Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 9 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Can you float energy to pay for recycle costs when using Power Nexus's effect?
Ruling: Yes, you can float energy to pay recycle costs for Power Nexus. You can either float it in response to the trigger or while the triggered ability is resolving and you are paying costs.
When an opponent moves a unit into an empty battlefield and I use Zenith Blade/Ride the Wind to move my unit into that same battlefield during my priority, am I the attacker or defender?
Ruling: You are the defender. The opponent applies contested status to the battlefield when they move their unit there, which happens before you can respond with reactions.
Can an action card be played in response to another action card, or can only reaction cards be chained on top of action cards?
Ruling: Only reaction cards can be played in response to action cards. Action cards cannot be played in response to other action cards.
If a player forgets to resolve a triggered ability that would award points (like Ahri's Alluring or Arena the Greatest), should those points be scored when they remember it later?
Ruling: Triggered abilities that award points are missed triggers and are not given back under current rules. Only Conquering and Holding are "scoring" - other point-gaining effects are triggered abilities that can be missed.
When you use Charm to move an enemy unit into a battlefield you control, does it move ready, does it create a showdown, and if the moved unit wins do they gain a point?
Ruling: When you move a unit via card effect, it stays in the same state (ready or exhausted). If you move an enemy unit to a battlefield you control, it creates a showdown with them as the attacker, and if they win they would gain a point.
Can you react to playing a unit card that has no on-play effect?
Ruling: No, there is no reaction window when playing a unit with no on-play effect. Sequence: - The unit resolves as soon as it finalizes - It does not linger on the chain - It has no trigger to go on the chain
What happens if you remove a +2 Gear from a unit that has damage marked on it and would have 2 Might before the Gear is removed?
Ruling: A unit dies during the next cleanup if it has non-zero damage marked on it that is greater than or equal to its current Might. Removing a Gear that reduces Might below the marked damage will cause the unit to die.
When an opponent responds to a targeted spell (like Hidden Blade) or a unit with a 'When you play me' ability (like Harnessed Dragon) by moving the target, can the target change or does the spell/ability fizzle?
Ruling: For targeted spells like Hidden Blade, targets must be chosen when the spell is played (finalized) and cannot change. If the target becomes illegal when the spell resolves, it mistargets and has no effect. For units with 'When you play me' triggered abilities like Harnessed Dragon, the unit resolves first with no priority window, then the triggered ability goes...
Can you spend a buff from any unit you control for Monastery's ability, including units at your base?
Ruling: You can spend a buff from any unit you control, regardless of location (field or base). Nuances: - The ability does not specify location, so it applies to all units you control - You can only spend buffs from units you control, not opponent's units
When Baited Hook banishes and plays a Karma, does Karma see the recycled cards from Baited Hook's recycle effect, and when does her vision trigger?
Ruling: Karma will see the recycled cards from Baited Hook. You cannot play Karma until Baited Hook completely finishes resolving (including its recycle effect). Karma's vision is a When You Play Me trigger that happens after she resolves.
Does Purple Yasuo's movement count reset after Possession?
Ruling: Purple Yasuo's movement count does not reset after Possession. Possession is not movement, and as long as the unit hasn't moved to a non-board zone, it is treated as the same object with the same movement count.
Can Imperial Decree kill units that survived combat and have already healed?
Ruling: Imperial Decree only kills units that are damaged after it resolves. It does not look back in time to kill units that were previously damaged but have since healed.
Do "When you Conquer" effects trigger even when you don't score a physical point (e.g., when already at 7 points and drawing a card instead)?
Ruling: Yes, "When you Conquer" effects always trigger if you haven't scored that battlefield this turn, regardless of whether you actually score a point or draw a card instead.
If you play Retreat on your red Darius at a battlefield (returning him to hand), then pay 5 energy and 1 red power to play him from hand, does he come in ready with +2 might?
Ruling: Yes, if Retreat and Darius are the only two cards you've played that turn in that order, Darius enters ready with +2 might.
Does recycling a unit with Deathknell (like Soaring Scout) via Divine Judgment trigger the Deathknell effect?
Ruling: No, recycling does not trigger Deathknell. Deathknell only triggers when a unit dies, which specifically means being sent from Board to Trash. Recycling moves cards to a different zone and does not count as dying.
Does Eager Apprentice's effect stack if you have multiple on the battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, Eager Apprentice's effect stacks if you have multiple on the battlefield.
If Noxian Drummer (3 might) moves to Trifarian War Camp (which gives +1 might to units here), and the opponent plays Gust, does the War Camp buff apply before Gust resolves?
Ruling: The Trifarian War Camp passive buff applies to Noxian Drummer as soon as it arrives, making it 4 might. Since Gust can only target units with 3 or less might, Noxian Drummer is not a valid target for Gust.
