Core Rules 1.0 (Pre-Origins)

Archived reference

This rules document is archived and may not reflect the current rules. See the current Core Rules.

Unofficial reference

This is an unofficial, hyperlinked reference generated by parsing Riftbound's published rules. Every effort has been made to keep it accurate, but errors may have slipped in during parsing. For official rulings, players and judges should always consult the published Core Rules Document.

000.Golden and Silver Rules

001.Golden Rule

002.
Card text supersedes rules text. Whenever a card fundamentally contradicts the rules, the card's indication is what is true.

050.Silver Rule

051.
Card text uses different terminology than rules. Card text should be interpreted according to these rules, not as though it were text within these rules.
052.
Card, when written in card effects, is shorthand for "Main Deck card." Runes, legends, and battlefields are not considered cards when executing the abilities and effects of game objects. They are considered cards for the purposes of these rules.
053.
Cards refer to themselves in the first person.
1. 053.1.
  Units and legends say "I," "me," etc.
2. 053.2.
  Gear and spells say "this."
3. 053.3.
  Battlefields say "here."

100.Game Concepts

101.Deck Construction

102.
Riftbound is a Trading Card Game where a player must provide their own cards to play against other players.
103.
To play Riftbound, a player must have two Decks, a Champion Legend, and a number of Battlefields determined by the Mode of Play.
1. 103.1.
  1 Champion Legend
  1. 103.1.a.
    This is placed in the Legend Zone at the start of the game.
  2. 103.1.b.
    This will dictate the Domain Identity of the Main Deck.
    1. 103.1.b.1.
      Cards included in your Deck must abide by your Domain Identity.
    2. 103.1.b.2.
      This can be Domain, Type, Tag, or any other attribute.
    3. 103.1.b.3.
      If a card has a single Domain, then that card is permitted in the Domain Identity that corresponds to the same Domain.
    4. 103.1.b.4.
      If a card has more than one Domain, then that card is permitted only in a Domain Identity that contains all of the indicated Domains on that card.
2. 103.2.
  A Main Deck of at least 40 cards 1 Chosen Champion Unit Units Gear Spells
  1. 103.2.a.
    Chosen Champion
    1. 103.2.a.1.
      This will be placed in the Champion Zone at the start of the game.
    2. 103.2.a.2.
      Must be a champion unit with a champion tag that matches the tag on your Champion Legend.
      Example: Loose Cannon has the tag Jinx. Therefore, a player could choose Jinx, Rebel or Jinx, Demolitionist as their Chosen Champion, because they also have the tag Jinx.
      Example: Tibbers has the tag Annie, but it is a signature unit, not a champion unit. It cannot be your Chosen Champion, even if your Champion Legend has the tag Annie.
  2. 103.2.b.
    Your Main Deck can include up to 3 copies of the same named card.
    1. 103.2.b.1.
      This includes your Chosen Champion.
      Example: A deck could include Volibear, Furious as its Chosen Champion and still include 2 more copies of Volibear, Furious.
    2. 103.2.b.2.
      Cards have different names even if they represent the same character.
      Example: A deck could include 3 copies of Yasuo, Remorseful and 3 copies of Yasuo, Windrider, because they have different names.
  3. 103.2.c.
    Subject to Domain Identity.
  4. 103.2.d.
    Your deck may only contain 3 total Signature cards that have the same Champion tag as your Champion Legend.
    1. 103.2.d.1.
      Regardless of name, a deck may only contain a sum total of 3 Signature cards.
    2. 103.2.d.2.
      All of the Signature cards must have the Champion tag that corresponds to the Champion Legend of the deck.
    3. 103.2.d.3.
      Signature cards are not Champion units and cannot be placed in the Champion Zone.
  5. 103.2.e.
    During Gameplay, the Main Deck is Private Information.
    1. 103.2.e.1.
      It cannot be looked through or revealed unless instructed by a card effect.
3. 103.3.
  Rune Deck
  1. 103.3.a.
    12 Rune Cards
    1. 103.3.a.1.
      Cards in this deck must be of the Domain Identity of your Chosen Champion.
  2. 103.3.b.
    Must be shuffled and kept separate from the Main Deck.
4. 103.4.
  Battlefields
  1. 103.4.a.
    The number will be dictated by your Mode of Play.
  2. 103.4.b.
    Subject to Domain Identity.

104.Setup

105.
Spaces
106.
The Play Area includes a space for Game Objects referred to as The Board.
1. 106.1.
  The Board is divided into several Zones.
2. 106.2.
  The Base
  1. 106.2.a.
    One per player.
  2. 106.2.b.
    The space each player always has access to play their Units and Gear to.
  3. 106.2.c.
    Each Base is a Location.
  4. 106.2.d.
    Other players cannot have Game Objects they control in another player's Base.
  5. 106.2.e.
    The Base also houses each player's Runes that are on The Board.
3. 106.3.
  The Battlefield Zone
  1. 106.3.a.
    Multiple Battlefields will be here, typically one per player, but occasionally less.
  2. 106.3.b.
    The space where Battlefields are located during gameplay.
  3. 106.3.c.
    Each Battlefield is individually a Location.
4. 106.4.
  The Facedown Zones
  1. 106.4.a.
    Each Battlefield is associated with a sub-zone called a Facedown Zone, a single logical space that a card can be put facedown in through various Game Effects.
  2. 106.4.b.
    Each Facedown Zone has a maximum occupancy of one card.
  3. 106.4.c.
    Cards can only be placed in or occupy the Facedown Zone if the controller of the card also controls the associated Battlefield.
  4. 106.4.d.
    If the Hidden card's controller loses Control of the Battlefield, the card in the Facedown Zone is removed during the next Cleanup.
    See rule 518. Cleanups for more information.
    See rule 597. Hide for more information.
  5. 106.4.e.
    Facedown Zones are not locations.
5. 106.5.
  The Legend Zone
  1. 106.5.a.
    The space for each player's Champion Legend.
  2. 106.5.b.
    This is not a location.
  3. 106.5.c.
    The Champion Legend here is a Game Object.
    See rule 119. Game Objects for more information.
  4. 106.5.d.
    The Champion Legend cannot be removed, moved, or displaced from this zone.
107.
The Play Area also includes Non-Board Zones.
1. 107.1.
  The Trash
  1. 107.1.a.
    This space is where cards are placed when they are killed or discarded, when they finish being executed as spells, when they are moved to the trash as an effect, etc.
  2. 107.1.b.
    Represents cards that have been used or spent.
  3. 107.1.c.
    Each player has a separate trash.
  4. 107.1.d.
    A card owned by a player can never, for any reason, be put into a trash of another player. If it would be, it's put into its owner's trash instead.
  5. 107.1.e.
    The cards in the Trash are unordered. Their sequence does not matter, and they may be reorganized.
  6. 107.1.f.
    The cards in any player's Trash are Public Information.
    See rule 127. Privacy for more information.
2. 107.2.
  The Champion Zone
  1. 107.2.a.
    The space each player puts their Chosen Champion at the start of the game.
  2. 107.2.b.
    The Chosen Champion here cannot be returned to this zone by normal means.
  3. 107.2.c.
    The Chosen Champion can be played from here as normal, following the rules of Playing a Card.
    See rule 554. Playing Cards for more information.
3. 107.3.
  The Main Deck Zone
  1. 107.3.a.
    The space for the player's Main Deck.
  2. 107.3.b.
    Primarily houses the face-down deck during gameplay.
  3. 107.3.c.
    The order of cards in the deck is Secret Information during the course of play.
    See rule 127. Privacy for more information.
4. 107.4.
  The Rune Deck Zone
  1. 107.4.a.
    The space for the player's Rune Deck.
  2. 107.4.b.
    Primarily houses the face-down runes during gameplay.
  3. 107.4.c.
    The order of runes in the deck is Secret Information during the course of play.
    See rule 127. Privacy for more information.
5. 107.5.
  Banishment
  1. 107.5.a.
    This space is where cards are placed when they are banished by a spell or effect.
  2. 107.5.b.
    Represents cards that have been removed from play in a more difficult-to-recover way, or a temporary space to hold cards while effects are being processed.
  3. 107.5.c.
    Each player has a separate banishment.
  4. 107.5.d.
    A card owned by a player can never, for any reason, be put into the banishment of another player. If it would be, it's put into its owner's banishment instead.
  5. 107.5.e.
    The cards in the banishment are unordered. Their sequence does not matter, and they may be reorganized.
  6. 107.5.f.
    The cards in any player's Banishment are Public Information.
    See rule 127. Privacy for more information.
  7. 107.5.g.
    Some spells or effects may reference cards placed into banishment directly.
  8. 107.5.h.
    Effects that reference cards in banishment only do so by means of also putting the cards there.
  9. 107.5.i.
    The effects or references to cards in banishment do not count as Choosing.
  10. 107.5.j.
    The effects or references to cards in banishment do not count as Attachment.
6. 107.6.
  The Hand
  1. 107.6.a.
    Each player has a collection of cards they may Play cards from.
  2. 107.6.b.
    This is the location cards go when Drawn.
  3. 107.6.c.
    The cards in a player's hand are Private Information.
  4. 107.6.d.
    The number of cards in a player's hand is Public Information.
  5. 107.6.e.
    The hand can be targeted as a zone, and cards there can be affected by spells and effects when specified.
108.
All Game Objects in the collective Play Areas are Public Information.
1. 108.1.
  Any player may view, or be provided with the details of the face-up information printed on the cards in the Play Area.
2. 108.2.
  The State of all Game Objects in the Play Area is also Public Information. Examples: If a Unit is Buffed If a Gear is Exhausted Etc.
109.
Whenever a Game Object changes zones to or from a Non-Board Zone, all Temporary Modifications of all kinds cease to be tracked on it in all capacities. Examples: Damage is cleared. Buffs are removed. Temporarily granted Keywords are no longer granted.
110.
Setup Process
111.
Each player separates their Champion Legend and places it in the Legend Zone.
112.
Each player separates their Chosen Champion and places it in the Champion Zone.
113.
Each player sets aside their Battlefields.
1. 113.1.
  Your Mode of Play will dictate how these are used and placed into the Battlefield Zone.
  See rule 640. Modes of Play for more information.
114.
Each player shuffles their decks, separately, then places them into their respective Zones.
1. 114.1.
  The Main Deck is placed in the Main Deck Zone.
2. 114.2.
  The Rune Deck is placed in the Rune Deck Zone.
115.
Determine Turn Order using any fair random method agreed on by all players.
1. 115.1.
  Turn Order is established as a repeating set of the players.
  1. 115.1.a.
    The Mode of Play will specify how to determine a First Player.
  2. 115.1.b.
    If not otherwise specified, then Seating then determines the sequence, play proceeding clockwise from the First Player.
    1. 115.1.b.1.
      The First Player is the player who becomes the Turn Player first.
  3. 115.1.c.
    Turn Order repeats until the game ends.
2. 115.2.
  See the selected Mode of Play for any adjustments to each player's first turn.
  See rule 640. Modes of Play for more information.
116.
Players each draw 4.
117.
In turn order, players perform their Mulligan.
1. 117.1.
  A player may choose up to two cards in their hand. They set those cards aside.
2. 117.2.
  Then, that player draws as many cards as they set aside.
3. 117.3.
  Finally, that player Recycles the cards that were set aside.
  See rule 594. Recycle for more information.
118.
Begin play with the First Player taking their turn.

119.Game Objects

120.
A Game Object is any game piece that can produce one or more Game Effects or grant prerequisites for players to take Game Actions.
121.
A Game Object does not include nor preclude any inherent properties beyond the ability to produce, or act as the prerequisite for, Game Effects and Game Actions.
122.
A Game Object can be a literal object or a logical object.
123.
Game Objects include, but are not limited to, the following: Main Deck cards in any zone Runes in any zone Legends Battlefields Tokens Abilities of any type on the chain Buffs and other status markers

124.Cards

125.
Riftbound games are composed of players playing the cards in their respective decks.
126.
Ownership
1. 126.1.
  For gameplay purposes, a card's Owner is the player who brought it into the game, either as their Champion Legend, one of their Battlefields, or part of their Main Deck or Rune Deck. The legal owner of a card doesn't matter during gameplay.
  Example: Bo didn't bring a deck, so Alice loans him a deck. During the game, Bo is considered the owner of those cards, even though legally they belong to Alice.
127.
Privacy
1. 127.1.
  A card will always exist in one of the many Zones described during Setup.
2. 127.2.
  A card will have a different level of Privacy based on where it resides at a given time
3. 127.3.
  Secret: This level of Privacy indicates that neither player may read or look at the face of the card.
4. 127.4.
  Private: This level of Privacy indicates that only the controller of a card on the board or the owner of a card in any other zone may read or look at the face of the card.
  Example: Cards in a player's hand are owned by that player. Only that player may read or look at their faces.
  Example: If a player controls a facedown card at a battlefield, that player and only that player may read or look at that card's face, regardless of who owns that card.
5. 127.5.
  Public: This level of Privacy indicates that any player may read or look at the face of the card.
128.
Back Side
1. 128.1.
  The back side of a card is the side with the Riftbound logo.
2. 128.2.
  There is a unique pattern of back side for each of the three categories of card: Main Deck cards, Rune Deck cards, and Battlefields and Champion Legends.
3. 128.3.
  The back side of a card is presented to conceal information for Private and Secret information cards. For example, cards in the Main Deck and cards in hand have their back side presented.
4. 128.4.
  The term facedown is used to describe the state during regular play of having a card's back side presented on the Board. A facedown card’s front side is considered Private Information.
129.
Front Side
1. 129.1.
  The front side of a card is the opposite of its back.
2. 129.2.
  This is also referred to as a front face.
3. 129.3.
  This can be identified in situations where the back is not easily discernible by the presence of the Play Cost in the upper left corner of the card.
4. 129.4.
  Cards, when played, are played with their front face presented.
5. 129.5.
  The term face up is used to describe the state during regular play of having a card's front face presented
6. 129.6.
  Cards are considered to be Public Information while in this state, even if obscured by other cards in a pile.
  Example: The Trash is Public Information because all cards there have their front face presented even while stacked.
130.
Cost
1. 130.1.
  Main Deck cards have a Cost, listed in the upper left corner of the front face of the card.
  See rule 158. Rune Pools for more information.
2. 130.2.
  Energy Cost
  1. 130.2.a.
    The numeral listed in the Cost element in the upper left corner of the card.
3. 130.3.
  Power cost
  1. 130.3.a.
    The symbols, listed vertically, in the Cost element in the upper left corner of the card.
  2. 130.3.b.
    This section may not be present on every card.
131.
Name
1. 131.1.
  Each card has a name that identifies it uniquely.
2. 131.2.
  This is usually located in the middle of the card.
3. 131.3.
  Cards that are printed in different languages but represent the same card are considered to have the same name for the purposes of deckbuilding and gameplay.
  Example: Chemtech Enforcer in English and its counterpart in Chinese are considered the same card, despite the Name element on the card reading differently.
132.
Category
1. 132.1.
  A card can have one or more Categories and Sub-Categories based on the properties of its front and back sides.
2. 132.2.
  These Categories and Sub-Categories dictate the behaviors of the card during play.
3. 132.3.
  Spells and other effects can refer to categories, sub-categories, card types, tags, and other characteristics inclusively or exclusively.
  Example: A "non-unit card" is any card that is not a unit.
  Example: A "unit" is any game object that is a unit, regardless of any other categories it belongs to.
4. 132.4.
  Main Deck Cards begin the game in the Main Deck or (in the case of a Chosen Champion) the Champion Zone.
  1. 132.4.a.
    Permanents
    1. 132.4.a.1.
      An umbrella sub-category encompassing Main Deck Game Objects that remain on the board after being played.
    2. 132.4.a.2.
      Unit and Gear are permanent types.
  2. 132.4.b.
    Spells
    1. 132.4.b.1.
      A sub-category encompassing Main Deck cards with the spell type, which do not remain on the board after being played.
5. 132.5.
  Rune Deck Cards begin the game in the Rune Deck.
  1. 132.5.a.
    Runes
    1. 132.5.a.1.
      A sub-category encompassing cards with the rune type. These are channeled rather than played. They remain on the board after being channeled, but they are not permanents, as they are not Main Deck cards.
6. 132.6.
  Non-Deck Cards are not part of any deck and begin the game in a zone determined by their type.
  1. 132.6.a.
    Battlefields
    1. 132.6.a.1.
      A sub-category encompassing cards with the battlefield type. They are not played or channeled. They start the game on the board.
  2. 132.6.b.
    Legends
    1. 132.6.b.1.
      A sub-category encompassing cards with the legend type. They are not played or channeled. They start the game in the Legend Zone and cannot leave it during play.
133.
Domain
1. 133.1.
  Most cards belong to one or more of six Domains, identified by one or more symbols in the lower right corner.
2. 133.2.
  Each Domain has an associated color and a unique symbol.
  1. 133.2.a.
    Fury is associated with the color red and represented by a circular symbol with three projecting points.
  2. 133.2.b.
    Calm is associated with the color green and represented by a symbol resembling a leaf.
  3. 133.2.c.
    Mind is associated with the color blue and represented by a symbol resembling a sun and moon.
  4. 133.2.d.
    Body is associated with the color orange and represented by a blocky diamond-shaped symbol.
  5. 133.2.e.
    Chaos is associated with the color purple and represented by a hexagonal symbol with swirls emanating from its center.
  6. 133.2.f.
    Order is associated with the color yellow and represented by an angular winged symbol.
134.
Rules Text
1. 134.1.
  All cards have a section that describes how they affect the game. This section is known as the Rules Text of the card.
2. 134.2.
  This section may contain:
  1. 134.2.a.
    Abilities
    1. 134.2.a.1.
      Abilities are discrete pieces of text that describe what a card may or must do.
      See rule 564. Abilities for more information.
    2. 134.2.a.2.
      They may appear on any card.
  2. 134.2.b.
    Instructions
    1. 134.2.b.1.
      Instructions are a type of text that appears on spells and within abilities.
    2. 134.2.b.2.
      They describe the actions to be taken as the spell or ability resolves.
  3. 134.2.c.
    Keywords
    1. 134.2.c.1.
      Keywords are short words or phrases that represent longer abilities or instructions.
      See rule 712. Keywords for more information.
    2. 134.2.c.2.
      Keywords may or may not have reminder text.
  4. 134.2.d.
    Reminder Text
    1. 134.2.d.1.
      Reminder text appears in italics and parentheses.
    2. 134.2.d.2.
      Its purpose is to summarize relevant rules, including keywords and other rules.
    3. 134.2.d.3.
      The presence, absence, or exact wording of reminder text has no effect on game function.
3. 134.3.
  Rules text can be blank.
135.
Flavor Text
1. 135.1.
  Flavor text is text that appears at the bottom of some cards to provide aesthetic enjoyment. It conveys no gameplay information.
  Example: The card Void Seeker features a quote from the character Kai'Sa. It does not have the Kai'Sa tag and has no gameplay connection to the Champion unit Kai'Sa.
2. 135.2.
  Flavor text is located at the bottom of the section provided for rules text, usually in a shaded bar. It appears in italics.
136.
Illustration
1. 136.1.
  Each card has an illustration. It conveys no gameplay information.

