Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 131 of 158 · 7,873 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
If a soldier that has been moved with Azir Sovereign that goes to the battlefield ready, is recalled to base because it does not conquer but it also doesn't die, does it go to base ready?
Yes — the soldier returns to base **ready**. Azir's ability moves tokens via an effect, not a Standard Move, so there is no exhaust cost — they arrive at the battlefield ready. If combat resolves with defenders still present, Combat Cleanup recalls the attackers (Rule 461.1.a.2). Recalls do not change a unit's state (Rule 453), so the soldier is recalled...
Is Yordle Explorer the card spent or printed cost when mixed with Sandswept Tomb?
**Yes, Yordle Explorer checks the printed Power cost, not what you actually spend.** Multiple official FAQs (4773, 6912, 8453, 8812, 18) and Rule 131.4 all confirm: *"Effects that need to determine a card's cost for any purpose always use its printed cost, even if that cost is altered or ignored as the card is played."*
Can you sideboard in a Best Out of 1 Pre Rift event?
**No, you cannot sideboard in a Best of 1 Pre-Rift event — by default.** In Riftbound, sideboarding is only permitted between games of a match (Rule 403.4). Since a Best of 1 match has only one game, there are no "between games" opportunities, and Rule 403.5 explicitly states players may not use sideboard cards in the first game of a...
Sigil of the Storm when I conquer, can I recycle Seal of Unity or does it need to be a Rune?
No. You must recycle an actual **rune card** — a Rune from your rune deck or runes on your board. **Seal of Unity** is a Gear, not a Rune card type.
Can I remove a buff on my turn? For example, I'm playing Lee Sin Blind Monk. I have a unit buff. I remove it, then I use the buff from the legend and use Mistfall to ready it again?
**No, you cannot voluntarily remove a buff from a unit without a card effect.** There is no basic game action to just "take off" a buff (Rule 702.2). Buffs can only be spent when a card or ability tells you to — like **Wallop** ("as you play this, you may spend a buff as an additional cost"), **Monastery of Hirana**...
If I have a Reflection copy of Karthus, and a Soaring Scout at a battlefield, and my opponent moves in with enough might to kill both units, does Karthus trigger the Deathknell a second time?
**Yes — Soaring Scout's Deathknell triggers twice.** Karthus's ability ("Your [Deathknell] effects trigger an additional time") is a **passive ability**, not a triggered one. Because it's passive, it doesn't need to "survive" and stays active at the exact moment both units die. When combat damage is dealt simultaneously (Rule 460.2.c.1.a), both the Reflection copy of Karthus and Soaring Scout receive...
I cast a spell then hold priority and use a reaction card, then I pass. Now my opponent responds by using a reaction card. After he used it, does he still have priority as well to use another reaction card before passing back to me?
Yes, after your opponent plays their Reaction card, they **retain priority** and can play as many additional Reaction cards as they want before passing back to you.
If you move to a battlefield twice, does Pendulum Blade stack twice in one round Riftbound?
Yes, Pendulum Blade's triggered ability stacks if the equipped unit moves to a battlefield twice in one turn. Each time the equipped unit moves to a battlefield, Pendulum Blade's trigger fires separately — "When I move to a battlefield, give me +2 Shield this turn" has no "once per turn" restriction. Both instances of "give me +2 Shield this turn"...
If I play a unit and use Twilight Step to move him to a battlefield where there are enemy units, can I move my units in base to join him or does a showdown begin before I can also make the rest of my units join battle?
**No.** After Twilight Step resolves and moves the unit, a Cleanup immediately stages a Combat at that battlefield and the Showdown begins — there is no window to then standard move additional units from your Base.
When you banish a unit and replay it to that location at a battlefield with a hidden card, does the hidden card stay if not played?
Yes, the hidden card stays. Here's why: When you banish a unit and replay it to that same battlefield, control of the battlefield is never lost. The spell/ability resolving creates a chain and the replayed unit goes pending on the chain. Per **Rule 187.4.c** and the official FAQ clarification (2026-04-29), control of a battlefield cannot be lost while there are...
If you play Astral Heron to a battlefield, how many cards would you have to play to get its effect?
**One.** You play Astral Heron as your first card of the turn. After it's finalized on the battlefield, its triggered ability checks the condition — it sees that you've played your first card and that Astral Heron is at a battlefield, so the trigger fires. When it resolves, your *next* card (the second card you play that turn) costs [2][Rune][Rune]...
