Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 60 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Does Tryndamere's ability activate when he wins combat while Holding and equipped with Skyfall of Aerion?
Ruling: No, Tryndamere's ability does not activate when Holding because his ability triggers "when I attack" and you don't Hold after an attack (only when you attack).
Can you have two of the same champion card on the battlefield at the same time?
Ruling: You are allowed to have the same champions on the board. Champions are normal units with no restriction on duplicates.
Does Charming Traveling Merchant activate its ability?
Ruling: Yes, Traveling Merchant's ability triggers when moved by Charm or any other effect. The ability states "When I move" and will trigger regardless of how the movement occurs—whether voluntary or caused by an opponent's effect.
What is the proper order to reveal champions and battlegrounds when starting a Riftbound game?
Ruling: Champions and battlegrounds are chosen and revealed before shuffling, determining first player, and mulligans. They are never kept face down - both players reveal them at the same time during the setup sequence.
Does Cithria of Cloudfield's trigger still go on the chain when you play a unit if she's already buffed, giving the opponent a chance to play reaction spells?
Ruling: Yes, Cithria's ability triggers and goes on the chain every time you play a unit, even if she is already buffed, giving your opponent a chance to play reaction spells.
Can I play two Stupefies in a row when my opponent attacks and passes priority, or does the first Stupefy resolving cause priority to pass and move to damage calculation?
Ruling: You can play multiple Stupefies (or other Reactions) in a row without passing priority. You can chain Actions and Reactions together before passing priority.
If a player is at 6 points and controls a battlefield at the start of their turn (scoring their 7th point by holding), do they win the Final Point if they then conquer the other battlefield that same turn?
Ruling: Yes, the player wins the game. Holding a battlefield and scoring from it counts as scoring that turn, so if you then conquer the other battlefield in the same turn, you have scored both battlefields (through either method) that turn and win the Final Point.
When flipping a hidden Teemo as the turn player, do I get priority to respond to the flip before my opponent?
Ruling: When you play a unit from hidden, the unit goes onto the chain and auto-resolves with no reaction window. After the unit resolves, its "when you play me" trigger goes onto the chain, and then you get priority to react first.
Can you play Nocturne when revealing from Ravenbloom Conservatory, and if so, can you play him to the battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, you can play Nocturne when revealing from Ravenbloom Conservatory, and you can play him to the battlefield, assuming you control the Conservatory.
If opponent has Mageseeker Warden on battlefield and I play red Darius, then kill Mageseeker with either a damage spell or a kill spell, will Darius untap?
Ruling: Darius will untap in both cases. Darius's ability triggers when a spell is played and goes on the chain regardless of whether Mageseeker is present. By the time Darius's trigger resolves, Mageseeker will already be dead from cleanup.
Does Darius count himself as the second card when checking his own effect?
Ruling: Yes, Darius counts himself as the second card. Nuances: - In Riftbound, "Play" means "Resolve", so Darius is already on the field to see himself resolve and count toward his own effect.
If I score both battlefields in my turn, pass, and then my opponent conquers the battlefields and pulls my unit into a battlefield with Charm which I win, do I score the point on that battlefield during my opponent's turn?
Ruling: Yes, you score the point on the battlefield during your opponent's turn when you win the battle. Nuances: - If it would be the final point needed to win, you cannot win because you haven't scored at all battlefields during "this" turn (your opponent's turn), so the game would draw instead.
Can you exhaust runes for energy, then recycle one of those runes to play a seal, then reveal a spell that was paid for by the exhausted runes to pay for it with the seal?
Ruling: Yes, this is legal. You can float energy and power in Riftbound by exhausting runes to add energy to your pool without immediately spending it, then recycle those same runes for other purposes while the energy remains available.
Does Sett Kingpin get his +1 buff when attacking a battlefield, or only when defending one (since the text says 'my battlefield')?
Ruling: Sett Kingpin's buff applies whenever he is at a battlefield, whether attacking or defending. Nuances: - The 'my battlefield' wording is used to prevent him from getting the bonus when he's in base, not to restrict it to only defending battlefields.
Do you get on-conquer triggers of a battlefield when you score a point from holding it?
Ruling: No, you do not get on-conquer triggers when scoring a point from holding a battlefield. Holding and conquering are different game mechanics.
Can Sett's ability be used to save a buffed unit that is exhausted at base and dying from a spell, or does the unit need to be in a showdown?
Ruling: Sett's ability can be used to save a unit regardless of its location, including when the unit is exhausted at base and dying from a spell.
How does Accelerate work and what costs do you need to pay?
Ruling: To play a card with Accelerate, you pay the card's base energy cost plus 1 additional energy, and you recycle one rune of the power type shown in the Accelerate cost. Numbers represent energy costs (exhaust runes), while symbols represent power costs (recycle runes).
Do effects that modify stats 'this turn' (like Grand Stratagem) apply only to units present when the effect resolves, or do they also affect units that enter the board later that turn?
Ruling: Effects that modify stats "this turn" only affect units that are on the board when the effect resolves. Units that enter the board after resolution are not affected.
