Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 37 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Does Ravenbloom get +1 when you reveal a hidden spell?
Ruling: Ravenbloom does not get +1 when you reveal a hidden spell. It gets +1 when you play the spell, which occurs after the spell resolves when you flip it up on a later turn.
When an opponent activates an action and then a reaction (both spells that can be countered by Defy), can you choose which spell to counter with Defy, or must you counter the last spell in the chain?
Ruling: You can choose which spell you want to target with Defy, even when multiple spells are on the stack.
If a unit is ready at a battlefield due to Ride the Wind, the opponent plays Rebuke, and then Flash is played in response, does the unit end up exhausted or ready at base?
Ruling: The unit ends up ready at base. Nuances: - Units become exhausted after a Standard Move because exhausting is the cost to perform a standard move - Most other move effects (like Flash) leave the unit in whatever state it was already in
Can you unhide multiple hidden cards at the battleground being attacked, and can you also unhide cards on other battlefields (that aren't being attacked) to buff your units?
Ruling: Yes, you can unhide multiple hidden cards at reaction speed, including cards from battlefields that are not being attacked. Each unhide is a separate reaction that can be chained together.
If I have 2 Mask of Foresight in play, do they add to Yasuo's might before his 'when I attack' trigger resolves, so his trigger does 8 damage?
Ruling: Yes, both Mask of Foresight triggers will resolve before Yasuo's trigger, giving him +4 might total, so his trigger will deal 8 damage.
Can you use Hidden Blade to kill a unit that you've chosen as the additional cost for Cruel Patron, draw two cards, and have Cruel Patron still resolve normally?
Ruling: No, you cannot use Hidden Blade to kill the unit chosen as an additional cost for Cruel Patron. Costs are paid immediately without using the chain, so there is no opportunity for anyone to play anything targeting the unit killed as a cost.
Can you put Rocket in hand from your discard if you have an empty hand?
Ruling: No, you cannot put Rocket in hand from your discard if you have an empty hand. Nuances: - The card is worded 'you may discard 1 to...', which means you must actually discard a card to get the rest of the effect
When an opponent's Blind Fury reveals a Nocturne from the top of your deck, who gets to play the Nocturne and in what order does everything resolve?
Ruling: The Nocturne's owner can choose to banish it from the top of their deck when revealed by Blind Fury. Both the Nocturne and the card chosen by Blind Fury become pending, with Nocturne resolving first, then the chosen card.
Can you score a point on your opponent's turn by using Ride the Wind to move to an open battlefield during a showdown?
Ruling: Yes, you can score on your opponent's turn. If you use Ride the Wind during a showdown to move a unit to a different open battlefield, and your opponent cannot kill or move that unit, you will score that battlefield during their turn.
Can you play reaction speed spells during an opponent's turn if they only pass priority without creating triggers, chains, or showdowns? What about in response to triggered abilities like Jinx's ability or scoring points?
Ruling: You cannot play reaction spells during an opponent's turn if there are no triggers, chains, or showdowns created. Phase changes and scoring points do not create priority windows. However, any triggered ability goes onto the chain and passes priority, allowing you to play reaction spells in response.
Does Skyfall of Areion replace Conquer/Hold effects or add triggers to both situations?
Ruling: Skyfall of Areion does not replace effects. It allows Conquer effects to trigger on both Conquer and Hold scoring, and Hold effects to trigger on both Hold and Conquer scoring.
If a hidden Teemo - Strategist is revealed at a challenged battlefield and then killed by Cannon Barrage before his reveal effect resolves, does the effect still resolve and look at the top 5 cards?
Ruling: When Teemo dies before his reveal effect resolves, the effect still resolves and reveals the top 5 cards, but it cannot deal any damage because the damage targets an enemy unit "here" (where Teemo is) and Teemo is no longer anywhere.
Can I check my own hidden cards once they are on the battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, you can check your own hidden cards on the battlefield. Hidden cards are private information and can be viewed by their owner.
Does Traveling Merchant with Assault and Cleave get +3 Might when his move trigger fires?
Ruling: No, Traveling Merchant does not get +3 Might from Assault when his trigger fires. The showdown has not started yet, so he won't receive the Assault bonus until after his ability resolves.
Can you target an already stunned unit with Zenith Blade to get the move effect, and will Radiant Dawn trigger to give an extra buff?
Ruling: You can target an already stunned unit with Zenith Blade and still get the move effect, but Radiant Dawn will not trigger because the stun part resolves without doing anything (the unit is already stunned).
When does a rules check return 'zero' versus 'null' when a target is no longer legal or information is unavailable?
Ruling: When a target is no longer legal or information is unavailable, the check returns null (not zero). The updated Comprehensive Rules Document will be changed so it is always null when the target is no longer legal.
When Sett The Boss saves a unit, does the saved unit maintain its buff?
Ruling: No, the saved unit does not maintain its buff. Nuances: - Sett's ability specifically states "spend its buff" - Spending a buff removes that buff from the unit
If Volibear attacks a unit at Reavers Row and the defender uses Reavers Row's effect to retreat, does Volibear's 5 damage still apply to that unit?
