Riftbound Rules Questions (Page 50)

What happens if Carnivorous Snapvine is killed in response to its triggered ability?

Ruling: The fight would occur but since Snapvine is dead it returns a null/0 might unit and the resulting damage is 0. Effectively nothing happens.

How do cards with power cost symbols (⚪) work, and can seals be used to pay those costs?

Ruling: Cards with power cost symbols require both energy (exhaust runes) and power (recycle runes or use seals). Seals can only pay power costs, not energy costs.

Does Blue Kai'Sa's conquer trigger resolve before or after gaining the conquer point, and does this affect what spell costs you can cast with her ability?

Ruling: Conquer points are gained when you conquer as normal, so you get your point from conquering before Kai'Sa's conquer trigger resolves. If you're at 3 points and conquer with her, you'll be at 4 points when her ability resolves, allowing you to cast 3-cost and lower spells.

Can you conquer Sigil of the Storm if you have no runes to recycle?

Ruling: Yes, you can conquer Sigil of the Storm even if you have no runes. The effect triggers and resolves but does nothing since you have no runes to recycle.

Can Seal of Rage be tapped to provide the Fury Power needed to recycle a card that requires Fury Power to recycle?

Ruling: Yes, you can tap Seal of Rage to add a Fury Power which can be used to pay for a card's Fury Power cost, including recycle costs.

If I attack with a unit, then use Action: Challenge, but the opponent reacts with Hidden Blade and kills my unit, what happens to Challenge?

Ruling: Challenge will resolve to no effect because it cannot find the unit you controlled that was originally chosen as a target.

If Thousand-Tailed Watcher (which reduces enemy Might by 3) attacks Tibbers (7 Might base, deals 4 damage when blocking), does Tibbers deal 4 damage or 7 damage in combat?

Ruling: Tibbers deals 4 damage because its Might is reduced to 4 by Thousand-Tailed Watcher's effect (7 base Might - 3 from Watcher = 4 Might). Tibbers dies and Watcher survives the combat.

If I'm holding a zone and my opponent attacks and starts a showdown, and then I reveal a hidden card to win the showdown, do I get a conquer point?

Ruling: No, you do not get a conquer point. You only score a battlefield via conquering when you GAIN control of the battlefield, not when you successfully defend a battlefield you already control.

When do you pay power for Bullet Time - on cast or on resolution?

Ruling: You pay power for Bullet Time on resolution, not on cast, because it is not an additional cost effect.

For Kadregrin's ability 'Draw one for each of your mighty units,' does it include Mighty units in your hand?

Ruling: No, Kadregrin's ability does not count Mighty units in your hand. It only counts Mighty units you control (in play).

When a unit with 1 base Might has +1 Might from two different sources (e.g., a Buff and Darius Executioner) for a total of 3 Might, and Smoke Screen reduces it to 1 Might, what happens when those +1 Might sources are removed one at a time?

Ruling: When Smoke Screen reduces a unit's Might to 1, removing the first +1 Might source reduces the unit to 0 Might, and removing the second source reduces it to -1 Might (which has no real effect and is treated as 0 for gameplay purposes, but the math still tracks the negative value).

If I cast Promising Future and both players reveal Time Warp, what order do the extra turns happen in?

Ruling: The rules do not currently address the interaction between extra turns from simultaneous effects like this. There is no definitive answer at this time.

Does Riftbound have a Last Known Information (LKI) rule, and how do abilities access information about game objects?

Ruling: Riftbound does not have Last Known Information rules. Abilities can only access information that was present when the ability started resolving.

If a unit is killed during a showdown and the defending player no longer has a unit there, does focus still pass to them, or does the showdown end immediately?

Ruling: Focus still passes to the defending player even if their unit dies during the showdown. Showdowns only end when both players pass focus without creating a chain, never sooner.

When multiple units die simultaneously from combat damage, does the player using Zhonya choose which unit to save, or does the opponent's damage distribution order determine which unit can be saved?

Ruling: When multiple units die simultaneously, the player using Zhonya chooses which unit to save. The opponent does not determine the order of damage distribution in a way that restricts this choice.

Can you use reaction speed spells to reduce the might of a unit targeted by Baited Hook, so that the opponent searches for a lower might unit?

Ruling: No, you cannot reduce the might to change what the opponent searches for. The unit's might is declared when Baited Hook's cost is paid and cannot be changed after that point.

