Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 57 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
When you play Deadbloom Predator to an enemy battlefield from hand, can you move readied units from your base to join it in the showdown?
Ruling: No, you cannot move readied units from your base to join Deadbloom Predator when it is played to an enemy battlefield. Deadbloom Predator will start the showdown alone.
For Tryndamere, Barbarian's ability that triggers on conquering after an attack with 5+ exceeding damage, what sources of damage count toward the 'assigned damage' requirement?
Ruling: Only combat damage assigned during the combat damage step counts toward Tryndamere's exceeding damage requirement. Spell damage does not count, even if cast during combat.
When a card effect (Ride the Wind) triggers a second showdown during an ongoing showdown, in what order do the showdowns resolve?
Ruling: The first showdown completely resolves before the second showdown begins. The second showdown waits in a pending state for an open neutral state to start.
Can Defiant Dance (which reduces might by 2 without a 'minimum of 1' clause) kill a unit by reducing its might to 0?
Ruling: Defiant Dance cannot directly kill a unit. It can reduce a unit's might to 0 or below, but a unit needs non-zero damage marked on it to die.
Why does rule 352.4.b specify that targets for triggered abilities from permanents are chosen when the trigger finalizes, not when the permanent finalizes?
Ruling: Targets for triggered abilities are chosen when the trigger itself finalizes on the chain, not when the permanent that creates the trigger finalizes. This distinction matters because other triggers can be added to the chain between when a permanent resolves and when its trigger finalizes.
With Azir, Ascendant, does he have to pay the equip cost when attaching a swapped unit's equipment (like Doran's Shield), or does it attach for free?
Ruling: Azir does not have to pay the equip cost. Attach by itself doesn't involve equip cost. Nuances: - Equip is functionally short for "[Cost]: Attach this gear to a unit you control" - Attach is the result of Equip, but attaching does not equal equipping - When a card says "attach" without mentioning equip, no cost is paid
When can action cards be played during combat, and can both attacker and defender use them?
Ruling: Both attacker and defender can play action cards during a showdown, but only when they have focus and no chain is currently open. Actions cannot be played while any chain is resolving.
When Hook kills a unit with Altar of Memories on board, can you use Altar of Memories before looking at the top 5 cards from Hook?
Ruling: No, Altar of Memories triggers after all of Hook's instructions are completed. You cannot use Altar of Memories before looking at the top 5 cards.
If a unit takes non-lethal damage before combat, does it heal before combat damage is dealt, or after?
Ruling: Damage only heals after combat damage has been done. A unit damaged before combat will still have that damage when combat damage is dealt.
Does Heimerdinger gain access to Altar of Memories' ability since it has an exhaust effect, even though it doesn't have the explicit exhaust icon?
Ruling: Heimerdinger can only copy abilities that have the exhaust icon (symbol) at the start of the ability. If a card doesn't have the exhaust icon, Heimerdinger cannot copy it, even if the card exhausts as part of its effect.
Does Sett Kingpin count himself towards his +1 ability for friendly buffed units?
Ruling: Yes, Sett Kingpin counts himself towards his +1 ability for friendly buffed units.
In Showdown, does the turn player (attacker) play actions/reactions first, and can players continue playing actions after a chain resolves?
Ruling: The attacker gets focus/priority first in Showdown (usually the turn player but not always). Players can continue playing actions after a chain resolves until both players pass focus consecutively without playing anything.
When playing Rebuke, can the caster wait to see what hidden cards the opponent plays in response before choosing which card to target?
Ruling: No. The caster must declare the target when finalizing Rebuke to the chain, before the opponent can react. Once a target is chosen, it cannot be changed.
Can you pay 2 energy to play Zhonya's Hourglass face-up in your base, and does it trigger when a unit dies?
Ruling: Yes, you can play Zhonya's Hourglass face-up in your base for 2 energy. When your next unit dies, the Hourglass goes to the trash pile and the unit is placed exhausted into your base instead of dying.
When Ravenbloom Student's trigger goes on the chain after an action spell resolves, does focus pass to the defender and then back to the attacker, allowing the attacker to 'lock' the defender from playing action spells?
Ruling: No, the attacker cannot lock the defender this way. When the action spell resolves, the Student's trigger becomes a pending item on the chain before cleanup completes, so the chain never closes and focus does not pass to the defender.
How does the Hidden keyword work in Riftbound - what are the costs to hide a card, reveal it, and when can it be revealed?
Ruling: To play a card with Hidden, you pay one power (typically by recycling a rune) instead of the card's normal energy cost. When you reveal the hidden card later, you play it for free.
Does Teemo Strategist's triggered ability deal damage separately for each hidden card revealed, or all at the same time?
