Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 32 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Can you win the game by scoring your 8th point through holding a battlefield at the start of your turn, or do you need to conquer both battlefields in the same turn?
Ruling: You can win by scoring the final point through any method except conquering a single battlefield. If you win by conquering, you must score both battlefields in the same turn.
Do you pay deflect cost twice for Falling Star when you target the same unit?
Ruling: Yes, you pay the deflect cost twice when Falling Star targets the same unit. Nuances: - This applies specifically to the case where Falling Star's multiple instances of damage target the same unit
In a 3+ player game, can a third player move a unit to a battlefield where two other players are already having a showdown?
Ruling: No, the rules prevent units from 3 players being in the same location at once. Sequence: - All players get priority during all showdowns, even if they're not involved - A third player can play cards like Ride the Wind during another showdown - However, a battlefield with two players already in a showdown is not a legal destination...
Does a card that gives +1 might when a unit readies trigger both when units ready at the start of your turn during the awaken step AND when units are readied by effects?
Ruling: Units readied at the start of your turn during the awaken step get the +1 might, and units readied through effects also get the +1 might. Both types of readying trigger the ability.
Can cards in the Hidden zone be played for their normal cost without targeting restrictions, and do they gain the Reaction keyword?
Ruling: Cards played from the Hidden zone (after being hidden with one power) must follow Hidden rules - they are played for free at reaction speed with additional targeting restrictions ("here" added). They cannot be played for their normal cost to bypass these restrictions once hidden.
If Player A controls both battlefields with an 8 Might unit at one and a 3 Might unit at another, and Player B plays Gust, can Player A use Mystic Reversal to avoid bouncing their own unit? If not, what is the correct judge ruling for a rewind request in high OPL?
Ruling: When Player A uses Mystic Reversal on Player B's Gust, they gain control of the spell but must still choose a valid target. Since the only valid target is Player A's own 3 Might unit, Mystic Reversal becomes a waste and the 3 Might unit still gets bounced. At high OPL, this is a misplay and does not warrant...
If a player holds a battlefield and reaches 7 points, then conquers the other battlefield, do they win immediately?
Ruling: Yes, you win immediately when you conquer the other battlefield after already holding one battlefield and having 7 points.
Can a player regain focus after passing it, and when does the back-and-forth end?
Ruling: Focus passes back and forth between players until all players pass focus consecutively without playing anything. When everyone passes consecutively, the item resolves.
After mulliganing cards to the bottom of your deck and drawing new ones, do you shuffle your deck?
Ruling: You do not shuffle your deck after mulligan. You only shuffle once per game before you draw (except for burnouts).
Can The Syren (Magma Chamber) move an allied unit to my base?
Ruling: No, you cannot move an ally's unit to your base. The effect should move the unit to its controller's base (the base of whoever currently controls that unit).
Can Udyr use his activated ability (which requires spending a buff on him) to buff Wildclaw Shaman after Lee Sin buffs Udyr, or does the buff get consumed by Wildclaw Shaman's play effect first?
Ruling: Udyr cannot use his ability between playing Wildclaw Shaman and Wildclaw Shaman's effect resolving because Udyr's ability is at base speed. Udyr must consume a buff on his own card ("spend my buff") to activate his ability.
Can Heimerdinger see units in the champion zone?
Ruling: Heimerdinger cannot see units in the champion zone. Nuances: - Units and gears in card text specifically refer to cards on the Board - The Chosen Champion Zone is a Non-Board Zone
Does Mageseeker block Vayne from entering play, similar to how it interacts with other Accelerate cards?
Ruling: Mageseeker does not stop Vayne or other Accelerate units from entering play. Mageseeker does not prevent units from entering ready.
Can you react to Thousand Tailed Watcher's ability that gives -3 might to all units?
Ruling: Yes, you can react to "When you play me" effects like Thousand Tailed Watcher's ability. Nuances: - You can react to most things except gears and units, as they resolve instantly - When reacting, you can only respond with a reaction (not an action) - After the ability resolves, you don't have a chance to play an action -...
If you Repeat a spell like Missile Barrage (which costs 4 Energy + 1 Mind), does the total cost become 8 Energy + 2 Mind for the purpose of cards like Defy that check cost?
Ruling: No. Effects that check a card's cost always use its base (printed) cost, not the total cost paid. Defy would still be able to counter a Repeated Missile Barrage because it checks the base cost of 4 Energy + 1 Mind.
Can you react when a gear or unit is played if it has no immediate ability activation?
Ruling: You cannot react when a gear or unit is played unless it has a trigger effect (like an ETB). Both units and gears without immediate abilities go on the stack but resolve straight away before allowing a reaction.
Can you generate resources (power/energy) from runes without spending them immediately, and use them later in the same turn?
Ruling: Yes, you can generate power or energy from runes without spending them immediately. This is called "floating" resources. Your resource pool empties at the end of every turn (specifically at the end of the Draw step).
