Riftbound Core Rules Reference

Keyword Glossary

• Accelerate (Rule 731): Accelerate is functionally short for "As you play me, you may pay [1] and 1 Power as an additional cost. If you do, I enter ready."
• Action (Rule 732): Action grants the corresponding card or effect permission to be played or activated during Showdowns, even when it is not the Controlling player's turn.
• Assault (Rule 733): It is functionally short for "While I am an attacker, I have +X [M]."
• Deathknell (Rule 734): It is functionally short for "When I die, [Effect]."
• Deflect (Rule 735): It is functionally short for "Spells and abilities an opponent controls that choose me cost an amount of Power equal to [Deflect Value] more to play as an additional cost."
• Equip (Rule 744): Equip is functionally short for “[Cost]: Attach this gear to a unit you control.”
• Ganking (Rule 736): It is functionally short for "I may move to a battlefield from another battlefield."
• Hidden (Rule 737): It is functionally short for "While this card is in your hand or in the Champion Zone on your turn during an Open State, you may pay [A] to hide this facedown at a battlefield you control that doesn't already have a facedown card hidden there for as long as you control that battlefield. Beginning on the next turn, this gains [Reaction] and you may play this, ignoring its base cost."
• Legion (Rule 738): On spells and on play effects of permanents, it is functionally short for “If you have played another Main Deck card before this one already this turn, apply [Text].”
• Quick-Draw (Rule 745): Quick-Draw is functionally short for “[Reaction]” and “When you play this, attach it to a Unit you control.” See rule 716 Attachment for more information.
• Reaction (Rule 739): Reaction grants all permissions of Action. On Spells and Units: "This can be played during Closed States on any player's turn." On Rune, Legend, or Permanent Abilities: "This can be activated during Closed States on any player's turn."
• Repeat (Rule 746): Repeat is functionally short for “You may pay [Cost] as an additional cost as you play this spell. If you do, execute the instructions of this spell one additional time.”
• Shield (Rule 740): It is functionally short for "While I am a defender, I have +X [M]."
• Tank (Rule 741): It is functionally short for "I must be assigned lethal damage before any other unit with the same controller as me that does not have [Tank] during combat resolution."
• Temporary (Rule 742): It is functionally short for "At the start of this permanent's controller's Beginning Phase, before scoring, kill this."
• Vision (Rule 743): It is functionally short for "When this is played, look at the top card of your Main Deck. You may recycle it."
• Weaponmaster (Rule 747): Weaponmaster is functionally short for: “When you play me, choose a Card you control with the Equipment tag. Necessary portions of its Rules Text are no longer Inactive if they are currently Inactive. Pay the cost of its Equip ability, reduced by [A], to attach it to this unit.” See rule 716 Attachment for more information.

FAQ

How do I score? How are conquer and hold different?

When you take control of a battlefield you didn't already control and which you haven't scored yet this turn, you score 1 point. This is called conquering. If you control a battlefield at the start of your turn, you score 1 point. This is called holding. Last updated: 20251104 - This document is now retired, please reference the Core Rules: Patch Notes and Card Errata.

How does the last point work?

In order to win the game, you need to score the last point (the 8th point in most games, 11th in 2v2. If you try to score the last point by conquering, you will only get the last point if you have already scored all of the other battlefields this turn. Otherwise, you'll draw a card instead. So, in an 8 point 1v1 game with two battlefields: ● If you are at 6 points and conquer both battlefields, you'll go to 7 and then to 8 and win. ● If you are at 7 points and conquer both battlefields, you'll draw a card for the first one, and then go to 8 and win. ● If you are at 6 points, hold one battlefield to 7, and conquer the other to go to 8 and win. ● If you are at 7 points, you can hold one to go to 8 and win. In an 8 point 4 player Free-for-All game with three battlefields: ● If you are at 5 points and conquer all 3 battlefields, you'll go to 6 then 7 then 8 and win. ● If you are at 6 points and conquer all 3 battlefields, you'll go to 7 then draw 1, then 8 and win. ● If you are at 5 points, hold 1 battlefield to 6, then conquer the other two, you'll go to 7 and then 8 and win.

What's the standard move?

Every unit has the natural ability to move itself from base to battlefield, or back from battlefield to base, during your Main Phase (on your own turn, outside of a showdown). To do this, you pay the cost (exhausting the unit) and then move the unit. If a unit is exhausted, you can't move it using the standard move.

Do I have to exhaust a unit when I move it with a spell or ability?

Moving a unit with a spell or ability won't change its ready or exhausted state unless the effect specifies that it does. The cost of using a unit's standard move is to exhaust that unit, but that isn't a cost or effect of other moves.

Can I move multiple units together to a battlefield?

Yes, you can use the standard move of your units all at once to move them as a group together to the same legal destination. To do this, exhaust them all (the cost of the standard move) and then move them to the destination, then resolve any move effects, then start a showdown if needed.

Does Ganking allow a unit to move an extra time? When can I use the Ganking ability?

No, Ganking is an extra way to use the standard move. Normally, when a unit uses the standard move, it can only move between base and battlefield. If a unit has Ganking, it can also move between two battlefields. You can move units with Ganking alongside other units that are moving with the standard move, as long as the destination is legal for all units moving as a group.

Can I move more units in before a combat starts using a spell or ability?

Last updated: 20251104 - This document is now retired, please reference the Core Rules: Patch Notes and Card Errata. If you don't move units together as a group using the standard move, then you can only move additional units afterward if you use a spell or ability with the Action or Reaction keywords, after the combat starts as part of the showdown. Last updated: 20251104 - This document is now retired, please reference the Core Rules: Patch Notes and Card Errata.

What happens when both sides in combat have the same total Might?