Ruling: The damage is dealt all at the same time. You count the number of hidden cards revealed, then deal that total amount of damage.
When Miss Fortune's ability readies another unit, can you immediately move that unit alongside Miss Fortune, or must you complete Miss Fortune's movement (including any showdown) first?
Ruling: You cannot move the readied unit at the same time as Miss Fortune. Miss Fortune's trigger happens when she arrives at her destination, and any pending combat or showdown happens right after her trigger resolves, leaving no time to move the other unit during Miss Fortune's movement.
If you're at 7 points and hold one battlefield, can you conquer the other battlefield to win?
Ruling: Yes, you can hold one battlefield and conquer another battlefield to win when at 7 points. To score the final point and win, you must either: hold a battlefield at the start of your turn, OR score all battlefields in a single turn, OR gain a point through other card abilities.
If an opponent uses Ride of the Wind to move their unit to another battlefield after I use a reaction to buff my defender, does their unit die from combat or successfully move away?
Ruling: The opponent's unit does not die. It successfully moves to the other battlefield and is no longer present at the original combat location.
If you reveal hidden Teemo when an enemy attacks, can you use Gust to save him after triggering his search ability?
Ruling: Yes, you can use Gust to save Teemo after revealing him from hidden and triggering his search ability. Teemo won't deal his damage because he is no longer on the battlefield, but he'll be safe in your hand.
Can you use Here to Help to play Deadbloom Predator to an occupied enemy battlefield?
Ruling: No, you cannot use Here to Help to play Deadbloom Predator to an occupied enemy battlefield. Here to Help restricts you to playing units only to a battlefield you control, which overrides Deadbloom's ability to be played to an occupied enemy battlefield.
If one of the targets is no longer on the battlefield when a spell that requires both targets to be on the same battlefield resolves, does the spell still affect the remaining target?
Ruling: No, the spell does not affect the remaining target. If a spell specifies that targets must be on the "same battlefield," both units must be present at resolution for the spell to have any effect.
Does equipping a unit count as choosing a unit for Irelia's legend ability?
Ruling: Yes, equipping a unit counts as choosing a unit. Nuances: - Effects that "attach this to" a unit are targeting that unit, which is what the game means by "choose" in Irelia's ability - This is analogous to other targeting effects like "move" or "kill" - they all involve choosing/targeting a unit
If I play Tideturner as a hidden card, can I select a card outside my battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, Tideturner can select a card outside your battlefield when played as a hidden card. Tideturner is currently the only exception to the normal hidden card rules because it cannot target units at its location.
If you use Falling Star to target the same unit twice while it's in Void Gate battlefield, then use Flash to move it to base before Falling Star resolves, does it take 6 damage or 8 damage?
Ruling: The unit takes 6 damage. Void Gate's damage bonus only applies "to units here," so once the unit is moved to base with Flash before Falling Star resolves, it is no longer at Void Gate and doesn't receive the +1 damage bonus from Void Gate for either instance of damage.
When moving multiple readied units from base to a battlefield during a standard move, do they move simultaneously or one by one (which matters for effects like Ahri's -2 might that trigger when a unit enters)?
Ruling: When doing a standard move, multiple units can move to the same destination at the same time. Nuances: - This matters for effects that trigger when units enter a battlefield, as moving simultaneously means the opponent must choose which unit is affected by single-target effects like Ahri's -2 might, rather than affecting all units if they moved one by...
How does Fox Fire work when selecting targets and their might values change before resolution?
Ruling: Fox Fire targets are selected when the spell is cast and locked in at that point. On resolution, you kill as many of those locked-in targets as possible up to a total of 4 might, adjusting for any might changes that occurred.
Can I retreat units from a battlefield I conquered last round, move ready units from my base to it again, and gain another point?
Ruling: No, you cannot gain another point. You can only score 1 point per battlefield per turn, whether by conquering or holding.
When Dazzling Aurora triggers at the end of your turn and you pull a unit that enters Ready (like Master Yi Honed), can you play that unit to an opponent's battlefield?
Ruling: No, you cannot play the unit to an opponent's battlefield. Master Yi will enter Ready in your base or a battlefield you control, and then your turn will end.
Does Darius Trifarian's ability trigger only when he is exactly the second card played in a turn, or does it also trigger if he is the third, fourth, etc. card played?
Ruling: Darius Trifarian's ability triggers only when he is exactly the second card played in a turn. If he is played as the third, fourth, or later card, the ability does not trigger.
Can Kadregrin count itself?
Ruling: Yes, Kadregrin can count itself.
Can Hidden Blade be used to kill a unit at a different battlefield than where it is hidden?
