Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 53 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
If I hold two battlefields and I'm on 6 points, do I win the game at the start of my turn?
Ruling: Yes, you win the game when you gain the 8th point by holding two battlefields at the start of your turn.
Can a defender assign all combat damage to a single attacking unit to avoid killing other attackers with death triggers, or must damage be distributed to kill all units once lethal is reached?
Ruling: Combat damage must be assigned to reach lethal on each unit before moving to the next unit. If the defender has enough power to kill multiple attackers, they must kill all of them and cannot concentrate all damage on one unit to avoid death triggers.
When playing a unit with Promising Future, does the unit enter exhausted?
Ruling: Yes, the unit enters exhausted. All units enter exhausted unless otherwise specified. Nuances: - Some units like Warwick have text that specifies they enter ready instead of exhausted
If I play En Garde when I have only one unit on the battlefield, then later in a subsequent chain play Blastcone Fae (adding a second unit), do I retain the +2 might bonus from En Garde?
Ruling: Yes, you retain the +2 might bonus from En Garde. En Garde is a trigger ability that checks the game state only when it resolves, not continuously, so adding a second unit afterward does not remove the bonus.
When you have two Aurora triggers and the first one hits a unit, does the unit resolve immediately between the two Aurora triggers, or do both Aurora triggers fully resolve before the unit is played?
Ruling: When Aurora's second trigger resolves and hits a unit, the unit becomes pending during that trigger's resolution. In the cleanup after the trigger, the unit immediately resolves and is played. Any when-you-play-me (WYPM) effects go on the chain on top of Aurora's first trigger. After those WYPM effects resolve, Aurora's first trigger resolves.
Can you use Kai'sa to hide a card?
Ruling: No, you cannot use Kai'sa to hide a card. Hiding is not the same as playing a card - you're using an ability. When you reveal the card from hide, it is then played.
Does Qiyana's conquer trigger happen if she dies in combat but you still conquer the battlefield?
Ruling: Qiyana needs to stay alive at the conquer for her ability to trigger. If she dies during the same game action as the conquer (such as during combat damage allocation), her trigger does not apply.
In a 2v2 game, can a player summon units to a battlefield that their ally has conquered and already has a unit on?
Ruling: No, you cannot have units on a battlefield that your ally controls. Nuances: - This also means you cannot use Sprite Summon to an ally's battlefield - Seals can only add Power, not Energy - Power symbols (fury, calm, body, mind, chaos, order, universal power) always mean Power - Energy symbols (0, 1, 2, 3, etc.) always mean Energy
When Chemtech Enforcer and Noxian Drummer move together into an enemy occupied battlefield, why does the Drummer's 'when I move' trigger resolve before the showdown, and is the Enforcer still a 2/2 (not yet having Attacker designation)?
Ruling: The movement is performed and triggers become pending. During cleanup, the showdown is marked as staged and pending triggers are put on the chain. The showdown cannot begin because the game is in a Neutral Closed state (chain is not empty).
If a player already scored a point for holding a battlefield at the start of their turn, then leaves it empty (making it neutral) and moves a unit back onto it in the same turn to conquer it, do they score another point?
Ruling: No, you cannot score another point. Each battlefield can only be scored once per turn, regardless of whether you score from holding it or conquering it.
When Hextech Ray targets two units and one target becomes invalid due to Retreat, is the player forced to retarget their own unit or can they target nothing?
Ruling: Once targets are chosen for a spell, they will not change even when the original target becomes invalid. The player is not forced to retarget their own unit.
If Hidden Blade targets a unit at one battlefield, but the unit moves to a different battlefield in response (via Tideturner), does Hidden Blade still kill the unit?
Ruling: Yes, Hidden Blade still kills the unit even if it moves to a different battlefield after being targeted. When targeting Hidden Blade, you only declare the unit (not the specific battlefield), as long as that unit is at a battlefield when targeted.
Can Singularity target the same unit twice to deal 12 damage total?
Ruling: No, you cannot target the same unit twice with Singularity. The card says "to 2 units" and 1 unit is not 2 units.
If an opponent plays Possession (which targets an enemy unit at a battlefield), can you react with a spell that moves that unit to base, and would that make the target invalid?
Ruling: If you react to Possession by moving the targeted unit from a battlefield to your base, the target becomes invalid and Possession does not resolve.
Does Merchant's triggered effect (when moving to battlefield) happen before Showdown/Combat, and can opponents react to it?
Ruling: Merchant's trigger happens before Showdown begins, so you discard/draw before getting priority to play actions during Showdown. Opponents can react to the Merchant trigger itself.
Do Wild Claw Shaman and Cithria work together? Specifically, is Wild Claw Shaman's ability determined when entering play or on cast, and can you use Cithria's buff to ready Wild Claw Shaman?
Ruling: Yes, these cards work together favorably. You can spend the buff Cithria gives to ready Wild Claw Shaman. Sequence: - Both abilities trigger simultaneously when Wild Claw Shaman enters play - You can stack them as you choose - Order Cithria's ability to happen first - Use the buff from Cithria to ready Wild Claw Shaman
What counts as 'playing a spell' for triggered abilities like Ravenbloom Student? Specifically, does a spell countered by Defy still trigger 'when you play a spell' effects?
