Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 70 of 133 · 6,627 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Does Unyielding Spirit counter Imperial Decree?
### Ruling **No, Unyielding Spirit does not counter Imperial Decree.** Unyielding Spirit prevents damage from spells and abilities. Imperial Decree creates a triggered ability that kills a unit when that unit takes damage. Because Imperial Decree is a "Kill" effect and not a "Damage" effect, Unyielding Spirit does not prevent the unit from being killed.
If Ferrous Forerunner dies while I have Rek'Sai Breacher on the field, can I Accelerate the two Mech tokens and how much should I pay?
Ruling: Yes, the Mech tokens created by Ferrous Forerunner gain Accelerate due to Rek'Sai Breacher's ability, and you may pay 1 Energy and 1 Power (any domain) for each token to have them enter the board ready.
Does Not so Fast counter King's Edict?
No, **Not So Fast** cannot counter **King's Edict**. According to the card text and official rulings, **Not So Fast** can only counter a spell or ability that "chooses" a friendly unit or gear. **King's Edict** does not target or choose units when it is played; instead, it instructs each opponent to make a choice during the resolution of the spell.
Is her effect on VI to recycle once per turn or not?
Vi's recycle ability is **not** limited to once per turn. You can activate it multiple times in the same turn as long as you can pay the cost (recycling a card from your discard pile).
When I play Ride the Wind on Irelia Fervent, does she get two counters for being chosen and being readied?
If **Irelia, Fervent** is exhausted when you play **Ride the Wind**, she gains a total of **+2 Might** for the turn.
Does equipment fall off when a unit dies but gets saved by Guardian Angel?
No, equipment does not fall off when a unit is saved by Guardian Angel. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8298**, **FAQ #674**, and **FAQ #5370**, when a unit is saved by Guardian Angel, the death event is replaced and prevented. Because the unit never technically "dies" or leaves the battlefield to go to the trash, the equipment remains attached to the...
Does Overzealous Fan make me pay Deflect when I kill it to move enemy unit to the base?
Yes, you must pay the **Deflect** cost if you choose to target an enemy unit that has the **Deflect** keyword with *Overzealous Fan's* ability.
Does Darius Trifarian see himself when he is played and is considered second played card?
Yes, **Darius, Trifarian** does see himself as the second card played in a turn and can trigger his ability to ready himself and gain +2 might.
Can Switcheroo be countered by Not So Fast?
Yes, **Switcheroo** can be countered by **Not So Fast**. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #2005**, **Switcheroo** explicitly chooses (targets) units when it is played. Because it targets units, it meets the requirement for **Not So Fast**, which states it can "Counter an enemy spell or ability that chooses a friendly unit or gear."
Can Thousand-Tailed Watcher reduce the might of a unit to 0?
No, Thousand-Tailed Watcher cannot reduce a unit's Might to 0. According to the card's text and the corresponding RiftJudge FAQ (ID 3124), Thousand-Tailed Watcher's ability reduces the Might of enemy units by 3, but it includes a "minimum of 1 Might" clause. This means that even if a unit's Might would be reduced below 1 by the effect, it will...
Can I cull the weak my enemy's ruin runner?
Yes, you can play **Cull the Weak** even if your opponent controls a **Ruin Runner**. Here is the breakdown of why this interaction works:
Can Bone Skewer choose Ruin Runner from an opponent's hand to stun it?
Ruling: Yes, Bone Skewer can choose Ruin Runner from an opponent's hand. Ruin Runner's protection ability ("I can't be chosen by enemy spells and abilities") is only active while it is on the board, not while it is in hand.
Do I have to pay the Deflect cost when picking Rengar from hand with Bone Skewer?
Ruling: No, you do not have to pay the Deflect cost. Cards in hand are not permanents, and Deflect is only active on permanents that are already on the battlefield. Additionally, the delayed stun trigger from Bone Skewer does not require paying Deflect because it does not target (the unit is programmatically selected).
If Elder Dragon is on the battlefield and my opponent uses Flurry of Blades, do my units die?
