the battlefield, and can you bring units from other battlefields?
Ruling: When conquering a battlefield, you can move any number of ready units from your base to that battlefield. You cannot bring units from other battlefields unless those units have ganking, in which case you can bring one or more ganking units from other battlefields as long as they all move to the same target battlefield.
When Smoke Screen is used on a Student that is being attacked, and the opponent chains another Smoke Screen targeting the Student, why does the Student end up at 2 might (with its +1 trigger) instead of being reduced by the full -4 from the first Smoke Screen?
Ruling: Smoke Screen applies its -4 might reduction (to a minimum of 1) at the moment it resolves, then the effect ceases to exist. It does not create a lingering -4 modifier that continues to track the unit's might after resolution.
Do players get priority at the end of their opponent's turn to cast reaction spells?
Ruling: No, you do not get priority at the end of your opponent's turn to cast reaction spells. You can only get focus on an opponent's turn if they start a showdown or specifically play a spell card.
How does targeting work with Hidden Blade when the opponent responds by moving the targeted unit?
Ruling: Hidden Blade targets a unit at a battlefield. If the opponent responds by moving that unit (e.g., with Flash), Hidden Blade fails target legality on resolution and does nothing - no unit is killed and no cards are drawn.
If I play Hextech Ray (3 damage action spell) during a showdown and my opponent wants to play Ride the Wind (action spell that moves a unit), does my damage resolve first since Ride the Wind is not a reaction?
Ruling: When you have priority and play an action spell like Hextech Ray, your opponent cannot respond with another action spell like Ride the Wind since it is not a reaction. Your damage resolves, the chain closes, and then your opponent can decide whether to play Ride the Wind afterward.
If I use Ride the Wind to conquer a battlefield during my opponent's turn, will I score a point even if I already scored a point at that battlefield during my own turn?
Ruling: Yes, you will score a point during your opponent's turn even if you already scored at that battlefield during your own turn. Battlefields are tracked per-turn for scoring.
Does Nocturne's effect trigger when it is revealed, or does the effect specifically need to say 'looked at'?
Ruling: Nocturne's effect triggers when it is revealed. This was confirmed via red text (official ruling). Nuances: - "Revealing" and "looking at" are technically different actions in the rules, but for Nocturne specifically, revealing does trigger its effect.
Is it possible to deny your opponent any reaction windows during your turn by only playing permanents without 'when played' triggers and not initiating showdowns?
Ruling: Yes, if you only play permanents without "when played" triggers and only move units to bases or battlefields you already control without initiating showdowns, there is no window for your opponent to play reactions.
If Hidden Blade targets a unit and Sett's replacement effect saves it by recalling it instead of killing it, does the unit's controller still draw 2 cards?
Ruling: Yes, the unit's controller still draws 2 cards. When Sett's replacement effect recalls the unit instead of killing it, Hidden Blade can still track the controller of the legal target it began resolving with, so the draw effect still occurs.
Can you conquer a battlefield the same turn that you held it, and does it trigger 'when you conquer' effects?
Ruling: You cannot conquer a battlefield on the same turn you held it. You can only score a point from each battlefield once per turn, either from holding or conquering.
Can you use Charm to move a unit without Ganking directly to another battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, you can move a unit without Ganking to another battlefield using Charm. Nuances: - Movement restrictions (like requiring Ganking to move between battlefields) only apply to standard moves - If a card effect wants movement restrictions to apply, it will specify that in the effect text
Does Ravenbloom Student's ability trigger if the spell you play is countered by Defy or Windwall?
Ruling: No, Ravenbloom Student's ability does not trigger if your spell is countered. A spell is considered played when it resolves, so you only trigger Ravenbloom Student's ability if your spell resolves.
Does Ravenbloom Tome's effect get consumed/wasted if used on a non-damaging spell?
Ruling: Yes, the Ravenbloom Tome effect is consumed even if used on a spell that doesn't deal damage. The effect applies to "the next spell" you play, regardless of whether that spell can deal damage.
Does Sett need a different card to use his buff, or can he remove his own buff to get +4 Might?
Ruling: Sett has an activated ability that costs spending the buff that is on him to give him +4 Might. You can only activate the ability on your turn outside of showdown.
Do units with triggered abilities see themselves die and trigger from their own death (like Wraith of Echoes or Viktor)?
Ruling: Triggered abilities from permanents must trigger while on the board. Units cannot see themselves die because by the time they die, they have left the board and can no longer trigger.
In 2v2 Riftbound, does a player need to conquer all 3 battlefields (with their ally controlling none) to win without holding, given that players cannot share battlefields?