In this case, both sides will assign damage to the other side equal to the total Might of all units there, which will end up killing all units on both sides. No units will remain to control the battlefield, leaving it open and nobody will score a point.

What happens if units from both sides in combat survive, either because of Kayn or a stun?

In this case, both sides will still assign damage to the other side as normal (stunned units will not deal damage). Units will still die if they are assigned damage equal to or greater than their Might (unless they don't die, for example because of Kayn's ability). Then if units from both sides remain alive at the battlefield, any remaining attacking units will be recalled to base and the defending player will maintain control (no score, though).

Do units heal from combat damage? When?

Yes, units everywhere will heal from damage at the end of every combat and at the end of every turn. That means if a unit survives through damage assignment, it'll be back to zero damage at the end of the combat.

How do runes work? What are energy and power? Can I recycle an exhausted rune?

Yes, each rune has two abilities, and you can use both of them in the same turn: ● You can exhaust a rune to produce 1 energy. Energy is used to pay numerical costs, and doesn't have a domain/color associated with it, even though the runes used to generate it do. ● You can recycle a rune (even an exhausted one) to produce 1 power of that rune's domain/color. Power is used to pay color symbol costs. Rune abilities have the Reaction keyword, which means they can be used anytime.

Is there a limit to how many runes I can have?

Yes, all Riftbound decks are built with exactly 12 runes, so once you have channeled all of them, you can't get more runes on the board.

Do Seals add energy? Do Seals enter exhausted like units do?

No, Seals can't generate energy. They can be exhausted to produce 1 power of Seal's domain/color. Since you don't recycle them to make the power resource, you will be able to ready them and use them again on future turns.

How much do I pay for an Accelerate cost?

Accelerate costs 1 energy and also 1 power of the unit's domain/color. Usually you'll do this by taking an additional ready rune of the appropriate domain/color, exhaust it, and then recycle that same rune. For example, if a fury/red unit normally costs 3 (or 3 energy) and you want to accelerate it, its total cost would be 4R (or 4 energy and 1 power of the fury/red domain). Last updated: 20251104 - This document is now retired, please reference the Core Rules: Patch Notes and Card Errata. Last updated: 20251104 - This document is now retired, please reference the Core Rules: Patch Notes and Card Errata. Keywords

What does Mighty mean?

A unit is Mighty if it has 5 or more Might. Units don't have the keyword “Mightyˮ—as long as a unit has 5 or more Might, the unit is Mighty. When you play a unit with 5 or more Might, you can exhaust your Relentless Storm Legend to channel a rune exhausted.

Do I get my Legion effect when I play a token or use an ability?

No, Legion will only be active if you've played a card this turn. Tokens are not cards, and abilities aren't either. Hidden

How do I hide a card with Hidden?

You can hide a card with the Hidden keyword from your hand instead of paying its normal cost. To do this, you must already control a battlefield (have units there) to hide the card at. Hiding a card costs A (one power of any domain/color) and you place the card face down at that battlefield.

When I hide a card, does that count for Legion?

Hiding isn't playing, and doesn't count as playing a card for abilities like Legion.

If I hide a card, and then my opponent uses a spell to move a unit to that battlefield that same turn,

can I play the card I hid? No. You can't play cards the same turn you hide them.

If I hid a card last turn, can I play that card even if I'm not reacting to another spell or ability?

You can play them any time you can normally play a reaction, which includes when you're not actually reacting to anything. You're not restricted to playing them during showdowns at their own battlefield.

Do I have to play a unit I hid to that battlefield? Or can I play it to my base?

A hidden unit must be played to that battlefield if able.

If I play a spell with targets that I hid, do I have to choose those targets from the battlefield I hid it

at? Yes. If a hidden spell or a play effect of a hidden permanent chooses any targets, those targets must be chosen from among options at that battlefield, unless the ability explicitly restricts targeting in a way that makes this impossible. We'll talk more about this later for specific cards.)

If I play a card I hid, and that card's effects include playing additional units (for example, tokens),

can I play them anywhere? No. If a hidden spell or a play effect of a hidden permanent causes you to play a unit, you must choose to have that unit enter the board at that battlefield. Timing

Can I use the exhaust ability of a unit in combat?

Last updated: 20251104 - This document is now retired, please reference the Core Rules: Patch Notes and Card Errata. The cost of using an ability with the exhaust symbol is to exhaust that unit. If you just moved a unit into combat using the standard move, then you already exhausted the unit as the cost to do that, so you won't be able to use its ability with the exhaust symbol that same turn. If the unit is defending, it might be ready and then you can use abilities that require exhausting it in combat (as long as those abilities have the Action or Reaction keyword).

When can I use Vi's ability to recycle cards from my trash to increase her Might?

Abilities can only be used in your Main Phase, outside of a showdown, unless they have the Action or Reaction keyword. Vi's ability does not, so it can't be used in combat/showdown.

Can I use my Legend ability on my opponent's turn?

Abilities can only be used in your Main Phase, outside of a showdown, unless they have the Action or Reaction keyword. Some Legends don't have these keywords, so those can't be used on an opponent's turn.

I have a Reaction spell. Can I play it at the end of my opponent's turn?

No. The only time you can do this is if another ability triggers at the end of your opponent's turn, such as the Dark Child - Starter legend.

In a free-for-all, can I play Actions and Reactions in a showdown that I don't have units at?

Yes. Starting with the player who contested control/the attack, players each get a chance to play an Action or Reaction. Other players can then react with Reactions, but once everyone passes, the next player in turn order can play their own Action or Reaction. Continue like this until all players have passed on an empty chain, and then move to the end of the showdown. Miscellaneous

Is there a maximum hand size?

No, you can have any number of cards in your hand.

Is there a maximum number of units I can have in my base? On a battlefield?

No. You can have any number of units in a location.