Ruling: No, your units will NOT die. Elder Dragon's ability only applies to damage you deal to enemy units, not to your own units. When you play Flurry of Blades while controlling Elder Dragon, your units take 1 damage normally, while all enemy units are killed.
Can Vex, Apathetic's ability stun Baron Nashor when Baron Nashor is played, given that Baron Nashor has 'I can't be chosen by enemy spells and abilities'?
Ruling: Yes, Vex, Apathetic's ability will stun Baron Nashor when it is played. Baron Nashor's protection from being chosen by enemy abilities does not apply because Vex's ability programmatically selects the unit rather than having its controller choose a target.
Can I activate Le Blanc Deceiver's ability when I hold a battlefield but have no cards in hand to discard?
Ruling: No, you cannot activate Deceiver's ability if you have no cards in your hand. The discard is a cost (appearing before "to" in the ability text), not part of the effect's resolution, so you must have at least one card to discard in order to activate the ability.
Can you cull the weak a ruin runner?
Yes, you can play **Cull the Weak** even if your opponent controls a **Ruin Runner**. Here is the breakdown of why this interaction works:
Can I play Signature Spells of a champion not in my deck?
No, you cannot include or play signature spells for a Champion unless that Champion is your chosen Champion Legend. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #7473**, "Signature Spells can only be included in your deck if your Legend matches. Having the Champion unit alone is not sufficient."
If a unit moves to an empty battlefield, is it considered as attacking?
No, a unit moving to an empty battlefield is not considered to be attacking. According to **FAQ #5513** and **FAQ #8664**, units moving to an empty battlefield are not considered attackers, and the unit does not receive the "Attacker" designation.
Can I counter Cull the Weak with Not So Fast?
No, you cannot use **Not So Fast** to counter **Cull the Weak**. According to the official rulings for these cards:
When I use Overzealous Fan, do I have to pay deflect cost?
Yes, you must pay the **Deflect** cost if you choose to target an enemy unit that has the **Deflect** keyword with *Overzealous Fan's* ability.
For Ahri Inquisitive, does it count as choosing for a unit with Deflect?
Yes, Ahri, Inquisitive's ability counts as choosing a target, and therefore it triggers Deflect. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #468** and **FAQ #1076**, Ahri, Inquisitive's ability targets a unit, which triggers the Deflect cost. If the targeted unit has Deflect, you must pay the Deflect cost to apply the -2 might effect. If you choose not to pay (or cannot pay)...
Does Ravenbloom Student ability activate even if you counter the spell?
No, Ravenbloom Student's ability does not activate if the spell you play is countered. According to **Rule 412.1.b**, a card that is countered is not considered to have been played. Because Ravenbloom Student's ability triggers "When you play a spell," and a spell is only considered "played" once it successfully resolves, a countered spell fails to meet the condition required...
Can I play Pickpocket with no gear on board?
Ruling: Yes, you can play Pickpocket even if there are no valid gear targets on the board. Playing a unit is separate from resolving its "When you play me" ability.
If I control both battlefields with a unit at each, and my opponent attacks battlefield A, can I use Arcane Shift during the showdown to banish my unit from battlefield B and play it to battlefield A?
Ruling: Yes, you can use Arcane Shift to banish your friendly unit from battlefield B and play it directly to battlefield A, as long as you control battlefield A and can target an enemy unit at a battlefield for the damage portion of the spell.
Does recalling a unit detach gear from it?
Ruling: No, when a unit is recalled, any attached gear remains attached to it. Sequence: - The unit moves from the battlefield to the base (both are board zones) - Gear stays attached throughout the recall - The unit arrives at the base with gear still attached
Does Downwell remove Gold tokens from the battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, Downwell affects Gold tokens. Gold is a token gear, and Downwell returns all units and gear to their owners' hands, which includes Gold tokens.
Can I attach Warmog's Armour to an unbuffed unit, conquer Monastery of Hirana, and sequence the two conquer triggers so the unit gains a buff from Warmog's first, then spend it with Monastery to draw 1?
