Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 93 of 128 · 6,389 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Can you Death Grip a unit that has a weapon get might from both. Then attach that weapon to another unit during a showdown?
**No, you cannot attach a weapon to another unit during a showdown.** Here is the breakdown of why this does not work, based on the rules and game mechanics:
If I ambush in with a Kha'Zix mutilating horror during an attack where I have one unit and the opponent also has one unit, does Kha'Zix still get the +2?
**Ruling: Kha'Zix, Mutating Horror receives the +2 Might bonus.** ### Reasoning 1. **"Alone" Definition:** According to **Rule 741.1**, "A unit is alone when there are no other friendly units at the same location." In the context of your opponent's perspective, "friendly units" refers to units they control. Since you have moved Kha'Zix into the battlefield, your opponent still only controls...
If units tie in combat, do they exhaust back?
No, units do not exhaust when recalled due to a tie in combat. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #7084**, recalls do not change the state of a permanent unless specified; the unit maintains its current ready or exhausted state. Furthermore, **RiftJudge FAQ #3001** clarifies that a unit only recalls exhausted if the effect specifically states to "recall exhausted."
Heimerdinger, Inventor has all [T] abilities of all friendly units, including Renata Glasc, Mastermind, which has the text saying her abilities can only be used at a battlefield. Does Heimerdinger need to be at a battlefield to use Renata Glasc, Mastermind's [T] abilities?
No, Heimerdinger, Inventor does not need to be at a battlefield to use Renata Glasc, Mastermind's exhaust abilities. According to the RiftJudge FAQ (Ref: 650), while Heimerdinger inherits the activated exhaust ability from Renata Glasc, Mastermind, he **does not** inherit her passive battlefield restriction. He is free to activate that copied ability from his base location.
Do I get the hold effect from Grove after swapping the Brush Battlefield back to it?
No, you do not get the hold effect from **Grove of the God-Willow** immediately upon swapping the **Brush** battlefield back to it.
Can I swap a Battlefield from Brush and then exhaust Green Father to make it a Brush again?
Yes, you can swap a battlefield back to its original state and subsequently place a Brush battlefield token on it using Green Father, provided the specific conditions for each ability are met.
Does Hostile Takeover work on token units?
Yes, **Hostile Takeover** works on token units. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8620**, token units are considered units and follow all rules for their type unless otherwise specified. Because they are units, they are subject to effects that target or modify units, such as **Hostile Takeover**.
Does Purple Ezreal pay for the cost of Diana Lunari?
No, Ezreal, Prodigy’s ability does not apply to the cost of Diana, Lunari’s triggered ability. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #286**, **#655**, and **#1354**, Ezreal's cost reduction specifically applies only to **optional additional costs**—costs paid when playing a card that explicitly use the terminology "as an additional cost" (such as Accelerate or Repeat).
Does me leaving a battlefield end Showdown?
No, leaving a battlefield does not end a showdown. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #7670**, **#3405**, and **#976**, a showdown only ends when both players pass priority (Focus) consecutively without starting a new chain (playing a spell or activating an ability). It does not matter if one or both players no longer have units present at that battlefield.
Does Rabadon's Deathcap give Forgefire Cape bonus damage?
Yes, Rabadon's Deathcrown increases the damage dealt by Forgefire Cape. According to the rules and FAQ: * **Bonus Damage** (granted by cards like **Rabadon's Deathcrown**) increases each instance of damage dealt by spells and abilities that already include a "Deal" damage instruction (Rule 715). * **Forgefire Cape** has the effect: *"When I attack or defend, deal 2 to all enemy...
When Rek'Sai Breacher comes in, do other units get Accelerate and not have to pay 1 to use it?
No, **Accelerate is not free.** According to **Rule 805.1.a**, **Accelerate** is functionally short for: *"As you play me, you may pay [1] Energy and 1 Power as an additional cost. If you do, I enter ready."*
Vex - Apathetic vs Reflection tokens
Yes, an opponent's **Vex, Apathetic** at a battlefield will stun and restrict the movement of Reflection tokens created by spells like **Mirror Image** or abilities like **LeBlanc's (Deceiver)**.
What happens with dazzling aurora if you find no units in your deck, does the opponent get a point for decking out?
