If I use a movement spell/ability on units in Vilemaw's Lair, what happens?

Whether a movement spell or ability works on units at Vilemaw's Lair depends entirely on the destination of the movement:

1. Moving to Base

If you use a spell or ability that instructs you to move units from Vilemaw's Lair to your base, the movement fails.

• The Restriction: Vilemaw's Lair has the static ability: "Units can't move from here to base."
• The Interaction: In Riftbound, a "can't" restriction always overrides a "can" (or "do") effect.
• Resolution: Per Rule 359.3.e.6, because the instruction cannot be followed, it is simply ignored. If the spell has other instructions (like "ready the unit" or "draw a card"), those will still execute normally (see RiftJudge FAQ #5381, #8472, #8933).

2. Moving to Another Battlefield

If you use a spell or ability that instructs you to move units from Vilemaw's Lair to another battlefield (not the base), the movement is legal and successful.

• The Restriction: Vilemaw's Lair only restricts movement to the base. It does not prevent movement between battlefields (often referred to as ganking if using a standard move, or simply moving via spell effect).
• Result: The unit will successfully relocate to the other battlefield (see RiftJudge FAQ #8472).

Important Note on "Recall"

Be aware that Recall is not the same thing as a Move. Effects that "return" a unit to your hand or base (like Zhonya's Hourglass or the automatic cleanup of attackers after combat) are not movement actions. Therefore, these effects bypass the Vilemaw's Lair restriction entirely (see RiftJudge FAQ #532, #7877, #8489).