Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 36 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Can Zhonya's be used to react at any time during damage assignment and control which unit survives?
Ruling: No, you cannot use Zhonya's to react during damage assignment or when damage is dealt. You must flip Zhonya's before combat damage (during the showdown while you still have priority). If multiple units die simultaneously to combat damage, the controller chooses which one to save.
If a unit is damaged but not killed, and then their might is reduced to less than the damage on the unit, does the unit die?
Ruling: Yes, if a unit's might is reduced below the amount of damage on it, the unit dies. Nuances: - This interaction is noted as a reason why Kai'sa is particularly strong
In a 3+ player game, how does chain priority work during a showdown between two non-adjacent players?
Ruling: Priority always passes in turn order following whoever got priority first. In a showdown between players 1 and 3, player 2 receives priority after player 1 (before player 3) because they are the next player in turn order.
Can you use a basic rune ability reaction in response to an opponent tapping runes to gain mana before they play a spell?
Ruling: No, you cannot react to an opponent tapping runes for mana. Reactions that add mana cannot be responded to.
If Fiora gains Mighty during combat (after being declared as a defender), does she get the +1 from Shield?
Ruling: Yes, Fiora gets the +1 from Shield when she gains Mighty during combat, even after being declared as a defender.
Does attaching an equipment count as selecting/choosing the unit?
Ruling: Yes, equipping does choose a unit. Nuances: - The previous Comprehensive Rules explicitly stated that attaching cards to others does not count as selecting - This was expected to change in the updated Spirit Forged CR (version 1.2) - The rule reference is 744.1.c.2 in the new CR
If Warwick's ability triggers when killing a unit, does that unit still deal combat damage or is it taken out of play?
Ruling: Warwick's ability triggers and resolves during the Initial chain when Warwick is made an attacker, killing the targeted unit before the combat damage step occurs. The killed unit does not deal combat damage.
When an opponent attempts to conquer an uncontrolled battlefield and you Zenith Blade your own unit there during the showdown: (1) Can you play Shen on that battlefield during the showdown? (2) If your opponent stuns your unit during the showdown, who retreats when it resolves?
Ruling: You cannot play Shen on the battlefield during the showdown because no one controls it yet. If your opponent stuns your unit during the showdown, only the opponent's unit retreats (as the attacker), while your stunned unit can still take the spot and establish control at the end of the showdown.
Does Symbol of the Solari's tie effect recall units from all battlefields or just the battlefield where the tied combat occurred?
Ruling: Symbol of the Solari only recalls units from the battlefield where the tied combat occurred, not from all battlefields.
If Kayn is defending alone and I use Ride the Wind to move him to base, does the showdown resolve? Can I use another Ride the Wind to move him back to the battlefield?
Ruling: When a unit leaves the battlefield during combat, the showdown does not end. You can use Ride the Wind to move Kayn to base, then use a second Ride the Wind to bring him back to the battlefield.
Can signature spells and other spells without 'action' or 'reaction' keywords be played only during your turn outside of showdowns?
Ruling: Spells without "action" or "reaction" keywords can only be played on your turn, outside a showdown, with an empty chain.
Can you activate runes to add Energy while resolving Bullet Time, even though Bullet Time only requires Power to be paid?
Ruling: Yes, you can activate runes to add any resources (including Energy) while resolving Bullet Time, as long as there is any cost to be paid during resolution.
Does Irelia's Fervent effect trigger only once per turn, or does it trigger every time she is chosen/targeted/readied in a turn?
Ruling: Irelia's Fervent effect triggers every time you target her or ready her, not just once per turn. Nuances: - A spell that readies her provides +2 Might (once for targeting, once for readying)
If an opponent casts Falling Star to deal 3 damage to two 4-might Noxian Hopefuls, then plays Thousand-Tailed Watcher (which reduces might), do both Hopefuls die?
Ruling: Yes, both Hopefuls die. When Watcher resolves and reduces their might to 1, lethal damage is checked during cleanup after the effect, and the Hopefuls have 3 damage marked with only 1 might, so they are killed.
Is Deathknell mandatory, or can you choose not to use the effect?
Ruling: The Deathknell trigger is mandatory and the effect is also mandatory unless it uses the word "may". Nuances: - In situations where the Deathknell trigger would do nothing, it still happens but just does nothing.
When do you pay the power cost for Bullet Time's effect, and can you exhaust/recycle runes for energy and power during its resolution?
Ruling: You pay the power cost for Bullet Time upon resolution, not when casting it. You can use reaction-speed add abilities (both exhausting runes for energy and recycling runes for power) during Bullet Time's resolution when paying the power cost.
Does Deflect need to be paid when a spell targets a battlefield (area effect) rather than directly targeting the unit with Deflect?
Ruling: Deflect only needs to be paid when you directly target or choose a unit with Deflect. If a spell targets a battlefield or affects all units without choosing specific units, you do not pay Deflect.
Does taking an open battlefield or moving units to a battlefield you already control start a showdown?
Ruling: Taking an open battlefield starts a showdown. Moving units to a battlefield you already control does not start a showdown unless the move triggers an ability.