No, your opponent does not get a point. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #3394**, **#3424**, and **#6488**, revealing your entire deck while resolving **Dazzling Aurora** does not cause a Burn Out.
Ask player 1 has played the card "defy" to counter a spell, player 2 plays discipline and draws their own defy. Can player 2 react to player 1's defy and effectively counter spell it?
Yes, Player 2 can use the *Defy* they drew from *Discipline* to counter Player 1’s *Defy*. According to the **Chain Rules** and **Riftbound FAQ #950** (and confirmed by similar FAQs like #4838 and #9457), the chain is not a static block. Instead, it resolves one item at a time (Last-In, First-Out), and players are granted priority windows to play new...
Can you play Commander Ledros to a battlefield you control if killing the only unit there is part of the additional cost?
Ruling: Yes, you can play Commander Ledros to a battlefield you control even if you kill the only unit there as an additional cost. You will retain control of that battlefield throughout the process.
Explain how the ability of Lebalcn Everywhere at Once works.
The ability of **LeBlanc, Everywhere at Once** consists of two parts: a keyword and a static passive ability. According to the card text: * **[Backline]:** As defined in Rule 826, this is a passive ability. It means that during the Combat Damage step, LeBlanc must be assigned combat damage only after all other units you control that do not have...
If I stole a Ferrous Forerunner with Conscription and it dies in my control, who creates the two Mech tokens? Me or the opponent?
**You** create the two Mech tokens. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #7113** and **FAQ #4623**, when you take control of a unit with a **Deathknell** ability (like Ferrous Forerunner) and it dies while under your control, you are the controller of the Deathknell trigger. Deathknell triggers capture information about the unit at the moment it is killed, including its current controller.
Can you play Star-Crossed even with no friendly units on your side to return an enemy unit to the opponent's hand?
No, you cannot play **Star-Crossed** if you have no friendly units on the board. As established by RiftJudge FAQ #9772, while you do not need to "own" a unit (in the sense of having it in your deck), you must control a friendly unit on the board to serve as a valid target for the spell. **Star-Crossed** specifically requires both...
If I activate Tactical Retreat in response to my opponent's Falling Star and they then respond with Abandon, after the Abandon resolves, can I then activate Tactical Retreat again assuming I have the runes to do so before the initial Falling Star kills my units?
Yes, you can activate **Tactical Retreat** again in that situation. Because **Tactical Retreat** is a [Reaction] spell, it can be played whenever you have priority, including when other spells are already waiting on the chain to resolve.
When Baron Nashor dies, does his battlefield also disappear?
When Baron Nashor dies, the Baron Pit battlefield token does **not** disappear. While Baron Nashor's "When you play me" ability is responsible for adding the Baron Pit to the board, the token exists as an independent game object once created. There is no rule that causes a battlefield token created by a unit to leave the game when that unit...
Can I reconquer a battlefield I already lost and get its conquer affect in the turn if I already scored?
No, you cannot. According to Rule 465, a player may only score a battlefield once per turn, regardless of the method used (Hold or Conquer).
After I win a showdown, can I use Bone Skewer to initiate another showdown?
Yes, you can use **Bone Skewer** to initiate another showdown, provided you satisfy the game's timing and state requirements. ### Timing and Execution According to the rules for Showdowns (Rule 342, Rule 344), a showdown begins when a battlefield is contested. Because your previous showdown has concluded, you are back in a "Neutral Open State."
If I use Thrill of the Hunt on a unit and banish it, does it still keep the minus might from spells?
No, the unit will not retain the minus Might (or any other modifiers) from previous spells. ### Reasoning When your unit is banished by **Thrill of the Hunt**, it leaves the battlefield and enters the Banishment zone. As soon as the unit leaves the board, it ceases to be the same game object it was previously.
Does Stupefy or Frigid Touch trigger Immortal Phoenix effect to play it from trash?
No, neither **Stupefy** nor **Frigid Touch** will trigger the ability of **Immortal Phoenix** to be played from your trash. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #2625**, Immortal Phoenix only triggers when a unit is killed by a **spell** (either via a "Kill" instruction or via damage dealt by a spell). Stat reduction effects (reducing Might) do not count as "killing a unit...
Does Soraka Wanderer save units that are temporary?
