Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 87 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Can you play units summoned from Glasc Mixologist to the battlefield that it died at?
Yes, you can play a unit summoned from **Glasc Mixologist**'s *Deathknell* ability to the battlefield where it died, provided you control that battlefield.
When you play Kadregrin does it see itself as a Mighty unit?
Yes, Kadregrin can count itself as a Mighty unit. According to the official RiftJudge FAQ: **Q: Does Kadregrin draw for itself?** **A: Ruling: Yes, Kadregrin can count itself.**
Do I get to draw a card if I'm out of runes?
No, you do not draw a card if you are unable to channel runes. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #5452**: "No, you do not draw a card if you cannot channel. You simply do not channel at all."
Does Hunt on Reckoner's Arena resolve twice?
To determine if the **Hunt** keyword resolves twice when holding at **Reckoner's Arena**, we must analyze the interaction between the **Hold** action, the **Reckoner's Arena** battlefield ability, and the definition of **Hunt**.
If a battlefield has a vex, and you play a master Yi unstoppable at level 16 (it enters ready), can the vex still stun it?
Yes, **Vex, Apathetic** can still stun **Master Yi, Unstoppable** even at Level 16. ### Reasoning * **Programmatic Selection vs. Choosing:** Master Yi, Unstoppable's Level 16 ability states: *"I can't be chosen by enemy spells and abilities."* However, Vex, Apathetic's ability does not require you to "choose" or "target" a unit. It uses **programmatic selection**—the ability automatically identifies the unit that...
Can you float runes during a showdown?
Yes, you can float energy and power from runes during a showdown. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #2353**, you can exhaust runes to add energy (or power) at **Reaction speed** during an opponent's turn, including during a showdown. This energy will then float in your rune pool until the end of the turn.
does legion trigger if the card was countered?
Yes, **Legion** triggers if the card that satisfied the condition was countered. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9461** and **#9463**:
does Ravenbloom student effect trigger if the spell gets countered?
No, Ravenbloom Student's ability does not trigger if the spell you play is countered. According to **Rule 425.1.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...
what triggers first: Zaun Warrens effect, or Kai'Sa Survivor's effect?
When you conquer a battlefield with **Kai'Sa, Survivor** at **Zaun Warrens**, both abilities trigger simultaneously because they share the same trigger condition ("When you conquer").
If a unit gets recalled to base does any equipment attached get detached?
No, when a unit is recalled to your base, any attached equipment remains attached to it. According to the RiftJudge FAQ (ID 8698): * **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.**
If I play Imperial Decree and then play Repeated Bellow's Breath on a unit with Guardian Angel, does it kill the unit or simply recall the unit?
Yes, your unit will be killed. While *Guardian Angel* will save your unit from the first kill trigger by recalling it to your base, the second kill trigger from *Imperial Decree* will still find and kill the unit at its new location.
The opponent conquers the battlefield on their turn. They have a 1 might unit at the battlefield and a 3 might unit at base. It's now my turn. I move my 2 might unit to the battlefield. Combat resolves and I conquer the battlefield. I then move a unit to the other battlefield. As a response, my opponent plays Ride the Wind to move their 3 might unit to the battlefield with my 2 might unit. Assuming no other spells are played, what ends up happening?
To determine what happens, we must follow the sequence of events based on the <showdown_flow> and the rules regarding battlefields and combat.
Does Defy work on Death from Below if I spend multiple power?
Yes, **Defy** can work on **Death from Below**, regardless of how much power is spent on it. ### Why this works According to **RiftJudge FAQ #3777** and **#7464**, effects that check a card's cost (like **Defy**) always look at the **printed cost** in the upper-left corner of the card. They do not consider any additional costs, discounts, or variable power...
Can I play Acceptable Loses if only 1 player controls a Gear?
Yes, you can play **Acceptable Losses** if only one player controls a gear. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #4344**, Acceptable Losses can be played even if you do not control a gear, as long as your opponent does. The card does not target, and at resolution, each player who controls a gear will choose one to kill.
If there are multiple "if I conquer" effects happening at once, do I have to place all of them on the chain at once? Or can I put them on multiple chains?
According to Rule 330.1, "Only one Chain can exist at a time." Therefore, you cannot place triggered abilities on multiple chains.
Can I ambush a unit alone if arachnlod horror is in my base? Or does ambush only give reaction while I have a unit there?
No, you cannot use **Ambush** in that situation. According to **Rule 822.1.b** and **RiftJudge FAQ #9444**, the **Ambush** keyword provides two things: 1. Permission to play the unit to a battlefield where you **already control units**. 2. The **[Reaction]** timing required to play that unit while the game state is **Closed** (such as during a showdown).
Can I play Ride the Wind in response to Hidden Blade? If so, would Hidden Blade fizzle if I Ride the Wind to base?
No, you cannot play **Ride the Wind** in response to **Hidden Blade**. ### Why you cannot play Ride the Wind * **Action vs. Reaction:** **Ride the Wind** is an [Action] spell. According to Rule 158.2.a and FAQ 7535, [Action] spells can only be played during an Open State (when no chain exists) to start a new chain. They cannot be...
