Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 85 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
If my opponent attacks with Fiora Peerless onto a battlefield, where I have a Pouty Poro, do I have a chance to gust her to hand before her might doubles?
Yes, you have a chance to play **Gust** to return **Fiora, Peerless** to your opponent's hand before her Might doubles.
Does Eager Apprentice decrease the cost of Repeat Spells?
Yes, Eager Apprentice reduces the total cost of a spell that includes a **Repeat** cost. According to RiftJudge FAQ #629 and FAQ #9301, Eager Apprentice reduces the total cost of a spell (which includes the base cost plus the optional **Repeat** additional cost) once.
If I play Imperial Decree and then bellows breath repeated on a Stellacorn Herder equipped with Guardian Angel, does it kill her?
Yes, your Stellacorn Herder will be killed. Because *Bellows Breath* is played with its **[Repeat]** cost paid, it creates two separate instances of damage. Each instance of damage triggers *Imperial Decree*, placing two separate "kill" triggers on the chain.
If I attack with Stellacorn that has a buff and am going into showdown against Master Yi Tempered and Gemhand Hunter, and then I play a spell to stun the Yi, does my Stellacorn come back to base exhausted or still ready?
To determine the state of your Stellacorn when it returns to base, we must look at how combat and recalls function in Riftbound.
Does play a token unit count as a "play a unit"?
Yes, playing a token unit counts as playing a unit. According to **Rule 182.1.a**, tokens are played by their owner following all applicable steps for playing a card (or unit), and **Rule 350.2** explicitly states that while tokens are not cards, they can still be played. Additionally, RiftJudge FAQ #3881 confirms that playing a token unit counts as playing a...
If I already control a unit at Trifarian War Camp and play a Fiora Victorious directly to it, she instantly becomes Mighty. Can I then use my Fiora legend to Channel one Rune exhausted?
No, you cannot use your Fiora Legend ability in this situation. According to the **Riftbound** rules and established FAQs regarding "becoming Mighty":
I have a unit on Star spring battlefield, enemy tries to conquer it. I play an ambush unit on it. Can I move my other unit there then?
### Ruling Yes, you can move your other unit to its base. When you play an Ambush unit to a battlefield where you already have a unit, you trigger the ability on Star Spring. Because the Ambush unit is a non-token unit, playing it satisfies the condition for Star Spring's ability.
If I have Arachnoid Horror in base, can I play Ambush unit (Nidalee) as a reaction when enemy tries to conquer an open bf?
No, you cannot play Nidalee using the **Ambush** keyword in this situation. According to **Rule 822.1.b**, the **Ambush** keyword allows you to play a unit as a **[Reaction]** only to a battlefield where you **already control units**.
Can you play Wallop at 0 energy?
Yes, you can play Wallop at 0 energy, provided you pay its optional additional cost. According to the card's text, Wallop has a base energy cost of 2. However, it includes the following ability: "As you play this, you may spend a buff as an additional cost. If you do, ignore this spell's cost."
Can I target Baron Nashor with Iron Balista?
No, you cannot target Baron Nashor with the ability of **Iron Ballista**. According to the card text for **Baron Nashor**, it has the ability: *"I can't be chosen by enemy spells and abilities."*
Does Minefield count as a discard trigger for Super Mega Death Rocket?
No, **Minefield** does not count as a discard trigger for **Super Mega Death Rocket!**. According to the rules and FAQs for these cards:
If a battlefield says, you may choose a unit, and send it to base enemy or friendly, is that choosing and therefore deflect cost?
Whether an effect that says "you may choose a unit" triggers **Deflect** depends on whether that effect is **targeting** the unit.
Can I play Shen as a reaction on a showdown where I am the attacker?
No, you cannot play Shen as a reaction to a showdown where you are the attacker. According to Rule 813.3.a and multiple RiftJudge FAQs (such as FAQ #8206 and #2593), units can only be played to a battlefield you control. As the attacker in a showdown, you do not control the battlefield where the combat is taking place.
Player A has 1 Sand Soldier in BF and 3 Sand Soldiers in base. Player B plays Piercing Light with Repeat, but chooses the 1 Sand Soldier in the BF twice. Would Piercing Light stop working after the first cast since Sand Soldier in BF dies?
No, *Piercing Light* will not stop working. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9063**, **#6490**, and **#8976**, *Piercing Light* with *Repeat* is treated as a single, all-in-one spell resolution. The spell performs its instructions twice during that single resolution, and no cleanup (which would remove units from the board) occurs between these two executions.
When Draven Audacious dies with Guardian Angel, does opponent score a point?
No, your opponent will **not** score a point if **Draven, Audacious** dies while equipped with **Guardian Angel**. ### Reasoning * **Replacement Effect:** According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9367** and **Rule 369.1**, **Guardian Angel** acts as a replacement effect. When the unit would die, the effect replaces that "death" event with "kill this Guardian Angel instead," and the unit is healed and...
Does I need both targets to be able to play Star-Crossed?
Yes, you need both targets to be able to play **Star-Crossed**. According to Rule 355.10, a game object mentioned in the text of a spell is a target unless it falls under specific exceptions. Because **Star-Crossed** instructs you to return "a friendly unit and an enemy unit," both are required targets.
