Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 137 of 158 · 7,873 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
If an 8 might attacks my 9 might holding, can he then instantly bellows breathe and kill my unit?
It depends on when he plays it. - **During the Showdown, before combat damage:** Yes. Bellows Breath deals 1 damage (2 with Repeat), and that damage stays marked through combat (damage only clears at Combat Cleanup/end of turn). Combat then adds the attacker's 8 Might → 9 damage on your 9-Might unit = lethal, it's killed.
Can you explain to me the FEPR process and the combat changes made in Unleashed?
**FEPR** is the process Riftbound uses to resolve everything on the Chain: **Finalize → Execute → Pass → Resolve** (Rule 335–340). Its full name in current rules is **HOT FEPR** — *Handle Outstanding Tasks* first, then FEPR (FAQ #9397).
Can my opponent play a reaction spell to my Lilting Lullaby?
**Yes.** Reaction spells can be played during a Closed State on any player's turn, and your Lilting Lullaby is itself on the chain — so your opponent can add a Reaction spell on top of it (Rule 813.1.c.1).
Opponent plays Fizz Trickstarter. I want to play Disposal Order. When can I respond? When opp plays Fizz or when he chooses a card to play from trash? And what next? I play Disposal Order and he chooses another cards?
**You respond when Fizz's "When you play me" trigger goes on the Chain — that's the moment your opponent declares which spell in their trash Fizz will play (FAQ #10020, #12050).**
If I soul harvest an enemy unit in a battlefield in which I have no units on, can my opponent play an ambush card to put that unit into the battlefield?
**Yes — your opponent can play an Ambush unit to that battlefield in reaction to Soul Harvest.** Soul Harvest on the chain creates a Closed State, and since your opponent still controls the targeted unit at that battlefield, Ambush's condition is met: they may play a unit there and gain [Reaction] timing for that play (Rule 822.1.b). The Ambush unit...
Can I use 2 more reactions at once?
**Yes.** Priority doesn't leave you until you choose to pass it, so you can play as many Reactions as you can afford in a row (Rule 312; FAQ #4744).
When Red Akali moves into a battlefield where Blue Teemo is defending, does Teemo's "When I defend" go on the chain first, or can Akali instantly use her Legend ability and move Red Akali unit back as an action?
**No — Teemo's "When I defend" goes on the Chain first; you can't use the legend ability to preempt it.**
If I'm defending with Ravenbloom Student at the Battlefield Fortified Position, and my opponent comes in with Akali Deadly Weapon, activates the legend ability of Akali and moves Akali Deadly Weapon out, does my Ravenbloom Student survive from the Fortified Position shield proc? Or does Ravenbloom Student die from the 2 damage dealt to it?
**No — Ravenbloom Student dies from the 2 damage.** Fortified Position's "When you defend here" Shield never procs, because the Student is killed in the Cleanup **before** Combat is ever staged, so it never becomes the Defender.
Can I play Star Crossed as a reaction to an empower ability?
**Yes.** Empower is an activated ability (Rule 827), so it goes on the Chain as a Pending item and creates a Closed State (Rule 377.3). Star-Crossed has **[Reaction]**, so you can play it during that Closed State.
When you play Temporal Breach on a battlefield you control, does it start a showdown?
No — if the unit's owner already controls the battlefield, no showdown starts. Temporal Breach banishes a unit and its owner plays it back to the same location. Contested is only applied when a unit becomes present at a battlefield its controller doesn't already control (Rule 190.3.a.1). Replaying your own unit to a battlefield you control doesn't satisfy that, so...
Does Applied Researcher affect repeat costs?
Yes — once she's Empowered, Applied Researchers' discount applies to Repeat costs too. Repeat is an optional additional cost that gets added to the spell's total cost during finalization (Rule 356.2), and her "your spells cost [1] [A] less" is a total-cost discount applied after all costs are summed (Rule 356.4). So a spell that costs [2] plus a [Repeat]...
Does Vi Peacekeepers still stun if she gets bounced and no longer at that battlefield?