If I'm holding a Battlefield and have a Pack of Wonders ready, on the opponent's turn they initiate a Showdown, can I exhaust my Pack of Wonders to send my unit to my hand instead of dying?
No, you cannot use **Pack of Wonders** to save your unit in this scenario. ### The Ruling You cannot activate the ability of **Pack of Wonders** during a showdown.
If my Irelia is at 11 might and then gets Challenged for 9 might and then a combat starts while it's at 2 HP, does the Irelia do 2 damage to the enemy or 11?
Irelia will deal **11 damage**. In Riftbound, a unit's "HP" (the amount of damage marked on it) does not reduce its Might or its ability to deal damage in combat. According to **Rule 460.2**, units resolve combat damage using their **current Might**.
Can I react to my opponent equipping a gear to a unit?
Yes, you can react if your opponent attaches a gear using an **Equip** ability. According to **Rule 818.1**, **Equip** is an activated ability. Activating an ability follows the same process as playing a card, which includes adding a pending item to the chain and creating a **Closed State** (Rule 150.2.a). Because the ability is placed on the chain, it creates...
If using Imperial Decree, does a unit with damage counter die?
No, a unit with existing damage counters will not die simply because *Imperial Decree* is played. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8633**, *Imperial Decree* only kills units that **take damage** after the card resolves. It does not look back in time to kill units that were already damaged before the effect became active.
If my units are at Dreaming Tree and I play a spell that targets my unit but the spell gets countered, do I get the draw from the Dreaming Tree?
Yes, you still get the draw from **The Dreaming Tree**. According to the established ruling for this interaction (RiftJudge FAQ #8781):
If it is the opponent's turn and I use a hidden hostile takeover to takeover their attacking unit on the battlefield, can I on this same chain use a hidden blade to kill the unit I took over once it becomes my possession?
Yes, you can do this. According to the **RiftJudge FAQ #8808**, you can use **Hidden Blade** on a unit you have taken control of with **Hostile Takeover** to kill it and draw 2 cards.
How much extra Might does Irelia Fervent get when chosen by the skill En Garde, when alone on a battlefield?
Irelia, Fervent will receive a total of **+3 Might** when you play *En Garde* on her while she is the only unit you control at that battlefield.
If I repeated Frigid Touch a 2 might unit, does it go to -2 might?
Yes, if you repeat Frigid Touch on a 2 Might unit, its Might will become -2 for the turn. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #421**, units can have negative Might values. While the game treats negative Might as 0 for purposes like combat or checking for lethal damage, the actual negative value is tracked internally for arithmetic operations.
If I have two Guardian Angel in a unit and enemy kill the unit, do I lose both?
No, you do not lose both. If a unit has two **Guardian Angel** gears equipped and that unit would die, only one **Guardian Angel** is destroyed.
Can I use bellow breath at the same unit?
Whether you can target the same unit multiple times with **Bellows Breath** depends on whether you are using the **Repeat** keyword:
During combat, does defender keep their attack power/might or does that also go down?
A unit's Might does not decrease when it takes damage. It will continue to attack and defend with its full Might value unless an effect specifically states that it reduces Might.
If I have zero Poro Dog Cat Bird, does Friendship give 0 Might?
Yes, if you have zero units with the Bird, Cat, Dog, or Poro tags, Friendship will provide +0 Might.
Does a unit have to be holding Dusk Rose Lab for its ability to trigger? If it isn't conquered will its ability still go to the stack during the beginning phase?
No, a unit does not have to be "holding" **Dusk Rose Lab** for its ability to trigger, nor does the battlefield need to be conquered.
Does ambush require Conquere Battlefield?
No, **Ambush does not require you to conquer a battlefield.** According to **Rule 822.1.b**, Ambush is a passive ability that allows you to play a unit to any battlefield where you **already control units**. It does not require that you be in the process of conquering that battlefield, nor does it require you to conquer it after playing the unit.
If I have a Soraka with a Guardian Angel equipped and a 1 might recruit at a battlefield, and they both are targeted by a Singularity, does Soraka's ability resolve in a way that would save the recruit, or does Guardian Angel activate before this can occur?
To determine how this interaction resolves, we must look at how **Replacement Effects** function when multiple units are affected by a single event (Singularity).
For Stalking Wolf, do I need to kill a unit or what does the additional cost mean?
Yes, you must kill a Bird, Cat, Dog, or Poro you control to play *Stalking Wolf*. This is a mandatory additional cost that must be paid when you play the card; if you cannot pay it, you cannot play the card.
If combat starts and I use Challenge on my unit at base against a unit at the Showdown, it dies. Combat ends. Does my base unit heal?
Yes, your unit at the base heals. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #6111**, when a combat showdown concludes, all units currently in play heal all damage on them simultaneously, regardless of whether they participated in the combat or where they are located.
If I use Angle Shot on an already attached equipment, do I have to detach it?
