Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 44 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Can an opponent force a hidden Zhonya's Hourglass to save a specific unit (Poro) instead of another unit (Blitzcrank) when multiple units are dying?
Ruling: If multiple units are dying simultaneously from combat damage, the Zhonya's controller chooses which unit gets saved. However, if the opponent uses a spell to kill a specific unit before combat, they can force Zhonya's to save that unit instead.
In a 1v1 match, does the first player draw a card on their first turn?
Ruling: Yes, in 1v1 matches, the first player draws a card on their first turn as normal. Sequence: - The core rules define variables that each game mode must specify, including adjustments to the first turn - The 1v1 mode only specifies one adjustment: the second player channels an extra Rune during their first Channel Phase - Since no adjustment...
Can you have multiple Zhonya's Hourglass on the field at once, and if a unit dies, do all of them trigger or just one?
Ruling: You can have multiple Zhonya's Hourglass on the field at once. If only one unit dies, only one Zhonya's Hourglass gets used.
If I move a ready unit from my base to a battlefield using Yasuo's Legend ability, does the unit become exhausted?
Ruling: When you move a unit with Yasuo's ability, the unit stays ready. Exhausting a unit is a cost to perform a standard move; any other form of movement doesn't exhaust unless stated.
Can my opponent float their resources (energy and power) as a reaction to Divine Judgement?
Ruling: Yes, your opponent can float resources as a reaction to Divine Judgement. Runes have "Exhaust - Reaction: Add 1 Energy" and can be activated before the spell resolves. They can also recycle runes to float power.
If my unit is already on a battlefield and my opponent attacks it but fails, do I gain a point?
Ruling: You do not gain a point from successfully defending an attack. You only gain a point if you start your turn with a unit on the battlefield (holding it).
If you hold a battlefield and move a unit away (making it open), then move another unit to that same battlefield, does the 'when you conquer' ability trigger?
Ruling: No, you cannot trigger the conquering ability because conquering is a subset of scoring. If you can't score the battlefield (because you already hold it), you can't get conquer triggers.
Can Defy target any spell on the chain, or only the most recently played one? Can an opponent intentionally play a cheap spell followed by an expensive one to avoid Defy?
Ruling: Defy can target any valid spell on its chain, not just the most recently played one. An opponent cannot avoid Defy by playing a cheap spell followed by an expensive one.
Does Solari Shrine trigger and allow you to draw when an opponent's unit would die but is saved by Zhonya's (which recalls the unit instead)?
Ruling: Solari Shrine does not trigger when Zhonya's saves a unit from death. Because Zhonya's replaces the kill event by recalling the unit, the unit is never killed, so Solari Shrine's condition is not met.
Does the chain in Riftbound resolve all at once like Yu-Gi-Oh (chainlock), or can players respond between individual resolutions like Magic: The Gathering?
Ruling: The chain functions like Magic: The Gathering - players can respond between individual resolutions. There is no chainlock; only one item resolves at a time, and players receive priority to play cards or activate abilities before the next item resolves.
Can Fiora Grand Duelist's effect be used to channel a rune exhausted when one of your units becomes mighty during your opponent's turn?
Ruling: Yes, Fiora's effect can be used during your opponent's turn when one of your units becomes mighty. It is a trigger, not an activated ability, so it will trigger regardless of whose turn it is.
During a Riftbound showdown, when can players play actions vs reactions, and how does priority/focus work during chain resolution?
Ruling: Actions can only be played when the chain is empty (to start a new chain). Reactions can be played at any time during a chain. When you have focus and priority, you can play action > reaction(s) and pass priority. After a chain resolves, focus and priority automatically pass to the opponent.
If I hold a battlefield with one unit and move it back to base, can I play a unit there?
Ruling: No, you cannot play a unit there after moving your only unit back to base because you are no longer in control of that battlefield.
If you play Fading Memories on Immortal Phoenix, can you play the Phoenix from the discard pile? Is it considered killed by a spell?
Ruling: No, Fading Memories is not a kill spell. The unit doesn't die from the spell effect itself, it dies from the Temporary keyword.
Can a defending player choose not to deal their full damage in combat to avoid killing specific units with death effects?
Ruling: No, you must distribute ALL of your damage (the summed might of your units) during the combat damage step. You cannot choose to deal less damage to avoid triggering death effects.
When do you declare targets for spells and abilities in Riftbound - at cast or at resolution?
Ruling: You declare targets when you put the spell or ability on the chain, not when it resolves. Nuances: - Any effect that asks you to choose an object on the board (in any wording) requires a target - Cards like "Deal 3 to a unit" and "Choose an enemy unit" both use the same targeting timing despite different wording...
For abilities that deal damage to a target (like Gentlemen's Duel or Teemo Strategist), when must you declare the target - before or after other parts of the ability resolve?
Ruling: You must declare all targets when the ability goes on the chain/stack, before the ability resolves and before any reactions can be played. This applies even when the target is mentioned in the middle or end of the ability text.