Does Teemo Strategist activate its effect (reveal top 5 cards and recycle them) when played from Hidden in a battlefield with no enemy units to target?
Ruling: No. Teemo's ability cannot enter the chain if there are no valid enemy units to target, so the reveal and recycle effects do not happen.
Do you have to show your opponent what card you take from your trash with Annie Stubborn or Morbid Return?
Ruling: Yes, you must show your opponent what card you target from your trash with both Annie Stubborn and Morbid Return. Your opponent can respond to the targeting.
Can you target units with Challenge at an opponent's base, and does it start a showdown?
Ruling: You can target units anywhere on the board with Challenge, and it does not start a showdown. The only way to respond is by casting a reaction while Challenge is on the chain.
If Player A moves a unit to an empty battlefield and passes, then Player B plays Ride the Wind to move a stronger unit to that battlefield and defeats Player A's unit, does Player B score a point for conquering even though they didn't apply contested first?
Ruling: Yes, Player B scores a point for conquering. A player can score by gaining control of a battlefield they haven't scored that turn, regardless of whether they were the attacker or defender ("conquering on defense").
If a player ends their turn without casting spells, playing units, or triggering abilities, does priority pass to the opponent to give them an opportunity to cast a spell before the turn ends?
Ruling: No, ending your turn with no abilities activating does not create an opportunity for your opponent to play a spell. There needs to be something on the stack (like abilities, spells, or combat) for your opponent to respond to.
If I cast Falling Comet targeting an enemy unit at a battlefield and my opponent reacts with Fight or Flight to move that unit, does Falling Comet fizzle or can I choose a new target?
Ruling: Falling Comet does not fizzle. It resolves with no effect, and you cannot choose another target. Riftbound does not have fizzling.
Does Darius's effect 'When you play second card get +2 and ready' trigger when he is in hand or champion slot, or does he have to be in play?
Ruling: Darius must be in play for his effect to be active. His effect triggers when you play your second card in a turn, regardless of whether Darius himself is the first or second card played.
If Zhonya is played as a hidden card at battlefield 1, then activated as a reaction to Charm moving the only unit away from that battlefield, does Zhonya remain in play even though there are no units left at battlefield 1?
Ruling: Yes, Zhonya remains in play as a gear waiting for the first unit to be killed, even though there are no units at the battlefield where it was originally hidden.
In 2v2 games, can teammates show their hands to each other, or is hand information kept private between teammates?
Ruling: Teammates can show their hands to each other at any time in 2v2 games. Players can show any card to any player at any time, and teammates can permanently show their private information to each other.
Does Weapon Master ignore Blade of the Ruined King's kill cost?
Ruling: Weapon Master does not ignore the kill cost of Blade of the Ruined King. The Weapon Master ability reduces the equip cost by power, but you must still pay the "kill a friendly unit" part of the equip cost.
If Red Darius is played and then Challenge is played, does Darius's trigger get added to the chain on top of Challenge, resulting in Darius having 7 might when Challenge resolves?
Ruling: No, Challenge resolves first, and Darius's might increase only triggers after Challenge has resolved. Darius will not have 7 might when Challenge resolves.
When assigning combat damage to multiple defending units, must an attacker assign lethal damage to all units before moving to the next, or can they choose to assign non-lethal damage and leave units alive?
Ruling: An attacker can choose how to distribute damage among defending units and is not required to assign lethal damage to each unit before assigning damage to others. Damage assigned to units that survive will be healed after combat resolves.
In a 1v1 best of 3 match, can both players reveal the same battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, both players are allowed to reveal the same battlefield in a match. Nuances: - You cannot have duplicate battlefields within your own set of three battlefields - If you and your opponent happen to select matching battlefields, this is legal
Can Teemo, Strategist target units at any battlefield when his defend ability triggers, or is he restricted to his own battlefield?
Ruling: Teemo is restricted to targeting units at the battlefield where he is located. Nuances: - Hidden cards must choose targets from among options at the battlefield where they were hidden, unless the ability explicitly restricts targeting in a way that makes this impossible - This applies to hidden spells and play effects of hidden permanents - The original question...
When does healing happen in Riftbound, and can you cast multiple damaging action spells before combat without triggering healing between them?
Ruling: Healing only happens after combat and at the end of turn. You can cast multiple action-based damaging spells before entering combat without healing occurring between them.
Can I react to my opponent's Divine Judgement by using a Hidden Blade (hidden at my battlefield) to kill my own unit?
Ruling: Yes, you can react with a hidden card at your battlefield to kill your unit in response to Divine Judgement.
Does Spirit Wheel trigger when playing The Syren, since Syren doesn't explicitly say 'choose'?
Ruling: Yes, Spirit Wheel triggers when playing The Syren. Spells and abilities don't need to explicitly say "choose" to fall under the "choose" category - if they require you to select a target (like Syren requiring you to choose a friendly unit), they count as choosing.