137.Units

138.
Unit is:
1. 138.1.
  A Game Object
  1. 138.1.a.
    While on the Board:
    1. 138.1.a.1.
      Units are at one of several Locations while on the Board: a Battlefield or their Base.
    2. 138.1.a.2.
      Units and their details are Public Information while on the Board.
    3. 138.1.a.3.
      Units can be chosen, affected, or manipulated by spells, affects, or game actions that specify Units.
    4. 138.1.a.4.
      Units can be Killed.
      See rule 604. Kill for more information.
  2. 138.1.b.
    While in the Trash:
    1. 138.1.b.1.
      Units are treated as Cards, similar to when in the Hand.
    2. 138.1.b.2.
      They retain the properties of being a Unit, but are not on the Board and thus cannot take actions or be affected by spells, abilities, or game actions that target Units on the Board.
    3. 138.1.b.3.
      Units can be affected by spells and game effects that target Units in the Trash.
2. 138.2.
  A Card Type
  1. 138.2.a.
    This is a unique identifier that some spells or abilities will use to restrict what they can choose or affect.
  2. 138.2.b.
    The card type is relevant in all zones.
139.
Units have multiple Intrinsic Properties unique to them:
1. 139.1.
  Tag: A Unit has zero or more Tags representing one or more champions, regions, factions, or species it belongs to.
  1. 139.1.a.
    These have no intrinsic rules or behaviors by themselves.
  2. 139.1.b.
    Spells, abilities, and game actions can reference these types as part of their execution.
2. 139.2.
  Might: The combat statistic of a Unit. Used to determine a Unit's contribution to Combat, as well as when it is Killed by damaging effects.
  1. 139.2.a.
    If a Unit ever has nonzero damage marked on it equalling or exceeding its Might, it is Killed.
  2. 139.2.b.
    If a unit's Might is ever less than 0, it is treated as 0 for all purposes.
3. 139.3.
  Units can have damage marked on them.
  1. 139.3.a.
    When spells, abilities, or other game effects deal damage, Units mark that damage on them temporarily. This can be tracked with coins, dice, or other markers, or by memory.
  2. 139.3.b.
    Damage is removed from Units at two specific times:
    1. 139.3.b.1.
      At the end of each player's turn.
    2. 139.3.b.2.
      At the end of any given Combat, after resolving the winner.
4. 139.4.
  Units enter the Board exhausted.
  1. 139.4.a.
    This can be altered by Accelerate or similar game effects.
    See rule 717. Accelerate for more information.
140.
Units have the Inherent Ability to perform a Standard Move.
1. 140.1.
  This action is limited in when it can be performed.
  1. 140.1.a.
    This action can be done any time during a player's Action Phase.
  2. 140.1.b.
    This action cannot be performed during a Closed State.
  3. 140.1.c.
    This action cannot be performed during a Showdown.
2. 140.2.
  Exhausting the Unit is the Cost for this action.
3. 140.3.
  Players may perform multiple Units' standard move simultaneously.
  1. 140.3.a.
    When a Move like this is declared by a player, the units' Destination must be the same.
  2. 140.3.b.
    When a Move like this is declared by a player, the Origins do not need to be the same.
  3. 140.3.c.
    The Costs of Exhausting the Units are also paid Simultaneously.
4. 140.4.
  The Destinations where Units can Move to with their Standard Move are restricted:
  1. 140.4.a.
    Units may move from their Base to a Battlefield.
    1. 140.4.a.1.
      Units cannot Move to a Battlefield that already has units from 2 other players present.
  2. 140.4.b.
    Units may move from a Battlefield to their Base.
  3. 140.4.c.
    Ganking is a unique ability that affects a Unit's Standard Move
    1. 140.4.c.1.
      Units with Ganking may use their Standard Move to Move from Battlefield to Battlefield.
      See rule 722. Ganking for more information.
141.
Units may have Activated Abilities.
1. 141.1.
  Activated Abilities are Game Effects that are written as Costs followed by a ":", and then succeeded by an effect.
  See rule 576. Activated Abilities for more information.
2. 141.2.
  The Activated Ability of Units may be executed at any time during the controlling player's Action Phase during an Open State, and not during a Showdown.
  1. 141.2.a.
    This follows the same process as playing a card.
    See rule 554. Playing Cards for more information.
    1. 141.2.a.1.
      This behaves, once activated, like a spell without an associated card.

142.Gear

143.
Gear are:
1. 143.1.
  A Game Object
  1. 143.1.a.
    While on the Board.
    1. 143.1.a.1.
      Gear can only be played to a player's Base.
    2. 143.1.a.2.
      Gear and their details are Public Information while on the Board.
    3. 143.1.a.3.
      Gear can be chosen, affected, or manipulated by spells, effects, or game actions that specify Gear.
    4. 143.1.a.4.
      Gear can be Killed.
      See rule 604. Kill for more information.
  2. 143.1.b.
    While in the Trash
    1. 143.1.b.1.
      Gear are treated as Cards before Game Objects, similar to the Hand.
    2. 143.1.b.2.
      They retain the properties of being Gear, but are not on the Board and thus cannot take actions or be affected by spells, abilities, or game actions that affect Gear on the Board.
    3. 143.1.b.3.
      Gear can be affected by spells and game effects that affect Gear in the Trash.
2. 143.2.
  A Card Type
  1. 143.2.a.
    This is a unique identifier that some spells or abilities will use to restrict what they can choose or affect.
  2. 143.2.b.
    The card type is relevant in all zones.
144.
Gear have several Intrinsic Properties unique to them.
1. 144.1.
  Gear enters play Ready.
2. 144.2.
  Gear can only be played to a player's Base.
3. 144.3.
  If a Gear is at a Battlefield for any reason, then it is immediately recalled to its controller's Base as a corrective action.
  See rule 616. Recalls for more information.
145.
Gear may have Activated Abilities.
1. 145.1.
  Activated Abilities are Game Effects that are written as Costs followed by a ":", and then succeeded by an effect.
  See rule 576. Activated Abilities for more information.
2. 145.2.
  The Activated Ability of Gear may be executed at any time during the controlling player's Action Phase during an Open State, and not during a Showdown.
  1. 145.2.a.
    This follows the same process as playing a card.
    See rule 554. Playing Cards for more information.
    1. 145.2.a.1.
      This behaves, once activated, like a spell without an associated card.

146.Spells

147.
Spell is a card type.
148.
A spell can be played during an Open State Outside of Showdowns on its controller's turn.
149.
A spell is controlled by the player who played it.
150.
A spell creates a game effect according to its instructions and is then placed in the Trash of the player who owns it.
151.
When a spell is successfully played, a player executes the rules text of the spell. This is called Resolving the spell.
1. 151.1.
  Spells have their rules text executed from top to bottom when they are Resolved.
2. 151.2.
  If a later part of a spell applies a Replacement Effect that alters earlier parts of the spell, apply those replacement effects as appropriate.
  Example: A spell says "Choose a unit. Kill it the next time it takes damage this turn." and "[Legion] — Kill it now instead. (Get the effect if you've played another card this turn.)" If the Legion condition is satisfied, the unit is killed immediately and the instruction to kill it the next time it takes damage is ignored, even if the unit remains on the board somehow.
3. 151.3.
  While a spell is Resolving, nothing else may intercede or be Resolved, including triggered abilities or game effects that would occur as a result of the execution of the spell.
  1. 151.3.a.
    Finish resolving all effects of a spell before addressing anything the spell may have triggered or caused through execution.
152.
Certain Keywords on spells are not executable rules text, but instead intrinsic properties of the spell.
1. 152.1.
  These determine inherent properties and behaviors of the spell before being played or while on the chain.
2. 152.2.
  These keywords are:
  1. 152.2.a.
    Action
    1. 152.2.a.1.
      This indicates that, in addition to being able to be played during an Open State, this spell may also be played during Open States during Showdowns.
  2. 152.2.b.
    Reaction
    1. 152.2.b.1.
      Grants all cases and rules of Action.
    2. 152.2.b.2.
      In addition to all prior cases, may also be played during all forms of Closed State.
    3. 152.2.b.3.
      This will result in this spell resolving before spells and abilities that are already on the chain.

153.Runes

154.
Rune is a Card Type.
1. 154.1.
  A Rune is not a Main Deck card.
  1. 154.1.a.
    This means, despite remaining on the Board until Recycled or otherwise removed from the board, it is not a Permanent.
2. 154.2.
  Runes are kept in the Rune Deck.
  1. 154.2.a.
    Exactly 12 Rune cards chosen during Deck Construction.
    See rule 103.3. Rune Deck for more information.
  2. 154.2.b.
    When a Rune is Recycled it is returned to the Rune Deck, not the Main Deck.
    See rule 594. Recycle for more information.
155.
Runes produce the resources needed to pay costs.
156.
Runes produce Energy and Power.
1. 156.1.
  Energy is used to pay numeric Energy costs.
  1. 156.1.a.
    Energy has no Domain.
  2. 156.1.b.
    Energy has no type.
2. 156.2.
  Power is used to pay Domain-associated Power Costs.
  1. 156.2.a.
    Power has a Domain.
    1. 156.2.a.1.
      Power's Domain usually corresponds to the Domain of the Rune that produced it.
  2. 156.2.b.
    Some Power is Universal and can be used to pay for costs of any Domain.
157.
Basic Runes
1. 157.1.
  There are six Basic Runes, each with a Domain corresponding to its name: Fury Rune Calm Rune Mind Rune Body Rune Chaos Rune Order Rune
2. 157.2.
  A Basic Rune always has the following two Abilities:
  1. 157.2.a.
    [T]: Add [1].
  2. 157.2.b.
    Recycle this: Add [C].
    1. 157.2.b.1.
      The Power added this way corresponds to the Domain of the Rune that is being Recycled.
158.
Rune Pools
159.
The Rune Pool is a conceptual collection of a player's available Energy and Power available to pay Costs.
1. 159.1.
  When a card adds Energy or Power, it is added to the controlling player's Rune Pool.
2. 159.2.
  Players must first add Energy and Power to their Rune Pool in order to be able to spend it to play cards or pay for Abilities with costs.
3. 159.3.
  Energy and Power do not have a physical marker or tracker, although players may wish to use a physical tracker if they are retaining unspent Energy and Power over the course of their turn.
160.
Every player's Rune Pool empties at the end of each player's draw phase and the end of each player's turn.
1. 160.1.
  Any unspent Energy or Power are lost.
161.
All Abilities that include the action "Add" are abilities that are adding Energy or Power to the Rune Pool.
See rule 605. Add for more information.

162.Battlefields

163.
Battlefields are Game Objects.
1. 163.1.
  Battlefields are Owned by a player.
2. 163.2.
  Battlefields are not shuffled into Decks at the start of a game.
  1. 163.2.a.
    Battlefields are not played during the course of regular play.
  2. 163.2.b.
    Battlefields are established at the start of a game and remain in place for the duration of regular play.
3. 163.3.
  Battlefields cannot be Killed during the course of regular play.
4. 163.4.
  Battlefields cannot be Moved.
5. 163.5.
  Battlefields are Locations.
  1. 163.5.a.
    Battlefields can be Origins of moves.
  2. 163.5.b.
    Battlefields can be Destinations of moves.
6. 163.6.
  Any number of Units can be present at a Battlefield.
7. 163.7.
  Battlefields can be targeted by spells or game effects.
8. 163.8.
  Battlefields can have Passive Abilities.
  See rule 567. Passive Abilities for more information.
9. 163.9.
  Battlefields can have Triggered Abilities.
  See rule 582. Triggered Abilities for more information.
164.
Battlefields are not Permanents.
165.
The number of Battlefields on the Board is determined by the Mode of Play.

166.Legends

167.
Legends are Game Objects.
1. 167.1.
  Legends are Owned by a player.
2. 167.2.
  Legends are not shuffled into Decks at the start of a game.
  1. 167.2.a.
    Legends are not played during the course of regular play.
  2. 167.2.b.
    Legends are established at the start of a game, and remain in place for the duration of regular play.
3. 167.3.
  Legends cannot be Killed during the course of regular play.
4. 167.4.
  Legends cannot be Moved.
5. 167.5.
  Legends can be targeted by spells or game effects.
6. 167.6.
  Legends can have Passive Abilities.
  See rule 567. Passive Abilities for more information.
7. 167.7.
  Legends can have Triggered Abilities.
  See rule 582. Triggered Abilities for more information.
8. 167.8.
  Legends can have Activated Abilities.
  See rule 576. Activated Abilities for more information.
168.
Legends are not Permanents.
169.
Legends may have one or more Domains.
1. 169.1.
  The Legend determines the Domain Identity of cards its owner can include.
  See rule 101. Deck Construction for more information.

170.Tokens

171.
Tokens are Game Objects created by spells and abilities during play.
172.
Tokens can be represented by anything. Printed tokens are included in Riftbound booster packs, but they are not required to play a token.
173.
A token's controller is the controller of the spell or ability that created it, unless the token's type innately determines control or that spell or ability specifies that a different player is the token's controller.
174.
A token's owner is the player who controlled the effect that created it.
175.
The effect that creates a token may specify the conditions or circumstances under which it enters the board. These stipulations may alter the usual steps for playing a card.
1. 175.1.
  The effect may state that the token enters ready or exhausted, if that state is contrary to the default for the token's type.
2. 175.2.
  The effect may restrict the location to which the token may be played.
3. 175.3.
  The effect may grant temporary abilities or modifications to the token.
176.
Tokens are not cards.
1. 176.1.
  Tokens have some properties in common with cards.
  1. 176.1.a.
    Tokens are played by their owner if their card type is played, following all the applicable steps for playing a card plus any restrictions or modifications from the effect that created the token.
    See rule 554. Playing Cards for more information.
  2. 176.1.b.
    Token units have a Might.
  3. 176.1.c.
    Tokens may have one or more tags.
  4. 176.1.d.
    Tokens have a type. They follow all rules for their type unless otherwise specified.
    Example: A token unit is a unit. It enters exhausted, can take the standard move action, deals damage equal to its Might in combat, is destroyed if it takes damage equal to or greater than its might, can be chosen or otherwise affected by spells or abilities that choose or affect units, etc.
2. 176.2.
  Tokens differ from cards in some ways.
  1. 176.2.a.
    Tokens do not have costs.
  2. 176.2.b.
    Tokens do not have domains.
177.
Tokens are created on the board and cannot exist elsewhere.
1. 177.1.
  If a token is put into any Non-Board Zone, it ceases to exist immediately after moving to its new zone.
178.
The spell or ability that creates a token specifies some of its characteristics. It may have other characteristics, as listed below.
1. 178.1.
  A 1[S] Recruit token is a domainless unit token with 1 Might and the Recruit tag.
2. 178.2.
  A 3[S] Sprite token with Temporary is a domainless unit token with 3 Might, the Fae tag, and the Temporary keyword.
  See rule 728. Temporary for more information.