Can I cast Hidden Blade if my opponent casts Thrill of the Hunt, and can I still target the same unit?
To answer your question, we need to look at the timing of when targets are locked in for spells. According to **Rule 355.14.b** and the general rules for targeting, targets for a spell are chosen and locked in when the spell is finalized and added to the chain.
What happens if I Wages of Pain a unit with Assault 2?
When you use **Wages of Pain** on a unit with **Assault 2**, the outcome depends on whether that unit is currently an **attacker** in combat.
If you have 3 Vex Mocking, and you stun a unit at a battlefield, can you move all 3 copies of Vex Mocking to that battlefield at the same time?
To answer your question: **No, you cannot move all three copies of Vex, Mocking to the battlefield simultaneously using their triggered abilities.**
Can I Mystic Reversal a hidden card and choose a unit at another battlefield?
No, you cannot use **Mystic Reversal** to change the targeting of a hidden card to a different battlefield. Here is the breakdown of why this interaction is restricted:
If my opponent plays a spell, I try to defy it, my opponent plays abandon to return defy to my hand, is it possible for me to allow abandon to resolve then counter the first card again?
Yes, it is possible for you to counter the original spell again after *Abandon* resolves. According to the **Chain Rules** and **Riftbound FAQ #9035**, the chain is not a single, immutable block that must resolve all at once. Instead, it is a sequence of items that resolve one by one, and players receive a window of priority to add new...
When playing Ambush as a Reaction into a BF with my Defending Unit, does the Ambush gain Assault if it contains the Keyword?
To answer your question: No, a unit played via **Ambush** into a battlefield where you already control a **Defending** unit will not gain the benefits of **Assault**.
If you defy a card, does it still ready Darius?
If you use **Defy** to counter a card, that card is not considered to have been played. Consequently, it will not trigger any abilities that rely on a card being played, including the ability of **Darius, Trifarian** to ready himself.
How does Void Gate and a repeated Piercing Light work? How about for a unit in the base which is being targeted by an instance of the Piercing Light?
To understand how *Piercing Light* (with *Repeat*) interacts with *Void Gate*, we must look at how damage is dealt and how *Void Gate* modifies that damage.
Does a countered card count toward satisfying Legion requirements?
Ruling: Yes, a countered card does satisfy Legion requirements as long as it completes the Finalized step in the chain process.
For the card Get Excited, do you see what they discard before you can react or counter?
No, you do not see what your opponent is discarding before you have the opportunity to react or counter *Get Excited!*.
If I play a spell and it's countered by Defy, will it still count towards Legion?
Yes, a spell that is countered by **Defy** still counts toward satisfying **Legion** requirements. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9461**: * **Legion** checks whether a card has been **Finalized** on the chain, not whether it successfully resolved. * When you play a spell, it is placed on the chain as a "Pending Chain Item." * Once you choose targets and pay...
Can you defy a Piercing Light repeated?
Yes, **Defy can counter a Piercing Light that has been repeated.** According to the RiftJudge FAQ #9196 and #2163, Defy and similar counter effects check only the **printed (base) cost** on the card, not the total cost paid (which includes any [Repeat] costs). Since Piercing Light has a printed cost of 2 energy and 1 power, it falls within Defy's...
Does Skyfall Areion allow hold effects to activate after conquering Reckoner's Arena?
Yes, **Skyfall of Areion** allows your unit's "When I hold..." effects to be activated when you conquer **Reckoner's Arena**. ### How it works: 1. **Skyfall of Areion's Effect:** This card modifies the equipped unit's abilities so that its "When I hold..." effects are also treated as "When I conquer..." effects (and vice versa). 2. **Reckoner's Arena's Ability:** The battlefield has...
Do you have to target all any units at battlefields when you play alpha strike?
No, you do not have to target all enemy units at battlefields when you play Alpha Strike. According to **Rule 355.13**, if a card specifies that a player chooses "any number" or "up to" some number of objects to be affected, they may choose any number of available targets, including zero. While Alpha Strike does not explicitly use the words...
Can you react to the Gutter Palace "at the start of the beginning phase" triggered ability?
Yes, you can react to the triggered ability of Gutter Palace. According to **Rule 383.3**, when a triggered ability's condition is met, it behaves like an activated ability and is placed on the chain. Because the ability is placed on the chain, it creates a **Closed State**, which allows players to play cards or activate abilities with the **[Reaction]** keyword...
What rules make Phoenix a 'new' unit when revived from trash?
To clarify, there is no specific rule that makes Immortal Phoenix a "new" unit when it is played from the trash. In Riftbound, when a card moves from one zone (like the trash) to another (like the battlefield), it is treated as a new game object.
If I ready my Ezreal legend, do I have to choose another 2 targets to use it again?
To answer your question: **No, you do not need to choose two new targets to use Ezreal's legend ability again after readying him.**
If I have three cards in hand (that includes Dunebreaker)... if I play Dune, would he enter ready or exhausted?
