Targeting
Commonly asked questions about targeting and what constitutes a target in Riftbound
What makes something a target?
Card text rarely uses the word "target" or "choose" explicitly — most of the time targeting is implied, as in "Kill a unit" or "Move a friendly unit." Abilities that reference "when you choose" a game object, such as Irelia, Fervent Blade's "When you choose or ready me, give me +1 Might this turn," are specifically triggered when being targeted.
When in doubt, assume it is a target — the list below covers the only situations where it is not:
- It is in a private zone (hand, deck, etc.)[355.10.a] e.g., "You may play a unit from your hand" does not target a unit — it merely lets you play one.
- It is only a location requirement for another target.[355.10.b] Words like "at a battlefield" narrow down which objects are valid targets; the battlefield itself is not a target — unless the effect lets you choose which of several battlefields to affect, as in "Kill all units at a battlefield."
- It is part of a trigger condition, cost, or replacement effect.[355.10.c][355.10.c.1] Objects referenced in "when X happens" conditions, payment costs (see also When do I pay costs within instructions using "may"?), or "instead" effects are not targets. e.g., the dying unit in "When a friendly unit dies, kill a gear" is not a target — only the gear is.
- There is no real choice involved.[355.10.d] If an effect applies to every object meeting a description rather than a specific one you pick, nothing is targeted. e.g., "Kill all units at battlefields" targets nothing because you are not choosing among individual units.
- Another player makes the choice.[355.10.e] Targeting requires that you make the choice. e.g., "Each player kills a unit they control" does not target — each player picks their own unit when the spell resolves.
- The instruction uses "must".[355.10.f] This signals the choice is made on resolution rather than upfront. e.g., "You must recycle one of your runes" does not target, whereas "Recycle a rune you control" does.
Does "you may" mean I choose the target at resolution?
No, as targets must always be declared when putting a spell or ability on the chain, not at resolution.
Targets are always declared when putting a spell or ability on the chain,[355.8] not at resolution. If a "you may" effect involves choosing a game object, that choice is still a target and must be declared upfront. The "you may" means the effect or ability is optional — you can decline to complete it on resolution — but it does not defer when the target is declared.
Example
Disarming Rake reads "When you play me, you may kill a gear."
When this triggered ability is put on the chain, you must immediately declare the gear to kill as a target. You cannot wait until resolution to decide which gear to name, and you cannot put the ability on the chain without a valid gear target at all.
The "you may" only means you can decline to complete the kill when the ability resolves — it does not make the gear target optional.
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Written by Christian I. (Near).
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