179.Control

180.
Control is the concept of a player having influence of a Game Object and applies differently to different card types.
181.
Battlefields
1. 181.1.
  Control is established over Battlefields through the course of play.
2. 181.2.
  Control is a binary state for Battlefields and an Identifier for players.
  1. 181.2.a.
    A Battlefield is Controlled or Uncontrolled.
  2. 181.2.b.
    A Battlefield is Controlled by a specific player or Controlled by no one.
3. 181.3.
  Control can be Contested through the course of play.
  1. 181.3.a.
    Contested is a temporary status applied to the battlefield when a Unit controlled by a Player who does not currently Control that Battlefield Moves or otherwise becomes present there.
  2. 181.3.b.
    A Battlefield remains Contested until Control is established or re-established.
  3. 181.3.c.
    The state of a Battlefield being Contested is used to determine when Combat should occur, when a Showdown without a Combat should occur, and when Control will change.
  4. 181.3.d.
    At this time Game Effects cannot reference this status.
4. 181.4.
  Control is established by the presence of Units controlled by a player.
  1. 181.4.a.
    If a player controls Units at a Battlefield, outside of Combat, they have Control of that Battlefield.
  2. 181.4.b.
    A player maintains control of a Battlefield while it is being Contested by an opponent.
  3. 181.4.c.
    Control changes immediately if, at the end of Combat, the Units at a Battlefield are controlled by a different player than before the Combat.
  4. 181.4.d.
    If a player has no Units at a Battlefield, they have no Control of that Battlefield.
5. 181.5.
  Control is a constant state with no reliance on timing.
182.
Everything Else
1. 182.1.
  When a player Plays a Card, they are established as that Game Object's Controller.
2. 182.2.
  For Spells, they are the Spell's Controller.
  1. 182.2.a.
    That player chooses targets.
  2. 182.2.b.
    That player chooses modes.
  3. 182.2.c.
    That player pays costs.
3. 182.3.
  For Permanents and Runes, when they Enter the Board, that player is assigned as that Game Object's Controller.
  1. 182.3.a.
    That player may make decisions about the Game Object's Inherent Abilities.
  2. 182.3.b.
    That player may make decisions about the Game Object's Unique Abilities.
  3. 182.3.c.
    That player may make decisions about any game effects or decisions necessary while the card is being played.
  4. 182.3.d.
    That player may make decisions about any game effects created from "When you play me" effects of Permanents.
183.
When a game effect or rules text refers to the Controller of a specific object, it can be referring to either context interchangeably.
1. 183.1.
  The method of assignment of control is different, but the status of Control is the same across all Game Objects.

500.Playing the Game

501.The Turn

502.
Play continues cyclically until one player wins.
503.
The phases of a turn are rigid, but the actions taken during those steps can be done in any order, unless otherwise specified.
1. 503.1.
  Game Actions of any nature are performed one at a time, and are executed completely .
2. 503.2.
  Game Actions cannot be performed simultaneously for any reason.
  1. 503.2.a.
    If one or more actions, game effects, or Triggered Abilities are activated simultaneously, then Turn Order is referenced to organize the sequence of actions.
    See rule 582. Triggered Abilities for more information.
504.
The Turn Player is the player taking the current turn.
505.
When there are no items on the Chain and the Turn Player cannot or chooses not to perform any Discretionary Actions, the current phase or step of the turn ends and the next phase, step, or turn begins.
506.
The Turn Player changes when the current Turn Player reaches the End of all of the Phases of their Turn.
507.
States of the Turn
508.
At any given time, the turn is in either a Neutral State or a Showdown State.
1. 508.1.
  If a Showdown is in progress, the turn is in a Showdown State.
  1. 508.1.a.
    Only cards and abilities with the Action or Reaction keywords can be played or activated in a Showdown State.
2. 508.2.
  If no Showdown is in progress, the turn is in a Neutral State.
509.
At any given time, the turn is in either an Open State or a Closed State.
1. 509.1.
  If a Chain exists, the turn is in a Closed State.
  1. 509.1.a.
    Only cards and abilities with the Reaction keyword can be played or activated in a Closed State.
2. 509.2.
  If no Chain exists, the turn is in an Open State.
510.
These descriptions can be combined, such that the turn is always in one of these four states:
1. 510.1.
  Neutral Open: There is no Showdown in progress and no Chain exists.
  1. 510.1.a.
    By default, cards can be played and abilities activated only when a player has priority on their turn in a Neutral Open state.
2. 510.2.
  Neutral Closed: There is no Showdown in progress and a Chain exists.
3. 510.3.
  Showdown Open: A Showdown is in progress and no Chain exists.
4. 510.4.
  Showdown Closed: A Showdown is in progress and a Chain exists.
511.
Priority and Focus
512.
At any given time, up to one player has Priority.
1. 512.1.
  Priority is the permission to take Discretionary Actions.
  See rule 589.1. Discretionary Actions for more information.
  1. 512.1.a.
    The player with Priority can take appropriately timed Discretionary Actions.
  2. 512.1.b.
    If no player has Priority, no player can take Discretionary Actions.
    1. 512.1.b.1.
      Players can always take and make choices for Limited Actions when instructed, regardless of Priority.
2. 512.2.
  A player receives Priority at the following times:
  1. 512.2.a.
    When the turn is in a Neutral Open State during their Action Phase.
  2. 512.2.b.
    When the turn is in a Showdown State and they gain Focus.
  3. 512.2.c.
    When the turn is in a Closed State and they control the next item on the Chain.
  4. 512.2.d.
    When the turn is in a Closed State, they are the next Relevant Player in Turn Order, and the player with Priority passes.
513.
At any given time, up to one player has Focus.
1. 513.1.
  Focus is the permission to take appropriately timed Discretionary Actions when the turn is in a Showdown Open State.
  See rule 507. States of the Turn for more information.
  1. 513.1.a.
    The player with Focus must obey any additional restrictions on which Discretionary Actions may be performed.
    Example: A player with Focus may not play spells or activate abilities that don't have the Action or Reaction keywords.
2. 513.2.
  A player who gains Focus also gains Priority.
3. 513.3.
  A player who passes Priority retains Focus.
4. 513.4.
  If the turn is in a Neutral State, no player has Focus.
514.
Phases of the Turn
515.
Start of Turn
1. 515.1.
  Awaken Phase
  1. 515.1.a.
    The Turn Player readies all Game Objects they control that are able to be readied.
    See rule 593. Ready for more information.
2. 515.2.
  Beginning Phase
  1. 515.2.a.
    Beginning Step
    1. 515.2.a.1.
      At the start of Beginning Phase game effects take place.
  2. 515.2.b.
    Scoring Step
    1. 515.2.b.1.
      Holding occurs at this time.
      See rule 629. Scoring for more information.
    2. 515.2.b.2.
      Reminder: In Modes of Play with Teams, Battlefields held by a Teammate of the Turn Player during this phase are disqualified from being scored this turn by the Turn Player.
  3. 515.2.c.
    Specific game effects or abilities will reference this timing and phase as necessary.
3. 515.3.
  Channel Phase
  1. 515.3.a.
    The Turn Player gains their additional runes for the turn.
  2. 515.3.b.
    The Turn Player channels 2 runes from their Rune Deck.
    See rule 606. Channel for more information.
    1. 515.3.b.1.
      If there are fewer than 2 runes in the Rune Deck, they channel as many as possible.
  3. 515.3.c.
    Perform any actions as instructed by game objects during this time.
4. 515.4.
  Draw Phase
  1. 515.4.a.
    The Turn Player gains their additional card for the turn.
  2. 515.4.b.
    The Turn Player draws 1.
    1. 515.4.b.1.
      If there are no cards remaining in their Main Deck to draw, the Turn Player has been Burned Out.
      See rule 607. Burn Out for more information.
    2. 515.4.b.2.
      After completing the Burn Out the Turn Player still Draws 1.
  3. 515.4.c.
    Perform any actions as instructed by game objects during this time.
  4. 515.4.d.
    As the Draw Phase ends, each player's Rune Pool empties.
    See rule 158. Rune Pools for more information.
516.
Action Phase
1. 516.1.
  When all steps of the Start of Turn have been completed, the Action Phase begins.
2. 516.2.
  The Action Phase has no defined structure.
  1. 516.2.a.
    A player may take any number of Discretionary Actions they are able to perform during this phase.
    See rule 589.1. Discretionary Actions for more information.
  2. 516.2.b.
    This is denoted as a Neutral Open State, and only the Turn Player has the ability to play spells or activate abilities.
    See rule 507. States of the Turn for more information.
    1. 516.2.b.1.
      In Modes of Play with teammates, the Turn Player's teammates may play spells and activate abilities, including ones without Action or Reaction.
  3. 516.2.c.
    In Modes of Play with Teammates, spells may be played by Teammates of the Turn Player during this time, but the actions of the Turn Player take precedence.
3. 516.3.
  As a result of a player taking Discretionary Actions, one or more structured phases may occur.
4. 516.4.
  Combat
  1. 516.4.a.
    A Combat phase occurs as a result of Units controlled by opposing players being present at the same Battlefield.
  2. 516.4.b.
    This could be the result of a Standard Move Standard Action, a Spell, or other Game Effect.
  3. 516.4.c.
    The source effect does not change the structure or flow of Combat once initiated.
  4. 516.4.d.
    A Combat can only occur between two players.
    See rule 620. Combat for more information.
  5. 516.4.e.
    Play proceeds following the steps of combat.
    See rule 624. Steps of Combat for more information.
  6. 516.4.f.
    Combat will also include a Showdown.
5. 516.5.
  Showdowns
  1. 516.5.a.
    A Showdown occurs when a Combat occurs.
    1. 516.5.a.1.
      Showdowns that occur as a result of Combat are a Sub-Phase of Combat.
  2. 516.5.b.
    A Showdown occurs when one or more Units move to an empty battlefield.
    1. 516.5.b.1.
      Showdowns that occur as a result of a player moving to an empty Battlefield are a stand-alone Phase and do not create a Combat.
  3. 516.5.c.
    A Showdown is a structured Window of Opportunity where Relevant Players may play cards and activate abilities with Action or Reaction.
    See rule 545. Showdowns for more information.
6. 516.6.
  When a player has no more Discretionary Actions they wish to execute, they must indicate they are ending their turn.
  1. 516.6.a.
    This ends the Action Phase.
  2. 516.6.b.
    Play proceeds to the End of Turn.
517.
End of Turn Phase
1. 517.1.
  Ending Step
  1. 517.1.a.
    At the end of the turn Game Effects take place.
  2. 517.1.b.
    Specific game effects and abilities will reference this timing and phase as necessary.
2. 517.2.
  Expiration Step
  1. 517.2.a.
    Clear all marked damage from all Units at all Locations.
  2. 517.2.b.
    All "this turn" effects expire simultaneously.
  3. 517.2.c.
    As the Expiration Step ends, all players' Rune Pools empty. Any unspent Energy and Power are lost.
3. 517.3.
  Cleanup Step
  1. 517.3.a.
    Perform a Cleanup.
4. 517.4.
  If Game Effects have applied any damage or generated any additional "this turn" effects, return to the Expiration Step and continue this process.
5. 517.5.
  The Turn Player then becomes the next player in Turn Order.

518.Cleanups

519.
A Cleanup occurs: After an item on the Chain resolves. After a Move completes. After a Showdown completes. After a Combat completes.
520.
All Units who have had non-zero Damage marked on them equalling or exceeding their Might are killed and placed in their owners' Trash.
521.
Remove the "Attacker" or "Defender" status from Units no longer present at a Battlefield where a Combat is currently occurring.
522.
Recognize and begin execution of all state-based Game Effects currently outstanding.
1. 522.1.
  These can be recognized by the phrases "While" or "As long as."
523.
Remove all Hidden cards from all Battlefields that do not also have a Unit controlled by the same player present and place them in their owner's Trash.
1. 523.1.
  This can cause the Battlefield to become uncontrolled if this was not done as part of a Conquer step.
524.
Mark a Combat as Pending at each Battlefield with Units present from two opposing players.
1. 524.1.
  The Combat remains Pending at that Battlefield as long as there are Units present from two opposing players there.
525.
If the current state is a Neutral Open State and one or more Battlefields are Contested with no Current Controller, the Turn Player chooses one of those Battlefields. A Showdown begins there.
526.
If the current state is a Neutral Open State and Combat is Pending at one or more Battlefields, the Turn Player chooses one of those Battlefields. Combat begins there.

