Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 140 of 158 · 7,873 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Does Sett, Kingpin count himself when applying the +1 [M] buff bonus for each buffed friendly unit?
Yes, Sett, Kingpin counts himself. The ability states 'I get +1 [M] for each buffed friendly unit at my battlefield' with no exclusion, so if Sett is buffed, he receives the bonus for himself plus any other buffed units on the battlefield.
Can you Gust Vayne when she enters a battlefield?
Generally no. When Vayne moves to an occupied battlefield with no items on the chain, combat is immediately staged and she gains the Attacker designation before either player has priority, making her 5 Might (outside Gust's 3 or less range). However, there is an edge case: if another unit with a triggered ability (like Traveling Merchant) moves to the battlefield...
Do Repeat and Accelerate costs factor in for Yordle Explorer's trigger?
No, Repeat and Accelerate costs do NOT factor in for Yordle Explorer. According to a rule, effects that need to determine a card's cost for any purpose always use its base cost, even if that cost is altered or ignored as the card is played. Yordle Explorer checks the card's base Power cost (what's printed in the upper left corner),...
When Thousand-Tailed Watcher gives enemy units -3M (minimum 1) and then Grand Strategem gives friendly units +5M, how do these modifiers combine? Specifically, with 1M tokens and 2M Faithful Manufacturers, what are the final Might values?
The correct final values are 6M for all units (both the 1M tokens and 2M Manufactors become 6M). According to a rule, when an arithmetic effect has a limitation (like 'minimum of 1'), it snapshots at the limited level when applied and is 'remembered' at that value for the duration. When Thousand-Tailed Watcher's -3M effect applies: the 1M tokens would...
Would Defiant Dance kill units with two might, due to the wording not saying to a minimum?
No, Defiant Dance would not kill units with 2 Might. Defiant Dance gives one unit +2 [M] and another unit -2 [M] this turn. The -2 [M] is a Might reduction, not damage. According to Rules 708-710, a unit's Might is simply reduced by 2. A 2 Might unit would be reduced to 0 Might, but reducing a unit's Might...
If Yasuo, Remorseful attacks a battlefield, deals 6 damage to a unit with his ability, then is moved away with Ride the Wind, does the damaged unit heal or does the damage stick?
The damage will heal during Combat Cleanup. Here's the sequence: (1) Yasuo attacks and his ability triggers, dealing 6 damage to an enemy unit at the battlefield. (2) Ride the Wind moves Yasuo away and readies him, but the 6 damage remains marked on the unit. (3) The damage stays on the unit throughout combat. (4) During Combat Cleanup ,...
What is the correct remedy when a player draws 5 starting cards instead of 4 during initial setup (before mulligans)?
The correct remedy is to apply Rule of Drawing Extra Cards, even though the setup process is not technically a limited action. While Rule General Error could theoretically apply as a catch-all, it's not practical because you cannot rewind when the specific card drawn cannot be determined. Therefore, the closest applicable rule states: 'If the error is caught after the...
Can I play a reaction when an enemy plays a Carnivorous Snapvine to their base targeting a unit at a battlefield I control?
Yes, you can react to the on-play ability of Carnivorous Snapvine (and similar units like Riptide Rex) with Reaction-speed spells. Here's how it works: When the unit is played, it enters the board first. Then the Play Effect goes on the chain as a Pending Item. The controlling player completes the steps of playing it, including targeting. Once it becomes...
If Kayn uses Ride the Wind to move to an opposing battlefield and becomes ready, but cannot conquer the battlefield and is automatically sent back to base (because it can't take damage after moving twice), does Kayn retain its ready status when recalled to base?
Yes, Kayn retains its Ready status when recalled to base. Recalls do not affect the state of the Permanent being recalled. The rule states: 'Unless otherwise stated by the source of the Recall, Damage, Exhausted Status, Buffed Status, and applied Layer alterations will all remain unaffected by a Recall.' Since the recall is a corrective action due to Kayn being...
If Sett - Brawler spends his buff to get +4M, does that trigger Fiora's leader ability?
Yes, spending the buff DOES trigger Fiora's Leader ability. Here's why: When Sett activates his ability "Spend my buff: Give me +4 [M] this turn", the buff is spent (removed) as a cost during step 4 of activating abilities. This causes Sett to drop from 5 Might to 4 Might (losing the +1 from the buff). Then, when the ability...