Yes, **Soraka, Wanderer** can save units that have the **Temporary** keyword. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9331** and **FAQ #2131**, here is how the interaction works:
If I have a unit with 1 might, playing with Rengar legend and play Kinkou Initiate, can I use the Rengar legend ability to add 1 might to a unit on play before the Kinkou Initiate ability goes that says on play if you have units totaling 5 might draw a card?
Yes, you can sequence these effects so that your unit's Might increases before checking the condition for *Kinkou Initiate*. ### The Ruling When you play *Kinkou Initiate*, both its "When you play me" triggered ability and your *Pridestalker* (Rengar Legend) triggered ability trigger simultaneously because they share the same trigger condition ("When you play a unit").
If I kill Elder Dragon in a showdown, do I still die from his passive due to combat damage from Elder Dragon?
No, you will not take damage from Elder Dragon's passive ability, and you will not take standard combat damage from Elder Dragon if it is killed before the Combat Damage Step.
If Elder Dragon is killed during damage assignment of a combat showdown (after consecutive focus passes), does the passive still cause my unit to die?
Yes, Elder Dragon’s ability continues to apply to enemy units even if it is killed during the same combat. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #8684**, the ability functions as long as your damage is dealt to enemy units. It does not require Elder Dragon to remain on the battlefield after damage has been assigned.
Can I play Pouncing Rengar in base as a reaction on my opponent's turn?
Yes, you can play **Rengar, Pouncing** to your base as a reaction on your opponent’s turn. According to Rule 813.1.c.1 and the **[Reaction]** keyword on the card, Rengar can be played during Closed States on any player's turn. Additionally, Rule 813.3.a specifies that units with **[Reaction]** still follow standard playing restrictions unless overridden; standard rules permit you to play units...
I have the Master Yi, Wuju Bladesman legend. The opponent moves a unit into an empty battlefield. I play Rengar, Trophy Hunter to that battlefield as a reaction. Is the Rengar considered a defender who would then benefit from Master Yi's "When I defend" trigger?
To answer your question, we must look at how the **Defender** designation is assigned and how **Master Yi** functions as a legend.
Do units heal at the end of non-combat showdowns? And is challenge considered spell damage?
To answer your questions: ### 1. Do units heal at the end of non-combat showdowns? **No.** Units do not heal after a non-combat showdown.
Does Diana Lunari effect still go off if you pay 1 prior to the unit being gusted in response?
To determine if Diana, Lunari’s ability still goes off if the unit is "gusted" (recalled or removed) in response to the ability, we must look at how triggered abilities with optional costs and "if you do" instructions resolve.
What happens if I play Void Assault and my opponent plays Retreat on the target of Void Assault, does the Void resolve?
Yes, your **Void Seeker** still resolves. According to **Rule 359.3.e.5** and several Riftbound FAQs (such as **FAQ #6100** and **FAQ #4742**), Riftbound spells never "fizzle" completely; you do as much as you can.
If I use Possession on a unit equipped with Guardian Angel, do I benefit from Guardian Angel's replacement effect?
Ruling: Yes. When you gain control of a unit with Guardian Angel attached, the gear remains attached and its effect text remains active. If the possessed unit would die, Guardian Angel's replacement effect applies automatically—the gear is killed instead, and the unit is healed, exhausted, and recalled to your base. You retain control of the unit because it never actually...
Does Frozen Fortress trigger before or after scoring for holding battlefields?
Ruling: Frozen Fortress triggers and resolves before scoring occurs. The Beginning Phase consists of two steps: the Beginning Step (where "at the start of Beginning Phase" effects like Frozen Fortress trigger), followed by the Scoring Step (where holding and "when I hold" abilities occur).
If I move a unit to an empty battlefield, is my unit considered an "attacking unit"?
No, your unit is not considered an "attacking unit." According to **RiftJudge FAQ #5513** and **Rule 437**, units are only designated as "attackers" or "defenders" during **Combat**. When you move a unit to an empty battlefield, you initiate a **Showdown** (Rule 429.1), not Combat. Because no opposing unit is present to create Combat, your unit does not receive the "Attacker"...
If my phoenix is targeted by an enemy's Falling Star and I Deathgrip it and play it again since I've killed it with a spell, does Falling Star fizzle and target becomes invalid or does my phoenix die anyways?