Does Rule 103.3.a.1 mean that if your chosen champion is "Garen, Commander" and your legend is "Might of Demacia", you can only have yellow runes in your deck?
Ruling: No, this is a typo in the rules. The rule should reference your "legend" rather than your champion when determining which runes you can include in your deck.
If I play Challenge targeting my 5 might unit and opponent's 4 might unit, and opponent responds with Shakedown to kill my unit, what happens when Challenge resolves?
Ruling: Shakedown resolves first and kills your unit. When Challenge resolves, it cannot find your unit to deal damage to it or query its Might, so nothing happens.
When Noxian Drummer moves to a battlefield with Trifarian War Camp (which has Ahri Nine-Tailed Fox), does the token created by Noxian Drummer get affected by Ahri's -1 strength debuff?
Ruling: Yes, the token created by Noxian Drummer will be affected by Ahri Nine-Tailed Fox's -1 strength debuff. Sequence: - Noxian Drummer moves to the battlefield - Noxian Drummer's ability goes on the chain - The ability resolves (token is created) - Showdown begins - Ahri triggers, giving -1 strength to all attacking units including the token
Do multiple copies of Ezreal Prodigy on board stack their cost reduction effects, or does the cost reduction only apply once regardless of how many copies are present?
Ruling: Multiple copies of Ezreal Prodigy stack their cost reduction effects. Each Ezreal applies its cost reduction once. Nuances: - Riftbound has no Legend Rule for any card except those with the Unique keyword, so multiple copies of the same unit can exist on board simultaneously
Can you tap Kaisa Daughter of the Void to pay for Hextech Ray's power cost instead of recycling the red rune?
Ruling: Yes, you can tap 1 energy to use Hextech Ray and then tap Kaisa Daughter of the Void to pay for the power cost instead of recycling the red rune.
Can you react with Zhonya's Hourglass to save a unit at a different battlefield than where Zhonya's is hidden?
Ruling: Yes, you can react with Zhonya's Hourglass to save a unit at any battlefield, not just the one where it's hidden.
What is a valid location for playing units, given that the updated Core Rules removed the definition?
Ruling: The removal of the definition for "valid location" was an error in the rules update. Units should be played to locations the player controls on the board (specifically battlefields they control), as stated in the previous version.
What happens to a hidden card placed on a conquered battlefield when the minion controlling that battlefield is killed by a spell?
Ruling: When you lose control of a battlefield, any hidden cards on it go to the trash. However, you can flip or play the hidden card in the last available reaction window before losing control.
Can you do reactions on a movement from base to a battlefield that's already under your control?
Ruling: Whether you can react to a movement depends on how the movement was performed and whether anything triggers during the movement.
When Leona attacks and triggers her stun ability, can an opponent react before the Leona legend ability resolves to put a buff counter on her?
Ruling: Yes, opponents can react between Leona's "When I attack" ability resolving and her legend ability resolving. If they have a reaction available, they can potentially kill Leona before she receives the buff counter.
How do you determine the domain identity of a card in Riftbound?
Ruling: A card's domain identity is determined by the color of the bar behind the card's name, or alternatively by the symbol at the bottom right of the card (for colorblind accessibility).
When Yasuo attacks and uses his ability to deal 6 damage to a defending Darius (5 might), does Darius die before dealing damage back to Yasuo in the showdown?
Ruling: Yes, Yasuo's attack trigger deals 6 damage to Darius before the showdown begins, killing him. Darius does not deal damage back to Yasuo because he is dead before damage assignment occurs.
When playing Challenge during a showdown, can you target units at any location or only at the current battlefield?
Ruling: You can target units at any location when playing Challenge. The only targeting limitations are those written on the card itself and the rule that cards played from hidden can only target cards at the same battlefield.
How does action/reaction timing work during combat, specifically regarding who can cast reactions first and when buffs apply?
Ruling: The attacker has priority to add to the chain first during combat. Players alternate adding reactions to the chain, which resolve in reverse order (last in, first out). If both players pass consecutively, combat resolves and no more reactions can be added.
Does Taric give Leona an extra instance of Shield (so she has Shield 2 instead of 1)?
Ruling: Yes, Taric gives Leona an additional instance of Shield, resulting in Shield 2 (as long as they're at the same battlefield).
Can you play an Action spell in response to an opponent's Action spell during a showdown, or can you only play Reaction spells?
Ruling: You cannot play an Action spell in response to an opponent's Action spell during a showdown. You can only respond with Reaction spells because Action speed cannot be played during a closed state (ongoing chain).
Does moving to an empty battlefield start a showdown where you can play kill spells and activate abilities?
Ruling: Yes, moving to an empty battlefield does start a showdown. These are called non-combat Showdowns and occur when an empty battlefield is contested.
Does Svellsongur copy equipment effect text that has been appended to a unit's rules text, or does it only copy the unit's printed text?
