Riftbound keyword
Level
Level is a Riftbound keyword: a Level ability is on only while you have at least that much XP (6 XP for Level 6), and turns off if your XP drops below it.
16 cardsFirst seen in UnleashedCore Rules 824
Official text
On the cards
Level 6 I have +1 
Might. (While you have 6+ XP, get the effect.)
Level 3 I enter ready. (While you have 3+ XP, get the effect.)
Core Rules
- 824.1
- Level is a Dependent Keyword.
- 824.1.a
- It is formatted as "[Level [N][>] [Text]".
- 824.1.b
- Starting from the Keyword to the end of the clause, the entire statement is the Level Ability.
- 824.1.b.1
- It is functionally short for “While you have [N] or more XP, this card gains ‘[Text]’.”
- 824.1.c
- As long as the controlling player has [N] XP, then the Dependent Ability will be be Active on the card with Level
- 824.1.c.1
- If the controller of the card with Level changes, then the Dependent Ability will be rendered Active or Inactive based on the new controller’s XP.
- 824.1.d
- The Dependent Ability will be Inactive as soon as the controlling player has less than [N] XP.
- 727.1.b.3
- If an ability has multiple Dependent Keywords, all of them must have their Condition met in order for the ability to be active.
Riftbound Core Rules, updated October 9, 2026
How Level works
How does Level work?
The ability after Level is switched off until you have enough XP. With Level 6, it turns on once you have 6 or more XP and stays on for as long as you do. While it's off, it doesn't apply and can't trigger or be activated.
Core Rules 824.1.b.1, 824.1.c, 727.1.bRiftbound Core Rules: Unleashed Patch Notes
How do I get XP?
Mostly from Hunt, which gives you XP when a unit with it conquers or holds a battlefield. Some cards give XP directly, like Herald of Spring, which gains you 2 XP when you play it.
Core Rules 823.1.c.1, 730.1
Does spending XP turn Level off?
It can. Level checks your XP all the time, so if spending XP takes you below the number, the ability turns off right away. It turns back on when you get enough XP again.
Core Rules 824.1.d, 730.2
What does the arrow after Level mean?
It points at the ability Level controls: everything after the arrow on that line. If two keywords are chained with a double arrow, like Level and Legion, both conditions have to be true for the ability to work.
Core Rules 824.1.b, 727.1.b.3Riftbound Core Rules: Unleashed Patch Notes
Can a card have more than one Level?
Yes. Each Level ability turns on at its own number. Wuju Master gives your units +1 Might once you have 6 XP, and once you reach 11 XP your units also enter ready.
Core Rules 824.1.c
Whose XP counts if my opponent takes my unit?
Level always checks the XP of the card's current controller, so a unit your opponent takes control of uses their XP, not yours.
Core Rules 824.1.c.1
If a Level ability triggers and I then drop below the XP, does it still happen?
Yes. A triggered ability that has already gone on the chain isn't affected when its Level condition stops being true. It resolves as normal.
Core Rules 727.1.c.1.b
Example: Gustwalker gets Ganking
You have 2 XP. Gustwalker, a 3 Might unit with Hunt 2 whose Level 3 ability gives it +1 Might and Ganking, conquers a battlefield. Hunt gives you 2 XP, bringing you to 4, so Gustwalker is now a 4 Might unit that can move from battlefield to battlefield. If you later spend 2 XP, you drop to 2 and it loses both bonuses until you're back to 3.
From Riftbound Core Rules
Official rulings
Riot's own words, from its rules articles.
Level is a dependent keyword (more on that in a second) that becomes active when its controller has a certain amount of XP. Level 6 means it and its dependent ability will be active when its controller has 6 XP.
A dependent keyword is made up of two parts: the keyword itself, which is short for a condition, and the dependent ability that is active while the condition is fulfilled. So long as the condition is not fulfilled, the ability is inactive meaning the ability’s effect will not apply and it can’t be triggered or activated.
This is going to take the form of a small arrow pointing from the word backer of dependent and permissive keywords like Reaction, Action, Deathknell, Level, and Legion, which themselves will now come before the ability at the very start of the line. The arrowed backer indicates the ability that these keywords are associated with.
Every Level card (16)
kw:levelCards with Level · 14
Other cards that mention Level · 2