Ruling: Play effect triggers only occur after a card is resolved. A card that is countered (such as by Defy) will not count as being played for triggered abilities like Ravenbloom Student.
Can Consult the Past be activated as a reaction when an opponent plays a unit to their base or uses a spell not targeted at the battlefield with Consult the Past, or must you wait until they directly attack that battlefield?
Ruling: You can activate Consult the Past as a reaction to any trigger, spell, or anything that starts a chain. You don't have to wait for your opponent to do something on a specific battlefield.
When a character moves into Candlelit Sanctum, does the Sanctum's trigger to look at the top two cards happen first, or does the character's on-conquer draw trigger happen first?
Ruling: When multiple triggers you control happen simultaneously (such as a character's on-conquer ability and a battlefield's on-conquer ability), you as the controller choose the order in which they are placed on the chain.
Does Bullet Time deal damage to all enemy units at one chosen battlefield, or to all enemy units that are at any battlefield?
Ruling: Bullet Time targets one battlefield. You must choose which battlefield when playing it, and it deals damage only to enemy units at that chosen battlefield.
If an attacker conquers with 0 cards in deck and Zaun Warrens triggers while both players are at 7 points, who wins?
Ruling: The attacker wins if they have already scored the other battlefield this turn, because they score their last point (reaching 8) before the conquering triggers that would cause them to draw from an empty deck. If they haven't scored the other battlefield yet, they don't gain a point from conquering (staying at 7), but Zaun Warrens still triggers and...
Can Sett the Boss be used to protect a unit in your base, or does the unit have to be on the battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, Sett the Boss can protect a unit in your base. Sett the Boss does not limit where the saved unit must be located.
Can Kai'Sa's legend ability (Exhaust: Reaction – Add (1 power). Use only to play spells) be used as the first thing on your turn, or does the Reaction keyword require something else to be on the chain first?
Ruling: Reaction means you CAN play it in reaction to something, not that you have to. You can use a Reaction any time you could play an Action or a unit, including as the first thing on your turn.
Does a card played from Baited Hook count as playing a card for effects like Darius's ready ability, and can you pay to accelerate a unit played by Hook?
Ruling: Yes, a unit selected with Baited Hook counts as being played, so it will trigger effects like Darius's ready ability. You can also pay to accelerate a unit (like Kai'Sa) when it is played by Hook.
Does a showdown occur when moving a unit to a battlefield even if there are no enemy units present, and can players use action spells during it?
Ruling: Yes, a showdown occurs when you move a unit to a battlefield even if there are no enemy units present, and players can use action spells during the showdown.
Can a hidden card (like Hidden Blade) be revealed at reaction speed during an opponent's turn, or must you wait until your own turn to reveal it?
Ruling: You can reveal and play a hidden card during your opponent's turn as a reaction. Sequence: - Turn 1: Play the card hidden at a battlefield - Turn 2 (opponent's turn): You can reveal and play it as a reaction (e.g., when they attack that battlefield)
Can you use Not So Fast to target Overzealous Fan's ability?
Ruling: Yes, you can use Not So Fast to target Overzealous Fan's ability because it targets a friendly unit. However, if you use Not So Fast, the opponent will never have the choice to kill Overzealous Fan.
When Promising Future is played and the opponent chooses Snapvine while the other player chooses Riptide Rex, can Snapvine's ETB effect trade with Rex, and can Rex kill Snapvine before its effect resolves?
Ruling: Both units enter play and their ETB triggers go on the chain, with the last trigger (Rex) resolving first. Rex can kill Snapvine before Snapvine's trigger resolves, but Snapvine's trigger will still resolve even if Snapvine is dead.
Do you have to pay each turn to activate a gear card's effect, and does unit health/damage reset at the end of each turn?
Ruling: You pay the cost of a gear card once when you play it, just like any other card. After that, its effects are active without additional payment each turn. Units have might and damage (not health) - damage is cleared at the end of combat and at the end of turn, but damage does not reduce might.
Can a player score more than 2 points from battlefields per turn by holding a battlefield, retreating from it, and then scoring it again on the same turn?
Ruling: No, you cannot score more than 2 points from battlefields per turn. Each battlefield can only be scored once per turn because conquer requires the battlefield to not have been scored yet on this turn.
Does rule 552 (focus/priority passing) apply to the initial chain?
Ruling: Rule 552 does not apply to the initial chain. While the rule as currently written would apply to the initial chain, this was an oversight and there will be an exception added for the initial chain.
Can you have multiple copies of the same Champion in play at the same time?
Ruling: There is no legend rule in Riftbound. You can have multiple copies of the same Champion in play at the same time.
How did a player use only 3 recycled runes to hide 2 cards (2 power) and play Divine Judgement (1 power), which should require 4 total recycled runes?
Ruling: The player made a misplay in the order of rune recycling. They had enough runes to legally achieve the same board state, but recycled them in the wrong order - using yellow runes to hide cards when they should have used orange runes first, then used yellow runes to pay for Divine Judgement.
