Browse Riftbound Rules Questions
Page 152 of 158 · 7,873 verified questions. Each links to the full ruling.
Can you react to a unit being played into a battlefield with a reaction spell, and if so, would removing the controlling unit with Gust prevent the new unit from being played there?
Ruling: You cannot react to units being played. Permanents do not give priority windows to respond to. Nuances: - Units with triggered effects (like Draw 1 or Deal damage) do create a reaction window when their trigger goes on the chain, but the unit is already played at that point - There is no way to block a unit from...
When a card's text supersedes a rule (via the Golden Rule), does it also override all subsections of that rule? Specifically, does Green Lee Sin's text overriding rule 702.3 also override 702.3.a, allowing him to receive additional buffs from other sources?
Ruling: Yes, when card text overrules a comprehensive rule via the Golden Rule, it overrules all subsections of that rule as well. Green Lee Sin can receive additional buffs from any source even while already buffed.
Can Sett - Brawler's ability be used multiple times in one turn to stack buffs (e.g., +4, +8, +12)?
Ruling: Yes, Sett - Brawler's ability can be activated multiple times in one turn to stack buffs, as long as you can give him a buff to spend between each activation.
Does Qiyana die when Stupefy resolves if she has 4 damage marked on her?
Ruling: Yes, Qiyana dies when Stupefy resolves. After Stupefy resolves, she becomes a 4 Might unit with 4 damage marked on her, and she dies during the cleanup that occurs after each card is played.
When a unit moves to an empty battlefield and then an opponent uses Ride the Wind to move a unit there during the showdown, who is the attacker and defender?
Ruling: The player who originally moved to the empty battlefield is the attacker, and the opponent who moved their unit there afterward is the defender.
Can Player A play an Action (Cleave) after Player B plays a Reaction (Smoke Screen) in response to Player A's attack during a showdown?
Ruling: No, Player A cannot play Cleave immediately after Player B plays Smoke Screen. Player A can only play Reactions while Player B still has Focus and the chain exists.
Does the Discipline keyword count as a buff that can be spent for Monastery of Hirana's effect, and how does it interact with permanent buffs?
Ruling: Discipline is not a buff. Only permanent +1 might counters are considered "buffs" for game mechanics purposes. Discipline provides temporary +2 might that is removed at end of turn.
If I control Candlelit Sanctum, move off of it, and move a different unit onto it, do I get its effect?
Ruling: No, you do not get Candlelit Sanctum's effect when moving a different unit onto it after moving off, because it is not a conquer.
Does the attacking player get another action after the defender plays an action card, if the attacker had already passed their initial action?
Ruling: Yes, the attacking player gets another action after the defender's action resolves. Focus passes back and forth between players, and passing focus automatically when a chain resolves is different from voluntarily choosing to pass focus.
When does mana (energy and power) in your rune pool expire?
Ruling: Energy and power in your rune pool are removed at the end of turn and in the draw phase, not during cleanup steps.
After using Portal Rescue, can I reactivate Accelerate to ready it?
Ruling: Yes, you can reactivate Accelerate to ready it after Portal Rescue. Nuances: - You must pay the Accelerate cost to reactivate it
If Kog'Maw dies to a spell during a showdown, does Deathknell trigger immediately?
Ruling: Yes, Deathknell triggers immediately when Kog'Maw dies to a spell during a showdown.
Can a player conquer and score the same battlefield multiple times in a single turn by moving units in and out of it?
Ruling: Each player may only score a battlefield once per turn, though both players may each score the same battlefield in a single turn.
For Candlelit Sanctum, can you choose to recycle zero cards after looking at the top two cards of your deck, or must you recycle at least one?
Ruling: You can choose to recycle zero cards. The "may" in "you may recycle one or both of them" means recycling is optional, so you can look at the cards and choose not to recycle any.
When does Mask of Foresight's effect trigger, and what happens if you play a unit (like Teemo) from hidden after the trigger but before it resolves?
Ruling: Mask of Foresight triggers when a unit is designated as attacker/defender and is alone on a battlefield. Once triggered, the effect does not fizzle if another unit is played afterward - the original unit still gets the +1 buff.
In a showdown, after starting a chain with a spell and it resolves, does the attacker retain focus to immediately cast another spell, or does focus automatically pass to the opponent?
Ruling: Focus automatically passes to the opponent after a chain resolves completely. You cannot cast multiple spells in sequence while maintaining focus.
If I play Challenge and designate my damage source, can my opponent play a card to reduce might, and does it affect the damage dealt by Challenge?
Ruling: Yes, opponents can play reactions to reduce might before Challenge resolves, and this will affect the damage dealt. The damage dealt by Challenge is determined when it resolves, not when it is played.
