Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 58 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
If Smokescreen reduces a 2 might unit to 1 might (due to the minimum of 1 requirement), and then Discipline is cast to increase might, does the unit become 3 might or does Smokescreen's -4 reapply?
Ruling: One-time might modifications like Smokescreen are snapshotted at resolution. If Smokescreen gives -1 might when it resolves (due to the minimum of 1 might requirement), it will always give -1 might for the duration of the effect, even if the unit's might increases later.
In an uncontested showdown (when a player moves to an unoccupied battlefield), is the team that moved there still considered an attacker?
Ruling: No, there is no attacker or defender in an uncontested showdown. The attacker and defender designations only exist during combat.
When Yasuo moves to an open battlefield via Yasuo Unforgiven, triggers a showdown, and then the player uses Charm, does the player have attacker/defender designations during the showdown and what happens after Charm?
Ruling: Attacker and defender designations only exist during a single combat and reset at the end of each combat. During the open showdown (after Yasuo moves to an open battlefield), no attacker/defender designations exist because no combat took place. When you use Charm after the showdown, a new combat begins and new designations are assigned - the charmed unit will...
Can an opponent play Siphon Power after damage has been assigned during the showdown damage step, and would that require re-arranging the damage spread?
Ruling: Once players pass priority in succession during showdown and reach the damage calculation step, no more spells or effects can be played. The opponent must activate Siphon Power before the damage calculation step is reached.
Does Flame Chompers require you to pay both its printed cost and the fury cost when playing it from discard, or just the fury cost?
Ruling: You only pay the fury cost, not the printed cost. The fury payment is an alternate cost that replaces the normal cost.
Does Navori Bladescout's ability target, and can you react with Cub from hidden to give the buff to Cub itself?
Ruling: Navori Bladescout's ability does target. You cannot react with Cub from hidden to give the buff to Cub itself.
Does damage reduce a unit's might value, and can a unit with 6 might that has taken 5 damage be targeted by Gust (which targets units with 5 or less might)?
Ruling: No, damage does not reduce might. Damage and might are separate values. Nuances: - Units are killed when they have damage greater than or equal to their might (and the damage is non-zero) - A unit with 6 might that has taken 5 damage still has 6 might and cannot be targeted by effects that require 5 or less...
If Viktor (leader) and another unit both die simultaneously from losing a showdown, does Viktor's ability trigger to play a token?
Ruling: No, Viktor's ability will not trigger. Even though the units die simultaneously, in Riftbound game objects do not see simultaneous events if they die as the events happen.
If Teemo dies in the chain before his ability resolves, does he still get his effect?
Ruling: If Teemo dies before his ability resolves, he cannot deal damage because his ability specifies 'here' and he is no longer at the battlefield (he's in the trash). However, you still reveal 5 cards.
When multiple 'when you conquer' triggers occur from the same conquest, can you order them freely, and will they wait on the chain even if other effects resolve in between?
Ruling: When multiple triggers share the same trigger condition (like conquering), you can order them as you please. Once a trigger is on the chain, it will wait and resolve even if other effects (like playing cards with their own triggers) resolve first.
When a unit affected by Hostile Takeover is retreated, who exhausts the rune and where does the unit go?
Ruling: When a unit affected by Hostile Takeover is retreated, the owner (the player whose deck the unit came from, not the controller or the owner of Hostile Takeover) exhausts the rune, and the unit returns to its owner's hand.
How do chains work in Riftbound, specifically regarding actions and reactions during showdowns?
Ruling: During a showdown, both players can use actions and reactions. Actions can only start a new chain, while reactions and triggers can be added to an existing chain. The chain resolves like a stack (last in, first out), and combat damage only happens when both players pass priority without starting a new chain.
Does a showdown continue to resolve if the last defending unit is moved off the battlefield before the showdown resolves?
Ruling: A showdown only ends when both players pass focus in a row without starting a chain. It does not care if one or both players no longer have units there.
Does Temporary create a chain that can be reacted to?
Ruling: Yes, Temporary creates a chain that can be reacted to because it is a Triggered Ability keyword, and triggers start a chain.
If I use Hextech Ray to deal 3 damage to a target in a showdown and pass priority, can my opponent use Ride the Wind to move the target and cause Hextech Ray to fizzle?
Ruling: Your opponent cannot use Ride the Wind to respond to Hextech Ray because Ride the Wind is an action card, not a reaction. Only reactions and appropriate triggers can respond to actions in a chain. If a target were moved by some other means before Hextech Ray resolves, it would not deal damage as the target would no longer...