No. Under the Unleashed rules update, "may" triggered abilities with costs within instructions (like Monastery of Hirana's "spend a buff to draw 1") require you to pay the cost when placing the ability on the chain, not when it resolves. At the time of conquering, your unit doesn't have a buff yet (Warmog's Armour hasn't resolved), so you cannot put...
If I choose to put Reaver's Row's "may" triggered ability on the chain targeting Irelia Fervent, can I decline to move her back to base when the ability resolves but still get the +1 might choose trigger?
No. Under the Unleashed rules update, if you decide to put a "may" triggered ability on the chain, you can no longer decline its effects when the ability resolves. If you choose to put Reaver's Row's ability on the chain targeting Irelia Fervent, you must move her back to base when it resolves. The "may" only gives you the option...
How does Overzealous Fan's defend trigger ("When I defend, you may kill me to move an attacking unit to its base") work with Not So Fast under the new rules? Does Overzealous Fan survive if my opponent counters the ability?
No, Overzealous Fan does not survive if countered. Under the Unleashed rules update, "kill me" is treated as a cost within instructions. You must kill Overzealous Fan first (paying the cost) to put its defend trigger onto the chain. Your opponent can still play Not So Fast to counter the triggered ability, but Overzealous Fan will already be dead because...
Can Ezreal Prodigy and Vex Cheerless stack their cost reductions to play spells for 0 energy?
No, they can no longer stack to reduce spells to 0 energy. Under Rule 356.4, discounts that only affect a specific component of a cost (like Ezreal Prodigy's, which reduces the energy component) must be applied before discounts that affect the total cost (like Vex Cheerless's). Because Ezreal's component-specific discount is applied first, and then Vex's total-cost discount is applied...
What is the cheapest you can cast a repeated Bellow's Breath with Ezreal Prodigy and/or Vex Cheerless cost reductions?
The cheapest you can cast a repeated Bellow's Breath is 1 energy and 0 power (1e0p), regardless of how many Ezreal Prodigys or Vex Cheerless you control in combat. This is because of the new discount ordering rule (Rule 356.4): Ezreal's component-specific discount applies first to the energy component, then Vex's total-cost discount applies to the remaining total. The math...
Can I use Jax's legend ability to reattach an equipment to the same unit it's already attached to? For example, reattaching Brutalizer to regain the +2 might bonus, or reattaching equipment to Aphelios to trigger his effects?
No. Under Rule 434.1 (added in the Unleashed update), attaching a card to its current top-most card (the unit it's already attached to) has no effect. You can no longer reattach Brutalizer to the same unit to regain the +2 might bonus, and you can no longer reattach equipment already on Aphelios to trigger his effects. The equipment must be...
Does Assault's might bonus last through the combat resolution step? For example, if Jinx Demolitionist (4 might) attacks with Assault 2, is she still at 6 might when conquer triggers resolve after winning combat?
Yes. Under the Unleashed rules update, Assault and Shield now give their might bonus until the combat showdown ends, not just through the combat damage step. So if Jinx Demolitionist attacks with Assault 2 (bringing her to 6 might), wins the combat, and conquers, she is still at 6 might when conquer triggers resolve. This means she qualifies as Mighty...
If I cast Imperial Decree and then attack into my opponent's Draven Audacious, does Imperial Decree's delayed trigger kill Draven Audacious during or after combat? Does the Draven legend draw a card?
Under the Unleashed rules update, Imperial Decree's "kill a unit that is damaged" delayed trigger now resolves during combat (as part of the HOT FEPR process handling outstanding tasks), not after combat is over. This means Draven Audacious will die during combat before the combat resolution step determines the winner. Because Draven Audacious dies during combat rather than surviving to...
With the Unleashed rule changes, does Monastery of Hirana still work the same with Warmog's?
