Riftbound keyword

Assault

Assault is a Riftbound keyword on units: a unit with Assault has +1 Might while it's an attacker (Assault 2 gives +2, and so on), and the bonus ends with the combat.

48 cardsFirst seen in OriginsCore Rules 807

Official text

On the cards

Assault (+1 MightMight while I'm an attacker.)

Assault 2 (+2 MightMight while I'm an attacker.)

Core Rules

807.1
Assault is a Passive Ability keyword.
807.1.a
It is present on Units.
807.1.b
Assault is formatted as "Assault [X]".
807.1.b.3
If X is omitted, it is presumed to be 1.
807.1.c
It is functionally short for "While I am an attacker, I have +X MightMight."
807.1.d
Being an attacker means the Unit has gained the Attacker designation during Combat.
807.1.d.1
Assault remains in effect as long as the Unit maintains the Attacker designation.
807.2
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.

Riftbound Core Rules, updated October 9, 2026

How Assault works

When does Assault apply?

While the unit is an attacker. In a combat, the attacker is the player whose units moved in and contested the battlefield, and their units there are attackers until the combat ends.

Core Rules 807.1.d, 466.2.c.1, 466.2.c.3, 468.7.a

Does Assault help when my unit defends?

No. It only applies while the unit is an attacker. Shield is the defending version: +1 Might while the unit is a defender.

Core Rules 807.1.c, 814.1.c

Does Assault stack?

Yes. Assault values add up. Riot's example: Petty Officer has Assault, and Cleave gives it Assault 3 this turn, so it has Assault 4, for +4 Might while attacking.

Core Rules 807.2

What if my unit joins a combat partway through?

A unit that arrives after the combat starts becomes an attacker in the next cleanup, and Assault applies from then on. It stops as soon as the unit loses the attacker designation, for example if it's moved out of the battlefield.

Core Rules 466.2.c.3.a, 807.1.d.1, 323.2.c

Is Assault an attack trigger?

No. Assault is a passive ability that simply applies whenever the unit is an attacker. Keywords like Disarm are attack triggers instead: they trigger once, the first time the unit becomes an attacker in a combat.

Core Rules 807.1, 831.1.b, 383.4.e

Does Assault last after the combat?

No. Even when a spell gives a unit Assault for the whole turn, the extra Might only counts while it's an attacker, and every unit loses that designation when the combat ends.

Core Rules 807.1.d.1, 468.7.a

Does Assault make my unit harder to kill?

Yes, while it's attacking. Might is both what a unit contributes to combat damage and how much damage it takes to kill it, so +1 Might does both.

Core Rules 143.2, 143.2.b, 467.2.a

Example: Petty Officer and Cleave

Your Petty Officer, a 5 Might unit with Assault, attacks a battlefield defended by a 6 Might unit. With Assault it's 6 Might, so the two would kill each other. In the combat's showdown you play Cleave, an Action spell that gives it Assault 3 this turn. Its Assault adds up to 4, so it attacks with 9 Might: it survives the 6 damage, and its 9 damage kills the defender.

From Riftbound Core Rules

Every Assault card (48)

kw:assault