If I move a unit into a contested battlefield, then I use Stupefy, then my opponent also uses Stupefy. After resolve, I use Bellows Breath. Where is the focus now?
Here's the ruling: **Focus goes to your opponent (P2) after the Stupefy chain resolves. You can only play Bellows Breath if your opponent then passes.**
Can I use Lacerate to choose a unit with 4 might? Just to trigger a chain saying I've chosen this turn? Even if it can't disempower or kill?
**Yes, you can.** Lacerate's targeting restriction is simply "a unit" — it doesn't care about Might or Empowered status. A 4 Might unit is a perfectly valid target regardless of whether the conditional effects will apply.
Does using Akali legend ability have to be in a showdown only?
**No, it doesn't have to be used only during a showdown.** The Akali legend ability has the **[Action]** keyword, which is permissive — it *allows* activation during showdowns but does *not* restrict you to them (Rule 806.2). The default timing for activated abilities (your Main Phase, Open State) is still available.
If I attack a battlefield that has Overzealous Fan while playing Diana, can I use my Diana legend to pay for Gust before my opponent has the chance to activate Overzealous Fan ability trigger?
**Yes, but it depends on one key timing detail: the opponent's decision to use Fan's ability happens before you get a window to respond.**
Does Frozen Fortress put a trigger on the chain even if there's no units there?
**Yes.** Frozen Fortress puts its trigger on the chain at the start of each Beginning Phase regardless of whether any units are at that battlefield.
My blue Nasus dies in combat, but manages to kill an enemy unit. Do I still channel a Rune Exhausted?
**No.** You do not channel a rune exhausted. Nasus, Guardian of Knowledge's ability reads "Once each turn, when an enemy unit **here** dies, channel 1 rune exhausted." When Nasus and an enemy unit both take lethal combat damage simultaneously, they are killed together during the same cleanup step (Rule 323.5). Per Rule 383.2.c.2, a triggered ability cannot evaluate its condition...
How long does Vex Apathetic stun last? If I stun them during their turn, when it's then my turn (after their turn), is it unstunned?
**Yes, it's unstunned by the time your turn starts.** Here's the timing breakdown:
I concur with Kennen Storm of Shurikens and use its triggered ability to target Star-Crossed in my trash; it resolves. Later in the turn, my enemy plays a spell that will kill Kennen. Can I react with Star-Crossed from my trash?
**Yes, you can.** Kennen gave Star-Crossed Flow this turn, granting permission to play it from your trash, and Star-Crossed has **[Reaction]**, which lets you play it during a Closed State (while the opponent's spell is on the Chain).
Can I use Star Crossed to bounce back a Fizz to before his spell resolves to counter it?
**No, you cannot stop Fizz's ability by bouncing him with Star-Crossed.** Once a triggered ability is on the chain, it exists independently of its source — removing Fizz from the board doesn't remove his ability from the chain, and it will still resolve normally.
I use Decree of Discord on two 2 might yellow units. In reaction, opponent uses Discipline to make one 4 might. What happens when my Decree of Discord resolves?
**You return one of them, not both.** Here's why. Decree of Discord says "any number of enemy Order units with total Might 5 or less" — that's a **group targeting restriction** (Rule 355.11). When you played it, the two 2-Might units had a total of 4 (✓). Then Discipline resolves first (Reaction), making one unit 4 Might and the other...
How do you get a winning point in 1v1 Riftbound? Can you just hold a battlefield and if it's still held at the start of your turn, and you have 7 points, then you have 8 points total and win? Do you just literally have to hold a battlefield to get a winning point?
**Yes.** If you're at 7 points and hold a battlefield at the start of your turn, you score to 8 and win immediately. No extra conditions needed. (Rule 466.1.b.1)
Can you empower something that does not have empower?
**Yes, you can.** The Empowered status isn't locked to cards that have the Empower keyword. **Empower** is the keyword (an activated ability you pay for), but **empower** is also a game action (Patch Notes 2026-07-17). Cards like **Sanction** ("Empower a unit"), **Mournful Witness** ("when a combat that I was in ends, empower me"), and **Hextech Formula** ("[T]: Empower another gear")...
Are you required to activate Dame The Despoiler's ability upon defending?
**Yes, it is mandatory.** Dame the Despoiler's Empowered ability — *"When I attack or defend, choose a unit here. Increase my Might to its Might this turn, then give me +1 [S] this turn"* — does not contain the word "may". Per Rule 383.3.a, triggered abilities that say "you may" are optional to place on the chain, but those without...
