Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 48 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
For Ride The Wind, when do you choose the target - during cast or on resolution?
Ruling: You choose the target when you play/activate Ride The Wind. It needs a valid target to enter the chain, and when it resolves you decide where to move that unit.
How do you pay costs in Riftbound - specifically the difference between paying energy costs (numbers) versus power costs (colored symbols), and what exhausting versus recycling runes does?
Ruling: Exhausting a rune generates energy, which is used to pay numerical costs on cards (color doesn't matter). Recycling a rune generates power (the colored symbol), which is used to pay symbol costs on cards (color dependent). Runes themselves do not directly pay for costs.
If Warwick moves to a battlefield where damaged Ahri is defending, does his 'when I attack, kill all damaged enemies here' ability kill her before her 'when I attack or defend' ability reduces his Might by 2?
Ruling: No, Ahri's defend trigger resolves before Warwick's attack trigger, so she reduces his Might by 2 before his kill ability resolves.
In multiplayer showdowns, can non-combatting players play actions/reactions, and do they need to be 'invited' by the attacker or defender?
Ruling: The "invited" rule has been removed from the current rules. Priority passes clockwise during showdowns, allowing all players to participate without needing an invitation.
How do Action/Reaction spells and When Attacking/When Defending effects interact during Showdown timing, specifically regarding chain resolution order and when Action spells can be played?
Ruling: When Attacking triggers go on an "initial chain" first, then When Defending triggers, then the attacker gets priority and focus. This initial chain must fully resolve before any subsequent chains can begin. Players can play Reaction speed spells during the initial chain, but the attacker cannot play Action speed spells while the initial chain is ongoing.
Can you target a hidden (facedown) card with a spell that targets a unit or gear on the battlefield?
Ruling: You can target a hidden card if the spell allows targeting "facedown cards," but you cannot target a hidden card with a spell that specifically targets "unit" or "gear" because a facedown card is not a unit or gear for targeting purposes.
When a player attacks in Riftbound, can they wait to see if their opponent responds before playing their own combat trick, or must they play it immediately after moving?
Ruling: The attacker receives focus first after moving to a battlefield and should play any actions immediately if they intend to use them. Waiting to see if the opponent responds before playing your own action is considered angle shooting.
If I play Karma with Dazzling Aurora after revealing 1 or more non-unit cards, would Karma trigger?
Ruling: No, Karma will not trigger from the recycled cards. Karma will be pending on the chain until Aurora finishes resolving (including the recycle), then Karma will be played after the recycle has already occurred.
Does Volibear's effect trigger when playing Sett (the version that gets +1 power from his on-play buff)?
Ruling: Volibear's effect will not trigger when playing Sett who gains +1 power from his on-play ability, because Sett is not Mighty when played and Volibear checks for Mighty units at that moment, before Sett's buff resolves.
How does Ember Monk's triggered ability resolve in a chain when it's targeted by Void Seeker and the player reacts with Hidden Card (Teemo Scout)?
Ruling: Ember Monk's triggered ability gets added to the chain as pending immediately after the correct event happens, and finalizes at the next available cleanup. There can only be one chain at once, not a new chain.
When Icathian Rain triggers multiple times against a unit with Deflect, do you pay the Deflect cost for each individual proc or just once?
Ruling: You must pay the Deflect cost multiple times, once for each individual proc of Icathian Rain.
Does Rabadon cause spells without a damage component (like Stupify, Smoke Screen) to deal damage when targeting an enemy unit?
Ruling: No, bonus damage does not add a damage component to spells that don't already deal damage. Bonus damage increases each instance of damage something deals by X, so it only affects spells that already have damage.
When a player uses Ride the Wind to move a unit into combat at a battlefield, is that unit considered an attacker or defender?
Ruling: Units that join an ongoing combat gain the attacker/defender designation based on their controller's role in that combat, which is determined by who initially applied the contested status to the battlefield.
When Warwick and Anivia both have on attack abilities, can you order them so Anivia damages units first and then Warwick kills the damaged units, or does Warwick's ability not trigger if no units are damaged yet?
Ruling: You can choose the order that multiple on attack triggers go on the chain and resolve. Both abilities trigger and go on the chain regardless of whether their conditions are currently met, because they don't target and instead do "programmable choice based on characteristics" at resolution.
If Caitlyn's ability is activated while she's at a battlefield, and Flash is played in response to move her back to base, does her ability still resolve?
Ruling: Yes, Caitlyn's ability still resolves and deals damage equal to her might to the target. Once the ability is activated and placed on the chain, there is no relation to her position.
When Sett's legend ability heals him, does that remove temporary effects like Smokescreen's might reduction?
Ruling: Healing only removes damage from a unit. Temporary effects like might alterations remain on the unit after healing. Nuances: - If Smokescreen reduces a unit's might, that reduction persists even after the unit is healed - Healing specifically clears damage, not other effects applied to the unit
When a unit is banished and replayed (e.g., with Portal Rescue), does it get its on-play effect again, do buffs stay on it, and is it healed from damage?