Yes, **Monastery of Hirana** and **Warmog's Armor** still function the same way following the *Unleashed* rule updates. The interaction remains consistent because the core mechanics governing buffs and equipment have not changed. Here is the breakdown of how they interact:
Can I play Cull the Weak to kill the opponent's unit without any unit present on my base or at battlefield?
Yes, you can play **Cull the Weak** even if you have no units in play. According to the RiftJudge FAQs and the game's rules:
Does Virtuoso's ability trigger when a 4-cost spell gets countered?
Ruling: No, Virtuoso's ability will not trigger if the spell is countered. A countered card is not considered to have been played, so "When you play a spell" triggers do not activate.
If I use Temporal Portal to give Hidden Blade the Repeat keyword, then kill my opponent's unit twice with it, how many cards does each player draw?
Ruling: You draw 0 cards total. Your opponent draws 2 cards total. Sequence: - First execution: Hidden Blade kills the targeted unit. The kill instruction executes successfully, so the linked draw instruction also executes - the unit's controller (your opponent) draws 2 cards. - Second execution (Repeat): Hidden Blade attempts to kill the same unit again, but it's already dead.
Does a 3-Might Mech token with Assault (making it 4 Might when conquering) reduce the cost by 4 when recycled with Rumble, Hotheaded's ability?
Ruling: Yes, when you recycle a unit as a cost for an ability like Rumble's, the ability "looks back" at the unit's characteristics immediately before it left the board, including any Assault bonuses. A 3-Might Mech with Assault active will reduce the cost by 4.
If I spend on a buff on Monastery of Hirana, and I have Warmog equipped, do I get the buff back?
No, you do not get the buff back. When you spend a buff to trigger the ability on **Monastery of Hirana**, that buff is removed from your unit (Rule 702.2.b). **Warmog's Armor** does not have an ability that automatically replaces or restores a buff once it has been spent.
If Akshan takes a weapon and I use Jax to attach it to another unit, when Akshan dies what happens to the weapon?
When Akshan leaves the board, control of the stolen equipment reverts to your opponent, but the equipment remains attached to your other unit. It does not automatically detach or return to the opponent's unit.
Does Sun Disc no longer count itself for its Legion effect?
Sun Disc has never counted itself toward its own **Legion** effect. According to **Rule 812.1.c**, for a **Legion** ability to be active, a card **different** than the one with the Legion ability must have been finalized on the same turn.
If I play Ezreal with 0 cards in hand, do I still draw 2?
Yes, you still draw 2 cards. According to **Rule 055** (the "Do as much as you can" rule), when executing card text, you follow all instructions you can perform and ignore those you cannot. Since you have no cards in hand to discard, you simply skip that part of the instruction and proceed to the next, which is drawing 2...
Does Irelia Fervent still become a 5 Might when readying at the beginning of turn?
Yes, Irelia, Fervent will become 5 Might if she is exhausted at the start of your turn during the Ready Step (formerly the Awaken phase).
Does Not so Fast counter Switcharoo?
Yes, **Not So Fast** can counter **Switcheroo**. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8679**, this interaction works because **Switcheroo** explicitly chooses (targets) two units when it is played. Because it targets units, it meets the requirement for **Not So Fast**, which states it can "Counter an enemy spell or ability that chooses a friendly unit or gear."
Can you equip Last Rites if you don't have two units?
To equip **Last Rites**, you must be able to pay its full cost, which includes recycling two cards from your trash.
How does Challenge still work if a unit is stunned?
A stunned unit can still deal damage via the spell **Challenge** because the Stun status only prevents a unit from dealing **combat damage**.
Do I need to pay deflect cost on a unit if I want to deal damage with alpha strike?
### Ruling Yes, you must pay the Deflect cost for any enemy unit with Deflect that you choose as a target for the damage dealt by Alpha Strike.
If I play Salvage and it got Defy, can I still draw 1?
No, you cannot draw a card if your **Salvage** is countered by **Defy**. When a spell is countered, it is removed from the chain immediately and does not resolve. Because **Salvage** never resolves, its instructions—including the instruction to "Draw 1"—are never carried out.