If I cast Challenge targeting my buffed creature and an enemy creature, and my opponent responds with a removal spell targeting my buffed creature, but I use Sett's ability to save my creature, will Challenge still resolve?
Ruling: Yes, Challenge will still resolve even after the creature is saved by Sett's ability. Nuances: - This interaction assumes the removal spell has Reaction speed - The scenario may involve a Showdown context where Hidden Blade could be used
Can Akshan steal attached equipment?
Ruling: Yes, Akshan can steal attached equipment. His trigger makes you gain control of the equipment (you can gain control of attached equipment), then attempts to move it to base (which fails while attached).
Can both players reveal the same battlefield when starting game 3 in a best of 3 match?
Ruling: Yes, both players can reveal and use the same battlefield in a given game in 1v1 play. There is no rule preventing this.
If Dragon's Rage is played to move a unit from the battlefield to base, but Flash is used as a reaction to return that unit to base before Dragon's Rage resolves, does Dragon's Rage still kill a unit?
Ruling: No, Flash blocks Dragon's Rage in this scenario. If the unit is already in base when Dragon's Rage resolves and no movement happens, there is no destination, so the reflexive trigger will not have a valid target and won't finalize.
When moving a unit to an enemy battlefield, can you play actions after your opponent responds with a spell, and what happens when that unit then moves to a second battlefield via Ride the Wind?
Ruling: You can play actions after your opponent's spell resolves because both players must pass focus in sequence before a showdown can end, so you always get an opportunity to play actions. When Darius moves to the second battlefield, a combat becomes staged there, but the first battlefield's showdown must finish before the second combat can start.
When can a Hidden card that draws 2 be played during the opponent's turn?
Ruling: Hidden cards gain "Reaction" starting the turn after they were hidden, allowing you to play them any time you have priority during the opponent's turn.
Can you play hidden cards from a battlefield that isn't currently being attacked as a priority reaction?
Ruling: Yes, you can reveal hidden cards from any battlefield at any time you could play a reaction, not just from the battlefield currently being attacked.
If Yasuo enters an opponent's battlefield and triggers a showdown, can the owner use Ride the Wind to move Yasuo to a third player's battlefield, then move out of that battlefield before starting the showdown?
Ruling: When Yasuo enters and triggers a showdown, you can use a spell like Ride the Wind to move him during that showdown, which removes him from it and queues up another showdown. However, you must still resolve the original showdown first (with no attackers since Yasuo was removed).
When does 'until the end of this turn' expire - when you pass turn or after both players have played?
Ruling: Effects that last "until the end of this turn" expire when you pass to another player. Sequence: - You pass turn to the other player - Any "at the end of turn" triggers resolve (like Dazzling Aurora) - Then the turn ends and the effect expires
Can yellow Azir move exhausted tokens from one battlefield to the battlefield Azir is moving to, even if those tokens do not have ganking?
Ruling: Yes, Azir can move exhausted tokens between battlefields even if they don't have ganking. Battlefield-to-battlefield restrictions only apply to standard moves that require ganking, not to abilities like Azir's.
Can a stunned Sett use Vilemaw's Layer to recall?
Ruling: Yes, a stunned Sett can use Vilemaw's Layer to recall because a recall is not a move. Nuances: - Stun effects (like Facebreaker) prevent moves, but do not prevent recalls
Where do you hide Zhonya's - at a battlefield you occupy or in base?
Ruling: You must hide Zhonya's to a battlefield you control, not to base. When you play Zhonya's from hidden, you play it to base.
If Sett, Brawler is buffed on the battlefield, gets targeted by Smokescreen (giving it -4 until end of turn), then is recalled to base using The Boss legend ability (spending the buff), does it die in base due to having 0 or negative Might?
Ruling: Units do not die from having 0 Might. Units only die if they are damaged and the amount of damage equals or exceeds their Might.
Can you interrupt a chain after each item resolves (like Magic) or must the entire chain resolve once started (like Yu-Gi-Oh)? Also, when must Zhonya's be revealed - before or after damage assignment?
Ruling: After each item on a chain resolves, there is a window for players to react. Zhonya's must be revealed before damage is assigned, as there is no reaction opportunity during or after damage assignment.
Do the Beginning Step and Scoring Step happen at the same time, and would triggers from both steps (like Jinx-Loose Cannon and Grove of the God-Willow) go on the same chain?
Ruling: The Beginning Step and Scoring Step happen in order, not at the same time. Effects from these steps go on different chains since they happen separately.
Can you cast Consult the Past even if a showdown never occurs on the opponent's turn?
Ruling: No, you cannot cast Consult the Past if a showdown never occurs on your opponent's turn. You need priority to play reactions, and on your opponent's turn you only get priority during showdowns or when there's a chain with an item on it.