What happens to Tideturner's trigger if it is returned to hand (gusted) after being flipped from facedown? Does the targeted unit still move?
The targeted unit does not move. When Tideturner is played from Hidden to the battlefield, its play trigger goes on the chain and you choose a target. If the opponent responds with Gust and returns Tideturner to hand before the trigger resolves, the trigger still resolves but has no effect. When the trigger tries to reference Tideturner's 'original location' but...
If I move Sett into a battlefield to start a showdown, then during the showdown I play Zenith Blade to move Leona (Determined) to that battlefield, does Leona's 'When I attack' trigger activate, or did she need to be present when the showdown started?
Yes, Leona's 'When I attack' trigger will activate. Leona does not need to be present when the Showdown starts.If a Unit controlled by the Attacker becomes present at the battlefield after Combat begins, it will gain the Attacker designation during the Cleanup phase following the action that caused it to become present. The sequence works as follows: (1) Showdown begins...
If my opponent plays Vanguard Captain to a battlefield they control and I use Gust on it, what happens to the recruit tokens? Does the timing of when I use Gust matter?
The timing of when you use Gust is critical: **If you Gust after the Play Effect resolves:** The two Recruit tokens remain at the battlefield. They were already created as separate game objects, and removing Vanguard Captain doesn't affect them. The tokens only cease to exist if they themselves are moved to a non-board zone.
When Yasuo, Remorseful attacks a battlefield with a unit controlled by Nine-Tailed Fox's leader, in what order do their triggered abilities enter the chain?
According to Combat-initiated Showdown Initial Chain, triggered abilities are added to the chain in this order: first by the player with Focus (the Attacker), then by players without the Defender designation in turn order, and finally by the Defender. In this scenario, Yasuo's 'When I attack' ability enters the chain FIRST (since Yasuo's controller is the Attacker with Focus), then...
If I have hidden a Flight or Fight and my opponent casts Hidden Blade, can I react to move my unit back to base and save it? Or does the Hidden Blade effect still happen even though my unit would not be at a battlefield?
Yes, you can save your unit this way. If you move your unit to base in response to Hidden Blade being played (before it resolves), your unit changes zones from a battlefield to base. A target is illegal as the spell resolves if it no longer meets the targeting requirements of the spell, or if it has changed Zones to...
If my opponent targets my 2 Might unit with Gust, and I respond by buffing it to 4 Might with Discipline, does Gust still return my unit to hand?
No, Gust will not return your unit to hand. The game checks if targets are legal both at activation (when the spell is played) and at resolution (when the spell effect applies). When Gust is played targeting your 2 Might unit, the target is legal at activation. However, when Discipline resolves first and increases your unit to 4 Might, the...
Can Teemo's Legend ability (Swift Scout) bounce a facedown card from the board to hand?
No, this is an illegal play. Swift Scout's ability states "Put a Teemo unit you own into your hand from your Champion Zone or the board." "'Unit,' 'gear,' and 'rune' refer to objects on the Board unless specified otherwise," and another rule states "'Facedown card' refers to a card in a Facedown Zone unless specified otherwise." A facedown card is...
Viktor attacks Sett at Trifarian War Camp with Leona Determined and 3 recruits. Sett has Cithria of Cloudfield (buffed), Sett Kingpin (buffed), Fiora Victorious, and 1 recruit. Viktor stuns Sett Kingpin and plays Siphon Power. What is the might of each side and how does the duel turn out? Bonus: What is the best way for Sett to play Challenge spell and how does it change the outcome?
**Initial Setup (with Trifarian War Camp battlefield bonus):** Player A (Attacker): Leona 5 Might (4+1 battlefield), 3 Recruits 6 Might (3×2). Total: 11 Might
To play Facebreaker, does there have to be both a friendly unit and an enemy unit? Does the 'do as much as you can' rule apply?
Yes, you must have both a friendly unit and an enemy unit at the same battlefield to play Facebreaker. The 'do as much as you can' rule does NOT apply here.
How does Possession interact with a unit that has Gear equipped, and what happens to both cards when the possessed unit dies or is bounced to hand?
When you cast Possession on an opponent's unit that has Gear equipped: **Initial State:** 1. You take control of the unit and it's recalled to your base 2. The Gear stays attached to the unit 3. Your opponent still controls the Gear (even though it's attached to your unit) 4. Your opponent can still equip the Gear to their own...