527.Chains and Showdowns

528.
Relevant Players
529.
Relevant Players are players who can act during the following Windows of Opportunity that occur during the course of regular play:
1. 529.1.
  During a Chain
2. 529.2.
  During a Showdown
530.
Once a player becomes Relevant, they remain Relevant until the Window of Opportunity that caused the definition ends.
1. 530.1.
  The more-encompassing Relevance is used to determine this.
  Example: If a player becomes Relevant during a Chain inside of a Showdown, they remain Relevant until the Showdown ends, not the Chain that made them Relevant.
531.
The following are Relevant Players:
1. 531.1.
  Players involved in the Combat currently occurring.
  1. 531.1.a.
    If there is no Combat occurring, then All Players are relevant.
2. 531.2.
  Players who have been Invited.
  1. 531.2.a.
    The Active Player may choose another player Not Currently Relevant to the current Chain or Showdown to interact instead of themselves. This is considered a Limited Action.
    1. 531.2.a.1.
      The invited player may refuse the invitation. If they do, they do not become a Relevant Player.
    2. 531.2.a.2.
      If they accept the invitation, they must be able to, and consequently must, play a card or activate a Game Object's ability at the current timing.
    3. 531.2.a.3.
      If they accept the invitation they become, and remain, a Relevant Player for the duration of this Chain or Showdown.
    4. 531.2.a.4.
      After the invited player plays a card or activates a legal ability, they become the Active Player.
532.
Chains
533.
The Chain is a Non-Board Zone that temporarily exists whenever a card is played or an ability is activated.
1. 533.1.
  Cards are placed here as part of the process of being played.
2. 533.2.
  Abilities are queued here as part of the process of resolving.
  See rule 564. Abilities for more information.
534.
The Chain exists as long as a card or ability is on it.
1. 534.1.
  Only one Chain can exist at a time.
2. 534.2.
  If a card would begin to be played while a Chain already exists, it is placed on the existing Chain.
535.
The State of the Turn is partially determined by whether or not the Chain currently exists.
1. 535.1.
  The turn is said to be in a Closed State if a Chain exists.
  1. 535.1.a.
    Cards of all Categories, by default, cannot be played during a Closed State.
  2. 535.1.b.
    Card abilities, by default, cannot be played during a Closed State.
2. 535.2.
  The turn is said to be in an Open State if no Chain exists.
536.
Steps of Resolving a Chain
537.
Whenever a card or token is played or an ability is activated, a Chain is created.
1. 537.1.
  The player that created the chain becomes the first Active Player.
2. 537.2.
  The Active Player is a designator similar to, but distinct from, Turn Player.
3. 537.3.
  Similar to the Turn Player, this designation will pass between players over the course of play.
538.
If the card that initiated the Chain was a permanent, no player receives priority before it resolves. Skip to rule 543.
539.
Define or re-define Relevant Players to this chain.
See rule 528. Relevant Players for more information.
540.
The Active Player may do any the following:
1. 540.1.
  Play a Spell that is legally timed.
  1. 540.1.a.
    Spells, by default, cannot be played during a Closed State.
    1. 540.1.a.1.
      A Legally Timed Spell would be a Spell with Reaction.
    2. 540.1.a.2.
      Other exceptions may be created during regular play.
  2. 540.1.b.
    The spell will be added to the chain, following the steps of playing a card.
    1. 540.1.b.1.
      This can be an additional spell to the one that Started the Chain in the case of the first Active Player after creating the Chain.
  3. 540.1.c.
    The spell will not be resolved until the end of the Chain.
2. 540.2.
  Activate Abilities of Game Objects that are legally timed.
  See rule 564. Abilities for more information.
3. 540.3.
  Invite a player to act.
  1. 540.3.a.
    The invited player will become the Active Player.
4. 540.4.
  Pass
  1. 540.4.a.
    The Active Player passes to the next Relevant Player in Turn Order.
  2. 540.4.b.
    If all Relevant Players have passed once in sequence, nothing else can be added to the Chain and the Chain ends. Continue to rule 542.
541.
Triggered Abilities are added to the Chain if they are triggered by actions performed while a Chain is in progress.
1. 541.1.
  They are added as the most recent item on the Chain.
2. 541.2.
  They do not affect the order of the Active Player.
3. 541.3.
  If the controller of the Triggered Ability is not currently a Relevant Player, they become a Relevant Player.
542.
After an action is completed in rule 540, repeat rule 539. Continue until rule 540.4.b. is accomplished, then continue to rule 543.
543.
Resolve the Chain.
1. 543.1.
  Identify the last spell or ability added to the Chain and execute its effect.
  1. 543.1.a.
    After resolving, it is placed in the zone appropriate to its category.
    1. 543.1.a.1.
      Spells are placed in their owner's trash.
    2. 543.1.a.2.
      Permanents are placed on the board in the location chosen as part of the process of playing them.
    3. 543.1.a.3.
      Abilities cease to exist.
    4. 543.1.a.4.
      This is not a Move.
2. 543.2.
  If there are any triggered abilities that trigger when a card is played, these trigger now.
  1. 543.2.a.
    If there are other items on the Chain waiting to resolve, add any triggered abilities to the current Chain as the most recent item, as per rule 541.
  2. 543.2.b.
    If the item that resolved was the only item on the Chain, add any triggered abilities to a new Chain.
3. 543.3.
  Perform a Cleanup.
  See rule 518. Cleanups for more information.
4. 543.4.
  Return to rule 539. The player who controls the most recent item on the Chain becomes the Active Player, and all Relevant Players must pass again to proceed.
544.
Repeat until the Chain is empty of spells and/or card effects.
545.
Showdowns
546.
A Showdown is a Window of Opportunity in which Relevant Players have an Open State in which they may play Spells in an alternating fashion.
1. 546.1.
  Each spell played this way creates a Chain as normal.
2. 546.2.
  Players made Relevant remain so until the Showdown ends.
547.
The State of the turn is partially determined by whether or not a Showdown is in progress.
1. 547.1.
  The turn is said to be in a Showdown State if a Showdown is in progress.
  1. 547.1.a.
    Cards of all Categories, by default, cannot be played during a Showdown State.
  2. 547.1.b.
    Card abilities, by default, cannot be played during a Showdown State.
2. 547.2.
  The turn is said to be in a Neutral State if no Showdown is in progress.
548.
A Showdown begins when Control of a Battlefield is Contested and the turn is in a Neutral Open State.
1. 548.1.
  If Control of a Battlefield is Contested between two players, then a Showdown will be opened as a step of Combat.
  See rule 620. Combat for more information.
2. 548.2.
  If Control of a Battlefield is Contested and the Battlefield in question is uncontrolled when it becomes Contested, a Showdown is opened during the Cleanup at the end of that Move.
549.
As a Showdown begins, the player who applied Contested status to the Battlefield gains Focus.
550.
As a Showdown begins, the way it began defines initial Relevant Players.
1. 550.1.
  If this Showdown is part of Combat, the Attacking and Defending players are the Relevant Players for this Showdown.
  1. 550.1.a.
    More players may become Relevant through the course of play.
2. 550.2.
  If this Showdown is not part of Combat, all players are Relevant Players.
551.
When a Showdown begins, it may or may not begin with an Initial Chain.
1. 551.1.
  Showdowns that open as a result of Combat have an Initial Chain of "When I attack" Triggered Abilities and/or "When I defend" Triggered Abilities.
  1. 551.1.a.
    These Triggered Abilities should be put on the chain first by the player with Focus, then following Turn Order through Relevant Players.
    1. 551.1.a.1.
      Players that control other Triggered Abilities that may have activated as a result of this Chain being constructed will become Relevant and order their Triggered Abilities on the Chain as Turn Order for Focus comes to them.
  2. 551.1.b.
    If there are no such Triggered Abilities present during a Combat-initiated Showdown then no Initial Chain is created, but the Showdown will still proceed.
552.
When the last item on the chain resolves during a Showdown, Focus passes, and the next Relevant Player gains both Focus and Priority.
553.
During a Showdown, the player with Focus may do one of the following:
1. 553.1.
  Play a spell that is legally timed.
  1. 553.1.a.
    The spell will start a Chain as normal.
    1. 553.1.a.1.
      This can cause players to become Relevant, and thus play Spells and activate Abilities during the rest of the Showdown.
2. 553.2.
  Activate Abilities of Game Objects that are legally timed.
  See rule 564. Abilities for more information.
3. 553.3.
  Invite a player to act.
  1. 553.3.a.
    The invited player will gain Focus.
4. 553.4.
  Pass.
  1. 553.4.a.
    If all Relevant Players have passed once in sequence, the Showdown ends.
    1. 553.4.a.1.
      Perform a Cleanup.
5. 553.5.
  Otherwise, Focus passes to the next Relevant Player in Turn Order.

554.Playing Cards

555.
Playing a card is the act of a player utilizing their cards.
1. 555.1.
  A card is Played when it has finished this process in its entirety.
2. 555.2.
  Tokens are not cards, but can still be Played.
  See rule 170. Tokens for more information.
556.
Cards have different behaviors when played.
1. 556.1.
  Permanents become Game Objects when Played.
2. 556.2.
  Spells create game effects that are executed, then the card is placed in the trash when Played.
557.
The Process of Play
558.
Remove the card from the zone you are playing it from and put it onto the Chain.
1. 558.1.
  This Closes the State.
  See rule 507. States of the Turn for more information.
559.
Make necessary choices.
1. 559.1.
  If the card is a spell, or has an effect that specifies a choice "As I am played," those choices are made now.
2. 559.2.
  For Units, choose a Location the player Controls on the Board where that Unit will be placed upon being Played.
3. 559.3.
  If a card requires you to specifically choose one or more Game Objects, that choice is made now.
  1. 559.3.a.
    This does not include cards that affect one or more Game Objects based on criteria.
    Example: "Stun a unit at a battlefield" is a Choice.
    Example: "Kill all gear" is not a Choice.
  2. 559.3.b.
    This does not include making choices for Triggered Abilities of permanents, even if those abilities trigger when the permanent is played.
    Example: A unit with a triggered ability that says "When I'm played, kill a unit" does not require you to choose a target as it's played. The target will be chosen when the ability triggers.
    See rule 582. Triggered Abilities for more information.
  3. 559.3.c.
    Targeting
    1. 559.3.c.1.
      When a card Chooses one or more specific Game Objects to affect, it is Targeted.
    2. 559.3.c.2.
      If all of an instruction's Targets become Invalid or Unavailable by the time the spell is finished being played, that instruction will not execute.
    3. 559.3.c.3.
      If an instruction has more than one Target and fewer than all of the Targets become Invalid or Unavailable by the time the spell is finished being played, the instruction will execute, with only the Targets available and valid being operated on.
    4. 559.3.c.4.
      The process for a card's choice becoming Invalid or Unavailable is referred to as mistargeting.
      Example: A spell has the instruction "Deal 2 to a unit at a battlefield." Before that instruction can execute, the chosen unit is moved to its base. The instruction will not be executed, because it specifies that the unit it chooses must be at a Battlefield, and by the time it attempted to execute, the unit was no longer valid as a choice.
    5. 559.3.c.5.
      It is possible for none of a spell's instructions to be executed as it resolves, due to all of them requiring targets to act on and all of those targets becoming Invalid or Unavailable. In this case, the spell has no effect but is still considered played.
      Example: A player plays a spell that reads "Deal 2 to a unit at a battlefield" with no other instructions, and chooses an enemy unit at a battlefield. They also control a unit with the ability "When you play a spell, give me +1 [S] this turn." Before the spell resolves, the chosen unit is moved to its base. The spell resolves and its only instruction cannot be executed, but the unit's ability still triggers as the spell resolves and gives it +1 [S].
    6. 559.3.c.6.
      If a card specifies that a player may choose some number of Game Objects to be affected by a card, then all choices are considered targeted and chosen independently.
  4. 559.3.d.
    Splitting
    1. 559.3.d.1.
      If a card specifies that an amount of damage may be split among some number of Units, then each Unit chosen is Targeted.
    2. 559.3.d.2.
      The Targets are chosen when the spell is Played or the ability is added to the chain.
    3. 559.3.d.3.
      A number of Targets can only be chosen up to, and not exceeding, the initial amount of damage available when the spell is played.
      Example: A player playing a spell that instructs them to "Split 5 damage" may only choose up to 5 units, but may choose fewer.
    4. 559.3.d.4.
      Each Target is valid, and contributes to Chosen triggers individually.
    5. 559.3.d.5.
      The choice of how much damage is divided across the split is not decided until the resolution of the spell or ability.
    6. 559.3.d.6.
      Each Target must receive a valid amount of damage.
    7. 559.3.d.7.
      Valid damage is a positive integer amount, greater than or equal to 1 damage.
    8. 559.3.d.8.
      If, at resolution of the spell or effect, there are more Targets than available damage to divide, then the player who controls the effect dealing damage determines which Targets cease being Targets.
    9. 559.3.d.9.
      Any costs that were paid, or effects that were triggered as a result of those Game Objects being chosen as Targets remain in effect, paid, or otherwise triggered.
4. 559.4.
  These choices cannot be changed after this step.
5. 559.5.
  A player may not make choices during this step that will deterministically result in illegal choices or actions later in this process unless they have no choice.
  Example: A player plays Cruel Patron, which says "As an additional cost to play me, kill a friendly unit." They control exactly one unit, which is at a battlefield. They can't choose to play Cruel Patron to that battlefield, because by the time they have finished paying costs, they will no longer control that battlefield.
560.
Determine Total Cost.
1. 560.1.
  If an ability or instruction allows you to "ignore" one or more of a card's costs, set the appropriate Base Cost(s) of the card to zero.
  1. 560.1.a.
    If a card allows a player to play a card "ignoring its cost," its base Energy cost and base Power cost are set to zero.
  2. 560.1.b.
    If a card instructs a player to play a card "ignoring its Energy cost" or "ignoring its Power cost," only the appropriate cost is set to zero, and the remaining cost still applies.
  3. 560.1.c.
    Further additional costs and/or cost increases applied in subsequent steps may raise the card's Total Cost above zero.
    Example: Legion Rearguard is a Fury unit that costs 2 Energy and 0 Power and has Accelerate. A player plays Legion Rearguard and is instructed to ignore its costs, but chooses to pay the Accelerate cost of [1][C]. They ignore Legion Rearguard's Base Cost of 2 Energy, but the optional additional cost of 1 Energy and 1 Fury Power is added to its Total Cost and must be paid.
2. 560.2.
  Apply additional costs in any order.
  1. 560.2.a.
    Mandatory Additional Costs
    1. 560.2.a.1.
      Some Additional Costs specified by Passive Abilities on the card being played or another card are Mandatory, and must be paid to complete playing the card. They use the phrase "as an additional cost" and don't include the word "may."
      Example: A unit has the passive ability "As an additional cost to play me, kill a friendly unit." To play that unit, a player must kill a friendly unit.
      See rule 567. Passive Abilities for more information.
    2. 560.2.a.2.
      The cost imposed by the Deflect keyword is a Mandatory Additional Cost.
      See rule 721. Deflect for more information.
  2. 560.2.b.
    Optional Additional Costs
    1. 560.2.b.1.
      Some Optional Costs specified by Passive Abilities on the card being played or another card are Non-Mandatory, and must be paid only if the player made the choice to pay them in rule 559. They use the phrase "as an additional cost" and the word "may."
      Example: A unit has the ability "As you play me, you may discard 1 as an additional cost. If you do, reduce my cost by [2]." While playing the unit, its controller declares their intention to pay the additional cost in rule 559, applies that additional cost in rule 560.2, applies the discount granted by paying that cost in rule 560.4, and discards a card to pay that additional cost in rule 561.
      See rule 567. Passive Abilities for more information.
3. 560.3.
  Apply cost increases.
4. 560.4.
  Apply discounts in any order.
  1. 560.4.a.
    Discounts may be applied by the card being played or by any other card or effect.
  2. 560.4.b.
    Discounts may say that cards "cost [amount] less" or that one or more of their costs are "reduced by [amount]."
  3. 560.4.c.
    If a discount applies a minimum cost, that minimum applies only to that discount.
    Example: Eager Apprentice says "While I'm at a battlefield, the Energy costs for spells you play is reduced by [1], to a minimum of [1]." A player who controls Eager Apprentice and a unit with 7 Might plays Sky Splitter, a spell that costs 8 Energy and says "This spell's Energy cost is reduced by the highest Might among units you control." That player can choose to apply Eager Apprentice's discount first, reducing Sky Splitter's Energy cost to 7, then apply Sky Splitter's discount, reducing its Energy cost to 0. If they applied these discounts in the other order, Sky Splitter's Energy cost would be 1.
  4. 560.4.d.
    Discounts can reduce additional costs, including to 0.
    1. 560.4.d.1.
      An optional additional cost was "paid" if the player made the decision in rule 559 to pay it. It doesn't matter how much the player actually paid.
      Example: Clockwork Keeper is a unit that costs 2 Energy and 0 Power and says "As you play me, you may pay [C] as an additional cost. If you do, draw " A player controls a card that says "Units you play cost [A] less." That player plays Clockwork Keeper and chooses to pay the optional additional cost of [C]. They will draw a card, even though the optional additional cost was reduced to 0.
5. 560.5.
  Energy and Power costs can't be reduced below 0.
6. 560.6.
  Costs may be Energy costs, Power costs, or non-standard costs.
  Example: A card reads "As an additional cost to play me, kill a friendly unit." Killing a friendly unit is an additional cost to play that card.
561.
Pay the card's costs.
1. 561.1.
  In total, pay the combined Energy cost (if any) and Power cost (if any).
  1. 561.1.a.
    During this step, the spell's controller can use activated abilities with the Reaction tag that Add resources to add Energy and Power to pay the spell's costs.
    See rule 158. Rune Pools and rule 605. Add for more information.
2. 561.2.
  In addition, pay any non-standard Cost summed in rule 560.2 in any order.
3. 561.3.
  A player may not pay costs during this step that will deterministically result in illegal choices or actions later in this process unless they have no choice.
  Example: A player plays Cruel Patron, which says "As an additional cost to play me, kill a friendly unit." They control multiple units, one of which is alone at a battlefield. During step b, they chose to play Cruel Patron to that battlefield. While paying costs, they can't choose to kill the unit at that battlefield, because then they will no longer control that battlefield and Cruel Patron cannot legally be played there. If they controlled that battlefield with multiple units, any of those units would be a legal choice, because they would still control the battlefield after killing one.
562.
Check legality.
1. 562.1.
  Check that all chosen targets are legal.
2. 562.2.
  Ensure that the outcome of the effect of this card being played would not create an illegal state.
  Example: Check that a spell's execution does not create a state where a Battlefield has Units controlled by 3 different players.
3. 562.3.
  If the card, if continued to be played, would create an illegal state, or if a choice or action at this state is illegal, the actions taken in this process are undone and the action is cancelled.
563.
Proceed with the card's category of Play.
1. 563.1.
  A Permanent leaves the Chain and becomes a Game Object.
  1. 563.1.a.
    Any static rules text becomes active.
  2. 563.1.b.
    Execute all rules text on the card, from top to bottom.
  3. 563.1.c.
    If it is a Unit, it enters the Board exhausted at the Location that was chosen.
  4. 563.1.d.
    If it is a Gear, it enters the Board Ready at the player's Base.
2. 563.2.
  A Spell lingers on the Chain.
  1. 563.2.a.
    Other players have an opportunity to play Reactions before the resolution of spells.
    See rule 532. Chains for more information.
  2. 563.2.b.
    Otherwise, execute the game effect of the spell, from top to bottom of the rules text of the card and then place the card in the Trash of the owning player.
  3. 563.2.c.
    Handling illegal and impossible instructions
    1. 563.2.c.1.
      The spell resolves even if some or all of its targets are illegal.
    2. 563.2.c.2.
      A target is illegal as the spell resolves if it no longer meets the targeting requirements of the spell, or if it has changed Zones to or from a Non-Board Zone.
    3. 563.2.c.3.
      If a target ceases to meet the targeting requirements while the spell is on the chain, then meets them again, it's a legal target.
      Example: A spell targets "a unit at a battlefield." A player reacts with a spell that moves the unit to base, then another player reacts with a spell that moves it back to that battlefield, then the original spell resolves. The unit is a legal target.
    4. 563.2.c.4.
      If a target changes Zones to or from a Non-Board Zone and then returns to its original zone, it is no longer a legal target, because it's not treated as the same object. Examples: An enemy unit at a battlefield is no longer a legal target if it is no longer an enemy, no longer a unit, or no longer at a battlefield. A unit with 3 or less Might is no longer a legal target if it is no longer a unit or if its Might is greater than 3. Something that's exhausted is no longer a legal target if it is no longer exhausted. (It can't stop being "something.") A spell that's played from hidden has the additional targeting requirement "here." A target for such a spell ceases to be a legal target if it moves from the battlefield where that spell was played, even if the spell has no location targeting requirement otherwise.
    5. 563.2.c.5.
      If any of the spell's targets are no longer legal, those targets are unaffected by the spell as it resolves.
      Example: A player plays Void Seeker, a spell that says "Deal 4 to a unit at a battlefield. Draw " The unit's controller uses a Reaction to move the unit to their base. Since the unit is no longer a legal target, it is not dealt any damage. Void Seeker's controller still draws 1.
    6. 563.2.c.6.
      Instructions that can't be followed, either because of illegal targets or other circumstances, are ignored.
    7. 563.2.c.7.
      Instructions that can be partially followed are followed as much as possible and ignored otherwise.
      Example: A player plays a spell that says "Discard 2, then draw 2" If their hand is empty, the instruction to discard 2 will be ignored. They'll still draw 2. If they had 1 card in hand, they would discard it and draw 2.
    8. 563.2.c.8.
      If the spell checks information about a target that is no longer legal or a card or permanent whose location, zone, or status has changed such that that information is no longer available, that check returns "zero" or "null" as appropriate.
      Example: A unit that is no longer on the board is treated as having 0 Might, 0 cost, etc.
      Example: A unit that is no longer on the board has no location, is neither exhausted nor readied, etc.
      Example: Last Breath says "Ready a friendly unit. It deals damage equal to its Might to an enemy unit at a battlefield." While Last Breath is on the chain, an opponent reacts with a spell that returns the friendly unit to its owner's hand. Because the friendly unit is no longer a legal target, it can't be readied and its Might is treated as 0. Last Breath readies nothing and deals 0 damage to the chosen enemy unit.
    9. 563.2.c.9.
      A spell or ability that moves something to a different zone as a cost or effect can "look back" at its characteristics before it changes zones.