Ruling: No, the damage does not apply to the retreated unit. When Volibear's attack trigger resolves, if the targeted unit has been moved back to base, it is no longer a valid target and receives no damage.
Does Sneaky Deckhand score a point when played directly to an empty battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, if you play Sneaky Deckhand directly into an empty battlefield you will conquer it, score a point, and be in control of it.
If I'm at 7 points and use Run the Weave to move to my opponent's battlefield during their turn (where I haven't scored yet this turn), do I win immediately or draw?
Ruling: You draw, not win. You cannot win the final point via conquering unless you have scored both battlefields that turn.
When on 7 points, can you move units to different battlefields to conquer both and score the 8th point, given the rule that units must move to the same destination?
Ruling: You can move units to different battlefields by moving them at different times. The "same destination" rule only applies when units move at the same time.
When Heimerdinger taps for all tap abilities or gear, do they all occur together?
Ruling: You only choose 1 ability when Heimerdinger taps, not all abilities simultaneously.
If Irelia Fervent (4 might, grows by 1 when chosen) is at 3 might and targeted by Gust (which targets units with 3 or less might), does Gust's requirement get checked on resolution, causing it to fail after Irelia grows to 4 might?
Ruling: Yes, Gust's requirement is checked upon resolution. When you choose Irelia with Gust, her trigger intercepts the chain and resolves first, bringing her to 4 might. Then when Gust resolves, the target is no longer valid so it whiffs (resolves but has no effect on the board).
When Anivia attacks and triggers her ability to deal 3 damage to all units, can you respond with reactions like Smoke Screen or Hidden Blade before the damage resolves?
Ruling: You can respond to Anivia's attack triggered ability with reactions (like Smoke Screen) before it resolves. However, Hidden Blade can only be played from hand after the chain is empty (at action speed), unless it was already hidden at that battlefield.
For Strategist Teemo and Ava Achiever, what counts as a Hidden card?
Ruling: A card counts as Hidden only if it has the Hidden keyword itself. Cards that merely mention or reference Hidden (like Ember Monk) do not count as Hidden cards.
For Get Excited, when do you discard and target - when the spell is played or when it resolves?
Ruling: You target when you put the spell on the chain. The discard happens when the spell resolves, and you deal damage based on that discard.
Do units heal to full after any combat, even if they weren't involved in that specific combat?
Ruling: Yes, after any combat occurs, every unit heals to full, regardless of whether they participated in that combat. Nuances: - This means damage dealt to units at one battlefield will be healed before a second combat at a different battlefield occurs in the same turn - Units damaged by effects like Blade Fury will heal after any subsequent combat,...
When casting Bullet Time, can the opponent react after the caster decides how much power to pay during resolution?
Ruling: No, the opponent cannot react after the caster pays power during Bullet Time's resolution. The power payment happens during resolution, not as an additional cost during casting, so there is no reaction window after the amount is determined.
If Dazzling Aurora triggers on end step and plays Deadbloom Predator, can it be put on an occupied battlefield and does that start combat?
Ruling: Yes, Deadbloom Predator can be put on an occupied battlefield when played via Dazzling Aurora, and this will initiate combat.
Does the 'attack triggers only once per combat' rule prevent triggers from activating when a unit is recalled and attacks again in a later combat, or only when it attacks multiple times in the same combat?
Ruling: Attack triggers activate once per unit per combat. If a unit attacks multiple times in the same combat (e.g., via multiple Ride the Wind effects in one showdown), the trigger only activates once. If a unit is recalled and attacks again in a different combat, the trigger will activate again.
If Yasuo (who deals his might as damage to an enemy when he attacks) moves to a battlefield with one enemy unit that has 6 might, and Yasuo also has 6 might, does his ability kill the enemy before combat damage, allowing Yasuo to survive?
Ruling: Yes, Yasuo's "when I attack" ability resolves and kills the enemy unit before combat damage is calculated and assigned, so Yasuo will not take damage and will win the fight.
For Spectral Matron, do you need to choose the target and set it aside as pending before the opponent can react to the trigger?
Ruling: When you play Spectral Matron, you select the target unit from trash when adding the trigger to the chain (because playing a card from trash is a targeted ability), but this does not create a pending item. You only pay costs and actually play the unit when the effect resolves.
Does playing Kayn from hand to your base count as a 'move' for his card effect?
Ruling: No, playing Kayn from hand to your base does not count as a move. Nuances: - Moving requires both an origin (a location on the board where the unit starts) and a destination (a location on the board where the unit ends up) - When playing a unit from hand, there is no origin location on the board, so...
Does damage clear from units after using Snapvine or Challenge ability (before end of combat/turn)?
Ruling: Damage does not clear after Snapvine or Challenge resolves. Damage only clears after a full combat or at end of turn. Units dealing damage to each other through Challenge or Snapvine is not considered combat.
If Sun Disc is activated and then The Harrowing is played (which plays units from the graveyard), can Sun Disc be activated between the units being played so they enter ready?
