Game Actions — Riftbound Rules

Section 395 — 287 rules

396.: Game Actions are actions players may perform at any given time during the game.
397.: A player, unless otherwise specified or prompted, may only perform actions on their turn.
398.: There are two types of Game Actions:
398.1.: Discretionary Actions
398.1.a.: A Discretionary Action is a Game Action that may be performed at any time during a player's turn during a Neutral Open State. See rule 307. States of the Turn for more information.
398.1.b.: A player may take any number of Discretionary Actions available to them during their turn.
398.1.b.1.: As long as any conditions, if applicable, are met.
398.1.b.2.: As long as any costs, if applicable, are paid.
398.1.b.3.: As long as it does not result in any forbidden action being taken or game state being created. Example: A player can't use the Standard Move discretionary action to move a unit to a Battlefield that's already occupied by Units controlled by two other players.
398.2.: Limited Actions
398.2.a.: A Limited Action is a game action that a spell, ability, or circumstance of the turn's progression causes the player to perform. A player cannot perform these actions at-will.
398.2.b.: These actions can only be taken when a player is instructed to do so as the execution of an effect or during their specified occasion during the turn. Example: A player may Draw during the Draw Step of the Beginning Phase of their turn or when instructed to do so by a spell or ability. They can't choose to Draw at any other time.
399.: Types of Actions
400.: Draw
400.1.: Drawing a card takes a single card from the top of the Main Deck and adds it to the player's Hand.
400.2.: This is a Limited Action.
400.2.a.: Each player draws 1 during the Draw Step of their Beginning Phase.
400.2.b.: The player may draw cards when instructed to do so by other game effects.
400.3.: This action, when instructed, is formatted as "Draw X."
400.4.: If a player attempts to draw more cards than are available in their Main Deck, they do the following:
400.4.a.: Draw as many as possible.
400.4.b.: Perform a Burn Out. See rule 418. Burn Out for more information.
400.4.c.: Draw the remaining cards needed to complete the Draw action.
401.: Exhaust
401.1.: Exhausting is an action that marks a non-spell Game Object as "spent."
401.1.a.: To mark it, rotate the card 90 degrees opposite of Readying, so that the orientation of the card is lengthwise in front of you.
401.1.b.: A Unit that is already Exhausted cannot be Exhausted again.
401.1.c.: If a Unit is instructed to be Exhausted while it is already Exhausted, nothing additional happens.
401.2.: "Exhausted" is a state for Game Objects that other game effects and rules can reference.
401.3.: This is a Limited Action.
401.3.a.: Most Exhaust actions will be costs for Activated Abilities or Discretionary Actions. Example: A unit's Standard Move exhausts the unit as a cost.
401.4.: When Exhausting is listed as a Cost, then the Action must be able to be completed for the cost to be paid. Example: A spell says "As an additional cost to play this, you may exhaust a friendly unit." An exhausted friendly unit may not be exhausted again as the additional cost for the spell, and the additional cost has not been paid.
401.5.: In abilities, the Exhaust symbol represents the cost "Exhaust this" or "Exhaust me." It resembles a card turning sideways.
402.: Ready
402.1.: Readying is an action that marks a non-spell Game Object as available for action.
402.1.a.: To mark it, rotate the card 90 degrees opposite of Exhausting, so that it is vertically oriented in front of you.
402.1.b.: A Unit that is already Ready cannot be Readied again.
402.1.c.: If a Unit is instructed to be Readied while it is already Ready, nothing additional happens.
402.2.: "Ready" is a state for Game Objects that other game effects and rules can reference.
402.3.: This is a Limited Action.
402.3.a.: A player Readies all non-spell Game Objects they Control during the Ready Step of the Beginning Phase on their turn.
402.3.b.: The player may also Ready their Game Objects when effects or spells instruct them to do so.
403.: Recycle
403.1.: Recycling cards is the action in which a player takes one or more cards from a specific zone and then puts it on the bottom of the corresponding deck.
403.1.a.: Main Deck cards are Recycled to the Main Deck.
403.1.b.: Runes are Recycled to the Rune Deck.
403.1.c.: Each player Recycles cards to their own Main Deck and Rune Deck, regardless of which player is instructed to perform the Recycle action.
403.2.: This is a Limited Action.
403.2.a.: The player must Recycle cards from the specified zones when instructed to do so by game effects or costs.
403.3.: When Recycling is listed as a Cost, the action must be able to be completed for the cost to be paid. Example: Vi, Destructive has the ability "Recycle 1 from your trash: Give me +1 [M] this turn." Each time a player activates the ability, they must recycle 1 card from their trash to pay its cost. If they have no cards in their trash, they can't activate the ability, because they can't pay its cost.