564.Abilities

565.
An Ability is the structured rules and capabilities of Game Objects or Spells.
1. 565.1.
  An Ability has multiple structures. Passive Abilities Replacement Effects Activated Abilities Triggered Abilities
566.
A card can have more than one Ability and more than one type of Ability.
567.
Passive Abilities
568.
Conditions, rules, constraints, or statements that affect the course of regular play.
1. 568.1.
  These abilities have a wide variety of formats to recognize.
  Example: "I get +1[S] while you have 2 or more cards in your hand."
  Example: "Friendly Yordles at my battlefield have [Shield]."
2. 568.2.
  They can be recognized by being statements of fact.
3. 568.3.
  Passive Abilities can be conditional.
  1. 568.3.a.
    Conditional Passive Abilities can be recognized by the occurrence of "if" or "while" as part of the statement of the ability.
    Example: "While I'm attacking or defending alone, I have +2 [S]."
    Example: "If an opponent controls a battlefield, I enter ready."
569.
Presence on Permanents
1. 569.1.
  Passive Abilities of Permanents are typically only active while on the Board.
570.
Presence on Card outside of the Board
1. 570.1.
  Passive Abilities of cards in zones that are outside of the Board will self-describe their context.
  Example: The passive ability "Play me only during an opponent's turn." applies in any zone from which that card can be played.
2. 570.2.
  Passive Abilities can alter the costs of cards as they are played.
  1. 570.2.a.
    These apply at all times in any zone from which the card with the ability can be played.
571.
Replacement Effects
572.
An ability that alters the application of another game effect or game rule.
1. 572.1.
  Passive Abilities can be Replacement Effects.
2. 572.2.
  Triggered Abilities can be Replacement Effects.
573.
Replacement Effects intercede during the execution of a Game Effect and alter its execution.
1. 573.1.
  A Replacement Effect can be identified by the presence of the term "instead."
  Example: Zhonya's Hourglass reads "The next time a friendly unit would die, kill this instead. Recall that unit exhausted." This is a replacement effect that alters the execution of any Game Effect that would kill a friendly unit.
574.
A Replacement Effect can alter the typical flow of play, including other cards' executions.
575.
If more than one Replacement Effect applies to the same event being executed, then the owner of the object being acted on determines the order the Replacement Effects will apply.
1. 575.1.
  If it is a player being acted on, that player decides the order the Replacement Effects will apply.
2. 575.2.
  If the affected object is an Uncontrolled Battlefield then the Current Turn Player decides the order the Replacement Effects will apply.
576.
Activated Abilities
577.
Activated Abilities are repeatable effects with a cost. They follow a process of going onto the chain and resolving, similar to Playing a Card.
See rule 554. Playing Cards for more information.
1. 577.2.
  Activated Abilities are recognized by the presence of a ":" in the text of the card, preceded by a cost and succeeded by an effect.
  Example: "[2]: Draw 1" is an activated ability. The cost is 2 energy. The effect is to draw 1 card.
2. 577.3.
  Activated Abilities use the chain.
  1. 577.3.a.
    Declare activation of the Ability.
    1. 577.3.a.1.
      The ability goes on the chain but has no card to represent it, so players need to take note that it is now a Closed State.
  2. 577.3.b.
    Follow the steps laid out in rules 557 through 563, replacing all instances of "play" with "activate" and "card" with "ability."
  3. 577.3.c.
    Proceed with executing the Chain.
    1. 577.3.c.1.
      Opponents have an opportunity to respond, as appropriate, as if a card was played onto the chain.
    2. 577.3.c.2.
      If no further action is taken, execute the Activated Ability.
578.
The controlling player chooses when and whether to activate an Activated Ability.
579.
Activated abilities are present on Game Objects and some Spells.
580.
Can primarily be activated while on the Board.
581.
All Activated Abilities can only be activated on the Controlling Player's Turn and during an Open State.
582.
Triggered Abilities
583.
Triggered Abilities are repeatable effects that happen when a Condition is met.
1. 583.1.
  Triggered Abilities can be recognized by the word "when" or "at" in the Ability.
  Example: "When you conquer here, you may spend a buff to draw "
  Example: "At the end of your turn, ready 2 runes."
2. 583.2.
  Triggered Abilities have a Condition and an Effect.
  1. 583.2.a.
    The Condition follows the When.
  2. 583.2.b.
    The Effect is the Instruction that follows the comma after the Condition.
3. 583.3.
  When a Condition is met, a Triggered Ability behaves like an Activated Ability and is placed on the Chain.
  1. 583.3.a.
    Triggered Abilities can be put on the Chain during Closed States or Open States on any player's turn.
  2. 583.3.b.
    If more than one Triggered Ability is Triggered simultaneously, then the player that controls the Abilities selects the order to place them on the Chain.
    1. 583.3.b.1.
      If multiple players separately control Triggered Abilities that are Triggered simultaneously, then starting with the Turn Player and proceeding in Turn Order, each player orders their Triggered Abilities on the Chain.
584.
Presence on Permanents
1. 584.1.
  Typically active while on the Board.
2. 584.2.
  Triggered Abilities of Permanents are only able to have their Conditions evaluated while on the Board.
585.
Presence on Cards outside of the Board
1. 585.1.
  Triggered Abilities on cards outside of the Board rely on the Information Level of the zone they are in.
2. 585.2.
  Triggered Abilities outside of the Board will self-describe their context.
  Example: The triggered ability "When you conquer, you may discard 1 to return this from your trash to your hand." triggers while the card it's on is in the trash, and not anywhere else.