Does dealing damage to a unit reduce its Might value for combat?
Ruling: Damage does not reduce Might. A unit with 6 Might that takes 5 damage will still hit for the full 6 Might.
Do activated/triggered abilities from permanents still resolve if the permanent is killed before the ability resolves on the chain?
Ruling: Once a triggered or activated ability has been put on the chain, it resolves regardless of whether its source permanent is still alive.
When Miss Fortune readies a unit, can you move that newly readied unit to contest a battlefield during the same action?
Ruling: You cannot move the newly readied unit to contest a battlefield. Showdown starts immediately when Miss Fortune and other units move to contest, so the newly readied unit cannot make another move.
After an action resolves on an empty chain during combat, who gets focus first? Specifically, if Kai'Sa Survivor is attacking and opponent's Hextech Ray resolves, can the attacker play Cleave before the opponent can play a second Ray?
Ruling: When the last card on a chain resolves, focus passes to the other player. After the first Hextech Ray resolves (making the chain empty), the attacking player gets focus first and can play Cleave before the opponent can play a second Ray.
If an opponent casts Dragon's Rage targeting my unit, and I use Hidden Blade to kill it and then use Sett's legend ability (The Boss) to move it back to base in response, does Dragon's Rage still resolve and does it count as a conquer?
Ruling: Dragon's Rage will still fully resolve even if the targeted unit is killed and moved with The Boss in response. The unit remains a valid target because it's the same game object and hasn't changed zones, and Dragon's Rage has no targeting restrictions beyond "enemy unit."
If a player conquered a battlefield on their previous turn, can they score it again on the opponent's turn by moving a unit there with Ride the Wind after it became uncontested?
Ruling: Yes, the player scores the battlefield again. The only restriction is that you cannot score the same battlefield multiple times in the same turn.
If you hold a battlefield, leave it, and then reconquer it in the same turn, do you score a point for the reconquest?
Ruling: You can only gain a point from holding and conquering once per battlefield per turn. If you held a battlefield and left it, then reconquered it in the same turn, you do not get another point.
Is Teemo Strategist considered defending when you reveal it from hidden after attackers have been declared and moved onto the battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, Teemo Strategist is considered defending when revealed from hidden after attackers have been declared. Units gain the Defender designation when they become present at the battlefield after combat has begun.
If I use Gust on a token, does it count as dying for Yellow Viktor's ability?
Ruling: No, when a token is bounced to hand by Gust, it does not die. Instead, it ceases to exist.
How does Convergent Mutation work when matching a unit's might to another unit (e.g., Mundo)? Does the might continue to track changes, persist after the source dies, and can you choose which unit to match?
Ruling: Convergent Mutation applies a one-time might increase on resolution to match the target unit's current might at that moment. The boosted unit does not continue tracking further changes to the source unit's might, and you can choose any friendly unit to match.
Can you gain a conquest point by moving to a battlefield you already controlled at the start of your turn?
Ruling: You cannot gain a conquest point by moving to a battlefield you already controlled. You can gain a maximum of 2 points from battlefields per turn, plus any additional points from unit abilities.
If you play Darius and then Challenge an enemy unit with Darius, what is Darius's might during the Challenge - 5 or 7?
Ruling: Darius has 5 might during the Challenge. His "When you play your second card each round" ability is a triggered ability that only resolves after Challenge has finished resolving.
How can rules 563.2.c.3 and 563.2.c.4 both apply when one says a target that moves zones and returns is still legal, while the other says if something moves to/from a Non-Board Zone it's no longer the same object?
Ruling: Rule 563.2.c.4 only applies when a target changes zones to or from a Non-Board Zone. As long as the target stays on the board the entire time (moving between board zones like battlefield and base), it remains the same object and rule 563.2.c.3 applies.
If a unit starts a battlefield with 2 units and one gets sent home, does the remaining unit get buffed by Mask of Foresight? Does that buff persist if another unit joins later?
Ruling: Mask of Foresight triggers when a unit gains the attacker/defender designation for the first time in a combat while being the only friendly unit at its battlefield. If a unit starts combat with an ally and that ally leaves, the remaining unit does not get the buff. However, if a unit starts combat alone and gets the buff, that...
If Blue Teemo is revealed before he becomes a defender, does he activate twice?
Ruling: Blue Teemo only activates when he becomes defender. The card was errata'd. Nuances: - A unit is considered "Defending" the moment it enters into a Showdown, whether at the beginning or later on - If you flip Teemo - Strategist up from Hidden during an opponent's showdown, he will become a Defender and his ability will trigger
What happens when Hextech Ray is used on a 6 might unit with Zhonya's Hourglass, then Thousand Tailed Watcher is played afterwards?
Ruling: After Watcher's trigger resolves, the unit (now 3 might with 3 damage) will be healed and recalled to base by Zhonya's Hourglass. It will stay at 3 might until end of turn.