Can you use reaction/action cards on your opponent's turn whenever you want (like at end of turn), or only during specific windows like showdowns or in response to spells/effects?
Ruling: You cannot use cards whenever you want on your opponent's turn. You only get priority when your opponent does something that gives you priority, such as during a showdown or when they play a spell.
At what points in the game can you activate a legend ability, such as Lee Sin's creature buff ability?
Ruling: Legend abilities follow the same rules as spells regarding timing. If they don't have an "action" or "reaction" tag, they can only be activated during your turn, outside of a showdown.
Does Unyielding Spirit prevent damage from Challenge?
Ruling: No, Unyielding Spirit does not prevent damage from Challenge because Challenge doesn't deal damage by itself - the units deal the damage to each other.
If Yi is on Reavers Row with 2 defending units, one unit moves to base via Reavers Row's ability, does the remaining unit get Yi's buff before combat damage?
Ruling: Yes, the remaining unit gets Yi's buff before combat damage. Sequence: - Attack is declared on Reavers Row where Yi is present with 2 defending units - One unit moves to base via Reavers Row's ability - Yi's continuous effect applies to the remaining single defender - Combat damage occurs with the buff active
If Tasty Faefolk is defending alone with Zhonya's face down, and dies to combat damage, does the Tasty Faefolk player get to benefit from both the deathreel trigger and Zhonya's being flipped up and going to base?
Ruling: Yes, the Yi player gets to benefit from both Zhonya's being in base and Tasty Faefolk's deathreel trigger. Sequence: - Tasty Faefolk takes lethal damage in combat - Yi player allows Tasty to die - Deathreel triggers, creating a chain - Zhonya's flips up and goes to base - Both effects resolve for the Yi player's benefit
If you use Portal Rescue on a Token, will it result in a token played in your base?
Ruling: No. When Portal Rescue banishes a token, the token ceases to exist when it enters the banished zone (a non-board zone), so there is nothing left to play to your base.
If I play Cleave and my opponent plays Defy on it, then I play Defy on their Defy, does my Cleave resolve?
Ruling: Yes, your Cleave resolves because the opponent's Defy was countered and never resolved. Sequence: - You play Cleave - Opponent plays Defy targeting your Cleave - You play Defy targeting opponent's Defy (before it resolves) - Your Defy resolves, countering opponent's Defy - Opponent's Defy never resolves - Your Cleave resolves
Does Mageseeker Warden prevent units from entering ready via Sun Disc?
Ruling: No, Mageseeker Warden does not prevent units from entering ready via Sun Disc. Mageseeker only prevents the action of readying (rotating an exhausted unit to ready), not units that enter the battlefield already in a ready state.
Can you react to Blitzcrank being played before your units get dragged to his battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, you can react to Blitzcrank being played before your units get dragged to his battlefield.
Can you hide a card and instantly play it on the same turn?
Ruling: No, you cannot hide a card and play it instantly. You must wait at least until your opponent's turn.
Is it possible to react to Targon's Peak activation at the end of the turn?
Ruling: Yes, there are two possible points to react to Targon's Peak. You can respond to the initial "When you conquer" trigger right after someone conquers it, and you can respond to the delayed ability when it gets added to the chain at the appropriate end of turn time. However, neither reaction point will prevent the conquering player from readying...
Can Unchecked Power be used to deal 12 damage to all units at battlefields if your units are already exhausted?
Ruling: Yes, Unchecked Power can be used even if your units are already exhausted. Exhausting your units is an effect, not a cost, so you do as much as you can and then proceed to deal 12 damage to all units at battlefields.
If I control Reaver's Row with only a Traveling Merchant, and my opponent attacks, can I use Reaver's Row to move Merchant to Base (discarding Flame Chompers), then play Chompers to Reaver's Row while still in combat?
Ruling: Yes, you can play Flame Chompers to Reaver's Row. During combat, the battlefield remains Contested and control cannot change until combat ends, even if only one player has units there temporarily.
Can you play a hidden card at a location where you already have a hidden card to replace/get rid of the older hidden card?
Ruling: No, you cannot hide a card at a battlefield where you already have a hidden card to implicitly overwrite it. You must first play (reveal) the existing hidden card and let it resolve before you can hide another card at that battlefield.
Can Unlicensed Armory be played as a reaction to save a unit from a spell that would kill it during the opponent's turn?
Ruling: No, Unlicensed Armory cannot be played as a reaction to save a unit during the opponent's turn because it does not have the Reaction timing keyword.
When revealing Here to Help from Hidden, does the opponent learn which unit will be played from hand before they can play a reaction, or is the unit chosen on resolution?
