Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 151 of 158 · 7,873 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Does Ezreal's cost reduction work on Draven's ability that has a 'may pay' cost when attacking or defending?
Ruling: Ezreal's cost reduction does not work on Draven's ability. Ezreal only discounts cards that have "as an additional cost" and "may" wording together, which are optional additional costs paid when playing a card. Draven's ability is a triggered ability with its own cost, not an additional cost to cast.
If you control two Zhonyas Hourglass and two units die simultaneously, can both Zhonyas save one unit each?
Ruling: Yes, if two units die simultaneously and you control two Zhonyas Hourglass, each Zhonyas can save one unit. X Zhonyas can save X units, even if they die simultaneously.
When Zhonya's triggers to save a unit that was about to be killed by damage, does the unit return with damage on it or does it heal? Also, do debuffs like Stupidify remain on the unit?
Ruling: When Zhonya's triggers, the unit is recalled and healed (damage is cleared). However, other effects like might reductions from Stupidify remain on the unit.
Does Tideturner's ability count as moving its target unit for the purpose of Kayn's ability that requires moving twice?
Ruling: Yes, Tideturner's ability moves the targeted unit (Kayn), so if Kayn is moved by Tideturner and then moved again, his passive ability activates and he doesn't take damage.
When a Sprite token dies, does Viktor create a token since Sprites are 'fae' (non-recruit units)?
Ruling: Yes, Viktor can create a token when a Sprite dies because Sprite tokens are not recruits. Nuances: - Sprites count as non-recruit units due to their 'fae' unit type
When attacking with Crackshot Corsair (deals 1 damage to an enemy unit when I attack) and Warwick (kills all damaged units here when I attack), can I choose which trigger resolves first?
Ruling: Yes, when abilities you control simultaneously trigger, you get to choose the order they resolve. Sequence: - Both "when I attack" triggers happen simultaneously - You choose which trigger resolves first - You can choose to have Crackshot Corsair deal 1 damage first, then Warwick kills all damaged units
Where in the Comprehensive Rules is it defined that action spells cannot be played in response to something and must be played on an empty chain?
Ruling: Action spells can only be played during closed states, not in response to other effects. This means they must be played when the chain is empty.
Can Ride the Wind move one of your units from battlefield A to battlefield B mid-showdown (during opponent's turn)?
Ruling: Yes, Ride the Wind can move one of your units from one battlefield to another mid-showdown during your opponent's turn, similar to how Charm works.
Does Mask of Foresight trigger when a unit with Challenge initiates a fight, or only during combat in showdowns?
Ruling: Mask of Foresight only activates during combat, which occurs when units from 2 players become present at a battlefield. Challenge does not create a combat, so Mask of Foresight does not trigger from Challenge fights.
If Foxfire targets a unit on the battlefield (chain 1), then the opponent moves that unit back to base (chain 2), does the damage still resolve, fizzle, or does the caster choose a new target?
Ruling: The spell will still resolve, but nothing will happen because Foxfire specifically requires the unit to be at a battlefield.
If you pay the deflect cost to target a unit with deflect, and then the spell gets countered, do you get the rune back?
Ruling: No, you do not get the rune back. Countering a spell does not refund any costs paid for that spell, including the mandatory additional cost from deflect.
Can Sett the Boss's legend ability be used during the opponent's turn?
Ruling: Yes, Sett's legend ability is a replacement effect that is active at all times, including during your opponent's turn.
After initial attack/defend triggers resolve, does the attacker retain focus?
Ruling: The attacker retains focus after the initial attack/defend trigger chain resolves. The attacker always gets to play an action first in showdown.
When Green Yasuo deals 6 ability damage to Orange Master Yi (who has +2 might from defending alone), then Yasuo is moved to base with Flash during the showdown, does Master Yi die? When does the +2 might passive end?
Ruling: Orange Master Yi survives. Flash does not cause the combat showdown to end, and the combat continues to full resolution including cleanup.
When Stormbringer moves a unit to Kog'maw's battlefield and kills Kog'maw, does the moved unit take damage from Kog'maw's Deathknell trigger?
Ruling: Yes, the unit moves to the battlefield first via Stormbringer, then Kog'maw's Deathknell trigger resolves and deals damage to the moved unit.
Can Bard move himself when he's played?
Ruling: Yes, Bard can move himself when played. The ability says "any number" of units, not "any number of other units," so Bard can include himself in the units he moves.
When playing a hidden card with Viktor Blue in play, does Viktor's 'when you play a card' ability trigger when the hidden card is placed on the battlefield or when it is revealed?
Ruling: Viktor's ability triggers when the card fully resolves (completes the play process), not when it is initially revealed or placed.
Does the layers update change how Thousand-Tailed Watcher's -3 power effect works? Specifically, is the effect retroactive or does it snapshot?