If I play Harrowing and bring Annie back into play, can Annie's ability target the Harrowing that was just played to get it back?

Ruling: Yes, you can get The Harrowing back with Annie's ability. Spells enter the trash as the final step before being considered fully resolved/played, which happens before Annie finalizes and her trigger goes on the chain.

Can Malzahar kill himself to activate his ability that requires exhausting him and killing him as costs?

Ruling: Yes, Malzahar can kill himself to activate his ability. The costs can be paid in any order, so he can exhaust himself before killing himself.

Does Ahri's on-hold point effect count toward the winning condition if you reach 8 points with it?

Ruling: Yes, Ahri's on-hold point effect counts toward the winning condition. Characters that grant you a point, such as Ahri or Tryndamere, are not restricted from providing the final winning point.

When Merchant is moved and triggers its ability, can Gust be used in reaction to prevent the ability, and what is the order of resolution?

Ruling: When you move Merchant, its ability triggers and can be reacted to with Gust, but Gust will not prevent Merchant's ability from resolving. Gust resolves first (checking might), then Merchant's trigger resolves.

When multiple conquer triggers occur simultaneously (e.g., conquering Zaun Warrens while Super Mega Death Rocket is in trash), can the player choose the order in which these triggers stack?

Ruling: When multiple triggers you control trigger at the same time, you choose the order in which they stack. Nuances: - This applies to any situation where multiple triggers you control occur simultaneously, not just conquer triggers

Can an opponent play Gust in response to Wielder of Water attacking alone, or does Wielder of Water's 'while I'm attacking' ability make it count as 4 might immediately?

Ruling: Wielder of Water's "while I'm attacking" ability is a passive ability that applies immediately when attacking, so the opponent cannot react with Gust before it takes effect.

If an attacker stuns a defending unit but can't kill it, what happens to the attacker?

Ruling: The attacker is recalled back to base. Nuances: - Being recalled does not count as a move

When conquering an unoccupied battlefield, is there a showdown and are attacker/defender determined?

Ruling: There is a showdown for responses by players, but it is not a combat, so no attacker/defender is determined and no combat-related triggers or passive effects (like assault or attacking/defending triggers) occur.

Does Yordle Explorer trigger to draw a card when you play Switcheroo from Hidden (which has a printed power cost of 2 but costs 0 when played from Hidden)?

Ruling: Yes, Yordle Explorer will trigger and draw a card when you play Switcheroo from Hidden. Nuances: - Cards that check costs look at the printed value on the card, not the actual amount paid to play it - You don't have to pay the full cost for the trigger condition to be met - This works the same way...

If Noxus Saboteur dies in combat with an opponent's unit that also dies, can the opponent activate a hidden Zhonya to save their unit?

Ruling: No, the opponent cannot activate Zhonya to save their unit if it dies in combat with Noxus Saboteur. Sequence: - Combat damage occurs - Units are removed from the board - No window exists between these steps for the opponent to react and activate Zhonya

How many targets does Convergent Mutation choose?

Ruling: Convergent Mutation has two targets - the unit you want to change the might of and the unit you take the might from.

What speed/timing does tapping runes use?

Ruling: Runes can be activated as a reaction to add resources. The patch notes were simply clarifying the speed at which tapping runes occurs.

Does Pirate's Haven grant +1 might to a unit that enters ready (such as from Confront or Accelerate abilities)?

Ruling: Pirate's Haven does not trigger when a unit enters ready. It only triggers when a unit is readied, which refers to the game action of taking an exhausted unit and giving it ready status.

Can a player play Challenge (an action speed card) after their opponent plays Retreat during a showdown?

Ruling: Challenge cannot be played in response to Retreat because Challenge is at action speed and cannot be played when there is an existing chain created by Retreat.

If Yasuo's attack trigger targets a unit, but Reaver's Battlefield moves that unit away before Yasuo's trigger resolves, does Yasuo still deal damage to that unit?

Ruling: If you remove the target unit with Reaver's Battlefield before Yasuo's ability resolves, Yasuo's ability does nothing. Sequence: - Attack and defend triggers go on the chain in focus order (active player, then non-active player) - Yasuo's attack trigger goes on the chain first - Reaver's Battlefield defend trigger goes on the chain second - Reaver's Battlefield resolves first,...

When a card effect says to 'move' a unit, does a readied unit become exhausted or stay readied?

