Riven, Broken Blade
Unofficial Riftbound rulings for Riven, Broken Blade, with rules explanations, examples, and Core Rules citations.
Current card text
When I become exhausted, choose one that hasn't been chosen this turn —
- Buff me. (Give me a +1 buff if I don't have one.)
- Spend my buff to Stun an enemy unit. (It doesn't deal combat damage this turn.)
- Spend my buff to ready me.
When do I spend Riven, Broken Blade's buff for her second and third modes?
Riven's buff costs appear later in her triggered effect, so you spend them during resolution, not during finalization.
The "Spend my buff to..." wording makes spending the buff a cost within instructions for the linked Stun or ready effect. Riven's effect starts with "choose one," so those costs appear later in the triggered effect. Costs that appear later in a triggered effect are paid during resolution.
Rules citation needed
Core Rules 1.5 is internally inconsistent here. One rule broadly says that a triggered ability's cost within instructions becomes its base cost. That wording does not distinguish later modal costs such as Riven's and conflicts with the position-based rule above. This ruling follows the position-based rule; official clarification is still needed.
Choose the mode and any target it requires during finalization. If Riven has no buff when resolution reaches the chosen instruction, you cannot spend one. Because the cost cannot be paid, the linked Stun or ready effect does not occur.
Can I choose Riven, Broken Blade's "Buff me" mode if she already has a buff?
Yes, as long as that mode has not already been chosen this turn. A unit that already has a buff can still be chosen for an effect that would buff it. You choose Riven's mode during finalization. When the ability resolves, Riven receives no additional buff, so the chosen mode has no effect.
Do Zhonya's Hourglass and Guardian Angel trigger Riven, Broken Blade when they save her?
Yes, if Riven is ready when either replacement effect applies; no, if she is already exhausted. Both Zhonya's Hourglass and Guardian Angel replace Riven's death with instructions that heal, exhaust, and recall her.
If Riven is ready, exhausting her changes her state to exhausted and fulfills her trigger condition. If she is already exhausted, she cannot be exhausted again and the instruction does nothing additional, so her condition is not fulfilled and her ability does not trigger.
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Written by Christian “Near” Ivicevic.
Last updated on .