Does Discipline persist after a Showdown ends?
Yes, Discipline's +2 Might persists after a showdown ends. The effect says "this turn," and a showdown is just a structured window of opportunity within the turn — it does not truncate "this turn" durations.
If Nasus Guardian of Knowledge was at a battlefield and died but killed an enemy unit too, does his ability to channel 1 rune trigger?
**No — Nasus's ability does not trigger.** When Nasus and an enemy unit die simultaneously (e.g., both take lethal damage in combat), Nasus leaves the board at the same instant the trigger condition ("when an enemy unit here dies") is met. Per Rule 383.2.c.2, a game object cannot evaluate its triggered condition if it leaves the zone its trigger is...
If you have Dame the Despoiler at a battlefield and the opponent attacks in with a unit that has deflect, can you choose not to pay the deflect cost to avoid having to use her on defend ability?
**You don't need to — you can simply target Dame herself instead of the attacking Deflect unit.** Dame's triggered ability says "choose a unit here" — it does not force you to choose the attacker. Since abilities can target their own source (Rule 355.9.c), you can choose Dame herself. Deflect only applies to spells and abilities *an opponent controls* that...
If I play Elder Dragon from Dazzling Aurora, can I play it at Dragon Roost Battlefield and pay the 2 power cost?
**Yes, you can.** Dazzling Aurora only ignores Elder Dragon's *base* cost (12 Energy + 4 Power). Dragon Roost's [A][A] is an **optional additional cost** — under Rule 356.1.b.3, additional costs are applied *after* the base cost is ignored, and Rule 356.2.b treats "may pay [A][A]" as a standard optional additional cost. You declare you're paying it in step 2, pay...
If I have a unit that held at a battlefield, and then I moved that unit to base, and after I had a different ready unit at my base, that I moved to that battlefield, would that cause a new showdown?
**Yes, it causes a new showdown.** When you moved your first unit from the battlefield to base, the battlefield became empty and uncontrolled (Rule 323.6). When you then moved a different unit from base to that battlefield, you were moving to a location you did not currently control, which applies **Contested** status (Rule 445). A showdown is then opened during...
Can I use Rell to equip a long sword for free when she attacks?
**Yes.** Rell's "When I attack" ability lets you play Long Sword ignoring its cost (both Energy and Power set to 0), and then attaches it to her — no extra payments needed.
Can Akali, Silentbe chosen and killed by Singularity?
**Yes, Akali, Silent can be chosen by Singularity — but only if she is in combat.** Akali's ability says she can't be chosen by enemy spells and abilities unless she's in combat. Singularity deals 6 to each of up to two units — it targets those units (Rule 355.6–355.7).
If I lose control of a location, what happens with my hidden cards?
When you lose control of a battlefield, any hidden card you had there is sent to the trash (Rule 107.3.d, Rule 811).
Can Yellow Kennen when played from Hidden Stun any unit he wants?
**No.** When you play Kennen from Hidden, his "When you play me... stun a unit" is a **play effect**, and Hidden's targeting restriction (Rule 811.1.d.2) requires all targets of a hidden play effect to be chosen from the same battlefield where the card was hidden. Since "Stun a unit" doesn't have its own restriction that would make targeting elsewhere necessary,...
If a Zed Shadow has Assault 4 and then gets swapped out and back in from Zed, does he get 8? Or does the Assault 4 not stack each time he attacks?
Yes, this works — the Assault stacks. **How it plays out:**
Does Astral Heron count itself?
**Yes, it counts itself.** You play Astral Heron as your first card of the turn. After it resolves and is finalized on the battlefield, its triggered ability evaluates the condition — it sees that you've played your first card and that Astral Heron is now at a battlefield, so the trigger fires. When that trigger resolves, your *next* card (the...
If I Temporal Breach my ready Thousand Tail Watcher, do I still pay the 1 cost and power to accelerate it or is the cost ignored?
No, the Accelerate cost is **not ignored** — you may still choose to pay it if you want. **Temporal Breach** says "ignoring its cost," which sets Thousand-Tailed Watcher's base 7 Energy and 1 Mind Power to zero (Rule 356.1.b.1). **Accelerate** is an optional additional cost (Rule 805.2), not a base cost, so the "ignore" instruction doesn't touch it. Per Rule...
If I have a unit at a battlefield and trigger Temporal Breach on the opponent's turn, does it trigger another combat/conq? Do I lose control during the spell?