Ruling: Thousand-Tailed Watcher's -3 power effect is a snapshot that only applies to units in play when it resolves. It does not continuously check or apply to units that enter play afterward.
Can Baited Hook be used during a showdown to play Noxus Hopeful into a contested battlefield?
Ruling: Baited Hook cannot be used during a showdown because it is base speed, not action speed. Additionally, units can only be played into a battlefield you control, not a contested one.
If I move Traveling Merchant, do I have an option to not use his ability?
Ruling: You must use triggered abilities unless they say "may". For Traveling Merchant, there is no "may", so you have to use the ability every time it moves.
If Watcher sends a unit from 2 might to 1 might, then that unit is buffed by 1 might, does it go back to 2 might or stay at 1 might?
Ruling: The unit goes back to 2 might. Watcher's effect is continuous, so when the unit's might is increased, Watcher reapplies its effect based on the new total.
How do buffs and debuffs interact when calculating a unit's might, specifically when Smokescreen (-4 might) is applied to a unit with base 1 might and a +1 might buff?
Ruling: Buffs and debuffs are applied in layers - increases first, then decreases. Smokescreen snapshots its debuff value when it resolves (calculating the reduction to a minimum of 1 might), then continuously applies that snapshotted value for the rest of the turn.
Does Sett Brawler's ability require both playing AND conquering to get a buff, or does it trigger separately on each event?
Ruling: Sett Brawler's ability triggers separately - once when played and once when it conquers. Each trigger grants a buff independently.
Does Iron Ballista count as ability damage for interactions with Unyielding Spirit and Deflect?
Ruling: Iron Ballista counts as ability damage, so Unyielding Spirit prevents it. If you target a unit with Deflect, you must pay its power cost because you are choosing to select that unit.
Can Jinx Rebel be readied more than once per turn, and does she still get +1 if already ready when you discard?
Ruling: Jinx Rebel can be readied multiple times per turn, with each discard trigger activating her ability separately. If she is already ready when you discard, she still gets +1 (do what you can).
Does Ravenbloom Student gain +1 Might after every spell cast, allowing it to potentially gain +12 Might from casting 12 one-cost spells?
Ruling: Yes, Ravenbloom Student gains +1 Might until end of turn after each spell you cast, so casting 12 one-cost spells would result in +12 Might total.
If I use Void Seeker to deal 4 damage to a 7 might unit, then use Smoke Screen to reduce it by 4 might, does the unit die?
Ruling: Yes, the unit will die during the next cleanup when the game checks if damage marked on it is greater than or equal to its might.
When a unit is affected by Smoke Screen (which reduces might to a minimum of 1), how do subsequent might modifications interact with that reduction?
Ruling: When Smoke Screen or similar effects that reduce might to a minimum resolve, they snapshot the current might of the unit at that moment and calculate the reduction amount. That calculated reduction then applies as a passive modifier for the rest of the turn, regardless of any subsequent might increases or decreases.
Can you hard cast Sprite Call as an attacker, and how does it work in FFA format when cast as a 3rd party?
Ruling: You cannot hard cast Sprite Call as an attacker to the battlefield you're attacking because you don't control it. However, you can play it during that showdown to your own base/battlefield that you do control.
Can you play a new action spell during a showdown after the opponent passes focus? Specifically, can the attacker play Cleave after the defender plays a spell and the chain resolves?
Ruling: Yes, the attacker can play action spells like Cleave after the opponent's chain resolves and focus returns to them. A showdown only ends when both players pass in a row without starting a chain.
When conquering Candlelit Sanctum for your 8th point (which draws a card instead of scoring), do the card draw and conquer effects happen simultaneously so they can be layered, or is there a specific order?
Ruling: You draw the card before resolving Candlelit Sanctum's conquer effect. The scoring (or drawing instead of scoring at 8 points) happens before conquer triggers are put on the chain.
When does an attacking unit get recalled in combat, and how is damage resolved when multiple defending units are present?
Ruling: An attacker is only recalled if they cannot kill the defending unit(s), which typically requires an effect that prevents the attacker from dealing combat damage (like stun). When multiple defenders are present, damage is resolved sequentially - the attacker kills defenders in order until either all defenders are dead or the attacker's might is exhausted.
When a 2-power unit on Trifarian War Camp (which gives +1 power) is affected by Thousand Tailed Watcher (which gives -3 power), what is the final power? Does War Camp's +1 continue to apply after Watcher's effect?
Ruling: The unit ends up at 1 power. Thousand Tailed Watcher snapshots the current power (including War Camp's +1, so 3 total) and applies -3 to set it to 1. This becomes the new fixed power value, and War Camp's lingering effect no longer applies to that snapshotted value.