Does Fortified Position's 'Shield 2' ability trigger when a unit arrives at an uncontrolled battlefield via surprise defense (after the initial showdown has started)?
Ruling: Fortified Position does not trigger on surprise defense. The battlefield must be controlled for its ability to trigger, and "you" on a battlefield always refers to the controller.
If Deadbloom has 9 might (base + 1 buff), opponent plays Singularity (marking 6 damage), then casts Smokescreen (reducing might by 4), does Deadbloom die or survive at 1 health?
Ruling: Deadbloom dies. Singularity marks 6 damage on the 9-might Deadbloom, then Smokescreen reduces might to 5. Since the marked damage (6) is equal to or greater than the current might (5), Deadbloom dies.
If a unit is moved to an open battlefield (with no opponent) using Cleave, does it gain the attacker designation and benefit from Assault for that turn?
Ruling: No. A unit only receives attacker or defender designations when combat occurs. Without an opponent on the battlefield, there is no combat, so the unit does not become an attacker and does not gain Assault benefits.
When an opponent moves Yasuo Remorseful to a location you control, can you play Rebuke in response to fizzle the damage, or does the damage happen regardless?
Ruling: The damage will happen regardless. Rebuke is an action and cannot happen before something else on the chain. Nuances: - If Yasuo were removed by a reaction (hypothetically), the damage would not happen because the information needed for his ability (such as "where is here?") cannot be accessed anymore.
Is The Arena's Greatest's effect a triggered ability, and what happens if a player misses the trigger?
Ruling: Yes, The Arena's Greatest's effect is a triggered ability. If you miss the trigger (by not demonstrating awareness before it would affect the game visibly), the next opponent in turn order decides whether to resolve the trigger immediately or miss it altogether.
If Darius Executioner gives +1 might to other friendly units, can Fiora tap to channel an exhausted rune when a 4-might unit is played (since it becomes 5 might)?
Ruling: No, you cannot tap Fiora to channel an exhausted rune in this situation. Darius's passive applies immediately to the incoming unit, so there is no moment when the unit is not 5 might.
When playing Switcheroo while Darius is in combat at a battlefield, does Darius get +2 might before or after switching sides?
Ruling: Switcheroo resolves before Darius triggers. Your opponent gets Darius at his original 7 might, then Darius gets +2 might and readies under your opponent's control.
Do timed spell effects in Riftbound apply continuously to everything during their duration, or do they only apply to things present at resolution (snapshot)?
Ruling: Spell effects snapshot at resolution and only apply to things that are present when the spell resolves, not to things that enter play later during the effect's duration.
When a stunned unit attacks into Vilemaw's Lair, does the unit get recalled back or does the stun prevent it?
Ruling: The stunned unit gets recalled back. Recall is not a move, so Vilemaw's Lair (which prevents movement) does not stop the cleanup recall that returns attacking units.
When a buffed Stalwart Poro has its might reduced and then gains might from defending, does it lose that might when the buff is spent, even though the current might isn't from the buff?
Ruling: Yes, when you spend the buff, the unit loses 1 might even though its current might total includes might from other sources like the defender designation.
In a 2v2 game, can Tideturner be played from hidden on an opponent's turn and swapped with a teammate's unit that is alone at another battlefield to score a point?
Ruling: No, you cannot reveal Tideturner from hidden and swap with a teammate's unit. This play is completely illegal because teammates cannot have units at the same battlefield in 2v2.
Can my opponent play an action to kill a unit I move into an objective I already control?
Ruling: No, your opponent cannot play Action spells/abilities during your turn unless a Showdown occurs. A Showdown only occurs when control of a battlefield would change, so moving your unit to an objective you already control does not trigger a Showdown.
Can Darius, Trifarian trigger his ability when played as the third card in a turn?
Ruling: Darius cannot trigger his ability when played as the third card in a turn, but he can trigger his own ability if played as the second card.
How does focus and priority work after the initial chain in a showdown?
Ruling: After the initial chain (consisting of "When I Attack" and "When I Defend" triggers) resolves in a showdown, the attacker retains focus and priority. After any subsequent chain resolves during the showdown, focus passes to the next player.
Can you repeatedly equip the same equipment to different units in the same turn as long as you pay the equip cost (assuming units die and equipment returns to base)?
Ruling: Yes, you can equip the same equipment to multiple units in the same turn as long as you pay the equip cost each time. Equipment returns to base when a unit dies, and current equipment equip costs do not have exhaust, allowing repeated use.
When Volibear Furious attacks an enemy battlefield with Ahri, does his 'When I attack, deal 5 damage split among any number of enemy units here' ability kill Ahri before she can deal damage back, or does she get to deal her might back to Volibear?
Ruling: Ahri deals her damage to Volibear first, then Volibear's ability kills Ahri. Sequence: - When you attack, your "when attacking" abilities get added to the chain - Then your opponent's "when defending" abilities get added to the chain - The chain resolves backwards, so Ahri's ability resolves first (dealing -2 to Volibear) - Then Volibear's ability resolves (killing Ahri)
If my opponent has Mask of Foresight and one unit on the battlefield, and I attack with Yasuo Remorseful, does the opponent's unit gain the +1 might before the damage is dealt from Yasuo? Is this different than if the unit just had shield?