Ruling: Svellsongur only copies the printed text of the unit card, not equipment effects that have been appended to the unit's rules text.
If Sky Splitter's energy cost is reduced to 0 by Anvivia, can Defy negate it since the cost is below 4, or does Defy look at the printed cost?
Ruling: Defy looks at the printed cost of the card, not the reduced cost. You cannot use Defy to negate Sky Splitter even if its cost has been reduced to 0 by Anvivia, because Sky Splitter's printed cost is 8.
If Blink (or Flash) moves a unit from the battlefield, does Hidden Blade still make its controller draw a card?
Ruling: No, Hidden Blade does not make its controller draw a card if Blink or Flash moves the unit from the battlefield.
Can Warwick with Flurry of Blades attack one battlefield, use his trigger to kill everything, then use Ride the Wind to move to the opponent's other battlefield and trigger again to clear that battlefield too?
Ruling: No, this combo will not work to clear both battlefields. When the first combat ends, damage is cleared at all locations, so the second battlefield's units will heal before Warwick can trigger there.
When Zhonya's Hourglass is played from hidden, can it affect units dying on other battlefields, and if multiple units die simultaneously, who chooses which unit is recalled?
Ruling: Yes, Zhonya's Hourglass can affect units dying on other battlefields when played from hidden. When gear is played from hidden, it is immediately recalled to base as a corrective action since gear cannot exist on a battlefield. When multiple friendly units die simultaneously (whether from combat damage or spells like Singularity), the owner of Zhonya's Hourglass chooses which unit...
When a 1 Might unit enters a battlefield and Ahri Legend/Champion reduces it to a minimum of 1, can the attacking player then use an action to buff that unit's Might above 1?
Ruling: Yes, a 1 Might unit can be buffed above 1 after Ahri's reduction resolves. Ahri's ability reduces the unit to a minimum of 1, and after it resolves, any subsequent Might increases apply normally.
When spending a buff as a cost, do you target a unit, and if so, is an unbuffed unit an illegal target?
Ruling: Costs are not targeted. When spending a buff as a cost, you do not target a unit. Nuances: - If you try to buff a unit that already has a buff, you do target them, but you won't be able to buff them for the purposes of effects like "when you buff a unit" (unless they have special exceptions...
When do you score points for controlling a battlefield - do you get a point when you move to an empty battlefield and end your turn, and another point if the enemy does nothing on their turn?
Ruling: You score a conquer point immediately when you take control of a battlefield (after combat/showdown resolves), not at the end of your turn. You then score a hold point if you still control that battlefield at the beginning of your next turn.
In a 1v1 game, does the starting player draw a card on their first turn?
Ruling: Yes, in 1v1 the starting player draws a card on their first turn. The rule that the starting player does NOT draw only applies to specific formats: FFA 3, FFA 4, and 2v2 Magma Chamber, which explicitly call out no card draw on the first turn.
If Mask of Foresight is active and a unit is designated as a defender alongside other units, then during the initial chain those other units are moved away leaving only one defender, does Mask trigger or give the remaining unit +1 might?
Ruling: Mask of Foresight does not trigger and does not give the remaining unit +1 might. The trigger condition for Mask ("when I attack/defend alone") must be met at the moment units are designated as attackers/defenders, which only happens during the initial chain of a showdown.
If two Viktor units die at the same time, do their death-triggered abilities see each other die?
Ruling: When two Viktor units die simultaneously, they do not see each other die and their triggered abilities do not activate. Triggered abilities from permanents must meet their conditions and trigger while on the board, and units that die simultaneously are no longer present to see other units move zones.
How many battlefields are recommended for a 3-player game?
Ruling: For a 3-player game, 3 battlefields are recommended. Nuances: - This follows the pattern where 2 players use 2 battlefields and 4 players use 3 battlefields
After both players pass focus during combat (with no When I Attack or When I Defend effects), can the attacking player play a reaction before combat damage is assigned?
Ruling: No, after both players pass focus, there is no window to play reactions before combat damage assignment. The game proceeds directly to combat damage assignment.
When a spell like Stormbringer deals simultaneous damage that kills Lee Sin Centered and damages another unit buffed by Lee Sin, does the buffed unit lose the +2 might from Lee Sin before or after taking damage?
Ruling: The unit takes damage while still having the buff, then loses the buff after Lee Sin dies, then checks if it should die. The loss of the buff can cause the unit to die even if it survived the initial damage with the buff active.
When Wielder of Water's conditional passive is checked (specifically, if one of two Wielders at a location is killed by Yasuo's attack trigger, does the remaining Wielder immediately gain the might bonus for being alone)?
Ruling: Yes, the remaining Wielder would immediately get its might bonus. Passive abilities are active whenever they meet their condition, and cleanup occurs when an item on the chain resolves.
Are runes considered cards? Specifically, does cycling a rune trigger Karma?
Ruling: No, runes are not cards. Only Main Deck Cards are considered "cards" for game purposes, so cycling a rune does not trigger Karma.