Riftbound Rules Questions (Page 42)

If a unit with a 'when I attack/defend' effect enters the battlefield after the initial 'when I attack/defend' chain has already resolved during a showdown, does it still get that effect?

Ruling: Units that enter the battlefield during combat still get their 'when I attack/defend' effects as long as it is the first time they are gaining the attacker or defender designation during this combat.

Does Cithria of Cloudfield's ability trigger if she already has a buff?

Ruling: Yes, Cithria of Cloudfield's ability triggers even if she already has a buff, but she will not gain an additional buff (the trigger effectively does nothing).

If Void Seeker targets a unit that becomes illegal (e.g., removed by Retreat as a reaction), can you still draw a card?

Ruling: Yes, you can still draw a card. The spell must have a legal target to finalize, but once finalized, "do as much as you can" applies—you skip game actions involving illegal targets but perform all other game actions.

When you move a unit with Charme to your battlefield, who is the defender?

Ruling: You are the defender when you move a unit with Charme to your battlefield.

When a stunned unit is recalled to base, does it return in its current state (ready/exhausted)?

Ruling: Yes, a unit returns to base in whatever state it was in on the field unless the recall effect specifically states it changes state.

Can you spend the buff from Showstopper on Sett Brawler before moving him into a battlefield?

Ruling: No, you cannot spend the buff from Showstopper on Sett Brawler before moving him into a battlefield because you would be trying to do that during Showstopper's effects.

Can you react to 'when I attack' abilities, and what is the timing/sequence for when I attack and when I defend triggers?

Ruling: Yes, you can react to 'when I attack' abilities using reactions. These abilities create a chain. Sequence: - When I attack triggers are declared first (so they resolve last in the chain) - When I defend triggers are declared last (so they resolve first in the chain) - Then players can add reactions to the chain

For Baited Hook, if you sacrifice a 4 might unit, can you grab any unit with 5 might or less, or only units with exactly 4 or 5 might?

Ruling: You can play a unit with might anywhere from 0 to 5 (0 to X+1, where X is the killed unit's might).

Do units heal damage after a showdown ends, including units that weren't in the showdown (at base or other battlefields)?

Ruling: At the end of combat and at the end of turn, all units everywhere in play heal all damage on them at the same time, regardless of how that damage was assigned or where the units are located.

Can you respond to Reckoner's Arena trigger by killing a unit (like Qiyana) to prevent its conquer effect?

Ruling: Yes, you can respond to the Arena trigger by killing a unit to prevent its conquer effect from being added to the chain.

Can a player play a reaction when the opponent proceeds to the end step (i.e., when changing phases)?

Ruling: No, you cannot play a reaction when changing phases. You can only play a reaction during an opponent's turn if the chain is not empty and you get priority, or if there is a showdown and you get focus.

Can Charm move an enemy unit directly from one battlefield to another (without the Ganking keyword)?

Ruling: Yes, Charm can move an enemy unit directly from one battlefield to another, even if that unit doesn't have the Ganking keyword.

Can Petal rescue bring back a unit from trash?

Ruling: No, Petal rescue cannot bring back a unit from trash. "Unit" refers to objects on the board unless specified otherwise, and the card does not specify a zone like "from your trash."

Do move triggers get resolved before attack/defend triggers get put on the chain?

Ruling: Yes, move triggers resolve on a chain outside the showdown before it starts. You cannot start a showdown while there is a chain, so once the move trigger chain fully resolves, the showdown can begin with its initial chain containing attack/defend triggers.

Can Super Mega Death Rocket's conquer trigger be added to the chain if it gets discarded to the trash by another conquer trigger during the same conquer event?

Ruling: Super Mega Death Rocket's trigger cannot be retroactively added if it moves to the trash while other conquer triggers are resolving. All conquer triggers are evaluated at the same moment when the conquer occurs.

If an opponent reacts to Shen being played onto Trifarian War Camp with Gust (which targets units with 3 or less Might), can Gust target Shen, or does Trifarian War Camp's +1 Might apply instantly?

Ruling: You cannot react to a permanent (unit/gear/add ability) being played. When a permanent is placed on the chain and finalizes, it automatically resolves immediately before any player can react to it. Therefore, Shen would already be on the battlefield with the +1 Might from Trifarian War Camp before Gust could be played, making Shen an invalid target for Gust.

Can you score the same battlefield multiple times in one turn (e.g., by conquering with a token, removing it, then moving another unit there)?