Ruling: To win in 2v2, you need to conquer every battlefield ignoring those your ally controls. Nuances: - Players in 2v2 are friendly but do not share battlefields or resources - Players cannot share battlefields with their ally - Your ally's controlled battlefields do not count against your conquest victory condition
When Leona attacks and stuns one unit while killing another, what happens to the units on the battlefield after combat resolves?
Ruling: After combat, if both a defending unit and attacking unit are alive, the attacker will be recalled to the base.
If Zaun Warrens is conquered and you have Super Mega Death Rocket in the trash, what order do the discards and draw go in?
Ruling: When Zaun Warrens is conquered with Super Mega Death Rocket in the trash, both effects trigger simultaneously and you can order them however you like by placing them on the chain in your preferred order.
Do tokens get VISION from Gemcraft Seer?
Ruling: Yes, tokens get VISION from Gemcraft Seer because token maker effects use the word 'play' and tokens count as units.
Do Seals come in exhausted or ready?
Ruling: Seals are Gear, and Gear enter Ready at your Base by default. This means you can use a Seal immediately on the turn you play it.
For Singularity, when do you choose targets, and do the two hits happen simultaneously or in a chosen order?
Ruling: You choose targets when you announce the spell. The two hits happen at the same time. Nuances: - When both units would be destroyed simultaneously and one has Zhonya's, the Zhonya's controller decides which unit is saved - This is similar to when multiple units die from combat clean-up
When Player A holds a battlefield and plays Charm to move Player B's unit to that battlefield, triggering a showdown, who is the attacker and who is the defender?
Ruling: Player B is the attacker and Player A (who controls the battlefield) is the defender. The attacking player becomes the active player and gets focus first.
How do triggered abilities work when added to the Chain, specifically the relationship between rule 541 (triggered abilities added to Chain if triggered during a Chain) and rule 543.2 (resolution of triggered abilities triggered by the card being played)?
Ruling: Rule 541 is a generic rule stating that if a Chain exists, triggered abilities are added to that Chain. Rule 543.2 describes what happens when a triggered ability is triggered while resolving an item on the Chain, with 543.2.a following the same principle as 541 (add to existing Chain) and 543.2.b creating a new Chain.
When Stand United is played, does it increase each Buff from +1 Might to +2 Might for the turn, and do the Buffs return to +1 Might when the turn ends?
Ruling: Stand United gives a unit a Buff (if it didn't already have one) and makes all your Buffs give +2 Might instead of +1 Might for the turn. When the turn ends, all Buffs return to their normal +1 Might.
How do you know when a player has focus, and can the player with focus start a chain by activating a reaction?
Ruling: The attacker gains focus first in a showdown and can pass focus, play an action, or play a reaction. You can use reactions when the chain is empty. Both players must pass priority before proceeding to damage.
Does 'if you do' wording on cards require the action to fully resolve and produce its result, or just the decision to attempt the action?
Ruling: To fulfill an "if you do" condition, you must fully perform the exact action described. Making the choice to perform an action is not sufficient if the action does not fully resolve.
When a boss ability recalls Sett, Brawler with a buff and that action results in conquering the battlefield, does the boss get readied and does Sett, Brawler get a new buff?
Ruling: The boss gets readied from its ability, but Sett, Brawler does not get a new buff. Sequence: - Boss ability recalls Sett, Brawler from the battlefield - The battlefield is conquered as a result - Boss readies due to its ability - Sett, Brawler does not receive a new buff because he was not on the battlefield when the...
When Noxian Drummer moves to a battlefield and then is flashed back to base before the ability resolves, where is the token created?
Ruling: When Noxian Drummer's ability resolves, the token is created at the location where Drummer currently is ("here"), not where it was when the ability triggered. If Drummer is flashed back to base before the ability resolves, the token is created at base.
If all units on a battlefield are killed during combat and there is a hidden Zhonyas gear, is the player forced to reveal and use it during the showdown, or can they wait until cleanup to move it to base?
Ruling: The player must reveal and use the hidden Zhonyas during the showdown step (before damage is applied) if they want to use it. They cannot wait until cleanup because if all units die and they lose control of the battlefield, the hidden card is trashed before they can move it to base.
Does Sett, the Boss ready after conquering a battlefield when you've activated it in the showdown that made the conquer happen?
Ruling: Yes, Sett, the Boss readies after conquering a battlefield when activated in the showdown that caused the conquer. Sequence: - The replaced death (Sett's ability) happens first - The conquer happens after - Sett readies as a result of the conquer