Ruling: The unit is chosen on resolution. The opponent does not get to know what unit will be played before deciding whether to react to Here to Help.
How is combat damage assigned when Kayn (with 6 might and immunity to damage) attacks Viktor and 4 tokens (total 6 health)?
Ruling: The attacking player (Kayn's controller) decides how to assign their unit's damage to enemy units. All damage is dealt simultaneously. Since Kayn is immune to damage, combat results in a draw and Kayn retreats to base.
Can you use Voli Legend's exhaust ability in response to a Dazzling Aurora trigger that occurs during the end step?
Ruling: Yes, you can exhaust Voli when you play a mighty creature off of Dazzling Aurora, even during the end step. Voli's ability is a triggered ability, not an activated ability.
Does Yasuo's leader ability to move a unit trigger Move abilities, and if Yasuo moves an exhausted unit to a battlefield, does it trigger combat?
Ruling: Yasuo's leader ability does trigger Move abilities. When moving a unit to a battlefield, it triggers a showdown if you don't control the battlefield, or combat if an opponent is already there, regardless of whether the moved unit is ready or exhausted.
When a unit uses Ride the Wind to move from one battlefield to another during combat, does it heal from damage taken in the first battlefield before entering combat in the second battlefield?
Ruling: When a unit moves from one battlefield to another using Ride the Wind during combat, the combat in the first battlefield ends and the unit fully heals before entering the new battlefield.
Can you react to abilities that activate automatically, such as Dazzling Aurora or purple Yasuo?
Ruling: Yes, you can react to automatic abilities once the opponent gives you priority and the ability enters the chain.
Do board wipe cards like Unchecked Power trigger Deflect?
Ruling: No, Unchecked Power does not trigger Deflect because it does not target. Cards that deal damage to all enemies do not "choose" targets, so they bypass Deflect's targeting requirement.
Can Charm or Ride the Wind move a unit from one battlefield to another, bypassing the Ganking restriction?
Ruling: Yes, Charm and Ride the Wind can move units from one battlefield to another because Ganking only restricts standard moves, not card effects that move units.
Can Gemcraft Seer's vision stack? Can a unit have multiple instances of vision?
Ruling: Yes, Gemcraft Seer's vision can stack and a unit can have multiple instances of vision.
Can a player create tokens using cards from their opponent's token deck if their own deck doesn't include those tokens?
Ruling: Tokens exist outside the game and are not part of any deck. You can use any object (dice, unofficial tokens, etc.) to represent tokens you create. You may use your opponent's token cards if they agree to let you borrow them, but they are not required to provide them.
Does the Yi legend passive (+2 when a friendly unit defends alone) work when a single unit is targeted by a spell outside of combat?
Ruling: No, the defend keyword only applies during combat, not when units are targeted by spells. Nuances: - The +2 bonus from defending alone does not trigger when a spell targets a single unit on the battlefield
When Shen is played as a reaction during a chain, does his Shield ability trigger and go on the chain, allowing opponents to react before he gains the additional might?
Ruling: Shield is a passive ability, not a triggered ability, so Shen gains the additional might immediately when he becomes a defender. There is no window to react before he has the bonus.
When Green Yasuo attacks and targets a Deadbloom Predator with his attack ability that deals damage equal to his might, does the attacker need to recycle one rune to pay for Deflect?
Ruling: Yes, the attacker will need to recycle one rune to pay for Deflect when Green Yasuo's attack ability targets the Deadbloom Predator.
Can a defending player respond to an attack chain (started with a reaction spell) with an action spell?
Ruling: No, only reaction spells can be added to a chain. Action spells can only start a chain when you have focus, while reaction spells can both start and be added to a chain.
If I'm the attacker and play a spell during my focus, after that spell resolves and I pass, does my opponent play nothing, do I get another focus since I played a card on my first focus?
Ruling: No, you do not get another focus. After a non-initial chain resolves, focus moves automatically to the next player.
If both players have 'The Arena's Greatest' as their Battleforged in play, do we get 2 points to start?
Ruling: Yes, if both players have The Arena's Greatest as their Battleforged in play, you get 2 points to start.
Does Traveling Merchant require you to discard a card to draw a card, and how does this compare to Super Mega Death Rocket's discard requirement?
Ruling: Traveling Merchant triggers as a mandatory effect - you discard if you can, then draw even if you didn't discard. Super Mega Death Rocket requires you to discard TO retrieve it; if you don't discard, you don't get it back.
If you draw a Reaction card while resolving a chain during a showdown, can you immediately use it to react to an earlier card in the chain, or must you wait for the entire chain to resolve?
Ruling: After a Reaction resolves during chain resolution, you can immediately play another Reaction card (such as one you just drew) to react to earlier cards still in the chain. You do not have to wait for the entire chain to resolve.