Ruling: You can only score each battlefield once per turn. This applies to both conquering and holding - if you score a battlefield through holding in your Beginning phase, you cannot score it again that turn by conquering.

Does Jinx Legend's ability trigger every turn (even when she has more than 1 card in hand), giving opponents an opportunity to play Reactions at the beginning of her turn before scoring?

Ruling: Jinx Legend's ability triggers at the beginning of every turn regardless of how many cards she has in hand, and goes onto the chain. This gives all opponents an opportunity to play Reactions before the Scoring Step.

Can Sprite Call be revealed and played as a reaction to hard removal targeting the only unit on a battlefield where it was hidden?

Ruling: Yes, Sprite Call can be revealed and played as a reaction to the removal, allowing you to play the sprite to that battlefield.

If a card with Deflect is targeted multiple times by the same multi-target card (e.g., a spell that targets several units including this one more than once), does the player have to pay the Deflect cost for each instance of targeting, or only once?

Ruling: You must pay the Deflect cost for each time the unit is chosen/targeted by the multi-target spell or ability, not just once per spell.

Can a player tap 6 runes to float mana, then play and activate Singularity and Seal in the same turn?

Ruling: Yes, a player can tap runes to generate energy, then use that energy later in the same turn to play Singularity and Seal. Seal enters ready and can be activated the same turn it is played.

Can you play Twisted Fate in non-purple decks?

Ruling: You can only play Twisted Fate if your color identity includes purple. Nuances: - While Twisted Fate's abilities care about other colors, his color identity requirement still restricts which decks can include him - In sealed format you can use any 3 colors, which provides more flexibility than constructed

If the source of a triggered ability is removed from the board (e.g., using Gust on Solari Shieldbearer in response to its Play trigger), does the triggered ability still resolve?

Ruling: Once a triggered ability has been put on the chain after its trigger condition is fulfilled, it will resolve even if its source is removed from the board. Removing the source does not prevent the ability from resolving.

Does Fizz, Trickster target the spell you want to play, or does it just play any applicable spell on resolution?

Ruling: Fizz, Trickster targets the spell. Nuances: - The targeting happens when you choose which spell to play, not on resolution

What happens if you Gust a unit that your opponent declared as a target for Baited Hook? Is killing a unit with Baited Hook a cost?

Ruling: The target is declared when Baited Hook is activated, so you can react with Gust on that unit. If the unit is gone when Baited Hook resolves, the might is returned as "null" and they can't play a unit.

Can a unit move away from a conquered battlefield and then have another unit conquer it again in the same turn to gain another point?

Ruling: No, you can only gain a point from the same battlefield once per turn. Nuances: - This restriction includes holding a battlefield at the start of your turn - if you hold a battlefield at the start of your turn, you cannot gain a point from conquering it during that same turn.

In a 2v2 game, can Tide Turner be used to swap a teammate's unit onto your controlled battlefield during combat?

Ruling: No, Tide Turner cannot be used on a teammate's unit. The card's errata explicitly specifies it can only target "your unit," not an ally's unit.

If Yi has 2 units at the start of combat but during the showdown one unit is moved back or killed, does Yi's legend passive activate? Also, does Yi need to select which unit to buff before the cycle starts?

Ruling: Yi's passive is constantly checking whether the condition is met. If Yi starts with 2 units and that number drops to 1 defender during combat, the bonus activates. Yi does not select a unit - it's a passive bonus that is either in effect or not.

If Darius enters the battlefield as the second card of the turn, will he enter ready since the condition is already fulfilled?

Ruling: Yes, when Darius is played as the second card of the turn, his ability will trigger and ready him.

If Kaisa is conquering and Sky Splitter is in trash, can Sky Splitter be used with only 3 points (since Kaisa reduces cost by highest Might unit owned)? Can Defy counter this? Is the cost reduction applied before or after reactions?

Ruling: When a card references "Cost" (like Kaisa does), it only refers to the printed cost in the top left corner, not what was paid. Sky Splitter is always an 8 for those abilities, so it cannot be used with only 3 points even with Kaisa's cost reduction.

If a player controls a battlefield with a hidden card, and all their units are removed during combat, do they lose control immediately or can they still use the hidden card?

Ruling: During combat, you maintain control of a battlefield even if all your units are removed, until combat fully resolves. This allows you to use your hidden card even without units present.

During a showdown, if I pass priority and my opponent plays a reaction spell (Discipline), can I play an action spell (Rune Prison) after their reaction resolves?

Ruling: Yes, you can play an action spell after the reaction resolves. When the chain empties (after Discipline resolves), you regain focus and priority, allowing you to play an action spell on the empty chain.