**No — if Vi is bounced before her attack trigger resolves, the stun fizzles.** Her ability reads "When I attack, [Stun] an enemy unit **here**." The word "here" requires Vi herself to still be at that battlefield when the ability resolves. If she's returned to hand (e.g., Star-Crossed or Flash) in response to the trigger, the chain resolves last-in-first-out —...
I play Imperial Decree, can I use my 2 Might unit to kill a 2M backline unit and 4M unit of opponent?
**No — you can't kill both.** Your 2 Might only reaches the 4M unit, so the 2M Backline unit survives untouched.
If I burn cards and I burn Flame Chompers, can I play it for through its effect?
**No.** Burning Flame Chompers does not trigger its ability — "discard" only means hand → trash (Rule 422.1), while Burn moves cards from the top of your Main Deck to trash (Rule 440.1). They're different game actions, so the "when you discard me" trigger never fires.
If there is damage on a unit, will it still die if I play Elder Dragon and bounce it?
**Yes — the damaged enemy unit dies the moment Elder Dragon enters, and bouncing Elder Dragon afterward won't undo it.**
If I have Mel awakened empowered and I stupefy my own empowered Gangplank, does he only gain 1 might instead of 2 or does he get 6?
**Neither — Gangplank gains +3 Might this turn, so he ends at 9 (6 base + 3). Mel's extra −1 never lands.**
Can the list ability be reacted to?
**Yes — but only the [T] activated ability, not the "as you play" naming.** The List's `[T]: Give a unit with the named tag -2 [S] this turn.` is an activated ability. Activated abilities go on the Chain just like a spell, which creates a Closed State and gives opponents a window to respond with Reactions (Rules 377.3, 406.4). So...
If my legend is Master Yi, I have a Fiora Peerless Duelist alone on a battlefield, and my opponent starts a showdown with only one unit, can I get the +2 might from Master Yi first before Fiora's might is doubled? What happens if I play a Punch first after the showdown starts? Would Fiora double that might as well?
**Yes — Fiora ends at 10 Might, and no, Punch First's +5 doesn't get doubled.** Your Master Yi (Wuju Bladesman, Starter) gives a **passive** +2 Might the moment Fiora is designated as the lone defender, before anything hits the chain (Arithmetic layer). Fiora goes 3 → 5, then her "when I defend one on one" trigger resolves and doubles her...
When Master Yi tempered attacks with 7 might to a Darius with 5 might, Draven player who has Darius reveal hidden card Switcheroo. Does the Master Yi which is at 7 might gain the might of Darius being at 5 or at 7 because he played the second card this turn?
**Master Yi gains 5 — Switcheroo swaps using each unit's *current* Might when it resolves, and Darius is sitting at 5.**
Am I allowed to empower Matriarch of War legend with "Kayle, Justified" second and third empower?
**Yes — you can activate Kayle's Empower a second and third time, and Matriarch of War's trigger fires each time — but only the first one does anything to her.**
If I play Temporal Breach on a defender at a battlefield, when they replay, are they now the attacker?
**No — the replayed unit is still the Defender, and its controller stays the Defender.** The Attacker is defined by who first applied **Contested** to that battlefield (Rule 459.2.b) — that's the player who moved in, and Temporal Breach doesn't change it. The defender controls the battlefield even while it's contested, so playing the unit back to the same location...
Hextech Anomaly if I pay a Ready Rune to get an energy, does that mean I get 2 Fleeting Energy, one from Hextech Anomaly and the other for floating a rune?
Yes — one ready rune can give you 2 floating energy, but only if you use its Recycle ability to fuel Hextech Anomaly.
Does Ivern Friend to All get the extra point if I have units with all the different tags at the same battlefield as him, or can they be anywhere in play (e.g., bird, poro, and cat with Ivern at battlefield and dog at base)?
Yes — they can be anywhere in play under your control. Ivern's ability says "if your **units** have all of the following tags **among them**," not "at this battlefield." So as long as you control at least one Bird, one Cat, one Dog, and one Poro across your base and all battlefields, the condition is met (FAQ #10315). A Dog...
If opponent has Frozen Fortress and forgot to trigger the Frozen Fortress and suddenly remembered, how does judge resolve this?
It depends on **when** they remember — the key is whether a new game action has been taken since the trigger's observable impact point.