Do you have to pay accelerate cost when playing a unit (e.g. Watcher) from Z drive?
Ruling: Yes, you must still pay the accelerate cost when playing a unit from Z drive. "Ignore costs" only ignores the base costs, not additional costs like accelerate.
Does damage from Rocket persist when combat damage is divided if combat happens during the same turn?
Ruling: Yes, damage from spells persists until a combat has resolved or the turn has ended, so damage dealt by Rocket is still present when combat damage is divided.
When Smoke Screen is cast on Ravenbloom Student (reducing it from 2M to 1M), and then the opponent casts Hextech Ray killing one attacking Recruit, does Ravenbloom Student's momentum increase to 2M or stay at 1M due to Smoke Screen?
Ruling: Ravenbloom Student stays at 1M. Smoke Screen snapshots the unit's momentum when it resolves and applies a fixed -1M reduction for the rest of the turn, regardless of other momentum changes.
If Gust targets a small unit (3 or less might) and the unit gets buffed above 3 might in reaction, will Gust fizzle or resolve?
Ruling: Gust will still resolve, but it will not return the unit to hand since the unit no longer meets the targeting criteria. The spell does not fizzle (go to trash without resolving).
What happens when an attacker survives a showdown at a battlefield but the defender also has surviving units?
Ruling: If after the damage step both players still have units alive at the battlefield, the attacking units are recalled back to the base.
When Green Yasuo uses his attack ability to deal damage, then is moved to another battlefield with Ride the Wind and then moved again with Flash, does the Mountain Drake heal the initial ability damage before Yasuo can attack again?
Ruling: Yes, the Mountain Drake heals before Yasuo can attack again. A showdown must fully resolve (including cleanup and healing) before a second showdown can begin, even if units leave the battlefield during the first showdown.
If Thousand Tail Watcher reduces Ravenbloom Student to 1 Might, and then Student plays a spell during a showdown (triggering its self-buff), does Student go to 2 Might or does the Watcher's -X modifier still apply?
Ruling: The Ravenbloom Student will be at 2 Might. When a unit buffs itself, the buff is added to its current Might value (which already includes any reductions from effects like Thousand Tail Watcher).
When a unit with Temporary is saved by Zhonya, does it die again during the same turn or on the next turn?
Ruling: The unit dies on the next turn, not the same turn. The Temporary trigger occurs only once at the start of the beginning phase.
If I play Stupefy during my turn, can my opponent respond before Ravenbloom Student's trigger effect activates, or can I chain Ravenbloom to Stupefy to play around Defy?
Ruling: Ravenbloom Student only triggers when your spell is "played" (fully resolved). You cannot chain Ravenbloom Student to Stupefy because the spell has not been "played" yet when you're still declaring targets.
When attacking with green Yasuo, can you buff his might after his ability triggers but before damage calculation, or is the ability's damage predetermined at the moment of attack?
Ruling: The ability's damage can be modified after the attack trigger but before damage calculation. You can use reactions to buff Yasuo's might, which will increase the ability's damage.
Can you use Void Seeker on a unit that moves into an open (unoccupied) battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, you can use Void Seeker on a unit that moves into an open battlefield. Moving into an open battlefield starts a showdown (but not a combat), and once that showdown starts and you get focus, you can cast Void Seeker.
If Mask of Foresight is equipped to a unit that is assigned as a defender with another unit present, then one unit is moved away leaving the masked unit alone, does Mask of Foresight trigger?
Ruling: No, Mask of Foresight does not trigger. The trigger condition checks whether the unit is alone when it is initially assigned as attacker/defender at the start of combat. Moving another unit away afterward does not change the attacker/defender status or cause the trigger to check again.
Can I activate a Hidden card (Consult the Past) on battlefield A when my opponent moves to conquer battlefield B, or does the action need to be on my battlefield?
Ruling: You can flip any Hidden card whenever you could legally react, regardless of which battlefield it's on. Moving itself doesn't give you an opportunity to react, but moving to start a Showdown does. If your opponent plays an Action anywhere, you can react to that and flip any Hidden cards.
If I play a spell and it is countered via Defy, will Viktor Inventor still trigger?
Ruling: "Play a spell" triggers require the spell to fully resolve, so Viktor Inventor will not trigger if the spell is countered.
If Zhonya's is flipped from hidden during showdown and the opponent responds with Cannon Barrage that would kill the unit, does Zhonya's save the unit or does the unit die before Zhonya's can take effect?
Ruling: Zhonya's will save the unit. When flipped from hidden, Zhonya's as a permanent enters and resolves off the chain immediately with no response window, so its effect is active before Cannon Barrage resolves.
When you move a unit into an open (uncontested) battlefield, are there attacker/defender designations for card effects like Mask of Foresight?
Ruling: There are no attackers or defenders during uncontested showdowns. Moving a unit into an open battlefield makes it contested but does not create attacker/defender designations.
If Void Seeker is played on Darius (reducing him to 1 Life), then Smoke Screen is played (reducing Might to 1), does Darius die?