586.Game Actions

587.
Game Actions are actions players may perform at any given time during the game.
588.
A player, unless otherwise specified or prompted, may only perform actions on their turn.
589.
There are two types of Game Actions:
1. 589.1.
  Discretionary Actions
  1. 589.1.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 507. States of the Turn for more information.
  2. 589.1.b.
    A player may take any number of Discretionary Actions available to them during their turn.
    1. 589.1.b.1.
      As long as any conditions, if applicable, are met.
    2. 589.1.b.2.
      As long as any costs, if applicable, are paid.
    3. 589.1.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.
2. 589.2.
  Limited Actions
  1. 589.2.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.
  2. 589.2.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.
590.
Types of Actions
591.
Draw
1. 591.1.
  Drawing a card takes a single card from the top of the Main Deck and adds it to the player's Hand.
2. 591.2.
  This is a Limited Action.
  1. 591.2.a.
    Each player draws 1 during the Draw Step of their Beginning Phase.
  2. 591.2.b.
    The player may draw cards when instructed to do so by other game effects.
3. 591.3.
  This action, when instructed, is formatted as "Draw X."
4. 591.4.
  If a player attempts to draw more cards than are available in their Main Deck, they do the following:
  1. 591.4.a.
    Draw as many as possible.
  2. 591.4.b.
    Perform a Burn Out.
    See rule 607. Burn Out for more information.
  3. 591.4.c.
    Draw the remaining cards needed to complete the Draw action.
592.
Exhaust
1. 592.1.
  Exhausting is an action that marks a non-spell Game Object as "spent."
  1. 592.1.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.
  2. 592.1.b.
    A Unit that is already Exhausted cannot be Exhausted again.
  3. 592.1.c.
    If a Unit is instructed to be Exhausted while it is already Exhausted, nothing additional happens.
2. 592.2.
  "Exhausted" is a state for Game Objects that other game effects and rules can reference.
3. 592.3.
  This is a Limited Action.
  1. 592.3.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.
4. 592.4.
  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.
5. 592.5.
  In abilities, the Exhaust symbol represents the cost "Exhaust this" or "Exhaust me." It resembles a card turning sideways.
593.
Ready
1. 593.1.
  Readying is an action that marks a non-spell Game Object as available for action.
2. 593.2.
  To mark it, rotate the card 90 degrees opposite of Exhausting, so that it is vertically oriented in front of you.
3. 593.3.
  "Ready" is a state for Game Objects that other game effects and rules can reference.
4. 593.4.
  This is a Limited Action.
  1. 593.4.a.
    A player Readies all non-spell Game Objects they Control during the Ready Step of the Beginning Phase on their turn.
  2. 593.4.b.
    The player may also Ready their Game Objects when effects or spells instruct them to do so.
594.
Recycle
1. 594.1.
  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.
  1. 594.1.a.
    Main Deck cards are Recycled to the Main Deck.
  2. 594.1.b.
    Runes are Recycled to the Rune Deck.
2. 594.2.
  This is a Limited Action.
  1. 594.2.a.
    The player must Recycle cards from the specified zones when instructed to do so by game effects or costs.
3. 594.3.
  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 [S] 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.
4. 594.4.
  When Recycling is part of an effect, a player must Recycle as many cards as possible from the specified zone or zones.
5. 594.5.
  If 2 or more cards are Recycled to the Main Deck simultaneously, they are placed on the bottom of that deck in a random order.
  Example: Garbage Grabber has the ability "Recycle 3 from your trash, [1], [T]: Draw " To pay the cost of activating this ability, its controller chooses 3 cards from their trash and places them on the bottom of their Main Deck in a random order.
  1. 594.5.a.
    If 2 or more cards are Recycled to the Rune Deck simultaneously, they are placed on the bottom of that deck in the order of their owner's choosing.
6. 594.6.
  This action, when instructed, is sometimes formatted as "Recycle X from [Zone]." That means to take X cards of the instructed player's choice from the relevant zone and recycle them.
  Example: Dr. Mundo, Expert has the ability "At the start of your Beginning Phase, recycle 3 from your trash." As that ability resolves, its controller recycles 3 cards from their trash. If there are fewer than 3 cards in that player's trash, they recycle as many as they can.
595.
Play
1. 595.1.
  A player Plays cards by paying costs associated with that card.
  See rule 554. Playing Cards for more information.
2. 595.2.
  This is a Discretionary Action.
  1. 595.2.a.
    As long as a player has the resources to pay the costs associated with the card, they may play cards.
3. 595.3.
  Game effects may result in cards being played as part of their resolution.
  1. 595.3.a.
    This treats Play as a Limited Action.
  2. 595.3.b.
    Treat all steps of Play as normal, except as noted by the game effect creating this Limited Play Effect.
  3. 595.3.c.
    If there are no eligible cards to Play when instructed to Play in this manner like this, then nothing happens and resolution continues.
4. 595.4.
  Some Abilities trigger when cards are played or otherwise check whether cards have been played.
  1. 595.4.a.
    These abilities trigger when the act of playing the card has been completed by the resolution of the card.
  2. 595.4.b.
    If a game effect prevents the resolution of the card—for example, because the card was countered—the card wasn't played and no abilities that trigger on playing cards trigger.
    See rule 601. Counter for more information.
596.
Move
1. 596.1.
  Moving is the act of a Game Object moving between two Locations on The Board.
2. 596.2.
  Moving is a Limited Action.
  1. 596.2.a.
    Players may only move Game Objects when instructed to do so by Game Effects or costs.
  2. 596.2.b.
    The Standard Move inherent to Units may also cause Movement.
    See rule 140 for more information on the Standard Move.
3. 596.3.
  The Standard Move inherent to Units is a Discretionary Action.
  1. 596.3.a.
    The Cost is Exhausting one or more Units.
  2. 596.3.b.
    The Effect is Moving those Unit.
597.
Hide
1. 597.1.
  Hiding a card is the act of placing a card facedown at a Battlefield you control.
2. 597.2.
  Hiding is a Discretionary Action.
  1. 597.2.a.
    The Hidden keyword allows a player to pay a cost to Hide a card any time they have a Hidden card in their hand and meet the prerequisites.
    See rule 723. Hidden for more information.
3. 597.3.
  Cards that are facedown at Battlefields have their gameplay properties and permissions defined by the effect that put them there.
  Example: Cards that players Hide with the Hidden keyword can be Played for [0] on any subsequent turn as a property of the Hidden keyword.
4. 597.4.
  If a facedown card would be put into a zone whose Privacy is Private or Secret, or if the game ends, its owner reveals it to all players.
  See rule 127. Privacy for more information.
598.
Discard
1. 598.1.
  Discarding a card is moving it from a player's hand directly into their trash without activating or executing its normal rules text.
  1. 598.1.a.
    The player who is performing the action chooses which cards to send to their Trash, and may use Private Information to do so.
  2. 598.1.b.
    When I am discarded abilities or other Triggered Abilities that trigger on discarding are executed after discarding has occurred.
2. 598.2.
  Discarding is a Limited Action.
  1. 598.2.a.
    A player must Discard cards when instructed to do so by game effects or costs.
3. 598.3.
  When Discarding is listed as a Cost, then the Action must be able to be completed for the cost to be paid.
  Example: A card has the ability "Discard 2: Deal 2 damage to a unit at a battlefield." To activate the ability, the card's controller must have at least 2 cards in hand and must be able to discard them.
4. 598.4.
  When Discarding is part of an effect, then a player must Discard as many cards as possible from their hand. If instructed to discard more cards than they have in their hand, further discard instructions are ignored.
  Example: Undercover Agent has the ability "[Deathknell] — Discard 2, then draw 2. (When I die, get the effect.)" If Undercover Agent's controller has 2 or more cards in hand, they must discard 2. If they have 1 card in hand, they discard 1, and the rest of the discard instruction is ignored. If they have no cards in hand, the entire discard instruction is ignored. Regardless of how many cards they discard, they then draw 2.
5. 598.5.
  This action is formatted as "Discard X."
599.
Stun
1. 599.1.
  Stunning is the act of selecting one or more Units on the Board and rendering them Stunned.
  1. 599.1.a.
    Stunned is a binary state. A Unit is Stunned or it isn't.
    1. 599.1.a.1.
      A Stunned Unit can not be Stunned again.
      Example: Eclipse Herald has the ability "When you stun an enemy unit, ready me and give me +1 [S] this turn." Its controller plays a spell that reads "Stun a unit." They may choose a unit that's already stunned, but if they do, Eclipse Herald will not trigger.
    2. 599.1.a.2.
      Stunned Units lose the Stunned status at the beginning of the next Ending Step.
  2. 599.1.b.
    A Stunned Unit does not contribute its might to damage in combat.
  3. 599.1.c.
    A Stunned Unit must still have damage applied to it equal to, or greater than, its full might value to be killed.
2. 599.2.
  Stunning is a Limited Action.
  1. 599.2.a.
    Players may only Stun Units when directed to by Game Effects.
600.
Reveal
1. 600.1.
  Revealing is the act of presenting a card to all players from a zone that one or more players do not have access to the information of.
  1. 600.1.a.
    Revealed is a temporary state and is not a zone.
    1. 600.1.a.1.
      Other cards, including the card being revealed, can reference the act of being Revealed.
    2. 600.1.a.2.
      Cards remain in the zone they are being Revealed from.
      Example: If a card is being Revealed from the top of a player's Main Deck, it is still the top card of that player's Main Deck.
  2. 600.1.b.
    Unless otherwise described, Revealed cards do nothing else beyond become temporarily known information to all players.
2. 600.2.
  Revealing is a Limited Action.
  1. 600.2.a.
    Players may only Reveal cards from Private or Secret zones when instructed to do so by Game Effects.
  2. 600.2.b.
    During the course of a game of Riftbound, a player may choose to show Private information to one or more other players. This does not count as revealing and does not trigger any effects that trigger when cards are revealed.
3. 600.3.
  This action is formatted as "Reveal cards from [zone]."
  Example: "Reveal 2 cards from the top of your Main Deck" would be executed by taking the two cards from the top of your Main Deck, and then presenting them to all players to clearly read and understand at the table. Then, when all players have had a chance to understand the revealed information, return them to the top of the deck in the same order.
4. 600.4.
  Game Effects can manipulate or modify the cards Revealed while they are Revealed
  1. 600.4.a.
    While cards are Revealed, those cards can be further manipulated, or accessed. They can even have their destination modified for when the Reveal ends.
    Example: "Reveal 2 cards from the top of your Main Deck. Put one into your hand and Recycle the other" would be executed by taking the top two cards from your Main Deck to the table, and once every player present has had a chance to understand them you would make the selection of one of them to add to your hand. The one you did not select would then be Recycled to the bottom of the Main Deck.
601.
Counter
1. 601.1.
  Countering is the act of negating the execution, activation, or otherwise playing of a card by a player.
  1. 601.1.a.
    A card that is Countered does nothing and is then placed in the Trash.
  2. 601.1.b.
    A card that is Countered is not considered to have been played.
  3. 601.1.c.
    Countering does not refund any costs paid to play a card.
    1. 601.1.c.1.
      This includes additional costs.
2. 601.2.
  Countering is a Limited Action.
  1. 601.2.a.
    Players may only Counter cards when directed to by Game Effects.
3. 601.3.
  This action is formatted as "Counter [a card or ability on the chain]."
602.
Buff
1. 602.1.
  Buffing is the action of placing a Buff counter on a Unit.
  See rule 701. Buffs for more information.
  1. 602.1.a.
    A Buff is also an object.
  2. 602.1.b.
    To Buff a unit, place a Buff Counter on it if it does not have one already
    1. 602.1.b.1.
      If the unit already has a Buff Counter on it, it does not get another one.
  3. 602.1.c.
    Units with Buff Counters can still be chosen for actions that Buff units, but will not be Buffed as part of the execution.
    Example: A spell reads "Buff a unit. Then, if it was buffed this way, draw a card." It will place a buff counter on a unit that has no buff counter, and then its controller will draw a card. However, if the player chooses a unit with a buff counter on it already, then the card will not be drawn.
2. 602.2.
  Buffing is a Limited Action.
  1. 602.2.a.
    Players may only Buff units when Game Effects direct them to do so.
3. 602.3.
  This action is formatted as "Buff [one or more units]."
  Example: "Buff a unit."
  Example: "Buff a friendly unit."
  Example: "Buff two friendly units at the same battlefield."
603.
Banish
1. 603.1.
  Banishing is the action of placing a card from any zone to Banishment. See 107.5. Banishment for more information.
2. 603.2.
  When a card is Banished it is placed directly into the Banishment zone from its origin.
  1. 603.2.a.
    Banish is not a subset of Kill.
  2. 603.2.b.
    Banish is not a subset of Discard.
3. 603.3.
  Cards and effects can refer to cards that were banished by the same object.
  1. 603.3.a.
    Separate instances of an object or effect banishing cards do not reference other banished cards by objects of the same name or effects originating from cards of the same name.
    Example: A spell reads "Banish the top card of your Main Deck. When you conquer this turn, draw it." This card effect allows you to draw the banished card from banishment if a condition is met. If more than one of these effects is played, each one triggers separately. Each card will be drawn separately. If the turn player passes the turn without playing the card, the card remains in banishment indefinitely. If the same player plays another copy of the same spell, banishes another card, and satisfies its condition, they could play the new banished card, but not the original banished card.
4. 603.4.
  Banishing is a Limited Action.
  1. 603.4.a.
    Players may only Banish cards or permanents when Game Effects direct them to do so.
5. 603.5.
  This action is formatted as "Banish [one or more permanents or cards]."
  Example: "Banish a card from your hand."
  Example: "Banish 2 cards from your trash."
  Example: "Look at the top 2 cards of your Main Deck. Draw one of them and banish the other."
604.
Kill
1. 604.1.
  Killing is the action of a Permanent going to the trash from the board.
  1. 604.1.a.
    This can be Active or Passive.
    1. 604.1.a.1.
      Active Kill is when the action is taken when instructed by a game effect or as a cost for a card or ability.
    2. 604.1.a.2.
      Passive Kill is when the action is taken as a result of Lethal Damage or as a consequence for any other state.
2. 604.2.
  When a permanent is killed it is placed directly in the trash from its place of origin.
  1. 604.2.a.
    It is only considered Killed if its origin was any zone on the board.
  2. 604.2.b.
    This is not a subset of Move.
3. 604.3.
  Killing is a Limited Action.
  1. 604.3.a.
    Players may only Kill units when Game Effects direct them to do so.
4. 604.4.
  This action is formatted as "Kill [one or more permanents]."
  Example: "Kill an enemy unit."
  Example: "Kill this, [2]: Draw "
  Example: "Kill all gear."
605.
Add
1. 605.1.
  Adding is the action of putting resources into a player's Rune Pool.
2. 605.2.
  Spells and activated abilities that Add resources resolve immediately. They can't be reacted to.
3. 605.3.
  Activated abilities that Add resources and have the Reaction tag can be activated during the playing or resolution of other spells and abilities, any time that those spells or abilities require that resources be paid.
  Example: A player can add Energy and Power through any means before initiating the process of playing a spell. After initiating that process, in the Pay Costs step, they may activate Add Reactions to add Energy or Power to pay costs.
4. 605.4.
  Adding is a Limited Action.
  1. 605.4.a.
    Players may only Add resources when Game Effects direct them to do so.
5. 605.5.
  This action is formatted as "Add [one or more resources]."
  Example: "Add [2]." means "Add 2 Energy."
  Example: "[T]: Add [Y]." means "Add 1 Power of the Order domain."
  Example: "Add [1][G]." means "Add 1 Energy and 1 Power of the Calm domain."
606.
Channel
1. 606.1.
  Channeling is the action of taking one or more Runes from the top of a player's Rune Deck and putting them on the board.
2. 606.2.
  The Game Effect that instructs a player to channel 1 or more runes may specify the conditions or circumstances under which those runes enter the board.
  Example: A spell reads "Channel 1 rune exhausted." As that spell resolves, its controller puts the top rune of their rune deck onto the board and that rune enters the board exhausted rather than ready.
3. 606.3.
  Channeling is a Limited Action.
  1. 606.3.a.
    Players may only channel runes when Game Effects direct them to do so.
4. 606.4.
  This action is formatted as "Channel X rune(s)," optionally followed by conditions or stipulations.
  Example: "Channel 1 rune."
  Example: "When you play me, channel 1 rune exhausted."
  Example: "Channel 2 runes exhausted. If you couldn't channel 2 runes this way, draw 1."
607.
Burn Out
1. 607.1.
  Burning Out is an action a player must perform if they attempt to do any of the following while their Main Deck is empty:
  1. 607.1.a.
    Draw 1 or more cards.
  2. 607.1.b.
    Look at or reveal cards from their Main Deck.
  3. 607.1.c.
    Put 1 or more cards from their Main Deck into their trash.
2. 607.2.
  To Burn Out, a player does the following in sequence:
  1. 607.2.a.
    Shuffles their trash into their Main Deck.
  2. 607.2.b.
    Chooses an opponent to gain 1 point.
  3. 607.2.c.
    Performs the action that caused them to burn out.
    Example: A player attempts to draw 1 during their Draw Phase while their Main Deck is empty. That player instead shuffles their trash into their Main Deck, chooses an opponent to gain 1 point, and then draws 1.
3. 607.3.
  A player's Main Deck may remain empty as they Burn Out, usually because their trash is also empty. When they attempt to perform the original action again, it will cause another Burn Out.
  1. 607.3.a.
    Unless some effect intervenes, this will result in them burning out repeatedly, giving 1 point to an opponent each time, until an opponent passes the Victory Score and wins the game.
4. 607.4.
  Burning Out is a Limited Action.
  1. 607.4.a.
    Players may only burn out when Game Effects direct them to do so.
5. 607.5.
  Burning Out is a Replacement Effect.
  See rule 571. Replacement Effects for more information.

608.Movement

609.
Moving is a Limited Action.
1. 609.1.
  A Permanent changing its position from any space on the Board to another space on the Board is a Move, unless it is caused by a corrective Recall.
  See rule 596. Move for more information.
2. 609.2.
  A card changing game zones does not in itself constitute a Move.
3. 609.3.
  Moving is instantaneous.
  1. 609.3.a.
    There is no state for Permanents between locations.
  2. 609.3.b.
    Permanents are either at their Origin before Moving or their Destination after Moving.
  3. 609.3.c.
    Moving does not use the Chain, nor is it able to be Reacted to.
610.
Moving is defined by the Origin and Destination of the Permanent that is changing locations.
1. 610.1.
  The Origin is where the Permanent is starting from.
2. 610.2.
  The Destination is where the Permanent is going to.
  1. 610.2.a.
    In Modes of Play with more than two players, Battlefields with Pending Combats or Combats in Progress are Invalid Destinations for Moves of all kinds (Standard Moves or otherwise) by Units controlled by Players who don't already have permanents at that Battlefield.
  2. 610.2.b.
    If an action would require a Move that would cause a Unit to become present in a Battlefield where two players that are not the controller of the Unit performing this action are in a Combat or such a Combat is Pending, it instead Recalls.
    See rule 616. Recalls for more information.
3. 610.3.
  Units are the only Permanents that can Move.
611.
Players may choose to move their Units with the Standard Move.
See rule 140. for more information on the Standard Move.
612.
Spells, Abilities, or other effects may cause a Move to occur.
1. 612.1.
  The source of the Move will provide details on any restrictions on legality for Destination.
2. 612.2.
  Units cannot Move to a Battlefield that already has units from 2 other players present by any means.
613.
Units may cause a Showdown without a Combat when they Move.
1. 613.1.
  A Showdown is opened when a Move causes a Battlefield to become Contested while it has no Units present from any player other than those that just moved.
614.
Units may cause Combat when they Move.
1. 614.1.
  A Combat is triggered when a Move causes a Battlefield to become Contested and Units controlled by opposing players.
  See rule 620. Combat for more information.
615.
When a Move action is complete, perform a Cleanup.
616.
Recalls
617.
A Recall is when a Permanent changes locations without it being a Move.
618.
Recalls are not Moves.
1. 618.1.
  They do not cause Triggered Abilities to trigger that are triggered by Move actions.
2. 618.2.
  A Recall causes a Permanent to change locations.
3. 618.3.
  A Recall cannot be prevented by actions and Game Effects that restrict or block Movement.
619.
Gear can be Recalled.
1. 619.1.
  When Gear is created or played at a battlefield, or is at a battlefield for any other reason, it is Recalled to its controller's base during the next Cleanup.
  Example: Zhonya's Hourglass is a gear with the Hidden ability, which allows it to be hidden at a battlefield and played later to that battlefield. If Zhonya's Hourglass is played from hidden, it must be played to that battlefield. It will be recalled to its controller's base during the next Cleanup.

620.Combat

621.
A Combat occurs when a Cleanup occurs, there are no items on the Chain, and a Battlefield has Units controlled by two opposing players.
622.
Combat is considered Pending if there are units controlled by two opposing players at a Battlefield but the Steps of Combat have not been initiated.
1. 622.1.
  If more than one Battlefield has Units controlled by opposing players at it at the same time, the Turn Player decides which Combat to resolve first.
2. 622.2.
  If Pending Combats stop being Pending before the Steps of Combat are initiated, they are not resolved or executed.
623.
Combat can only occur between Units controlled by exactly two players.
1. 623.1.
  In Modes of Play with more than two players, Battlefields with Pending Combats or Combats in Progress are Invalid Destinations for Moves of all kinds (Standard Moves or otherwise) by Units controlled by Players who don't already have permanents at that Battlefield.
  See rule 610.2.a. for more information on Invalid Destinations.
2. 623.2.
  In Modes of Play with more than two players, Battlefields with Pending Combats or Combats in Progress are Invalid to be chosen as a location to play one or more Units by a player not involved in that Combat by any means
  1. 623.2.a.
    If an effect would require a Unit be played to a Battlefield with a Pending Combat or a Combat in Progress, where the controller of the played unit is not a participant, instead the Unit is played to its controller's Base.
  2. 623.2.b.
    Any subsequent reference to "here" in the corresponding effect is reassigned to the Controller's Base, where the Unit was played. Any further effects that may be invalidated are invalidated as if the effect was mistargeted.
    See rule 559.3.c. Targeting for more information on Mistargeting.
3. 623.3.
  All choices that would result in a Combat occurring between more than two players simultaneously are invalid and ineligible to be completed.

624.The Steps of Combat

625.
The Showdown Step
1. 625.1.
  A Showdown opens at this time.
  1. 625.1.a.
    Establish who is Attacker and who is Defender.
    1. 625.1.a.1.
      The Attacker is the player who applied the Contested status to the Battlefield.
  2. 625.1.b.
    The Defender is the player who did not apply the Contested status to the Battlefield.Modulate Unit Might now based on static combat abilities.
    1. 625.1.b.1.
      Attacking Units with Assault have their Might modulated by the value of Assault at this time.
    2. 625.1.b.2.
      Defending Units with Shield have their Might modulated by the value of Shield at this time.
  3. 625.1.c.
    The Initial Chain is created, if relevant, and then populated.
    1. 625.1.c.1.
      If "When I attack" Triggered Abilities have triggered, then they are put on the Initial Chain.
    2. 625.1.c.2.
      If "When I defend" Triggered Abilities have triggered, then they are put on the Initial Chain.
  4. 625.1.d.
    The State Closes if an Initial Chain was created.
    1. 625.1.d.1.
      Otherwise the Showdown continues, with the State Open as normal.
  5. 625.1.e.
    The Attacking Player becomes the Active Player
  6. 625.1.f.
    Players proceed with any play on the Chain as normal.
626.
The Combat Damage Step
1. 626.1.
  When the Showdown closes, Attackers and Defenders resolve Combat Damage at the Battlefield that was attacked, using their current Might.
  1. 626.1.a.
    The Combat Damage Step only occurs if both Attacking and Defending units remain at the location.
    1. 626.1.a.1.
      If neither Attacking Units nor Defending Units remain at this stage, no Combat occurred. Continue to step 4.
  2. 626.1.b.
    Sum the Might of all Attacking Units.
  3. 626.1.c.
    Sum the Might of all Defending Units.
  4. 626.1.d.
    Starting with the Attacker, each player distributes an amount of damage equal to their summed Might among the other's Units.
    1. 626.1.d.1.
      Units with Tank must be assigned Lethal Damage before any other units.
      1. 626.1.d.1.a.
        Reminder: Lethal Damage is nonzero damage equaling or exceeding the Might of a Unit.
    2. 626.1.d.2.
      Units must have lethal damage assigned to them in full before damage is assigned to a different Unit.
      Example: If a player has 5 damage to distribute among four 3 Might units, they may not choose to assign 2 damage to one of the units and 1 damage to each of the remaining 3. They must assign at least 3 damage to one, and the remaining 2 to another.
    3. 626.1.d.3.
      A player must obey all requirements and restrictions on damage assignment if able.
      Example: A player is assigning damage to the following units: a unit with Tank ("I must be assigned combat damage first."); Caitlyn, Patrolling ("I must be assigned combat damage last."); and another unit without any abilities. That player must assign combat damage first to the unit with Tank, then to the unit with no abilities, then to Caitlyn.
    4. 626.1.d.4.
      If multiple Units have abilities or effects that require a player to assign them damage with the same priority, that player may assign damage to those units in any order.
      Example: A player is assigning damage to the following units: two units with Tank ("I must be assigned combat damage first.") and one unit with no abilities. That player chooses one of the units with Tank and assigns combat damage to it. Then they must assign any remaining damage first to the other unit with Tank, then to the unit with no abilities.
627.
The Resolution Step
1. 627.1.
  Remove Units with Lethal Damage marked on them.
  1. 627.1.a.
    Reminder: Lethal Damage is nonzero damage equaling or exceeding the Might of a Unit.
2. 627.2.
  If both Attacking and Defending Units remain at the Battlefield, then Attacking Units are recalled.
  See rule 616. Recalls for more information.
3. 627.3.
  The Battlefield is Conquered if No Defending Units Remain but Attacking Units do remain.
  1. 627.3.a.
    This results in an exchange of Control of this battlefield, which subsequently will cause a Conquer.
    See rule 179. Control for more information on Control.
    See rule 630.1 for more information on Conquering.
4. 627.4.
  Clear the Contested status from this Battlefield.
5. 627.5.
  Clear all marked damage from all Units at all Locations.
628.
Perform a Cleanup.