To answer your question: If you use *Deathgrip* on your *Immortal Phoenix* in reaction to an enemy's *Falling Star*, your *Immortal Phoenix* is removed from the battlefield (killed by your *Deathgrip*) before *Falling Star* resolves. Consequently, *Falling Star* will "fizzle" (or more accurately, fail to resolve its instructions) regarding your *Immortal Phoenix* because it is no longer a legal target.
Opponent has Ornn with deflect 2 at a battlefield and a recruit in base. I want to use Piercing Light, targeting the Ornn and the recruit. Since Ornn has deflect, do I have the option to not use the Piercing Light on the Ornn and only on the recruit?
Yes, you have the option to not target the Ornn, Forge God. *Piercing Light* says: "Deal 2 to a unit at a battlefield, then deal 2 to up to one other unit."
If you move ready unit from battlefield with Tidehunter to base, is the unit at base ready?
Yes, the unit will be at your base **ready**. According to the general mechanics of moving units (supported by **RiftJudge FAQ #8919** and **RiftJudge FAQ #7979**), units are moved/recalled in their current state. Unless an effect specifically instructs you to exhaust a unit as part of the move or as a penalty, it retains its state (Ready or Exhausted) upon...
Do I get XP if I kill an enemy unit with Alpha Strike that has Guardian Angel equipped?
No, you do not gain XP if you "kill" an enemy unit that has **Guardian Angel** equipped with *Alpha Strike*.
Does Kog'Maw deathknell effect trigger before or after units are healed to full in a Battleground due to the end of a Showdown?
According to the current rules (Rule 323) and clarified in RiftJudge FAQ #9514 and #9786, healing occurs before Deathknell abilities resolve. While FAQ #2431 suggests Deathknell resolves before healing, this older interpretation is superseded by the current rules and more recent FAQ entries.
If I play Beast Below with no other unit on board, do I have to return it to my hand due to its Play effect?
No, you do not have to return **Beast Below** to your hand. According to the **RiftJudge FAQ #9370** and **FAQ #466**, the rules work as follows:
Does the Soaring Scout's deathknell effect trigger twice due to Karthus Eternal's passive effect when the opponent plays Falling Star and kills both units in my base?
Yes, the Soaring Scout's Deathknell effect will trigger twice. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #5353** and related rulings, this interaction occurs because Karthus, Eternal's ability ("Your [Deathknell] effects trigger an additional time") is a **passive ability**, not a triggered ability.
Does a player have to declare a target in the trash before Heedless Resurrection resolves?
Yes, you must declare the target in your trash at the time you play *Heedless Resurrection* and place it on the chain.
If I am attacking to a battlefield with Brush, and underneath it is a Trapping Grounds, I ended up dealing 3 excess damage. When I scored, can I change it to Trapping Grounds and use its effect during the same combat turn, or not?
I couldn't find a card called "trapping grounds" in the standard Riftbound database. I found "Trapping Grounds" as a battlefield, but it is not a card I have details for.
If you play Heedless Resurrection on a Ferrous Forerunner, can you play the same Forerunner from trash?
No, you cannot use **Heedless Resurrection** to kill a unit and then resurrect that same unit from your trash. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9523**, this interaction is prohibited because of how targeting and costs are handled during the process of playing a card:
Can I play a reaction card in response to Bewitching Spiirit's triggered effect?
Yes, you can play a **Reaction** card in response to the triggered ability of **Bewitching Spirit**. Here is the breakdown of why this is allowed:
If my opponent moves to an empty battlefield on their turn, can I play the new orange Rengar to that battlefield? And am I the defender?
Yes, you can play **Rengar, Trophy Hunter** to that battlefield, and you will be designated as the **Defender**. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #9820**, here is the breakdown of why this is the case:
If Rrngar plays from hand on a contested open battlefield and wins, he was made the defender. Does he get a conquer point?
Yes, Rengar does get a conquer point in that situation. According to **RiftJudge FAQ #5137**, a player can score by gaining control of a battlefield they haven't scored yet that turn, regardless of whether they were the attacker or the defender. This is often referred to as "conquering on defense."
What happens when you conquer Aspirant's Climb with Green Father and brush the battlefield when both players are at 8 points?
To answer your question, we must look at how *Aspirant's Climb* functions as a passive effect and how the game handles victory conditions and battlefield replacements.