Does Irelea's +1 might ability trigger every time she readies or is chosen (including during normal ready phase, and when targeted by equipment/spells), and can it stack multiple times in a turn?
Ruling: Irelea's ability triggers each time she readies or is chosen by a spell/equipment, with no once-per-turn limit, so she can gain multiple +1 might in a single turn.
Does Blood Rush's effect stay forever or just for the turn it's played?
Ruling: Blood Rush's effect lasts only for the turn it is played, not permanently. Nuances: - This is confirmed day 0 errata for the card - The original card text did not clarify the duration, leading to the question
Can you move two units from different locations to attack the same battlefield in a single action?
Ruling: Yes, you can move multiple units from different origins to the same destination simultaneously, including moving one unit from base and ganking over another unit to attack the same battlefield.
When Irelia with Marching Orders attacks and uses Repeat, does she die after the first instance of damage (if she takes lethal damage) or does she survive to complete both instances before dying?
Ruling: Irelia survives to complete both instances of Marching Orders' effect even if she takes lethal damage during the first instance. Units only die during cleanup, which occurs after the entire spell resolves, not in the middle of resolution.
How should 'Not So Fast' be read - does it counter (enemy spell) OR (ability that chooses friendly unit/gear), or does it counter (enemy spell or ability) that chooses (friendly unit or gear)?
Ruling: Not So Fast counters an enemy spell or ability that chooses a friendly unit or gear. Both "spell" and "ability" must be enemy, and both must choose a friendly unit or gear to be valid targets.
Can Tryndamere's ability win the game at 6 points if you only conquer one battlefield (not both)?
Ruling: Yes, Tryndamere's "when I conquer" ability can win you the game at 6 points even if you only conquered one battlefield. Only the conquer point itself has the restriction requiring you to score on both battlefields.
Does Darius get the +2 on Challenge if Challenge is the 2nd card played?
Ruling: No, Darius does not get the +2 bonus if Challenge is the 2nd card played. Sequence: - Challenge is played as the 2nd card - Challenge causes units to deal damage to each other before it resolves - Challenge resolves - Darius's trigger goes on the chain during the cleanup that follows - If Darius has 5+ damage marked...
For Tryndamere's excess damage ability, if the battlefield has 2 units with 3 Might each, does excess damage count after killing one unit (since 5 damage remains), or must there be 5 excess damage after ALL units are killed?
Ruling: Excess damage only counts after ALL defending units are killed. You must assign lethal damage to all units before any damage can be considered "excess."
What happens when Here to Help is played from hidden (via Rockfall Path) if the player doesn't control a battlefield where units can be played?
Ruling: Here to Help whiffs because there is no legal destination to play the unit. The "can't" restriction from the battlefield overrides the "can" permission from Here to Help.
Does Frigid Touch kill a 2 Might unit by reducing its Might to 0?
Ruling: No, Frigid Touch alone cannot kill a unit. Units die only when they have nonzero damage marked on them that is at least equal to their Might, so it always takes at least 1 point of actual damage to kill something.
Does Forecaster activate vision when played alone, and if you have multiple Forecasters in play, does playing a mech trigger vision multiple times?
Ruling: Yes, Forecaster activates vision when played alone because it's a passive effect that includes itself. Multiple Forecasters do stack, so playing a mech with multiple Forecasters in play will trigger vision multiple times.
In a showdown, are all actions and reactions played before anything resolves, or can actions be played, then something resolves, then more actions?
Ruling: Actions can only be played when there is nothing waiting to resolve. Showdowns consist of multiple chains, where each chain must fully resolve before new actions can be played.
When using Repeat on Thwonk, can I target a different unit than the original target?
Ruling: Yes, when you use Repeat on Thwonk, you can target a different unit. Repeat copies the same effect, so you need to pick new targets for that copied effect.
If a unit has damage marked on it and Thousand Tailed Watcher reduces its Might below the marked damage, does the unit die despite TTW's 'minimum of 1 Might' clause?
Ruling: Yes, the unit dies. Damage is "marked" on units rather than reducing their Might directly. When a unit's Might becomes less than or equal to the damage marked on it, the unit dies during cleanup.
Three questions about Ezreal: (1) Does Ezreal's legend ability trigger if Frigid Touch with Repeat is countered by Defy? (2) Does Ezreal Prodigy reduce the cost of spells played by Fizz from the discard? (3) What is the resolution order when playing Arcane Shift on Fizz?