629.Scoring

630.
A player Scores in one of two ways:
1. 630.1.
  Conquer: A player gains Control of a Battlefield they did not yet Score this turn.
  1. 630.1.a.
    In Modes of Play with teammates, Battlefields under the Control of a teammate during the Beginning Phase are also disqualified from being Scored through Conquer by any means.
2. 630.2.
  Hold: A player has Control of a Battlefield during their Beginning Phase.
631.
A player may only Score, from either method, once per Battlefield per turn.
632.
When a player Scores, two things occur:
1. 632.1.
  The player earns up to one Point, depending on their current score.
  1. 632.1.a.
    The Final Point has additional restrictions.
    1. 632.1.a.1.
      Notably, points earned from sources that are not Conquer or Hold are not beholden to these restrictions.
  2. 632.1.b.
    When a player tries to earn a Point through a Score, and their current Point Total is 1 point from the Victory Score of the Mode of Play, the following occurs:
    1. 632.1.b.1.
      If the player has Scored through Hold, that player scores the Final Point.
    2. 632.1.b.2.
      If the player has Scored through a Conquer and has Scored every Battlefield through either method this turn, that player scores the Final Point.If the player has Scored through a Conquer and has not Scored every Battlefield this turn, that player draws a card.
2. 632.2.
  Trigger Score abilities at the Battlefield that Scored.
  1. 632.2.a.
    Conquer abilities trigger at a Battlefield that was Conquered.
  2. 632.2.b.
    Hold abilities trigger at a Battlefield that was Held.
  3. 632.2.c.
    These will only trigger when the Battlefield is Scored; I.E. These cannot be triggered more than once per turn for a player.
633.
When a player accrues Points equal to the Victory Score for their Mode of Play, they Win the Game immediately.

634.Layers

635.
Layers are the mechanism in which Game Effects alter the Traits, Intrinsic Abilities, or other properties of Game Objects.
636.
Layers are an organizational structure.
1. 636.1.
  Layers do not have intrinsic rules or influence over the game.
2. 636.2.
  Layers only serve to structure the application and order that Game Effects apply to Game Objects to maintain consistency.
637.
The layers are:
1. 637.1.
  Trait-Altering Effects
  1. 637.1.a.
    This layer deals with effects that grant, remove, or replace inherent traits of Game Objects. Name Super Type Type Tags Controller Cost Domain
    1. 637.1.a.1.
      Assignment of Might is dealt with in this layer.
      Example: A spell reads "A unit's Might becomes 4 this turn." The unit's Might is set to 4 in this layer.
  2. 637.1.b.
    One Game Object becoming a copy of another.
    1. 637.1.b.1.
      All Traits, including the Rules Text, replace or are added to those of the original Game Object as specified by the Game Effect directing the Copy. This is applied in this layer.
  3. 637.1.c.
    Effects for this layer can be identified by the phrase "become(s)", "give," "is," or "are" in the text.
    Example: A permanent has the ability "Other friendly units are Yordles." Other friendly units gain the Yordle tag in this layer.
2. 637.2.
  Ability-Altering Effects
  1. 637.2.a.
    This layer deals with effects that grant, remove, or replace the abilities or rules text of Game Objects. Keywords Passive Abilities Appending rules text Removing rules text Duplicating Rules Text from one Game Object to another
  2. 637.2.b.
    Effects for this layer can be identified by the phrase "become(s)," "give," "lose(s)," "have," "has," "is," or "are" in the text.
    Example: A permanent has the ability "Other friendly units have [Vision]." Other friendly units gain the Vision keyword in this layer.
3. 637.3.
  Arithmetic
  1. 637.3.a.
    This layer deals with the mathematics of increasing and decreasing the numeric values of the traits of Game Objects. Might Energy Cost Power Cost
  2. 637.3.b.
    All applications are applied arithmetically.
638.
If more than one effect applies to the same Game Object in the same Layer, or to each other in the same layer, then both effects will apply but their order will be determined by Dependency.
1. 638.1.
  A Dependency is established if:
  1. 638.1.a.
    Applying one of the effects alters the existence of the other; or
  2. 638.1.b.
    Applying one of the effects alters the number of objects the other effect can influence; or
  3. 638.1.c.
    Applying one of the effects alters the outcome when applying the other
639.
If more than one effect applies in the same layer but no dependency is established, then Timestamp order is applied to the effects
1. 639.1.
  The first effect to have been played is applied first, and the newest effect is applied last.

640.Modes of Play

641.
There are multiple methods of playing Riftbound.
642.
A Mode of Play must define several variables for the game.
1. 642.1.
  Number of Players: How many people are playing the game.
2. 642.2.
  Formation of Players: How the players are organized while playing.
  1. 642.2.a.
    This defines if a player is alone or on a team.
  2. 642.2.b.
    This defines the number of opponents.
3. 642.3.
  Victory Score: The point total a player or team must reach to win.
  1. 642.3.a.
    Victory Scores can be any positive number.
4. 642.4.
  Battlefield Count: Determines how many Battlefields are in play, contributed by players, during play.
  1. 642.4.a.
    This may influence deck building requirements in competitive settings.
  2. 642.4.b.
    This may involve utilizing less Battlefields than there are players.
5. 642.5.
  Setup: Any changes to initial setup required for this mode.
6. 642.6.
  Format: Conditions to win or additional rules added over play.
7. 642.7.
  First Turn Process: Adjustments to each player's first turn.
8. 642.8.
  Unique Rules
  1. 642.8.a.
    If any, they will be appended here.
643.
Sanctioned Modes
644.
1v1 (Duel)
1. 644.1.
  2 Players
2. 644.2.
  1v1 1 opponent each No teams
3. 644.3.
  Victory Score: 8
4. 644.4.
  Battlefield Count: 2
  1. 644.4.a.
    Each player provides three (3) Battlefields, included in their deck during deck building. Only 1 will be used, chosen during setup.
5. 644.5.
  Setup: Each player randomly selects one (1) of their three (3) Battlefields. The other two are removed and will not be used for this game. The selected Battlefields are placed in the Battlefield Zone.
6. 644.6.
  Format: Best of 1. The first player to reach the Victory Score in Points wins the Match.
7. 644.7.
  First Turn Process: The player going second channels an extra Rune from their Rune Deck during their first Channel Phase of the game.
645.
1v1 (Match)
1. 645.1.
  2 Players
2. 645.2.
  1v1 1 opponent each No teams
3. 645.3.
  Victory Score: 8
4. 645.4.
  Battlefield Count: 2
  1. 645.4.a.
    Each player provides three (3) Battlefields, included in their deck during deck building. Only 1 will be used, chosen during setup.
5. 645.5.
  Setup: Each player selects one (1) of their three (3) Battlefields. The other two are set aside and will not be used for this round of play. The selected Battlefields are placed in the Battlefield Zone. After this game, the Battlefields that were used are to be removed and not selected again for this Match. One of the remaining Battlefields that were set aside must be chosen instead.
6. 645.6.
  Format: Best of 3. The first player to reach the Victory Score in Points wins the game. The winner of that game earns One Set Point. Players then reset the game state, remove the Battlefields in play from the game, choose new Battlefields from those set aside, and play again. The first player to earn Two Set Points wins.
7. 645.7.
  First Turn Process: The player going second channels an extra Rune from their Rune Deck during their first Channel Phase of the game.
646.
FFA3 (Skirmish)
1. 646.1.
  3 Players
2. 646.2.
  FFA 2 opponents each No teams
3. 646.3.
  Victory Score: 8
4. 646.4.
  Battlefield Count: 3
  1. 646.4.a.
    Each player provides three (3) Battlefields, included in their deck during deck building. Only 1 will be used, chosen during setup.
5. 646.5.
  Setup: Each player randomly selects one (1) of their three (3) Battlefields. The other two are discarded and will not be used for this game. The selected Battlefields are placed between the three Players before play and will be used for this game.
6. 646.6.
  Format: Best of 1. The first player to reach the Victory Score in Points wins the Match.
7. 646.7.
  First Turn Process: The player going first does not draw a card during their first Draw Phase of the game. The player going last channels an extra Rune from their Rune Deck during their first Channel Phase of the game.
647.
FFA4 (War)
1. 647.1.
  4 Players
2. 647.2.
  FFA 3 opponents each No teams
3. 647.3.
  Victory Score: 8
4. 647.4.
  Battlefield Count: 3
  1. 647.4.a.
    Each player provides three (3) Battlefields, included in their deck during deck building.
  2. 647.4.b.
    The player who is taking the first turn removes their Battlefields. They will not be used.
5. 647.5.
  Setup: Each player who is not going first randomly selects one (1) of their three (3) Battlefields. The other two are removed and will not be used for this game. The selected Battlefields are placed between the two players before play and will be used for this game.
6. 647.6.
  Format: Best of 1. The first player to reach the Victory Score in Points wins the Match.
7. 647.7.
  First Turn Process: The player going first does not draw a card during their first Draw Phase of the game. The player going last channels an extra Rune from their Rune Deck during their first Channel Phase of the game.
648.
2v2 (Magma Chamber)
1. 648.1.
  4 Players
2. 648.2.
  2v2 2 opponents each 1 teammate
3. 648.3.
  Victory Score: 11
4. 648.4.
  Battlefield Count: 3
  1. 648.4.a.
    Each player provides one (1) Battlefield, included in their deck during deck building.
  2. 648.4.b.
    The player who is taking the first turn removes their Battlefields. They will not be used.
5. 648.5.
  Setup:
  1. 648.5.a.
    Each player who is not going first randomly selects one (1) of their three (3) Battlefields. The other two are removed and will not be used for this game. The selected Battlefields are placed between the two Players before play and will be used for this game.
  2. 648.5.b.
    Turn order alternates teams..
    1. 648.5.b.1.
      The first player will be followed by an opponent, then the first player's teammate, then the first opponent's teammate, and so on.
    2. 648.5.b.2.
      If allies are sitting across from each other, turn order proceeds clockwise as normal.
    3. 648.5.b.3.
      If allies are sitting next to each other, turn order is passed across the table.
6. 648.6.
  Format: Best of 1. The first team to reach the Victory Score in Points wins the Match.
7. 648.7.
  First Turn Process: The player going first does not draw a card during their first Channel Phase of the game. The player going last channels an extra Rune from their Rune Deck during their first Channel Phase of the game.
8. 648.8.
  Unique Rules
  1. 648.8.a.
    Players may play spells during their Teammate's Turn.
  2. 648.8.b.
    Battlefields controlled during the Beginning Phase of a player's turn by that player's teammate are disqualified from being scored by that Team, that turn.
    Example: A player may not induce their partner to retreat, and then conquer a Battlefield their teammate was controlling.
  3. 648.8.c.
    Control is not shared.
    1. 648.8.c.1.
      Players may not Hide cards at Battlefields controlled by their Teammate.
    2. 648.8.c.2.
      Players may not issue Standard Movement to their Teammate's Units.
  4. 648.8.d.
    Friendly describes controlled Game Objects by a player or their Teammate.
    Example: "When I am played, ready a friendly unit" could target a player's own Units or their teammate's Units.
  5. 648.8.e.
    Teammates are Relevant Players by default.
  6. 648.8.f.
    Hands are still Private Information.
    1. 648.8.f.1.
      Players are not restricted in what they say to their Teammate, however.
      1. 648.8.f.1.a.
        Feel free to openly communicate, honestly or cryptically.
      2. 648.8.f.1.b.
        Revealing Cards is still a game action and cannot be done unless instructed.
        See rule 600. Reveal for more information.
  7. 648.8.g.
    The Final Point has an adjustment to the criteria when scoring.
    1. 648.8.g.1.
      When scoring the Final Point from Conquer, a player must Score each Battlefield in the same turn, excepting any that were occupied by their ally during that turn’s Beginning Phase.
    2. 648.8.g.2.
      No other changes to Final Point restrictions.

649.Conceding

650.
A player may concede at any time.
651.
When a player concedes, they are removed from the game in progress.
1. 651.1.
  If only one other player is remaining after a player has conceded, the player remaining Wins.
2. 651.2.
  If more than one player remains after a concession, follow the steps for the Removal of a Player.
3. 651.3.
  Removal of a player involves them no longer being a Relevant Player in any Showdown, being able to make choices, or otherwise influence the game.
652.
If the game continues, follow these steps for Removal of a Player.
1. 652.1.
  Banish all permanents and runes they currently control and all permanents and runes they own.
2. 652.2.
  Remove the Battlefield they contributed to the game if it is in use.
  1. 652.2.a.
    If it was in use, replace it with a token battlefield with no abilities.
  2. 652.2.b.
    Any units or hidden cards there do not move and are otherwise unaffected by this process.
  3. 652.2.c.
    If the removed battlefield was applying any continuous effects, those continuous effects immediately cease, which may cause changes in the characteristics of units or hidden cards there.
    Example: A battlefield reads "Units here have +1 [S]." If that battlefield's owner concedes and the battlefield is removed from the game as a result, units there immediately cease to get +1 [S].
3. 652.3.
  Remove all cards they own from the game.
4. 652.4.
  Counter all spells and abilities of all types controlled by the player that has conceded.
5. 652.5.
  Proceed with the game.
  1. 652.5.a.
    Turn
    1. 652.5.a.1.
      If the removed player was the Turn Player, play proceeds in Turn Order to the next available player in order.
  2. 652.5.b.
    Focus
    1. 652.5.b.1.
      If the removed player had Focus in a Showdown, the next Relevant Player in order receives Focus.
    2. 652.5.b.2.
      If no other players remain Relevant, the Showdown ends, and steps are completed as able
    3. 652.5.b.3.
      If the player being removed creates a state where all Relevant Players have Passed their Focus, the Showdown ends and play proceeds as necessary, E.G. Combat is resolved or a Cleanup is completed.
  3. 652.5.c.
    Priority
    1. 652.5.c.1.
      If the removed player had Priority during a Chain, the next Relevant Player in order receives Priority.
    2. 652.5.c.2.
      If the player being removed creates a state where all Relevant Players have passed Priority, then the most recent spell or ability on the Chain will resolve with Priority being re-established as appropriate for the state after the resolution of that spell or ability.