Can you use Retreat on a unit that you select with Cull?
Ruling: You can play Retreat as a reaction to Cull before Cull resolves, but not while Cull is resolving. Sequence: - If you only have one unit, you can Retreat it in response to Cull, leaving no units to kill - If you have more than one unit, something will die even if you Retreat one unit
Can Nocturne be played for [A] when drawn for turn, or only when looked at/revealed by a spell or ability?
Ruling: Nocturne can only be played for [A] when you look at or reveal it from the top of your deck through an effect, not when drawing it for turn.
Can you score the 8th point with Ride the Wind if you haven't scored both battlefields this turn?
Ruling: You cannot score the final point with Ride the Wind's conquer if you haven't scored both battlefields this turn. You would draw instead.
Do you get the defender bonus if you are not in a showdown, but occupy the battlefield?
Ruling: No, you do not get the defender bonus if you are not in a showdown. Attacker and defender are only relevant in combat.
If my 3 might creature receives -3 might from Thousand Watcher, reducing it to 0, and I then play Discipline giving it +2 might, what is the final might value?
Ruling: Might modifications are applied once and do not persist as ongoing effects. After playing Discipline, your creature will be at 3 might.
If Warwick moves to a battlefield and starts a showdown, then in response to his 'When I am attacking' trigger the attacker plays Cannon Barrage and the opponent removes Warwick from the battlefield, does Warwick's effect still resolve?
Ruling: If Warwick is removed from the battlefield before his effect resolves, his effect will not work and will resolve to no effect.
For abilities with 'may' in their text (like Startipped Peak), is the choice made when the ability is activated or when it resolves?
Ruling: May choices are made on resolution. The trigger always goes onto the chain, and as it resolves, the controller may choose to do the effect.
If a unit dies from Fading Memories, does that trigger Immortal Phoenix's ability?
Ruling: No, Fading Memories does not trigger Immortal Phoenix. Fading Memories only grants the Temporary keyword to the target unit; the Temporary keyword itself (not the spell) is what kills the unit.
When Stand United is revealed from hidden, does the initial buff target have to be on the current battlefield, and does the passive effect (+1 to all buffs) apply to units on other battlefields?
Ruling: When Stand United is revealed from hidden, the targeting portion (giving a buff to a unit) is restricted to the current battlefield only. However, the passive effect that gives all your buffs +1 this turn is a global effect that affects buffs everywhere on all battlefields.
When Zhonya's Hourglass is played from hidden, does it only protect units at the battlefield where it was hidden, or can it protect units anywhere?
Ruling: When Zhonya's Hourglass is played from hidden, it protects the next unit that would die anywhere, not just at the battlefield where it was hidden.
When Blind Fury reveals Nocturne, who has priority to banish and play their card first?
Ruling: The player who reveals Nocturne can choose to banish it immediately upon reveal, before the Blind Fury controller selects their card. However, Nocturne doesn't actually enter play until after Blind Fury fully resolves.
When multiple hidden cards are controlled at the same battlefield and triggered by an opponent's unit moving there, can the controller activate both hidden cards consecutively before the opponent can react, or does the opponent get priority to react between each hidden card activation?
Ruling: You can play multiple reactions consecutively as long as you hold priority and do not pass. However, in the specific example given, the opponent has first priority in the showdown, so you can only react after they pass priority to you.
Does Back to Back require two valid targets to be played, or can it be cast with only one friendly unit?
Ruling: Back to Back requires two valid targets to be played. You cannot cast it if you only control one friendly unit.
If Falling Star is played on a 3 might unit and the opponent uses Flash to move the unit to base in reaction, does the unit die or does the target become invalid and the unit survive?
Ruling: The unit dies. Moving the unit to base doesn't make it an illegal target, so Falling Star will still deal the damage when the trigger resolves.
When playing Showstopper on Sett, can you immediately spend the buff given before Sett moves to the battleground?
Ruling: No, you cannot immediately spend the buff from Showstopper before Sett moves to the battleground. Sett's ability is base speed, and once Sett moves to the battlefield the game is in showdown state.
When Switcheroo (played from hidden) swaps Embermonk with another unit, does Embermonk gain +2 Might before or after the swap?
Ruling: Switcheroo's effect resolves in full first, swapping the units. Then Embermonk's trigger goes on the chain and resolves, giving it +2 Might.
Can I re-add a Death Rocket I discarded with Zaun Warrens using the same conquer trigger?
Ruling: No, you cannot re-add Death Rocket with Zaun Warrens from the same conquer that triggered Death Rocket. Sequence: - Both Death Rocket and Zaun Warrens trigger simultaneously when you conquer - You choose the order to place them on the stack - By the time Zaun Warrens resolves to re-add Death Rocket, the conquer event has already passed -...