How does Ahri Fox Fire's targeting work, and can damage be redistributed after opponent reactions?
Ruling: Ahri Fox Fire targets any number of units as long as the total might of all units is less than or equal to 4. After the opponent reacts with spells/buffs, the Ahri player chooses a subset of the originally selected targets (not redistributing damage, but selecting which targets to affect).
Can Solari Shrine be exhausted after winning combat against a stunned unit to draw a card?
Ruling: Yes, if you win combat and the opponent's stunned unit goes to trash, you can exhaust Solari Shrine to draw 1 card.
If a unit takes damage, does it lose its +1 buff?
Ruling: No, units do not lose buffs when they take damage. Damage is simply marked on the unit while buffs remain active.
If Warwick attacks a battlefield with damaged units and Warwick gets killed, does his trigger still resolve?
Ruling: No, if Warwick is not on the battlefield when his ability resolves, the ability does nothing because the game cannot determine where "here" refers to.
Can you conquer/score a battlefield more than once in a turn, and can you conquer on an opponent's turn (including as a defender)?
Ruling: You can only score a battlefield once per turn, regardless of whether it's through Hold or Conquer. You can conquer on anybody's turn (including your opponent's turn and as a defender), as long as you haven't already scored that location that turn.
Can you hide multiple times per turn, and when can you play hidden cards?
Ruling: You can hide as many times as you can pay the requirements in a turn. Each battlefield can only have one hidden card unless otherwise stated. You cannot play a card the same turn you hide it, but you can play it on your opponent's turn once you are given focus or priority.
If a 1 Might unit at Trifarian Warcamp (making it 2 Might) is reduced to 1 Might by Smoke Screen, then targeted by Charm to return to its Base, does it die or stay at 1 Might?
Ruling: The unit will become a 0 Might unit and will not die. Cleanup only kills units that have damage marked greater than their Might, so units with 0 Might or less are perfectly fine.
If I have 2 Spirit's Refuge on board, do buffed units get Deflect 2?
Ruling: No, multiple Spirit's Refuge cannot stack. Units will only have one instance of Deflect. Nuances: - The card specifically states that multiple instances do not stack - Even if you could somehow play both at the same time, the pending rules prevent Spirit's Refuge from stacking
If a unit with a triggered ability that triggers on other units dying (like Wrath of Echos or Viktor, Leader) and another non-recruit unit are killed simultaneously by the same spell, does the triggered ability see the other unit die and resolve?
Ruling: No, the triggered ability does not resolve. Units that die simultaneously do not see each other dying.
Does Irelia get +1 from awaken phase if she was exhausted?
Ruling: Yes, Irelia gets +1 from awaken phase even if she was exhausted.
If a unit is moved out of a showdown (e.g., moving a Poro back), does the showdown immediately end, or is there still an action window for both players before it ends?
Ruling: Once a showdown has started, it does not immediately end when units are removed. Both players still have an action window, and the showdown only ends after both players pass priority in a row without playing anything.
Can you target an already stunned unit with Face Breaker (or other stun effects)?
Ruling: A stunned unit is a legal target for Face Breaker and other stun effects. Nuances: - You won't get any "when you stun" triggers if the unit is already stunned
Can a player float energy from runes before recycling one for a Seal's power cost, and can a Seal pay for itself?
Ruling: You can exhaust runes to float energy before recycling a rune to pay for a Seal's power cost. A Seal cannot pay for itself, but one Seal can pay for another Seal.
If Player A passes focus and Player B passes focus, does combat have to start or can Player A then choose to play an action?
Ruling: No, Player A cannot play a card after both players pass focus. Combat happens when both players voluntarily pass focus.
If a spell targets a unit at a battlefield, and the unit is moved to a different battlefield before the spell resolves, does the spell still affect its original target?
Ruling: As long as the target is still at "a battlefield" (any battlefield), the spell will still affect it and not be mistargeted, even if it moved to a different battlefield than where it was originally targeted.
Can an opponent play multiple Cleaves on a unit that was Charmed into battle?
Ruling: Yes, the opponent can play all three Cleaves (assuming the unit survives) on a unit that was Charmed into battle.
When playing a unit with Dazzling Aurora, do you still pay the power cost of that unit?
Ruling: No, you do not pay the power cost. When an effect allows you to play a card for free, you do not pay its power cost.
Can you react to end of turn abilities, and how does this work for cards like Sona and Aurora?