Ruling: (1) Yes, Ezreal draws a card even if Frigid Touch is countered, because you only need to target enemy units to trigger the ability. (2) Yes, Ezreal Prodigy reduces optional additional costs incurred (but NOT the base power costs of the spell). (3) You complete all of Arcane Shift's instructions first (select Fizz, banish Fizz, play Fizz from banished...
Does Thousand-Tailed Watcher's ability start a chain and can it be responded to with reactions?
Ruling: Thousand-Tailed Watcher has a "When you play me" triggered ability that uses the chain and can be responded to with reactions.
When Player A uses Charm to move Player B's unit from base into a battlefield with Player C's units, who is the attacker in the resulting Showdown?
Ruling: Player B is the attacker in the Showdown between Player B and Player C, since Player B's unit contested the battlefield.
Can Azir be played from hand during a showdown and immediately use his Ascendant Action ability, similar to how Shen/Rengar can use their Reaction abilities when played?
Ruling: No, Azir must already be on the board to use his Ascendant Action ability. Unlike Shen/Rengar who have Reaction timing (which allows use when played from hand), only Azir's ability has Action timing, not Azir himself.
Can you chain to Sett the Boss's replacement effect that prevents a unit from being killed?
Ruling: No, you cannot chain to The Boss's replacement effect. It is a replacement effect (not a triggered ability), which does not use the chain.
Does Loose Cannon's ability go to Chain if you have 2+ hands, allowing you to play Reaction cards to reduce your hand size before drawing the additional card?
Ruling: Yes, Loose Cannon's ability goes to Chain even if you have 2+ hands. You can play Reaction cards to reduce your hand size before the ability resolves and draws the additional card.
When Tideturner is hidden, can it be played into the base to switch with another friendly unit on a battlefield, or must it be played at the battlefield where it was hidden?
Ruling: Tideturner can only be played at the battlefield where it was hidden, not into the base to switch with units on other battlefields.
Can Eclipse Herald ready multiple times per turn, every time you stun an enemy?
Ruling: Yes, Eclipse Herald can ready multiple times per turn, each time you stun an enemy.
What are the rules for missed triggers in Riftbound, and do triggers like drawing cards from Jinx Legend follow missed trigger rules or missed draw rules?
Ruling: Players must announce their triggers when they have an observable impact on the game (e.g., drawing a card, buffing a unit, exhausting a rune). If a trigger like Jinx Legend is missed, it follows missed trigger rules, not missed draw rules. Missed draw rules only apply when a player had an obligation to draw cards and didn't (e.g., forgetting...
Does Standard Move use the chain, and why are the rules around it unclear about its mechanics (when costs are paid, what type of ability it is, etc.)?
Ruling: Standard Move does not use the chain. It is classified as an "inherent ability" and a "discretionary action," which are distinct from activated abilities that do use the chain.
When playing Sett Brawler with Volibear's Legend ability, does Sett get his buff and become Mighty before triggering Volibear's ability?
Ruling: Sett does not become Mighty in time to trigger Volibear's Legend ability. Volibear triggers when you play a unit that is already Mighty at the moment of play, not after the unit resolves its own "When Played" effect.
When do you select the runes to ready for Targon's Peak, and does it create a chain?
Ruling: Targon's Peak creates a delayed trigger when you conquer. You select the runes at the end of turn when the delayed trigger goes onto the chain, not when you conquer.
How does Unyielding Spirit work to prevent damage, and what types of damage/effects does it block or not block?
Ruling: Unyielding Spirit prevents damage from spells and abilities for the rest of the turn when played. It does not prevent effects that don't deal damage (like might reduction, banish effects, or units dealing damage to each other).
Does a unit that has taken damage but not died still attack with its full might value when defending?
Ruling: Yes, damage does not reduce might. A unit will attack with its full might value regardless of how much damage it has taken, unless an effect specifically reduces its might.
How does Royal Entourage's ability to exhaust enemy legends interact with different legendary units (Daughter of the Void, The Boss, Blind Monk, and Lux)?
Ruling: Royal Entourage can legally exhaust enemy legends, but the practical impact varies by legend. Tapping legends prevents them from using abilities that require tapping as a cost.
When attacking with a unit and using Ride The Wind as an action to move Yasuo into the same battlefield, does Yasuo's 'when I attack' effect still trigger?
Ruling: Yes, Yasuo's "when I attack" effect triggers even when moved into the battlefield with Ride The Wind after an attack has already been declared.