Ruling: Yes, Darius dies. Void Seeker deals 4 damage to Darius, then Smoke Screen reduces his Might to 1. Since the damage marked (4) is greater than or equal to his Might (1), Darius dies in the cleanup.
Can you activate reactions during your own Awaken/Beginning phase without triggers, and does a temporary dying trigger a chain where you can activate reactions?
Ruling: You cannot activate reactions during Awaken/Beginning phase without a trigger creating a chain. A temporary dying is specifically a trigger in the beginning phase, so you can react to it.
Can you play Cull the Weak without controlling a friendly unit, and can you move Traveling Merchant with 0 cards in hand to still draw 1 card?
Ruling: Yes to both questions. You can play Cull the Weak without controlling a friendly unit, and you can move Traveling Merchant with 0 cards in hand and still draw 1 card.
How does priority passing work when starting a chain via casting a spell or combat? Can the active player play multiple reaction spells before the opponent gets priority, or does priority alternate after each spell?
Ruling: When you play a spell, you can hold priority and play multiple reaction spells before passing priority to your opponent. Priority then passes back and forth (you as long as you want -> them as long as they want -> you as long as you want, etc.).
In 2v2, if I target a teammate's unit with Portal Rescue, what base does it get played on and who counts as playing the card?
Ruling: The unit gets played to its owner's (your teammate's) base, and the teammate counts as playing the card, not you.
If you play Brynhir Thundersong in response to Cull the Weak using Here to Help, does Cull the Weak still resolve or does it get countered?
Ruling: Cull the Weak still resolves. Brynhir Thundersong only prevents new things from being played or added to the chain after it resolves, but does not counter cards already on the chain.
Can Charm move a unit between battlefields even if the unit doesn't have Flanking and there's no battlefield effect granting Flanking?
Ruling: Yes, moving a unit with Charm ignores the normal rules for moving a unit, so it does not require Flanking.
How does snapshotting work when a unit's Might is reduced below 1 by effects like Smokescreen, and how do subsequent Might modifications interact with the snapshotted value?
Ruling: When an effect would reduce a unit's Might below 1, it is reduced to 1 (minimum) and the actual reduction amount is "snapshotted" - this snapshotted value is tracked and applied in all calculations for the rest of the turn. Visually you see the current Might value, but behind the scenes the game tracks all modifiers including the snapshotted...
If a unit is damaged by a Singularity and then an opponent's unit is removed before damage is assigned in combat, does the damaged unit heal back to full health at the end of combat?
Ruling: Yes, the watcher heals back to full health. Once combat has been initiated, you always go through all combat steps including Resolution, where healing occurs.
If I activate Smoke Screen targeting an opponent's unit, but they use Retreat to return it to hand in response, will Smoke Screen retarget the remaining unit or fizzle?
Ruling: You cannot change targets once an effect is on the chain stack. Smoke Screen will still resolve but cannot find the original target, so nothing happens.
Does Wildclaw Shaman's effect of removing a buff to buff and ready itself go on the chain, allowing the opponent to cast Gust in response?
Ruling: Yes, Wildclaw Shaman's effect is a triggered ability that creates a chain. The opponent can respond with Gust while the trigger is on the chain.
When playing Jinx deck with 1 card in hand at Grove of the God-Willow, in what order do you draw cards from Jinx's Legend ability, Grove, and the regular turn draw?
Ruling: You draw cards in a specific sequence: first from Jinx's Legend ability, then from Grove of the God-Willow, and finally the regular draw for the turn. You cannot choose the order of these triggers.
If I use Imperial Decree during my opponent's turn in a showdown where my stunned 5 Might unit takes 4 combat damage from my opponent's 4 Might unit and dies, does my opponent get credit for the kill and trigger their Solari Shrine?
Ruling: No, the opponent does not get credit for the kill. Imperial Decree kills the unit, so the player who cast Imperial Decree (you) gets credit for the kill, not the opponent. Therefore, the opponent's Solari Shrine will not trigger.
If I recycle 8 runes with Bullet Time, is it 8 damage to each enemy unit or 8 damage split across enemy units at a battlefield?
Ruling: Bullet Time deals 8 damage to each enemy unit at the battlefield, not split across them. Nuances: - You don't pay the Power cost for Bullet Time's ability until the spell starts to resolve, so opponents must use reactions before knowing how much Power you'll invest - Opponents cannot use Defy after seeing how much Power is paid, because...
Are battlefields chosen before or after turn order is determined in Riftbound matches?
Ruling: In all games of a match, battlefields are chosen before turn order is declared. Sequence: - Choose legends - Choose champions - Choose battlefields (simultaneously blind) - Battlefields are revealed - Turn order is determined - Draw 4 cards - Mulligan
Can Shen be played to a contested battlefield (Gods Willow) using his Reaction ability when the opponent moves a unit there, even though the opponent doesn't control that battlefield?
Ruling: No, this is not legal. You can only play units to battlefields you control, and Shen's opponent does not control Gods Willow in this scenario.