Ruling: When you attack with Yasuo Remorseful against an opponent with Mask of Foresight, Yasuo's trigger goes on the chain first, then Mask of Foresight triggers. Mask of Foresight resolves first (giving +1 might), then Yasuo's damage resolves. This is different from shield, which is active the moment combat starts without using the chain.
If I have a location with temporary AND a hidden card, can I react before the location leaves the battlefield at the start of the beginning phase?
Ruling: Yes, you can react to the temporary trigger before the location leaves the battlefield. Sequence: - Temporary triggers at the start of the beginning phase - The triggered ability is put on the chain - Priority is granted when triggered abilities are put on the chain - You can play reactions (including hidden cards) when you have priority -...
If Noxian Drummer is moved to the battlefield with Zenith Blade (stunning a unit with Hidden Blade hidden), can the opponent play Hidden Blade to kill Drummer before the move trigger spawns the token?
Ruling: Yes, the opponent can play Hidden Blade to kill Drummer before the token spawns, and if Drummer dies this way (from a hidden Hidden Blade), the token will not be spawned because the game cannot determine "here" anymore.
If you use Cleave on a unit and then attach Svellsongur, does Svellsongur copy the Assault 3 granted by Cleave?
Ruling: No, Svellsongur only copies printed text on units, not text granted by other effects like Cleave. Nuances: - Cleave grants Assault 3 to a unit, but this is not printed text - Svellsongur will only copy the unit's original printed text box, not any modifications from spells or other effects
If Kog'maw is a unit at a base, does his Deathknell ability (which deals 4 to all units at his battlefield) apply to that base?
Ruling: No, bases are not considered battlefields. Kog'maw's Deathknell ability only affects units at his battlefield, not units at bases.
When playing Tideturner from hidden at one battlefield during a showdown, can it target and switch with units at a different battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, Tideturner can target units at any battlefield when played from hidden. This is an exception to how hidden cards normally work.
Can opponents respond to summoning units, and does it matter if the unit has an on-summon ability?
Ruling: Summoning a unit by tapping runes does not start a trigger that opponents can respond to. However, if a unit has an ability that triggers when it enters the game (like Riptide Rex), both players can respond to that ability, though the unit still lands on the board before responses occur.
If Dragon's Rage targets a unit with Deflect, can that spell still be Defied? (Does Deflect's cost increase affect Defy's cost requirement?)
Ruling: Deflect does not change the printed cost of a spell, so Dragon's Rage can still be Defied even when targeting a unit with Deflect. Deflect only increases the actual cost paid to play the spell, but abilities that reference "cost" (like Defy) look at the printed cost on the card.
Can you play an Action spell (Rebuke) in response to an opponent's Time Warp?
Ruling: No, you cannot play Action spells in response to Time Warp. Actions can only be played on your turn when nothing is happening, or during any showdown when the chain is empty and you have focus.
If Dazzling Aurora reveals Nocturne, can you activate Nocturne's ability to play it, then continue revealing cards for Dazzling Aurora's ability?
Ruling: No, Dazzling Aurora stops revealing as soon as you reveal any unit. Nuances: - You cannot activate Nocturne's ability mid-resolution and then continue with Aurora's reveals - Aurora's reveal effect ends immediately upon revealing a unit
Why does killing Warwick while his attack trigger is on the chain prevent it from doing anything, but Kog'Maw's deathknell still works after he dies?
Ruling: Warwick's trigger uses "here" which is a restriction that must be met both when the ability is placed on the chain and when it resolves. If Warwick is removed from the battlefield (moved to trash/hand), there is no longer a "here" location to reference, so the ability resolves but does nothing. Kog'Maw's deathknell uses "my battlefield" instead of "here",...
Does Stalwart Poro on the same battlefield as Taric get Shield +2?
Ruling: Yes, Stalwart Poro gets Shield +2 when on the same battlefield as Taric because Shield stacks.
When do cards with targeting effects (like 'Kill a unit at a battlefield') choose their targets, and can targets be changed if the original target becomes invalid?
Ruling: Targets are chosen when the card enters the chain (when you play it). You cannot change targets after they are chosen.
Does a card that targets units with specific Might values target on activation or only on resolution?
Ruling: The card targets a group of units when finalizing to the chain (on activation). On resolution, you form a subgroup from those originally targeted units that are still legal targets.
Can I react to someone trying to buff their unit to send it to their hand before the buff resolves?
Ruling: Yes, you can respond with any reaction to a buff being played on a unit before the buff resolves.
During a Showdown, after Player 1 plays an Action and Player 2 plays Reactions that resolve, can Player 1 play another Action or does it go directly to the Damage Step?
Ruling: After an action and its reactions resolve, focus passes to the other player who may play an action. Focus continues to alternate between players until both players pass focus in succession, then you proceed to combat/damage step.