Yes, you must choose one of the two options provided by **Angle Shot**. According to the card text, when you play **Angle Shot**, you must: 1. **Attach** that Equipment to that unit, OR 2. **Detach** that Equipment from that unit.
Can I react to a Quickdraw Equipment being played and Gust the target before the Might addition resolves?
To answer your question: **No, you cannot react to the Gear card itself being played, but you can react to the "When you play this, attach it to a Unit you control" triggered ability.**
If I play a unit with a 'When you play me' effect that increases my XP to meet a Legend's Level threshold granting 'Your units enter ready,' does that unit enter ready?
Ruling: No. The unit enters the battlefield exhausted (the default state) because the XP gain has not yet occurred when the unit enters play.
Someone is attacking my battlefield and I have the legend Ahri. My Ahri legend ability gives an enemy unit -1. If my opponent uses Flash, does the -1 still apply?
Yes, the -1 might effect from your Ahri Legend will still apply to the unit, even if your opponent uses Flash.
Someone is attacking my battlefield and I have the legend Ahri. My Ahri legend ability gives an enemy unit -1. If my opponent uses Ride the Wind to move to another battlefield, does my Ahri ability trigger again?
Yes, your Ahri legend ability will trigger again if that unit attacks a different battlefield you control. According to the RiftJudge FAQ (ID 4675), Ahri's ability is a Might reduction that triggers when a unit gains the attacker designation at a battlefield you control. If a unit attacks one battlefield you control, receives the -1 Might reduction, and then uses...
When I move with Irresistable Faefolk to an uncontrolled battlefield and move a unit, do I become the attacker in the showdown?
Yes, you become the attacker. According to **Rule 459.2.b.1**, the attacker is the player whose unit(s) applied the "Contested" status to the battlefield. When you move **Irresistible Faefolk** to an uncontrolled battlefield, you are the player who applies the "Contested" status, making you the attacker.
When an opponent card attacks a battlefield, playing a Tideturner from Hidden and switching in an Overzealous Fan, can I still use the fan's ability?
Yes, you can use Overzealous Fan's ability after swapping it into the battlefield with Tideturner during a showdown. According to **RiftJudge FAQ 9047** and **FAQ 9411**, swapping Overzealous Fan to the contested battlefield keeps it on the board, which satisfies the requirement for paying the "kill me" cost of its ability.
Do Vanguard Armoury Recruiter tokens enter exhausted?
Yes, the Recruit tokens created by **Vanguard Armory** enter play exhausted. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #828**, Recruit tokens enter play exhausted by default unless the card text specifically states they enter ready. Since Vanguard Armory does not specify that the tokens enter ready, they follow the default rule and enter exhausted.
If I buff a nit that is already on 5+ might, does it become mighty for the Fiira legend ability?
No, it does not. According to Rule 709: "A Unit 'becomes Mighty' at the moment its Might changes from being less than 5 to being 5 or greater."
Does Thousand Tailed Watcher's effect affect units the opponent plays that turn as well?
No, Thousand-Tailed Watcher's effect does not affect units played after the ability has resolved. According to the RiftJudge FAQ (ID 6445, 1603, and 7280), Thousand-Tailed Watcher's ability "snapshots" the game state at the moment it resolves. It only applies the -3 Might reduction to units currently on the board at that time. Units that enter play later in the turn...
When I play Get Excited, do I have to discard first then play or do I not discard right away?
When you play *Get Excited!*, you do **not** discard a card right away. According to the RiftJudge FAQs for *Get Excited!*, the discard is not a cost; it is part of the spell's resolution. Here is the sequence of play:
If I repeat Bellows Breath of my opponent's unit that has Deflect, how much do I have to pay for cost?
To determine the total cost, we must look at the base cost of the spell, the mandatory additional cost imposed by the **Deflect** keyword, and the optional additional cost of the **Repeat** keyword.
Does Ruin Runner get affected by Ahri legend ability?
Yes, **Ruin Runner** is affected by the **Ahri** legend ability. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #6834**, the Ahri legend ability does not target because it automatically applies to all attacking units without requiring the controller to make a choice. Because the ability does not "choose" or "target" the unit, it bypasses the protection granted by **Ruin Runner's** ability ("I can't be...
If I conquer with Lucian and I play a card after, but then I remember I forgot to ready Lucian after conquering, can I still ready him?
No, you cannot ready Lucian after you have already played another card. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8229**, Lucian's ready ability is a triggered ability that occurs when he conquers. Because it is a triggered ability, it must be placed on the chain at the moment the conquer occurs.
Is giving an enemy unit back as a Recall able to be reacted to?
Whether you can react to a "recall" depends entirely on **how** that recall is being generated. In Riftbound, "Recall" is a game action, not a keyword or a spell type. Because of this, the ability to react depends on the source of the recall:
Is giving an enemy unit back as part of Hostile Takeover able to be reacted to?
### Ruling **No, the "lose control" and "recall" effects of Hostile Takeover cannot be reacted to.** These effects are duration-based effects inherent to the resolution of the Hostile Takeover spell itself. Because they are not triggered abilities, they do not use the chain and therefore do not provide an opportunity for players to play reactions.