Does Annie Fiery (as the chosen champion) get her effect from turn 1, or does she need to be played onto the board first?
Ruling: Champion units need to be on the board for any of their effects to take place. Only legends grant their effects from their off-board zone.
When you conquer a battlefield while at 7 points and draw a card instead, what is the timing of that draw relative to 'when I conquer' triggered effects?
Ruling: The draw happens as you conquer, before all "when I conquer" effects trigger. It replaces the normal conquest, so it occurs first.
Does Ember Monk trigger (+2) each time you play a hidden card, or only the first time? Same question for Ravenbloom Student with spells.
Ruling: Ember Monk triggers each time you play a hidden card, not just the first time. The same applies to Ravenbloom Student with spells.
How does Hextech Anomaly work? When you recycle the runes, do you have floated runes and how long do they stay?
Ruling: When you use Hextech Anomaly, you float/add power to the rune pool in exchange for more energy. These floated runes stay in your rune pool until the end of the round or draw phase.
If 2 Kaisa Survivors move to the same battlefield to conquer, does the player draw 2 cards?
Ruling: Yes, the player draws 2 cards. Both Kaisa Survivors create separate triggers upon conquering. Sequence: - Both Kaisa Survivors conquer the same battlefield - Each creates its own separate trigger - Player draws 2 cards total (one from each trigger)
Can you play a unit from your hand directly to a Battlefield you control?
Ruling: Yes, you can play a unit from your hand directly to any location you control, including Battlefields you control. You are not restricted to playing units only at your base.
When Kog'Maw's Deathknell effect triggers, does Wielder of Water's Defender ability (from Discipline) still protect it, or has combat ended and the ability no longer applies?
Ruling: Deathknell effects resolve after combat has resolved, so Wielder of Water is no longer attacking or defending when the Deathknell damage occurs. Therefore, its Defender ability does not apply and it can be killed by the Deathknell effect.
How does combat damage work with stunned units, and how is damage distributed among multiple blocking/attacking units?
Ruling: Each player adds up the total might on their side of combat and distributes that damage to opposing units simultaneously. Stunned units do not contribute their might to their side's total. After damage is dealt, units with damage marked equal to or greater than their might are killed.
Can multiple units attack a battlefield together, when is damage healed, and does damage reduce a unit's might?
Ruling: Multiple units can attack a battlefield together by using the standard move to move as many units to the destination as desired (so long as they can legally move there). Damage is healed at the end of turn and end of combat, and damage does not reduce might.
When defending at a battlefield that allows bringing a unit back to base when defending, can the attacker use Fox Fire before the defender triggers the battlefield effect to return their unit to base?
Ruling: The battlefield effect triggers first when the showdown starts, before any actions like Fox Fire can be played. The defender can choose to use the battlefield effect to bring a unit back to base before the attacker can play Fox Fire.
When Convergent Mutation targets a creature at Trifarian Warcamp, does the creature's might equal the other unit's might, or the other unit's might plus 1?
Ruling: The creature's might equals the other unit's might (not plus 1). Convergent Mutation checks current might, not printed might.
If you play a unit into Vilemaw's Lair and then play Tideturner to your base, can you swap positions to move the unit out of Vilemaw's Lair?
Ruling: No, you cannot move a unit out of Vilemaw's Lair using Tideturner's swap ability. Since Tideturner uses "move" in its text, Vilemaw's Lair prevents the unit from moving to base.
Does Darius's ability trigger on himself when he is played?
Ruling: Yes, Darius's ability triggers on himself when he is played. In Riftbound, "played" means the full sequence of playing and resolving a card, so Darius is on the board and can trigger when he enters.
If I attack a battlefield that Ahri controls and my units get -1, then I use RTW (Rift the World) to bring another unit onto that battlefield to join the showdown, does Ahri's Legend ability re-trigger?
Ruling: Yes, Ahri's Legend ability re-triggers. She triggers when a unit gains the attacker designation at a battlefield her owner controls for the first time each combat, regardless of the timing.
Can Vi's ability to recycle 1 card from trash be used multiple times during a turn, and can it be used in response to opponent actions?
Ruling: Vi's recycle ability can be activated as many times as you want during your turn (one card at a time), as long as there are cards in your discard pile and you are at base speed (outside of showdown). It cannot be used as a reaction to opponent actions because it is base speed.
Does charming an enemy Green Yasuo into a Battlefield during your turn trigger his attack ability?
Ruling: Yes, charming an enemy Yasuo into a Battlefield triggers his attack ability because the Yasuo is attacking. Nuances: - Yasuo's ability requires him to be "here" (at the location) when it resolves. If Yasuo is pushed back to base after the attack trigger goes on chain but before it resolves, his ability will not deal damage because he is...
After casting a Reaction spell that draws cards, can you cast another Reaction (like a counter spell) from the newly drawn cards to respond to a spell still on the stack?
Ruling: Yes, you can cast a Reaction from newly drawn cards to respond to a spell still on the stack. Priority passes again after every link in a chain resolves.