Ruling: When a unit is banished and replayed, it triggers its on-play effect again and is healed from damage, but buffs do not stay on it.
Can you assign negative damage to units that cannot be dealt damage (like Kayn) during combat damage assignment?
Ruling: By the rules as written, there is no explicit restriction preventing negative damage assignment during combat. The rules only specify that valid damage must be a positive integer when dealing damage, but assigning damage is not the same as dealing damage, creating a technical loophole.
When attackers are moved back to base after combat ends with defenders still alive, do they become exhausted or stay in their prior state?
Ruling: Attackers stay in the same state they were in before being moved back to base. They are Recalled back to base, which is not considered a 'Move'.
In a 4-player game, when can players 3 and 4 interact with a showdown between players 1 and 2?
Ruling: Under current rules, other players can only play spells when the attacker or defender invites them, or when they become relevant (such as when a spell targets their units). However, the invite mechanic is being removed in updated rules, after which all players can play spells during any showdown like any other player.
Can a hidden unit card remain facedown and hold a battlefield when all face-up units died to a spell?
Ruling: No, a hidden card cannot hold a battlefield. If you ever lose control of a battlefield, any hidden cards there are immediately sent to the trash.
If a player at 7 points holds one battlefield (scoring their 7th point in the beginning phase) and then moves a ganking unit to conquer an empty battlefield, do they immediately score their 8th point and win, or must they wait to hold that battlefield next turn?
Ruling: The player scores their 8th point and wins immediately. To gain the final point by conquering, you must score all other battlefields that turn, which happens when you hold one battlefield during the beginning phase and then conquer the second battlefield by ganking.
Does recycling Ava Achiever with Teemo Strategist count towards the damage if the card references Hidden but doesn't have the Hidden keyword itself?
Ruling: No, Ava Achiever does not count towards Teemo Strategist's damage because Ava does not have the Hidden keyword itself. Cards must have the Hidden keyword, not just reference it, to trigger Teemo Strategist's effect.
Can you recycle runes just to float power/energy without paying for something, specifically to preserve resources when a unit with Deathknell is about to die?
Ruling: You can recycle runes to float power/energy, but you must either have Priority or be in the middle of paying a cost for a card. You cannot float resources at arbitrary times without one of these conditions.
Who gets first priority to play action spells in combat?
Ruling: The attacker gets focus first in combat, which is required to play an action. After the attacker either passes or plays something (and it fully resolves), focus passes to the defender.
When Yasuo Remorseful attacks with a 'when I attack' trigger, does the trigger resolve before the Showdown begins, and what speed of cards can be played in response?
Ruling: When Yasuo attacks and his trigger goes on the stack, you have priority and can play Reaction speed cards (but not Action speed cards) before the trigger resolves. After the trigger resolves, you gain focus and priority to play Action/Reaction speed cards during the Showdown.
When a unit with Buff attachments is recalled by Hourglass, does it keep the Buffs? And do Buffs act as damage shields that get removed when the unit takes damage?
Ruling: When Hourglass recalls a unit with Buffs attached, the unit keeps all Buffs. Buffs simply add Might to the unit and are not removed by damage unless a card specifically tells you to remove them.
Can Rhasa the Sunderer be reduced to 0 energy cost but still require one Chaos Power to play?
Ruling: Yes, Rhasa can be reduced to a cost of 0 Energy but still requires one Chaos Power to play it.
If the first target of Piercing Light leaves the battlefield, will the second target still take damage?
Ruling: Yes, the second target will still take damage even if the first target leaves the battlefield. Nuances: - The word "then" in card text does not create a dependency between effects - it's essentially meaningless for resolution purposes - The keyword "to" (as in "do X to do Y") creates a cost-to-effect relationship where X must successfully resolve for...
When Gust targets a unit that becomes invalid during chain resolution (due to increased might), can the player change the target to a different valid unit?
Ruling: No, once targets are declared upon entering the chain, they cannot be redeclared. Gust will resolve with no effect if its target becomes invalid.
Can you play actions when a 'when attacking' chain is triggered, and does damage clean up when a showdown occurs due to someone taking an uncontested battlefield?
Ruling: While any chain is in progress (including chains with attacking/defending triggers), you can only play reactions, not actions. Units do not heal when someone moves to an empty battlefield; damage only clears at end of turn or if combat occurs.
When two Dazzling Auroras are on the stack and the first plays a Snapvine (which kills an opponent's unit), does the second Aurora's unit get placed before or after the Snapvine ability resolves?
Ruling: You must fully resolve the first Aurora (including playing its unit and resolving any triggered abilities like Snapvine) before the second Aurora begins resolving. The second Aurora's unit is placed after the Snapvine ability has already killed the opponent's unit.
What happens when you run out of cards in your deck?