When you play a unit from Kharox Empower, after that played unit dies, does it go to your trash or the enemy's?
**It goes to the opponent's trash — you control the unit, but they still own it.** When Kharox's Empower lets you play a unit from your opponent's trash, you gain control of it, but ownership doesn't change. If that unit is killed later, it goes to its owner's trash (Rule 56: a card can never enter a non-board zone belonging...
Explain to me how the interaction of Switcharoo targeting my Shadow Clone with Assault 4 has with an enemy unit with 7 might.
**Yes — it fully swaps the numbers: your clone becomes 7 Might and the enemy drops to 4, with Assault staying on the clone as part of that value.**
How does Star Crossed work when it gets rebuttal by a Mel deck?
**It depends on what you do when Rebuttal resolves — and you decide then, not when you play it.** Rebuttal (Mel's signature, [1] Mind/Chaos) can target Star-Crossed since its Energy cost of 3 is within the "no more than [4]" limit. On resolution, you either pay [A] to take control and make new choices, or decline and counter it (FAQ...
Can I tap Irelia legend when I select her during a showdown with a spell?
**Yes.** Playing a spell that chooses Irelia, Fervent during a Showdown triggers Blade Dancer's ability ("When you choose a friendly unit, you may exhaust me and pay [A] to ready it"), so you can tap the Legend and pay a Rune to ready her (FAQ #9382).
If I hide Zhonya and my Poro dies triggering its Deathknell, can I play Zhonya in response to the Deathknell?
Yes — you can flip Zhonya's Hourglass in response to the Deathknell trigger, but it won't save the Poro. Hidden cards gain Reaction when played from facedown (Rule 811), and the Deathknell trigger going on the chain puts the game in a Closed State — so you have a window to play it. However, Zhonya's is a replacement effect ("if...
Do units heal after Showdown? Open Showdown and Combat Showdown?
No — it depends on whether the showdown is a **combat** showdown or not. - **Combat Showdown** (Contested battlefield with units from opposing players): yes. After combat damage, Combat Cleanup heals **all units in play** — every unit everywhere, whether or not it fought (Rule 461.1.a.1). - **Non-Combat Showdown** (Contested battlefield where only one player has units): no healing. There's...
What is the difference between killing Poro with Hidden Zhonya in the Showdown and outside Showdown?
**The difference is when your last chance to flip Zhonya's happens — and whether it can actually save the Poro.**
Why can't you save Zhonya when opponent kill my poro with desthknell outside showdown?
You can flip Zhonya's in response to the Deathknell trigger outside a Showdown, but it won't save the Poro — the death has already happened by then.
When do I have to trash my hidden card? After showdown end or after my only unit killed?
**It depends on whether a Showdown is still running.** Your hidden card trashes when you **lose control of the battlefield** (Rule 323.7). That timing changes based on context:
Can an enemy Disposal Orders my trash before I choose to play something from my trash with Fizz?
They can't force you to choose first and then strike in a "blind" window — but the practical answer is **yes, they can still stop Fizz**. Here's the timing:
When I play Astral Heron to a battlefield, does my next card this turn get reduced by 2 energy and 2 power?
**Yes** — if Astral Heron is the first card you play that turn, your next card costs [2] Energy and [A][A] (2 Power, any domain) less.
If I use Facebraker in a battlefield where I have a unit, can I play it without an enemy in there?
No. Facebreaker requires both a friendly unit **and** an enemy unit at the same battlefield as valid targets when you play it — you can't play it with only your own unit present (RiftJudge FAQ #40).
Can I play 1 energy to give Renekton, Brute 1 might on the enemy turn?
**No.** Renekton, Brute's ability `[1]: Give me +1 [M] this turn` is a standard activated ability with no **Reaction** tag, so it can only be activated on your own turn, during your Main Phase, in an Open State (Rules 145.2, 381). On your opponent's turn you have no such window for it.
If I move a unit into a contested battlefield and activate a move trigger, can I reaction speed a spell to move out of the battlefield before combat starts?