If Yasuo Remorseful moves to a battlefield with an enemy unit and uses his attack trigger targeting that enemy unit, but the opponent responds with Hidden Blade to kill Yasuo, does the attack trigger still deal damage to the enemy unit?
Ruling: No, the attack trigger does not deal damage to the enemy unit. When the ability resolves and Yasuo is no longer on the battlefield, "here" cannot be evaluated, so the ability has no effect.
Can you activate card effects when you can't fully complete all parts of the effect, such as discarding fewer cards than specified?
Ruling: You do as much as you can when activating card effects. You can activate an effect even if you cannot fully complete all parts of it.
If Stacked Deck reveals Nocturne, does it trigger Nocturne's ability to play him for 1 power?
Ruling: Yes, revealing Nocturne with Stacked Deck triggers his ability and allows you to play him for 1 power. Nuances: - Nocturne's text "if you don't draw" refers to not drawing Nocturne itself, not other cards - Drawing is different from revealing or looking at cards - The card must be banished to use the ability
If I use Charm to move an opponent's unit into a battlefield where my Deadbloom is alone, does this trigger Master Yi's 'defend alone' ability?
Ruling: Yes, this triggers Master Yi's defend alone ability. The charmed unit is considered the attacker because it is the unit applying contested status to the battlefield.
If I hide Sprite Call, can I place the token on another battlefield or in base when I cast the spell?
Ruling: When you play a hidden Sprite Call, you must place the sprite token on the same battlefield where the spell was hidden. You cannot choose a different battlefield or your base.
What happens if TF (Twisted Fate) with Red Rune attacks a defender at Reaver Row?
Ruling: When TF with Red Rune attacks a defender at Reaver Row, both the "When I Attack" trigger and the "When I Defend" trigger go on the Initial Chain, with the defend trigger resolving first, then the attack trigger.
In FFA modes (1v1v1, etc) during a showdown, how is priority/focus passed?
Ruling: Priority and focus are passed in turn order, starting with the player who has priority, regardless of which players are currently controlling units at the battlefield.
Can you activate Hidden Within in response to Deathknell triggering during cleanup, before losing control of the battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, you can activate Hidden Within in response to Deathknell before losing control of the battlefield. When cleanup finishes, Deathknell is placed on the chain as a pending trigger, and you must resolve the chain before proceeding to the step where control is lost.
Can you recycle runes at reaction speed to float power in response to an opponent's action?
Ruling: Yes, you can recycle runes at reaction speed to float power because the rune itself has the ability to be recycled, which creates the limited action.
If you use Aurora's end of turn effect to play Deadbloom, win the showdown, and conquer Targon's Peak, do you ready 2 runes from Targon's Peak since you're already in end of turn?
Ruling: No, you do not ready 2 runes from Targon's Peak. Once the Ending Step begins, all "at end of turn" triggers that are currently active go on the chain at that moment. After this point, no more "at end of turn" triggers can trigger for the rest of that turn.
Can I respond after an enemy vanilla is played, like with Rebuke?
Ruling: No, when a vanilla is played, it goes onto the chain and immediately resolves and leaves the chain as a permanent, with neither side having priority for reactions.
If Karma (7 might, hit by Smokescreen) is targeted twice by Falling Star and saved by Sett's ability after the first resolution, does she die when the second Falling Star resolves?
Ruling: Yes, Karma dies when the second Falling Star resolves. After being saved by Sett's ability (which recalls and debuffs her), she returns at 2 might with 3 damage marked, causing her to die.
When do you tap Kaisa to add a Power when playing Hextech Ray in response to an opponent moving a unit to a battlefield?
Ruling: You tap Kaisa at the point when you play Hextech Ray, paying 1 energy and declaring the target. Kaisa's "add" ability can be activated during the process of paying costs for cards.
If a unit is removed from a battlefield during a showdown, does priority continue and can players still cast actions even though no units are present?
Ruling: Yes, the showdown proceeds as normal until both players pass, even if no units are left at the battlefield. Players can still cast action cards during the showdown.
If a unit moves to an unoccupied battlefield and casts Cleave, does it get +3 attack since there are no defenders?
Ruling: No, the unit does not get +3 attack when casting Cleave on an unoccupied battlefield because without defenders present, it does not count as attacking.
Does Heimerdinger's ability copy Renata's legend ability, which has an Exhaust cost but no Exhaust symbol?
Ruling: No, Heimerdinger does not copy Renata's legend ability. An Exhaust ability must be an activated ability that has the Exhaust symbol as its cost.
When an opponent uses an effect to move one of my units to a battlefield they occupy (starting a showdown), who gains focus and priority?
Ruling: The player who owns the unit that was moved gains focus. The moved unit applies contested status and becomes the attacker, giving its owner focus (assuming the unit has no "when I attack" abilities).