Ruling: When a card effect explicitly says to "move" a unit, a readied unit stays readied unless the card specifies otherwise.

If a player has 7 points and controls one battlefield, do they need to capture both battlefields on the same turn to win, or can they just capture the uncontrolled battlefield to reach 8 points?

Ruling: If your final point comes from conquering a battlefield, you need to have scored both battlefields that turn to win. If your final point comes from holding a battlefield, you just get it.

Can Fiora's ability be used to ready Leona Champion when she becomes mighty during a showdown after her stun resolves and her Legend ability triggers?

Ruling: Yes, you can pay {O} to ready Leona when she becomes mighty during the showdown sequence. Sequence: - Leona moves to a battlefield occupied by an opponent - Leona's stun goes to the pile and resolves - Leona's Legend ability triggers and buffs Leona Champion - Leona Champion becomes mighty - Fiora's ability can be used at this moment...

When attacking with two units (6 and 8 might) against four defending units (3, 6, 5, and 1 might, with the 6 might stunned), if the attacker kills the 6 and 5 and 3 might units, what happens to the remaining 1 might unit?

Ruling: At the end of combat, if both players still have units on the battlefield, the attacking units are recalled to base. The remaining 1 might unit does not automatically enter a new showdown.

How does Facebreaker/Zhonya's Hourglass interact with Vilemaw's Lair when the attacker is stunned?

Ruling: When both the attacker and defender are stunned, the attacker will be recalled back to base because there are still defenders present. Recalls are not considered moves.

Can you move units to multiple different battlefields in one turn, and can you move a unit from base while playing Deathbloom Predator?

Ruling: You cannot move units to multiple different battlefields simultaneously, but you can make sequential moves to different battlefields (exhausting units for each move). You cannot move units while playing Deathbloom Predator.

What are all the triggers that allow playing a reaction spell, and can you play a reaction when an opponent plays a unit in their base?

Ruling: You can play reaction spells in response to anything that stays on the chain. Units and gear do not stay on the chain, so you cannot react to them being played. However, you can react to effects that resolve when a character joins the field.

In 2v2 games, do teammates share a base?

Ruling: No, bases are not shared between teammates in 2v2. Each player has their own base and cannot move into another player's base regardless of whether they are teammates or opponents.

Does Mundo's Might value change dynamically as cards are added to trash, including during chain resolution?

Ruling: Mundo's Might changes dynamically as the number of cards in your trash changes. During a chain, Might adjusts after each spell finishes resolving when game state is checked/cleaned up.

When an opponent moves a unit to an open battlefield starting a showdown, and you play Zenith Blade at Action speed to move your unit to that battlefield, what happens? Does the opponent score for conquering the open field, and what is the sequence of events?

Ruling: When Zenith Blade moves your unit to a battlefield during an open showdown, the unit contests the battlefield and a pending combat is created. The open showdown does not result in a conquer (control cannot be established while contested), and once the open showdown ends, combat begins with the original player as the attacker and the Zenith Blade player...

If Lucian conquers a location while equipped with Trinity and Skyfall, how many points are scored?

Ruling: You score 2 points total when conquering with Lucian equipped with both Trinity and Skyfall.

Can you react to a Sprite token dying from the Temporary keyword, specifically to reveal a hidden card like Teemo at the Sprite's battlefield?

Ruling: Yes, you can react to a Sprite token dying from Temporary. The Temporary keyword is a triggered ability that goes on the chain during the Beginning Phase, so it can be reacted to.

What is the banlist and rotation policy for Riftbound?

Ruling: Riftbound will have yearly rotations starting in approximately 2 years (early 2028 with Set 10 release, removing Sets 1-5 from Standard), and cards will be banned when necessary.

If you use Wind Wall to block Bullet Time, does Wind Wall happen before or after the player using Bullet Time has chosen how much power they intend to use?

Ruling: Wind Wall happens before the Bullet Time player chooses how much power to pay. The player using Bullet Time pays no extra power because the amount is chosen during resolution, not when the card is played.

If I have 2 copies of Mask of Foresight equipped, does a unit attacking/defending alone get +2, or can I only use one?

Ruling: Both Mask of Foresight copies will trigger when a unit attacks or defends alone, giving +2 total. Sequence: - The first time each unit becomes an attacker or defender alone in each combat, both Masks trigger - Each Mask provides +1, totaling +2

Browse Riftbound Rules Questions