**Yes — if the move trigger opens a chain, you can play a Reaction-speed spell to move the unit out before the showdown starts, and the combat won't happen.**
If I have a Ahri Nine Tailed Fox Legend and the enemy attacks a battlefield with Assault, does the effect from Ahri apply before or after the Assault effect?
Yes — Assault applies first, then Ahri's -1 Might. Assault is a passive ability that takes effect the moment the unit gains the Attacker designation, before any triggers go on the chain. Ahri's Nine-Tailed Fox ability then triggers on that designation and resolves afterward, reducing the already-buffed Might. So a 3-Might unit with Assault 3 attacks at 6 Might, then...
What is considered as win a combat?
**You win a combat if you are the Attacker or Defender and you are the only player with units still at that battlefield when combat result is determined (Rule 466.3.a).**
If the opponent enters my battlefield with a unit that says "when I attack" but in the same battlefield I have a unit that says "when I defend", which one procs first?
**The "When I defend" trigger resolves first — even though the "When I attack" trigger goes on the chain first.**
Can Kennen give Flow for a spell got discarded by Minefield when conquering with Kennen?
**No.** Kennen's target is locked when his conquer trigger is placed on the Chain, and at that moment Minefield hasn't resolved yet — so the cards it mills into your trash aren't there to choose.
Does defying or playing a rebuttal on a spell played from flow still banish the spell?
Yes — a countered Flow spell is still banished, but only when it's actually countered. Flow's banishment is a delayed replacement effect (Rule 829.1.b.1): any time the spell leaves the chain as a finalized chain item — except by resolving on its own — it's banished instead of trashed. A counter (Defy, or Rebuttal's "otherwise, counter it" branch) sends it...
At Battlefield A, my opponent controls 2 units (Mystic Poro and Sinister Poro) and I control 1 unit (Lonely Poro) along with a face-down Hidden Lotus Trap. If combat happens and I activate Hidden Lotus Trap targeting the opponent's Mystic Poro, how does the combat resolve and what is the exact outcome?
**All three units die — it's a full trade — and you draw 1 from Lonely Poro's Deathknell. No one scores; Battlefield A becomes Uncontrolled.**
Does Applied Researchers reduce repeat costs?
**Yes — once Applied Researchers is Empowered, her "your spells cost [1] [A] less" discount applies to Repeat costs too.**
When Lucian Gunslinger attacks and there is only 1 deflect unit there, can he pass his ability or does he have to do it?
**He can't skip it outright, but he can get out of it by declining the Deflect cost.** Lucian's "When I attack" trigger is mandatory (no "may"), so it goes on the Chain as a Pending Item. If the Deflect unit is the only enemy unit there, he must choose it as the target (Rule 402.4) — that's not optional. However,...
If my Forerunner dies and I am playing Rengar Pridestalker, do the tokens summoned from Forerunner give plus 1 to other units?
**Yes.** Each Mech token is "played" when Forerunner's Deathknell resolves, so Pridestalker triggers once per token — two triggers, each giving a unit +1 Might (not one +2).
Does Ravenbloom Conservatory make you reveal to opponent?
**Yes — "reveal" means the card is shown to all players, including your opponent.** Ravenbloom Conservatory's ability uses the game action **Reveal**, which per Rule 424.1 is "presenting a card to all players" — so the top card of your Main Deck becomes public information during the resolution, then either goes to your hand or gets recycled. The effect is...
If I have 2 or more units with Tank on a battlefield and the opponent is trying to conquer it, can I decide which of my units gets the damage first, then second, etc.?
**No — the attacker decides, not you.** During the Combat Damage step, the attacking player assigns their damage and chooses which of your Tank units takes lethal damage first when you have multiple Tanks at the battlefield. Since your Tanks share the same damage-assignment priority, the attacker may assign to them in any order (Rules 815.1.c.2, 465.2.c.7). All your Tanks...
If I swap Zed with a shadow clone, does a targeted spell still hit Zed or hit the clone?
**The spell still hits Zed — the Shadow Clone is never the target.** Targeting locks onto the game object (Zed), not his location. When he swaps places with the clone, the targeting relationship follows Zed across the board (same principle as the Alpha Strike clarification: the "arrow" stays on the unit as long as it remains on the board). The...