Ruling: Hidden Blade can only be used on the battlefield where it is hidden. It cannot target units at other battlefields.
Can players react to a permanent (unit or gear) being played, and can they react to its triggered abilities?
Ruling: When a permanent (unit or gear) is played, it creates a 1-long chain that cannot be reacted to. However, if the permanent has a "When I'm Played" triggered ability, that ability lingers on the chain and allows for reactions.
When moving to an empty battlefield or when the last defender is removed, are there still windows for the opponent to interfere and prevent the conquer with actions/reactions?
Ruling: Attempting to conquer starts a showdown, and you can use actions or reactions during this showdown. The showdown phase is never skipped, even when moving to an empty battlefield.
What is the correct order for choosing battlefields, revealing battlefields, and choosing to go first or second in a Bo3 match?
Ruling: The order is the same for every game: Legend > Chosen Champion > Battlefields chosen and revealed > Turn order > Draw & Mulligan. Battlefields are revealed before determining turn order.
If Yellow Viktor and a normal non-token unit both die in a showdown, can you choose to have the other unit die first so Viktor triggers and creates a token before he dies?
Ruling: No, you cannot get a token from Viktor in this situation. All units die at the same time in combat, so Viktor is already dead when the other unit dies and cannot trigger.
Which happens first: holding (turn draw) or 'at the start of beginning phase' effects like Loose Cannon and Grove of the God-Willow?
Ruling: 'At the start of beginning phase' effects (like Loose Cannon and Grove of the God-Willow) fully resolve before moving to the holding step where you draw your turn card.
Can a unit with Ganking at a battlefield and a unit at base move together to another battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, a unit with Ganking at a battlefield and a unit at base can move together to another battlefield.
Can you use Ride the Wind to move from one battlefield to another?
Ruling: Yes, Ride the Wind can move a unit from one battlefield to another. The restriction on not moving between battlefields only applies to standard move actions, not to other move effects.
If I've already scored a battlefield this turn, does the order of moving units out and in matter for triggering a showdown?
Ruling: Yes, the order matters. If you move a unit out first and then move another unit in, you lose control temporarily and trigger a showdown when the new unit arrives. If you move the new unit in first before moving the original unit out, you maintain control throughout and no showdown occurs.
When recycling cards in Riftbound, do you choose the order of cards or must it be random?
Ruling: When recycling runes, you can choose the order. When recycling main deck cards, the order must be random. Nuances: - In competitive events, you typically must offer your opponent the option to shuffle the recycled main deck cards - In casual settings between friends, you can just mix them up a few times since you're unlikely to see those...
Is the Chosen Champion (in the champion zone) considered to be in hand?
Ruling: No, the champion zone is not the same as your hand. They are different zones. Nuances: - Cards that reference "hand" do not apply to your Chosen Champion in the champion zone
When Yasuo moves into a battlefield with an equal-might Ezreal and Ezreal kills Yasuo with his trigger, does Yasuo still deal damage?
Ruling: No, Yasuo does not deal damage when he is killed before his trigger resolves. When Yasuo goes to the trash after being killed, "here" becomes null and he misses his targets.
When a chain is resolving, does priority pass between players after each spell resolves, or does the entire chain resolve without interaction once all players have passed priority?
Ruling: After each effect resolves from the chain, all players get priority and an opportunity to add to the chain. Players can respond between each spell resolution.
If a unit with a buff increasing its might is reduced by Smokescreen, then the buff is removed, what is the unit's final might? Can might go negative?
Ruling: Might can technically be negative but is treated as 0 for all purposes. A unit with 0 or negative might does not die unless it has damage.
If I counter my opponent's Smoke Screen with Defy, does Smoke Screen count as being played for the purposes of Darius Trifarian's ability that cares about cards played per turn?
Ruling: No, Smoke Screen does not count as being played. Cards that are countered (negated) do not resolve, and if they do not resolve, they are not counted as played.
Can Dragon's Rage move an opponent's unit to their own base and target another unit in that base to deal damage to each other?
Ruling: Yes, you can move an opponent's unit to their own base and have it fight another unit there. Units cannot be moved to a base that isn't theirs (e.g., you cannot move opponent 1's unit to opponent 2's base).
Can you kill gear with 'Kill this:' text at any time, or do you need another card effect to kill it?
Ruling: 'Kill this' is a cost you can pay, not a discretionary action. You can activate these gear abilities on your turn prior to a chain and prior to a showdown by paying the cost of killing the gear.
Does Darius count himself as the second card played to trigger his own ability, or does he need to be on the board already?
Ruling: Darius counts himself as a played card. If Darius is your second card played this turn, his ability will trigger and he will ready himself.