700.Additional Rules

701.Buffs

702.
Buffs are objects placed on Units.
1. 702.1.
  Buffs can be tracked with a buff reminder card from a Riftbound booster pack or with any spare object in your surroundings.
2. 702.2.
  Buffs can be added or spent.
  1. 702.2.a.
    To Buff a Unit, a player chooses a Unit and then places a buff on it. That Unit is Buffed for as long as the buff remains on it.
  2. 702.2.b.
    Spending a Buff removes a single Buff counter from a Unit.
    1. 702.2.b.1.
      A buff cannot be spent from a Unit that does not have a buff.
    2. 702.2.b.2.
      A player can only spend buffs on units they control.
3. 702.3.
  There can only be one Buff on a Unit at a time.
  1. 702.3.a.
    If a Buff is added, or instructed to be added, on a Unit that already has a Buff, it is not placed instead.
703.
Each Buff individually contributes +1 Might to a Unit.
704.
Buffs are Game Objects and may be referenced, counted, or targeted by other effects as specified.
705.
If a Unit leaves play, remove all Buffs from it.
1. 705.1.
  Champions do not retain Buffs in the Champion Zone, even if they return there somehow.

706.Mighty

707.
Mighty is a description that applies to some units. Other game effects can check whether a unit is Mighty.
708.
A Unit "is Mighty" as long as its Might is 5 or greater.
709.
A Unit "becomes Mighty" at the moment its Might changes from being less than 5 to being 5 or greater.
Example: A Unit with Might 4 that gets +1 [S] becomes Mighty.
Example: A Unit with Might 5 that gets +1 [S] does not become Mighty, because it was already Mighty.
710.
Units on the board are evaluated according to their current Might.
Example: A unit with a base Might of 3 is targeted by a spell that reads "A unit gets +3 [S] this turn." As that spell resolves, its Might changes from 3 to 6, and it becomes Mighty. When that effect expires at the end of the turn, it will no longer be Mighty.
711.
Units in Non-Board Zones are evaluated according to their inherent Might.
Example: A unit in the trash is Mighty if its printed Might is 5 or greater. It doesn't matter if there were effects raising or lowering its might while it was on the board.

712.Keywords

713.
A Keyword is a specific term that appears on Cards that acts as a shorthand for a specific game effect, or ability of any variety.
1. 713.1.
  A Keyword can be an ability.
2. 713.2.
  Keywords can be identified by having a colored highlight behind them.
  1. 713.2.a.
    The color of the highlight has no effect on gameplay.
3. 713.3.
  Keywords can be referenced or specified by other Game Effects.
  1. 713.3.a.
    Other effects may grant Keywords.
    1. 713.3.a.1.
      The definition and rules of the specific Keyword will determine the behavior if a Keyword is granted while it is already present.
    2. 713.3.a.2.
      The effect that granted the Keyword will specify the duration for which it is granted.
    3. 713.3.a.3.
      If an effect that grants a Keyword does not specify a duration, the duration is as long as that Game Object remains on the Board or in its current Non-Board Zone.
  2. 713.3.b.
    Other effects may remove Keywords.
    1. 713.3.b.1.
      The effect that removed the Keyword will specify the duration it is removed.
    2. 713.3.b.2.
      If an effect that removes a Keyword does not specify a duration, the duration is as long as that Game Object remains on the Board or in its current Non-Board Zone.
714.
A card can have any number of Keywords.
715.
Similar to other rules text, execute any effects of Keywords in the order listed when reading the card from top to bottom of the rules text.
716.
Keyword Glossary
717.
Accelerate
1. 717.1.
  Accelerate is a Unit ability.
  1. 717.1.a.
    Accelerate is functionally short for "As you play me, you may pay 1[C] as an additional cost. If you do, I enter ready."
  2. 717.1.b.
    The [C] aspect of this ability always matches the domain of the unit.
2. 717.2.
  Accelerate is an Optional Additional Cost to be paid as a player plays the unit with the ability.
  1. 717.2.a.
    Accelerate costs cannot be paid while the unit is on the board, only as part of the steps of playing a card.
3. 717.3.
  Accelerate has no function while on the board.
4. 717.4.
  Multiple instances of Accelerate are redundant.
5. 717.5.
  Accelerate, and whether or not a unit has Accelerate, is a characteristic of the Unit and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
6. 717.6.
  Accelerate influences the state of the unit entering the Board. It does not enter exhausted and then become ready.
  1. 717.6.a.
    Accelerate will not interact with, or trigger, abilities that are affected by units becoming ready.
718.
Action
1. 718.1.
  Action is a Permissive keyword.
  1. 718.1.a.
    It can be present on Spells, Units, Rune Abilities, Legend Abilities or Permanent Abilities.
  2. 718.1.b.
    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.
  3. 718.1.c.
    Action is functionally short for the following:
    1. 718.1.c.1.
      On Spells and Units: "This can be played during showdowns on any player's turn."
    2. 718.1.c.2.
      On Rune, Legend, or Permanent Abilities: "This can be activated during showdowns on any player's turn."
2. 718.2.
  The card or effect with this keyword is not restricted to showdowns. This permission is inclusive of all other timings and options available to the ability as written or by default.
3. 718.3.
  Action does not alter the function of any instruction of the corresponding card or effect it is on. It is only permission.
  Example: Playing a Unit with Action still has the inherent restrictions of playing Units without Action. It can only be played to the controlling player's base or a battlefield they control.
4. 718.4.
  Action is a referencable characteristic.
  1. 718.4.a.
    Whether or not a Game Object has Action is a characteristic of that Game Object and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
  2. 718.4.b.
    Whether or not a Spell has Action is a characteristic of that Spell and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
  3. 718.4.c.
    Whether or not an Ability has Action is a characteristic of that Ability and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
719.
Assault
1. 719.1.
  Assault is a Passive Ability keyword.
  1. 719.1.a.
    It is present on Units.
  2. 719.1.b.
    Assault is formatted as "Assault [X]".
    1. 719.1.b.1.
      The X is referenced in the functional text of the ability.
    2. 719.1.b.2.
      The X is referred to as the Assault Value.
    3. 719.1.b.3.
      If X is omitted, it is presumed to be 1.
  3. 719.1.c.
    It is functionally short for "While I am an attacker, I have +X [S]."
  4. 719.1.d.
    Being an attacker means the Unit has gained the Attacker designation during Combat.
    See rule 620. Combat for more information.
    1. 719.1.d.1.
      Assault remains in effect as long as the Unit maintains the Attacker designation.
2. 719.2.
  If a Unit has Assault or has been granted Assault and is granted Assault by an additional source, the Assault Value of all granted Assault keywords is summed.
  Example: Petty Officer has Assault. It is chosen as the target of Cleave, which says "Give a unit [Assault 3] this turn." After Cleave resolves, Petty Officer has Assault 4 this turn.
3. 719.3.
  Assault, and whether or not a unit has Assault, is a characteristic of the Unit and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
720.
Deathknell
1. 720.1.
  Deathknell is a Triggered Ability keyword.
  1. 720.1.a.
    It is present on Permanents.
  2. 720.1.b.
    It is formatted as "Deathknell — [Effect]".
    1. 720.1.b.1.
      [Effect] is the rules text for the specific instance of Deathknell. This is referred to as the Deathknell effect.
  3. 720.1.c.
    It is functionally short for "When I die, [Effect]."
    1. 720.1.c.1.
      [Effect] is the rules text of the Deathknell effect.
  4. 720.1.d.
    The Trigger for this effect is the Permanent being Killed and sent to the Trash.
    1. 720.1.d.1.
      If the Permanent with the effect is not sent to the Trash, for example because its "killed" event was replaced with a recall, the Deathknell will not occur.
2. 720.2.
  Each instance of Deathknell a Permanent may have will trigger separately.
  1. 720.2.a.
    The controller will choose the order to add these Triggers to the chain.
3. 720.3.
  Deathknell, and whether or not a permanent has Deathknell, is a characteristic of the permanent and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
721.
Deflect
1. 721.1.
  Deflect is a Passive Ability keyword.
  1. 721.1.a.
    It is present on Permanents.
  2. 721.1.b.
    It is formatted as "Deflect [X]".
    1. 721.1.b.1.
      The X is referenced in the functional text of the ability.
    2. 721.1.b.2.
      The X is referred to as the Deflect Value.
    3. 721.1.b.3.
      If X is omitted, it is presumed to be 1.
  3. 721.1.c.
    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."
    1. 721.1.c.1.
      The Power used to pay this cost may always be of any Domain.
      Example: A Fury spell targets an Order unit with Deflect. The Power used to pay the Deflect cost can be any Domain; it does not need to match the Domain of the spell or the target.
  4. 721.1.d.
    It is an effect that imposes a Mandatory Additional Cost on Spells and Abilities that choose the permanent that has this ability.
    See rule 554. Playing Cards for more information.
2. 721.2.
  If a Unit has Deflect, or has been granted Deflect, and is granted Deflect by an additional source, the Deflect Value of all granted Deflect keywords is summed.
3. 721.3.
  Deflect, and whether or not a permanent has Deflect, is a characteristic of the permanent and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
722.
Ganking
1. 722.1.
  Ganking is a Passive Ability keyword.
  1. 722.1.a.
    It is present on Units.
  2. 722.1.b.
    It is functionally short for "I may move to a battlefield from another battlefield."
  3. 722.1.c.
    It is a static ability that adds permissions to the Unit's Standard Move.
    1. 722.1.c.1.
      It does not restrict or remove options from the Unit's Standard Move.
    2. 722.1.c.2.
      It does not have an activation cost.
    3. 722.1.c.3.
      It does not give additional abilities or activations of Movement, only new options for the Standard Move.
2. 722.2.
  Multiple instances of Ganking are redundant.
3. 722.3.
  Ganking, and whether or not a unit has Ganking, is a characteristic of the Unit and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
723.
Hidden
1. 723.1.
  Hidden is a keyword that acts as a prerequisite to perform the Hide Discretionary Action.
  1. 723.1.a.
    It is present on Spells, Units, and Gear.
  2. 723.1.b.
    It is functionally short for "Rather than play this, you may pay [C] to hide this facedown at a battlefield you control that doesn't already have a facedown card hidden there. Beginning on the next player's turn, this gains [Reaction] and you may play this, ignoring its base cost. All choices must only be picked from among valid targets at the battlefield associated with this Facedown Zone."
    1. 723.1.b.1.
      The [C] Cost always matches the Domain Identity of the deck being played. It does not have to match the card being Hidden.
  3. 723.1.c.
    It allows the player to take the Discretionary Action Hide.
    1. 723.1.c.1.
      Hide is not a subset of Play.
    2. 723.1.c.2.
      Hiding a card does not open a chain.
    3. 723.1.c.3.
      Playing a card from facedown (or "from Hidden") does open a chain.
  4. 723.1.d.
    Targets chosen for the instructions on Hidden cards when played must be from the Battlefield associated with the Facedown Zone this card was Hidden in before being played.
    1. 723.1.d.1.
      A card cannot be played from Hidden if there are no valid targets, just like a card cannot be played from hand without valid targets.
2. 723.2.
  A card with Hidden may still be played for its cost as normal, at its normal timing with no restrictions on targeting.
3. 723.3.
  Multiple instances of Hidden are redundant.
4. 723.4.
  Hidden, and whether or not a card has Hidden, is a characteristic of the card and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
  1. 723.4.a.
    This is independent of the state of being facedown.
724.
Legion
1. 724.1.
  Legion is a Conditional Keyword.
  1. 724.1.a.
    It can be present on Spells, Units, Rune Abilities, Legend Abilities and Permanent Abilities.
  2. 724.1.b.
    It is formatted as "Legion — [Text]".
  3. 724.1.c.
    Starting from the Keyword to the end of the clause, the entire statement is the Legion Ability.It is functionally short for "If you have played another Main Deck card before this one already this turn, apply [Text]."
    1. 724.1.c.1.
      This is called the Legion condition.
    2. 724.1.c.2.
      Legion's conditional can apply to static abilities, activated abilities, spell instructions, or even abilities active in zones outside of the board.
2. 724.2.
  All instances of Legion on cards a player controls are satisfied by that player playing a single card.
  Example: One card has three different Legion Abilities. The Legion Text of all three abilities apply as long as one card has been played by the card's controller earlier in the same turn.
3. 724.3.
  Legion, and whether or not a card has Legion, is a characteristic of the card and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
725.
Reaction
1. 725.1.
  Reaction is a Permissive keyword.
  1. 725.1.a.
    It can be present on Spells, Units, Rune Abilities, Legend Abilities and Permanent Abilities.
  2. 725.1.b.
    Reaction grants the corresponding card or effect all abilities and permissions of Action.
  3. 725.1.c.
    Reaction, additionally, is functionally short for the following:
    1. 725.1.c.1.
      On Spells: "This can be played during Closed States on any player's turn."
    2. 725.1.c.2.
      On Units: "This can be played during Closed States on any player's turn."
    3. 725.1.c.3.
      On Rune, Legend, or Permanent Abilities: "This can be activated during Closed States on any player's turn."
2. 725.2.
  The corresponding card or effect with this keyword is not restricted to Closed States or Showdowns. This permission is inclusive of all other timings and options available to the ability as written, Action's permissions, or by default.
3. 725.3.
  Reaction does not alter the function of any instruction of the Card, Rune, or Effect it is on. It is only Permission.
  1. 725.3.a.
    Playing Units with Reaction still has the inherent restrictions of playing Units without Reaction. It can only be played to the controlling player's base or a battlefield they control.
4. 725.4.
  Reaction is a referencable characteristic.
  1. 725.4.a.
    Whether or not a Game Object has Reaction is a characteristic of that Game Object and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
  2. 725.4.b.
    Whether or not a Spell has Reaction is a characteristic of that Spell and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
  3. 725.4.c.
    Whether or not an Ability has Reaction is a characteristic of that Ability and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
726.
Shield
1. 726.1.
  Shield is a Static Ability keyword.
  1. 726.1.a.
    It is present on Units.
  2. 726.1.b.
    Shield is formatted as "Shield [X]".
    1. 726.1.b.1.
      The X is referenced in the functional text of the ability.
    2. 726.1.b.2.
      The X is referred to as the Shield Value.
    3. 726.1.b.3.
      If X is omitted, it is presumed to be 1.
  3. 726.1.c.
    It is functionally short for "While I am a defender, I have +X [S]."
  4. 726.1.d.
    Being a defender means the Unit has gained the Defender designation during Combat.
    See rule 620. Combat for more information.
    1. 726.1.d.1.
      Shield remains in effect as long as the Unit maintains the Defender designation.
2. 726.2.
  If a Unit has Shield, or has been granted Shield, and is granted Shield by an additional source, the Shield Value of all granted Shield keywords is summed.
  Example: Stalwart Poro has Shield. It is chosen as the target of Block, which says "Give a unit [Shield 3] and [Tank] this turn." After Block resolves, Stalwart Poro has Shield 4 this turn.
3. 726.3.
  Shield, and whether or not a unit has Shield, is a characteristic of the Unit and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
727.
Tank
1. 727.1.
  Tank is a Passive Ability keyword.
  1. 727.1.a.
    It is present on Units.
  2. 727.1.b.
    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."
  3. 727.1.c.
    It alters how players can elect to assign combat damage during combat.
    1. 727.1.c.1.
      Players must still assign lethal damage to a unit before moving to the next when assigning their damage.
    2. 727.1.c.2.
      If more than one unit with Tank is present with the same controller in Combat, damage may be assigned to any of them. Units without Tank are invalid assignments until all units with Tank have lethal damage assigned to them.
2. 727.2.
  Multiple instances of Tank are redundant.
3. 727.3.
  Tank, and whether or not a unit has Tank, is a characteristic of the Unit and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
728.
Temporary
1. 728.1.
  Temporary is a Triggered Ability keyword.
  1. 728.1.a.
    It is present on Permanents.
  2. 728.1.b.
    It is functionally short for "At the start of this permanent's controller's Beginning Phase, before scoring, kill this."
  3. 728.1.c.
    The Trigger Condition is the controller of the permanent's Beginning Phase occurring.
2. 728.2.
  Multiple instances of Temporary are redundant.
3. 728.3.
  Temporary, and whether or not a permanent has Temporary, is a characteristic of the permanent and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
729.
Vision
1. 729.1.
  Vision is a Triggered Ability keyword.
  1. 729.1.a.
    It is present on Permanents.
  2. 729.1.b.
    It is functionally short for "When this is played, look at the top card of your Main Deck. You may recycle it."
  3. 729.1.c.
    The trigger is the permanent entering the Board.
2. 729.2.
  Multiple instances of Vision trigger separately.
  1. 729.2.a.
    The player may choose to recycle or not recycle for each instance of Vision separately.
  2. 729.2.b.
    If the player does not recycle the top card and nothing else happens in between the triggers resolving, each instance of Vision will see the same card.
3. 729.3.
  Vision, and whether or not a permanent has Vision, is a characteristic of the permanent and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.

Core Rules 1.0 (Pre-Origins)

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