Ruling: Yes, end of turn abilities are normal triggered abilities that create a chain and allow reactions. Sequence: - End of turn ability triggers - Ability goes on the chain - Players can react to the ability on the chain
After a reaction resolves during a showdown, does the opponent get priority to play the newly drawn card before the original action resolves?
Ruling: Yes, each player receives priority after an element on the chain resolves. Sequence: - Player takes an action during showdown - Opponent plays a reaction (e.g., a discipline) - The reaction resolves - Both players receive priority (opponent can play the newly drawn card) - If no further responses, the original action resolves
Can I react to the buff from Karma when my opponent recycles a card with her Vision ability?
Ruling: Yes, you can react to Karma's buff ability when your opponent recycles a card due to her Vision ability.
Why does Hidden Blade fail to draw cards when its target dies before resolution, but Discipline still draws a card when its target dies or is removed?
Ruling: Hidden Blade fails to draw cards when its target dies because "its controller" cannot be referenced once the target no longer exists. Discipline still draws a card because it uses "draw 1" (referring to the caster) rather than "its controller" (referring to the target).
Is recalling a regular action you can do at any time to bring a unit back to base, or does it require a card to specifically state 'recall'?
Ruling: Recall is a specific action that only occurs when a card effect explicitly states "recall." It is not a standard action available at any time. Recall does not count as moving.
When does Leona's stun effect require declaring a target - at initialization or resolution?
Ruling: Leona's stun effect targets, and targets must be declared when you put the ability onto the chain (at initialization), not at resolution.
Does Wielder of Water count as alone when a hidden card is at the same Battlefield?
Ruling: Wielder of Water counts as alone when a hidden card is at the same Battlefield because hidden cards technically don't exist until revealed.
Can First Mate ready an exhausted Volibear Legend?
Ruling: No, First Mate cannot ready an exhausted Volibear Legend because a legend is not a unit.
Can Sprite Call be used during an attack to play an additional attacker at a battlefield you don't control?
Ruling: No, you cannot play units at a battlefield you don't control. You can use Sprite Call for defense, or play the sprites beforehand and move them in with your other attacking units.
Can you spend a buff on a unit controlled by your teammate in 2v2 to pay the cost for cards like Troll Chant?
Ruling: No, you cannot spend buffs on units controlled by your teammate. A player can only spend buffs on units they control, unless a card specifically allows otherwise.
Can Ride The Wind move a unit without Ganking from battlefield to battlefield, and does this trigger a showdown?
Ruling: Ride The Wind has no movement restriction, so any unit (with or without Ganking) can move from battlefield to battlefield. Moving to a battlefield triggers a showdown regardless of whether the opponent has units there.
Can Ornn equip gear to another unit during the opponent's turn, specifically if a unit equipped with gear is killed?
Ruling: No, Ornn cannot equip gear during the opponent's turn. Ornn's ability only creates Power and does not grant the Equip ability Reaction timing.
If Hidden Blade targets a unit that survives due to Unlicensed Armory, does the Hidden Blade player still draw 2 cards?
Ruling: Yes, you still draw 2 cards when Hidden Blade targets a unit that survives. The draw effect is not conditional on the unit dying.
When a chain resolves, does priority pass to the next player, or can you resolve your action and play another action before passing priority?
Ruling: Priority must pass to the next player when a chain resolves. You cannot resolve your action and then play another action before passing priority.
When Switcheroo is used on a unit with an Assault bonus, does the opponent's unit gain the Assault bonus again after switching might values?
Ruling: When Switcheroo switches might values, the Assault bonus is not reapplied. The attacking unit keeps its Assault bonus but now applies it to the switched (lower) might value.
Can two of the same battlefield be used at the same time in a game?
Ruling: Yes, if both players select the same battlefield, then two of the same battlefield can be used at the same time.
How does Bellows Breath work? Can you choose the same unit multiple times?
Ruling: You cannot choose the same unit multiple times. You choose zero, one, two, or three units at the same location and deal each of them 1 damage.
When Caitlyn is given Tank (e.g., via Lecturing Yordle), does she get assigned as a blocker first or last, and who decides? Also, if Caitlyn is in a battle formation with a creature that has Tank, what is the blocking order?
Ruling: When Caitlyn is given Tank, the attacker decides whether to assign her as a blocker first OR last. Nuances: - The opponent (attacker) gets to choose the order - This applies when Caitlyn receives Tank from effects like Lecturing Yordle