Yes, **Dunebreaker** will enter the battlefield **ready** in this scenario. According to the ruling in **RiftJudge FAQ #8756**, this is a conditional passive ability that is checked at the exact moment the unit enters the board.
If I play Wages of Pain on my enemy unit and he reacts with Recall, do I still get 1 gold?
Yes, you will still create the Gold gear token even if the target of *Wages of Pain* becomes invalid (e.g., because your opponent used *Retreat* or another effect to return it to their hand).
Does Dusk Rose Lab apply first or Temporary Units Dying apply first?
At the start of your Beginning Phase, both the *Temporary* trigger and the **Dusk Rose Lab** ability are added to the chain. Because you control both, you choose the order in which they are placed on the chain, and therefore, the order in which they resolve.
When using Challenge to compare units at different battlefields, can a hidden Back Off be played to stun the attacking unit, and does the stun prevent Challenge's damage?
Ruling: Back Off cannot be played in this scenario because hidden cards can only affect the battlefield they are hidden at. If it could be played, the stun would not prevent Challenge's damage because stun only prevents combat damage, not damage from spells or abilities.
Can I use Ride the Wind to move a unit I play to a battlefield if the opponent has Vex, Apathetic at the other battlefield?
Ruling: No, you cannot use Ride the Wind to move a unit you just played if your opponent has Vex, Apathetic at another battlefield. Ride the Wind is an [Action] spell and cannot be played in response to Vex's triggered ability since the chain is active (Closed State). Vex's ability will resolve, stunning your unit and preventing you from moving...
When using Renata's legend ability, do I have to exhaust the Gold gear token to add energy?
Ruling: Yes, you must exhaust and kill the Gold gear token to activate its ability. When Chem-Baroness Renata's legend ability is active (within 3 points of Victory Score), the Gold token adds 1 Energy and 1 Power.
Does Ballista trigger Deflect?
Yes, using the ability of **Iron Ballista** triggers **Deflect** if you choose a unit with the Deflect keyword as the target.
Can you use Shadows Call to draw without any friendly units?
No, you cannot use **Shadow's Call** if you have no friendly units. According to Rule 355.10, a game object mentioned in the text of a spell is a target unless it falls under specific exceptions. **Shadow's Call** instructs you to "Choose a friendly unit." Because this choice is not part of a cost, a trigger condition, or a replacement effect,...
If I attack with Glasc Mixologist into a battlefield my opponent controls, and all creatures die, can I play the unit from the Deathknell to that contested field?
No, you cannot play the unit from your *Deathknell* ability to that battlefield. ### The Ruling According to **FAQ #9314**, when you move a unit to a battlefield controlled by your opponent to attempt to conquer it, you are the attacker and you **do not control** that battlefield. Because you do not control the battlefield, you lack the permission to...
If you're not so fast a Deathknell ability but they have Karthus, does it cancel only one trigger or both?
If you have a unit with a **Deathknell** ability and you control **Karthus, Eternal**, the Deathknell will trigger **twice** (the base trigger + one additional trigger from Karthus).
Does Stellacorn Herder draw a card when it is on a battlefield with attached Guardian Angel and it receives deadly damage that activates Guardian Angel's effect? Stellacorn is transferred to the base after Guardian Angel activation, but does it count as a move?
No, **Stellacorn Herder** does not draw a card in this scenario. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #2801**, the activation of **Guardian Angel** does not count as a move for the purposes of abilities that trigger "when I move."
If Glasc Mixologist dies at the same time as a 3 might unit, can I play that 3 might unit?
Yes, you can play that 3-might unit. According to **FAQ #9392**, when multiple units die simultaneously (such as **Glasc Mixologist** and another unit), their *Deathknell* triggers are added to the chain as pending items before the units are moved to the trash. Because the game "remembers" them in the trash once the triggers resolve, you can target the unit that...
If my opponent uses an Akshan to take my exhausted Heart of Dark Ice, when they take it, is it still exhausted?
Yes, the **Heart of Dark Ice** remains exhausted when your opponent takes control of it with Akshan. According to the rules of Riftbound, control-change effects (like the one created by Akshan) change which player controls the object, but they do not change the state of the object itself. Since the gear was already exhausted when it was taken, it remains...
After I held this round with Last Rites, can I play a unit at any time during the round with its effect or only during the beginning phase when hold is resolved?
Based on the card text and the rules of *Riftbound*, here is the ruling regarding when you can use the effect of **Last Rites**:
Does mirror image token get stunned if enemy Vex Apathetic is on a battlefield?
Yes, the Reflection token created by **Mirror Image** will be stunned if your opponent has **Vex, Apathetic** at a battlefield.
I have a unit equipped with Last Rites and I control a Battlefield. When exactly can I play the unit, or does the timing not matter since the condition has been fulfilled?
To clarify the timing for playing a unit using the ability on **Last Rites**: When the condition for the ability on **Last Rites** is met (i.e., you conquer a battlefield), you may play a unit from your trash. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #1014**, because the ability does not specify a restricted window for playing the unit, you are permitted to...
If I play Baron Pit do I have to conquer 3 BF to win?
Whether you need to conquer all 3 battlefields to win depends on your **Mode of Play** and your current **Point Total**.