Riftbound Core Rules Reference

Core Rules v1.3 — 1921 rules, 22 keywords, 168 sections.

Keyword Glossary

  • Accelerate (Rule 805): Accelerate is a Unit ability. 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 806): Action is a Permissive keyword. On Cards: "This can be played during showdowns on any player's turn." On Rune, Legend, or Permanent Abilities: "This can be activated during showdowns on any player's turn."
  • Ambush (Rule 822): Ambush is a Passive Ability keyword. It is functionally short for "I may be played to a battlefield where you control Units" and “I have [Reaction] as long as I’m being played to a battlefield where you control Units.”
  • Assault (Rule 807): Assault is a Passive Ability keyword. It is functionally short for "While I am an attacker, I have +X [M]."
  • Backline (Rule 826): Backline is a Passive Ability keyword.
  • Deathknell (Rule 808): Deathknell is a Triggered Ability keyword. It is functionally short for "When I die, [Effect]."
  • Deflect (Rule 809): Deflect is a Passive Ability keyword. 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 for each time they choose me."
  • Equip (Rule 818): Equip is an Activated Ability keyword. Equip is functionally short for “[Cost]: Attach this gear to a unit you control.”
  • Ganking (Rule 810): Ganking is a Passive Ability keyword. It is functionally short for "I may move to a battlefield from another battlefield with a standard move."
  • Hidden (Rule 811): Hidden is a keyword that acts as a prerequisite to perform the Hide Discretionary Action. It is functionally short for "While this card is in your hand or in your 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."
  • Hunt (Rule 823): Hunt is a Triggered Ability keyword. Hunt is functionally short for: “When I Conquer or Hold, my controller gains X XP.” See rule 728. XP for more information
  • Legion (Rule 812): Legion is a Dependent Keyword. Legion is functionally short for “If you have played another card this turn, this card gains [Text].”
  • Level (Rule 824): Level is a Dependent Keyword. It is functionally short for “While you have [N] or more XP, this card gains “[Text]”.”
  • Quick-Draw (Rule 819): Quick-Draw is a Triggered Ability keyword. It is also a Permissive keyword. 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 813): Reaction is a Permissive keyword. On Cards: "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 820): Repeat is an Optional Additional Cost keyword. 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 814): Shield is a Passive Ability keyword. It is functionally short for "While I am a defender, I have +X [M]."
  • Tank (Rule 815): Tank is a Passive Ability keyword. 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 the Combat Damage step."
  • Temporary (Rule 816): Temporary is a Triggered Ability keyword. It is functionally short for "At the start of this permanent's controller's Beginning Phase, before scoring, kill this."
  • Unique (Rule 825): Unique is a Deck Constraint Permission.
  • Vision (Rule 817): Vision is a Triggered Ability keyword. It is functionally short for "When this is played, look at the top card of your Main Deck. You may recycle it."
  • Weaponmaster (Rule 821): Weaponmaster is a Triggered Ability keyword. Weaponmaster is functionally short for: “When you play me, you may 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.