**No** to both — Temporal Breach on your own unit on the opponent's turn does **not** trigger a new combat/showdown, and you do **not** lose control during the process.
Is Gangplank's +3 might effect until the end of turn?
Yes. Gangplank, Naval's Empowered ability grants "+3 [S] **this turn** instead" — it explicitly says "this turn," making it a "this turn" effect.
I move irresistible faefolk to a battlefield and select an enemy vex in base. Can I react to my move trigger with orange rengar to play it before vex gets to the bf?
**Yes.** You can play Rengar, Pouncing to that battlefield before Vex arrives. Here's the sequence:
Can Profiteer target the same card to disempower it and then empower it again? Mostly relevant with cards like Tail-Cloaked Matriarch
**Yes, Profiteer can target the same card for both the disempower and the empower.** The ability says "disempower **something** you control" and "empower **a legend, unit, or gear**" — there's no restrictive word like "another" or "different," so the same card qualifies for both roles.
Does Red Akali's movement trigger deal damage before Shield becomes active?
**Yes, Akali's movement trigger deals damage before Shield becomes active.** Here's why: When Akali, Deadly Weapon moves into an occupied battlefield, her "When I move" trigger fires immediately and resolves completely (dealing 1, or 2 if Empowered). Only after that chain empties and a Cleanup runs does the Showdown officially begin — that's when units gain the Attacker/Defender designations (FAQ...
If I have a unit that says ignore deflect, and enemy has deflect 2, do I ignore all deflect or do I still have to pay 1 power?
**You ignore all of it — you pay 0 extra Power.** When a card says "Ignore [Deflect]", it treats the Deflect keyword as Inactive for that spell/ability's cost calculation (Rules 720–721). Inactive abilities do not apply at all. So Deflect 2, Deflect 1, Deflect 5 — none of it adds cost. You pay **nothing** extra for targeting that unit.
If you play Astral Heron to a battlefield as your first card, does it see itself and turn the cost reduction on the next card?
Yes — **one card.** You play Astral Heron as your first card of the turn. Once it's finalized on the battlefield, its triggered ability checks the condition. Since it sees that you've played your first card *and* Astral Heron is now at a battlefield, the trigger fires and gives the discount to your next card.
Can Heimerdinger be triggered by Nasus, Curator of Sands legend ability when you play a unit with 7 or more energy cost? Heimerdinger's card has a tap symbol physically, but the text on it does substitute it for "exhaust," which Nasus does do.
**No.** Nasus's triggered ability cannot be copied or triggered by Heimerdinger. Two reasons:
If I hold on a battlefield but my opponent has a Titania Crownguard and I kill Titania during my turn, can I score on the battlefield where I held?
**No.** When you attempted to Hold that battlefield at the start of your turn, the battlefield was marked as "Scored" for the turn — even though Tianna prevented you from gaining the point. You can only Score each battlefield once per turn, regardless of whether a point was actually gained (Rule 465).
If I have a temporary sprite on my bf and a hidden unit, then it comes my turn and sprite dies, what happens to my hidden unit? Do I score hold points?
**Yes, you can score the Hold point** — but only if you react to the Temporary trigger by playing your hidden unit.
Does Applied Researcher reduce Deflect cost?
**Yes, Applied Researchers reduces Deflect costs.** Like Vex, Cheerless, Applied Researchers applies a discount to the **total cost** of spells — "Your spells cost [1] [A] less." Deflect is a mandatory additional cost added to the total cost during finalization (Rule 356.2.a.2), and total cost discounts are applied *after* all additional costs are summed (Rule 356.4). This means the discount...
What happens if Elder Dragon enters the field and there is a dmg unit?
**Yes, that damaged enemy unit will die the moment Elder Dragon enters the field.** Elder Dragon's passive ability — *"Any amount of your damage is enough to kill enemy units"* — redefines what counts as lethal damage for enemy units that have any of **your** damage marked on them. As soon as Elder Dragon hits the board, the game performs...
Opponent plays Star Crossed on my Brynhildr in base and his unit in his base. I Thrill of the Hunt Brynhildr to his occupied battlefield. Does his target go to hand and does he have a window to play Eclipse before Brynhildr play ability goes off if he reacts at right time?
Here's the full ruling: **Yes, the opponent's unit still goes to hand. And yes, they have a window to play Eclipse before Brynhir's ability resolves.**
Do you have to pay for Deflect cost for Overzealous Fan?
Yes, you must pay the Deflect cost if you choose to target an enemy unit with **Deflect** using *Overzealous Fan's* ability.