Ruling: When you need to draw a card and have no deck, you shuffle your Trash and it becomes your deck. Your opponent gets a point.
If an opponent moves one character to attack a controlled battlefield, assigns damage, then moves another character to deal what would be lethal damage, does cleanup occur between these combats to heal the defending units?
Ruling: Yes, cleanup occurs at the end of each combat, healing all units. Therefore, damage from the first combat would be healed before the second combat begins, potentially preventing lethal damage.
Can you play Catalyst of Aeons while you have all 12 runes up, and is there any benefit to floating a rune first?
Ruling: You can play Catalyst of Aeons at 12 runes and still get the draw effect. However, it is optimal to float energy/power from a rune first, then play Catalyst - you still get the draw and get your rune back.
Can you play Call to Glory using only a buff from your character if all your runes are exhausted (without having 3 runes available)?
Ruling: Yes, you can play Call to Glory with no runes available for energy if you spend a buff. Additional costs and base costs are calculated together when determining cost and paid at the same moment.
Can I react to my temporary unit dying with a unit hidden card, and keep control of the battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, if you play a unit in reaction to the temporary trigger, you can keep control of the battlefield.
Can a player play multiple reactions in succession (holding priority) before passing priority to the opponent during a chain?
Ruling: Yes, you can hold priority and play multiple reactions in succession. Priority only passes when you choose to pass it.
When using Stacked Deck and revealing Nocturne, can you play Nocturne and still get a card from the remaining two cards?
Ruling: Yes, you can play Nocturne from Stacked Deck and still choose one of the remaining two cards to put into your hand. Nocturne does not count as your one card from Stacked Deck.
Do conquer abilities trigger when you already held/conquered a battlefield, and what rules support this?
Ruling: Conquer abilities do not trigger when you already held/conquered that battlefield. Conquering is specifically a form of scoring, and you cannot score a battlefield again if you already scored it this turn.
Does Mine Field's effect count as discard?
Ruling: Mine Field's effect (placing the top 2 cards of your main deck in the trash when you conquer) is not the Discard game action.
Can a unit that has already been hidden be played to the battlefield for its normal cost when Mageseeker Warden is on the battlefield?
Ruling: No. Once a unit has been hidden (placed face-down on the battlefield), it cannot be played for its normal cost. It can only be played for the hidden cost.
When using Charm to move an opponent's unit from a battlefield they control to an empty battlefield, does the opponent score a point? Also, when playing Master Yi and using Charm to move an enemy unit to a battlefield after winning combat there, does damage heal between combats?
Ruling: When you use Charm to move an opponent's unit from a battlefield they control to an empty battlefield, they do score a point (assuming they haven't already scored that battlefield this turn). Your units fully heal after each combat and at the end of each turn, and healing applies to all units on the entire board.
If a card like Void Seeker tries to kill a unit I control, can I use a hidden Hidden Blade to kill my own unit instead? What happens to Void Seeker if there are no other legal targets, and does the player who played Void Seeker still pay the cost?
Ruling: Yes, you can respond by revealing Hidden Blade to kill your own unit before Void Seeker resolves. The player who played Void Seeker still pays all costs (including any deflect cost) when they first cast the spell. When Void Seeker resolves, it does as much as it can - the target is gone so it doesn't deal damage, but...
Does Eclipse Herald get +1 might and ready from stuns that occurred earlier in the turn before it was played, or only from stuns after it enters play?
Ruling: Eclipse Herald only triggers from stuns that occur after it is on the board. It does not retroactively gain +1 might or ready from stuns that happened earlier in the turn.
When using Temptation with Repeat, can you effectively swap two enemy units' positions, or does the second activation fail because the game state has changed?
Ruling: The second activation fails. After the first activation moves a unit, the game state changes, and when the repeated activation checks legality, the original target location no longer has a unit to move to, causing it to fail.
When Thousand-Tailed Watcher attacks a battlefield with Ravenbloom Student, and 5 spells are played, what is the final might of Ravenbloom Student?
Ruling: Ravenbloom Student will have 6 might. The might reduction from Thousand-Tailed Watcher happens once and finalizes the unit's value at that time, then subsequent might increases are added.
Can spells and units share the facedown zone on a battlefield, and what happens to a facedown card when you lose control of a battlefield?
Ruling: Spells and units share the same facedown zone, so you can have either a single hidden unit OR a single hidden spell per battlefield, but never both. If you don't have any units at a battlefield, you lose control of that battlefield.
Does Svellsongur copy stat bonuses (like +Might) from equipment already attached to a unit, or only the printed text on the unit card?
Ruling: Svellsongur only copies printed text from the unit card itself, not stat bonuses or text granted by other equipment attached to that unit.
Can you overassign combat damage to one unit to avoid killing another unit (like Ekko) when blocking with multiple units?
Ruling: You cannot overassign combat damage to blockers. You must assign exactly the amount of damage needed to make each blocker lethal before moving to the next one.