Sections

  1. Golden Rule (1 rules)
  2. Silver Rule (7 rules)
  3. “Can’t beats Can” (6 rules)
  4. Deck Construction (32 rules)
  5. Spaces (1 rules)
  6. The Board (65 rules)
  7. Setup Process (20 rules)
  8. Game Objects (4 rules)
  9. Cards (1 rules)
  10. Ownership (1 rules)
  11. Privacy (5 rules)
  12. Back Side (4 rules)
  13. Front Side (6 rules)
  14. Cost (7 rules)
  15. Name (4 rules)
  16. Category (24 rules)
  17. Domain (8 rules)
  18. Rules Text (35 rules)
  19. Effect Text (5 rules)
  20. Might Bonus (5 rules)
  21. Flavor Text (2 rules)
  22. Illustration (1 rules)
  23. Unit is: (18 rules)
  24. Units have multiple Intrinsic Properties unique to them: (37 rules)
  25. Gear are: (25 rules)
  26. Spells (18 rules)
  27. Runes (15 rules)
  28. Basic Runes (5 rules)
  29. Rune Pools (7 rules)
  30. Battlefields (20 rules)
  31. Legends (14 rules)
  32. Tokens (31 rules)
  33. Control (1 rules)
  34. Battlefields (19 rules)
  35. Everything Else (18 rules)
  36. The Turn (8 rules)
  37. States of the Turn (14 rules)
  38. Priority and Focus (18 rules)
  39. Start of Turn (21 rules)
  40. Main Phase (23 rules)
  41. Ending Phase (11 rules)
  42. Cleanups (38 rules)
  43. Chains and Showdowns (3 rules)
  44. Chains (15 rules)
  45. Steps of Resolving Chain Items (11 rules)
  46. Step 1: Finalize (8 rules)
  47. Step 2: Execute (14 rules)
  48. Step 3: Pass (2 rules)
  49. Step 4: Resolve (5 rules)
  50. Showdowns (26 rules)
  51. Playing Cards (9 rules)
  52. The Process of Play (132 rules)
  53. Abilities (3 rules)
  54. Passive Abilities (5 rules)
  55. Presence on Permanents (1 rules)
  56. Presence on Card outside of the Board (3 rules)
  57. Replacement Effects (10 rules)
  58. Some Replacement Effects will begin with “once each turn.” (12 rules)
  59. Activated Abilities (16 rules)
  60. Triggered Abilities (59 rules)
  61. Presence on Permanents (2 rules)
  62. Presence on Cards outside of the Board (2 rules)
  63. Reflexive Triggers (8 rules)
  64. Delayed Abilities (9 rules)
  65. Linked Abilities (4 rules)
  66. Playing or Activating Abilities (4 rules)
  67. 1. Activate or trigger the Ability (2 rules)
  68. 2. Make relevant choices (5 rules)
  69. 3. Determine Total Cost (6 rules)
  70. 4. Pay Costs (3 rules)
  71. 5. Check Legality (2 rules)
  72. 6. Proceed with Play (5 rules)
  73. Game Actions (2 rules)
  74. There are two types of Game Actions: (9 rules)
  75. Responsibility (6 rules)
  76. Draw (10 rules)
  77. Exhaust (9 rules)
  78. Ready (8 rules)
  79. Recycle (11 rules)
  80. Deal (22 rules)
  81. Heal (5 rules)
  82. Play (11 rules)
  83. Move (7 rules)
  84. Hide (5 rules)
  85. Discard (8 rules)
  86. Stun (8 rules)
  87. Reveal (11 rules)
  88. Counter (8 rules)
  89. Buff (8 rules)
  90. Banish (9 rules)
  91. Kill (19 rules)
  92. Add (8 rules)
  93. Channel (5 rules)
  94. Burn Out (16 rules)
  95. Double (4 rules)
  96. Swap (6 rules)
  97. Attach (16 rules)
  98. Detach (15 rules)
  99. Predict (9 rules)
  100. Prevent (20 rules)
  101. Replace (16 rules)
  102. Create (16 rules)
  103. Movement (24 rules)
  104. Recalls (9 rules)
  105. Combat (12 rules)
  106. Step 1: The Combat Showdown Step (18 rules)
  107. Step 2: The Combat Damage Step (17 rules)
  108. Step 3: The Resolution Step (20 rules)
  109. Scoring (2 rules)
  110. A player Scores in one of two ways: (5 rules)
  111. When a player Scores, two things occur: (11 rules)
  112. Layers (7 rules)
  113. Layers are applied in the following order: (40 rules)
  114. Modes of Play (16 rules)
  115. 1v1 (Duel) (8 rules)
  116. 1v1 (Match) (8 rules)
  117. FFA3 (Skirmish) (8 rules)
  118. FFA4 (War) (9 rules)
  119. 2v2 (Magma Chamber) (32 rules)
  120. Conceding (23 rules)
  121. Buffs (13 rules)
  122. Mighty (5 rules)
  123. Bonus Damage (9 rules)
  124. Attachment (22 rules)
  125. Inactive (12 rules)
  126. Keywords can be Dependent Keywords (12 rules)
  127. XP (11 rules)
  128. Additional Turns (4 rules)
  129. Some card text refers to Game Objects in particular ways: (2 rules)
  130. Some card text refers to Units in particular ways: (3 rules)
  131. Some terms in this document are used in particular ways: (3 rules)
  132. Keywords (14 rules)
  133. Accelerate (11 rules)
  134. Action (16 rules)
  135. Assault (11 rules)
  136. Deathknell (13 rules)
  137. Deflect (11 rules)
  138. Ganking (9 rules)
  139. Hidden (19 rules)
  140. Legion (8 rules)
  141. Reaction (17 rules)
  142. Shield (11 rules)
  143. Tank (8 rules)
  144. Temporary (7 rules)
  145. Vision (8 rules)
  146. Equip (20 rules)
  147. Quick-Draw (7 rules)
  148. Repeat (14 rules)
  149. Weaponmaster (14 rules)
  150. Ambush (8 rules)
  151. Hunt (9 rules)
  152. Level (9 rules)
  153. Unique (6 rules)
  154. Backline (8 rules)