In a 1v1 game, can you score the final point to win by holding just one battlefield, or do you need to hold both battlefields?

Ruling: You can win the game by holding just one battlefield to score the final point. The restriction requiring all battlefields only applies to conquering for the final point.

Can you flip Teemo Strategist to buff Ember Monk when there is no enemy target for Teemo's ability?

Ruling: You can flip a card without a valid target. Teemo will flip and Ember Monk will receive the buff, but Teemo's ability will not trigger at all.

Can a player initiate multiple showdowns at the same battlefield in the same turn?

Ruling: Yes, there can be as many showdowns in a turn as a player can legally enact, limited primarily by movement resources and ready units. A player can return to the same battlefield multiple times in the same turn.

Can Yasuo move a just-played (exhausted) unit to a battlefield and have it initiate a showdown the same turn?

Ruling: Yes, Yasuo can move an exhausted unit to the battlefield, and that unit can initiate a showdown the same turn. Exhausting is only the cost for a unit to move itself; other sources of movement (like Yasuo's ability) do not require the unit to be ready.

When Thousand-tailed Watcher's -3 might reduction is applied to a unit with base 2 might that has passive and gear buffs, does the reduction snapshot at the time of application or does it calculate with all modifiers together?

Ruling: When Thousand-tailed Watcher's effect is applied, it snapshots the might reduction at that moment and then applies that reduction continuously. Any additional might increases from passives or gear are added on top of the snapshotted reduction.

Does priority pass during chain resolution, allowing players to respond between individual items resolving?

Ruling: Yes, priority passes during chain resolution. When each item resolves on the chain, the owner of the next link gets priority and all players must pass for that link to resolve, similar to Magic: The Gathering.

Does Darius get accelerate if played as the second card during your turn?

Ruling: Yes, Darius will accelerate if he is the second card played during your turn. Nuances: - Darius must be played from hand (not already on the battlefield) - The unit played to base counts as the first card, making Darius the second card

If you give a card that already has Repeat a second instance of Repeat, can you activate it twice?

Ruling: Yes, you can repeat the spell multiple times if it has multiple instances of Repeat. Sequence: - Each instance of Repeat on a spell can be paid or not paid individually - You may choose to pay the cost for each instance separately

Can cards that reduce might (like Stupify and Thousand Tail Watcher) reduce a unit's might to 1 even if it has buffs from Trifarian Warcamp or attached Buff cards?

Ruling: Yes, cards that reduce might to a minimum of 1 can reduce a unit to 1 might even if it has buffs from Trifarian Warcamp or attached cards. The reduction is calculated when the spell resolves by snapshotting the total reduction needed, which is then applied as a continuous effect.

Does Adaptatron's 'when I conquer' effect trigger if you move it to a terrain where you already scored a hold point with another unit earlier that turn?

Ruling: No, Adaptatron must be the unit doing the conquering for its effect to trigger. If you already have hold on a terrain, moving Adaptatron there is just unit movement, not a conquer.

Can you float power by recycling runes at any time, even if you don't immediately use it?

Ruling: Yes, you can float power by recycling runes at any time you have priority or when spending a resource for an effect/card, even if you don't immediately use it. Runes have activated abilities that work like any other activated ability and don't require you to be paying costs to activate them.

Can opponents play reaction spells in response to triggered or activated abilities from permanents like Teemo's 'When you play me' ability, Darius's triggered ability, or Vi's activated ability?

Ruling: Yes, opponents can play reaction spells in response to triggered and activated abilities from permanents. While you cannot react to a permanent being played, you can always react to the abilities those permanents trigger or activate.

When an opponent moves a unit to an uncontrolled/empty battlefield, does that open a chain or start a showdown? Does the defending player get focus and can they play actions?

Ruling: Moving to an empty battlefield starts a showdown. The attacking player gets first chance to play an action or reaction to start a chain, and if they pass, focus passes to the defender who can then play an action or reaction.

Is there a cheat sheet or summary of rule changes, clarifications, and additions from the new Riftbound rules update?

Ruling: There are official patch notes that cover major changes and intent, available at the Riftbound website. These explain what changed and why, though they are more like footnotes rather than a comprehensive side-by-side comparison.

When moving a unit with Assault into an empty battlefield, does the unit count as attacking and receive attacker designation and triggers?

Ruling: No, moving into an empty battlefield creates a showdown but not a combat. The unit does not receive attacker designation and Assault does not trigger.

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