Abilities
Unofficial Riftbound rules answers about abilities, with examples and Core Rules citations.
Can triggered abilities trigger on an opponent's turn without Reaction?
Yes. A triggered ability is put on the chain whenever its condition is met, regardless of whose turn it is, so it does not need Reaction.
Example
Blade Dancer triggers whenever its controller's spell or ability targets a friendly unit. This can happen on an opponent's turn when you play a Reaction spell that targets one of your units.
Can I react to triggered and activated abilities?
Yes, except for triggered and activated abilities that use Add.
Triggered and activated abilities use the chain. They become finalized chain items before resolving. Once no pending items remain, players have an opportunity to play legally timed Reaction cards and abilities before those abilities resolve.
A triggered or activated ability that uses Add instead finalizes and resolves immediately without passing priority.
Does removing the source stop an already finalized triggered ability from resolving?
No. Once the triggered ability has finalized, it remains on the chain and resolves like a spell even if its source leaves the board.
Source removal can still cause an instruction to be ignored if it needs current information from the missing source. Source referents such as "here," "my," or "this battlefield" are normally checked when that instruction executes. Information referenced from a triggered ability's trigger condition is instead recorded when the condition is fulfilled and remains available if the source later moves or leaves. If an instruction instead needs the source's current location and the source is no longer on the board, that information is unavailable, so instructions based on it are ignored.
For example, if an opponent responds to Ashe, Focused's play effect with Star-Crossed and returns Ashe to her owner's hand, her ability still resolves, and all its instructions can execute because none requires Ashe to remain on the board. By contrast, if Star-Crossed returns Vi, Peacekeeper before her attack trigger resolves, Vi cannot Stun an enemy unit "here" because she no longer has a location for "here" to reference.
When does the game check an "if" condition in a triggered ability?
An "if" immediately after a triggered ability's trigger condition is checked as part of that condition, while an "if" later in that ability's own effect is checked when its instruction executes.
- Immediately after the trigger condition: A trigger condition begins with "When," "At," or "The [Nth] time," and an additional conditional statement immediately following it is part of that condition. The game checks those requirements when it evaluates the trigger condition. If they are not satisfied then, the ability is not placed on the chain. For example, Gutter Palace checks the hand and battlefield quantities in its "if" condition at the start of its controller's Beginning Phase; if either is wrong then, its ability is not placed on the chain.
- As part of the effect: An "if" that belongs to the ability's own effect is checked when its instruction executes, normally during resolution unless it states another timing. For example, Loose Cannon's ability is placed on the chain at the start of its controller's Beginning Phase. When it resolves, it checks the controller's hand size before drawing and draws only if they have one or fewer cards.
When do I choose whether to use a triggered ability that says "you may"?
If "you may" begins the effect, choose during finalization; if it appears later, choose during resolution.
- Initial "you may": Choose while the pending ability is being finalized. If you decline, the ability is removed from the chain and considered not to have triggered. If you proceed, make its required choices. Pay any costs incurred during finalization before the ability becomes a finalized chain item. For example, Tideturner begins its effect with "you may," so its controller decides whether to use the ability during finalization.
- Later "you may": If another effect instruction comes first, make the optional choice when resolution reaches that later instruction. For example, Ornn, Blacksmith first instructs its controller to look at cards, then says "You may reveal a gear," so that choice is made during resolution.
When do I pay a cost within a triggered ability?
Pay a cost within instructions during finalization if it begins the triggered effect or immediately follows an initial "you may"; pay it during resolution if it appears later. The "[do X] to [do Y]" form creates a cost within instructions: [do X] is the cost and [do Y] is its effect.
If that cost is due during finalization and you decline to pay it, the pending ability is removed from the chain without finalizing.
A separate instruction to pay resources or spend counters or XP followed by "If you do, [do Y]" is not a cost within instructions. That payment happens during resolution unless the instruction states another timing.
For example, Vayne, Hunter says "When I conquer, you may pay 1 to return me to my owner's hand." The "pay 1 to return me" form creates a cost within instructions immediately after the initial "you may," so you pay it during finalization. If you pay, the ability finalizes and opponents may react before it resolves.
By contrast, Insightful Investigator first has an opponent reveal their hand and only then offers a payment, so that cost within instructions appears later and you pay it during resolution.
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Written by Christian “Near” Ivicevic.
Last updated on .