Ruling: Sun Disc can only be activated at base speed when there is no chain present. Once The Harrowing begins resolving and playing units, there is no opportunity to activate Sun Disc between those units because a chain is present the entire time until all units resolve.
When Anivia moves to a battlefield, does her ability deal damage before combat, and can Hidden Blade prevent her damage by killing her in response?
Ruling: Anivia's attack trigger resolves before combat damage is assigned, so she will kill weaker units before might comparison. However, if Hidden Blade is played in response to her attack trigger, it kills Anivia before her trigger resolves, preventing the damage since she is no longer at the battlefield.
Can Gust return a unit from Vilemaw's Lair to hand, and can units move from Vilemaw's Lair to other battlefields?
Ruling: Vilemaw's Lair only prevents moving from Vilemaw to base. It does not prevent returning units to hand (like with Gust), and it does not prevent moving from Vilemaw to another battlefield.
When hiding a card with the Hidden ability, do you need to recycle a rune or just exhaust (tap) it to pay the 1 Power cost?
Ruling: To hide a card with the Hidden ability, you must recycle a rune (put it back in your deck) to pay the 1 Power cost, not just exhaust (tap) it.
How does Promising Future resolve when both players choose cards to play, particularly regarding timing, the chain, and whether cards can be reacted to?
Ruling: When Promising Future resolves, both players choose cards face-down, then play them in turn order (starting with the next player, so the opponent plays first in 1v1). All cards played by Promising Future resolve as part of that spell's resolution and cannot be interrupted or reacted to by other cards.
Does Unyielding counter Challenge?
Ruling: Unyielding does not counter Challenge. Challenge's damage will not be prevented by Unyielding because the damage is dealt by units, not by the spell itself.
How does Not So Fast work with targeting spells like Void Seeker and Hex Tech Ray - can you react immediately when the spell is played, or only after targeting is declared?
Ruling: Most spells target when added to the chain before reactions can be played, so you would play Not So Fast after your opponent has chosen their target and passed priority.
Can Reaction cards only be played when triggered, or can they also be played as regular Actions during your turn?
Ruling: Reaction cards can be played as regular Actions during your turn or in showdown, not only when triggered. The video's claim that Reactions require a trigger to be played is incorrect.
If Imperial Decree kills a unit during Showdown (not through normal combat damage), does this create a trigger window where the opponent can flip a hidden Zhonya's Hourglass?
Ruling: Yes, when Imperial Decree kills a unit during Showdown, it creates a delayed trigger (not a reflexive trigger) that gives a window for the opponent to flip Zhonya's Hourglass.
Does Sett Kingpin's effect that references 'buffed friendly unit at my battlefield' refer to the specific battlefield where Sett is located, or all battlefields controlled by the player?
Ruling: "At my battlefield" means the specific battlefield where Sett is located (equivalent to "here"). Sett only gets the bonus when he is at a battlefield, not while in base.
When Sett Kingpin is saved by his legend ability after combat where all units die, does his buff disappear before or after other units die, and can Vanguard Helmet transfer a buff from a dying unit to the recalled Sett?
Ruling: Yes, Vanguard Helmet can transfer a buff to Sett when he is recalled via his legend ability. The other unit dying and Sett being recalled happen simultaneously, triggering Helmet's ability which can then target the recalled Sett.
When Icathian Rain deals damage multiple times to a unit with 3 HP, does Seth's ability prevent death after each instance of damage, or does the entire spell resolve before death is checked?
Ruling: The entire Icathian Rain spell resolves first, dealing all its damage. Then during cleanup after spell resolution, the game checks for lethal damage and attempts to kill the unit, which Seth's Legend ability can replace/prevent.
In a showdown where Leona stuns Deadbloom, and after combat damage resolution units remain on both sides of the battlefield, does combat continue or are attackers recalled?
Ruling: Once you reach the combat damage resolution step, the showdown is over. If units from both players remain on the battlefield after damage is dealt, the attackers are recalled to base.
Does Promising Future cause burnout when the opponent has fewer than 5 cards in their deck?
Ruling: Promising Future does not trigger burnout when there are fewer than 5 cards in the deck. You do as much as you can (look at the available cards), but burnout only occurs when a player would look at, draw, or mill cards while their main deck is empty.
If Immortal Phoenix is in my trash and I successfully target an enemy unit with Fading Memories, can I pay 1 and recycle 1 to play Immortal Phoenix from trash? Does the temporary effect killing the unit count as me killing the unit?
Ruling: No, Fading Memories killing a unit through its temporary effect does not trigger Immortal Phoenix. Nuances: - Immortal Phoenix triggers if the spell instructs a unit to be killed and that unit is placed in the trash this way - Immortal Phoenix also triggers if the spell instructs damage to be dealt and the unit is killed by it...
Can Charm be used to move an enemy unit to its owner's base, or only from battlefield to battlefield?
Ruling: Charm can move an enemy unit to any legal location, including the owner's base or between battlefields, as long as the unit is not moved to your own base.