Riftbound rules
How combat works in Riftbound
Combat starts when two players' units meet at a battlefield. Each side deals damage equal to its total Might, and whoever still has units there afterward controls it.
The explanation
Combat happens when units controlled by two players are at the same battlefield, usually because one player moved units to a battlefield where the other has units. The player whose units contested the battlefield is the attacker, and the other player is the defender. The combat starts in the next cleanup with nothing on the chain, and only one showdown or combat happens at a time.
Every combat includes a showdown, where players take turns playing Action and Reaction cards and abilities, starting with the attacker. When every player passes in a row, the showdown closes. Moving to an empty battlefield starts a showdown with no combat, and it becomes a combat if another player's units arrive.
When the showdown closes, combat damage happens if both sides still have units there. Each side adds up the Might of its units, and starting with the attacker, each player assigns that much damage among the other side's units. Each unit must be assigned lethal damage before the next one gets any, Tank units must be assigned damage first and Backline units last, and stunned units add no Might. Then all of the damage is dealt at once.
Then comes the combat cleanup. Units with lethal damage die, all units heal, and if both sides still have units there, the attackers are recalled to their base. If only one player has units left, they win the combat and take control of the battlefield if they didn't already have it. That's a conquer if they haven't scored it this turn. If no units are left, the battlefield becomes uncontrolled.
What the Core Rules say
- 316.7.a
- A Combat occurs as a result of Units controlled by opposing players being present at the same Battlefield.
- 464
- Combat can only occur between Units controlled by exactly two players.
- 466.2.c.1
- The Attacker is the player whose unit(s) applied the Contested status to the Battlefield.
- 466.2.c.2
- The Defender is the player who did not apply the Contested status to the Battlefield.
- 316.7.f
- Combat will also include a Showdown.
- 467.2
- 1. When the Showdown closes, Attackers and Defenders resolve Combat Damage at the Battlefield that was attacked, using their current Might.
- 467.2.c
- Starting with the Attacker, each player assigns an amount of damage equal to their summed Might among the other's Units.
- 467.2.c.3
- Units must have lethal damage assigned to them in full before damage is assigned to a different Unit.
- 468.3.a
- A Player has won a combat if they received either the attacker or defender designation and are the only Player that has units remaining at this battlefield during this step.
- 468.3.d
- There is “No Result” if units were recalled during step 3d of the Combat Cleanup, if both Players have units present during this task, or if neither player has units present during this task.
- 468.5
- 1. If no Showdown or Combat is staged at this location, the player with Units remaining here Establishes Control if they didn’t already control this Battlefield.
- 468.5.d
- Establishing Control results in a Conquer if that player has not yet scored this Battlefield this turn.
Quoted word for word from the Riftbound Core Rules, updated October 9, 2026
Common questions
When does combat happen in Riftbound?
When units controlled by two different players are at the same battlefield, usually because one player moved units to a battlefield where the other has units. The combat starts in the next cleanup with nothing on the chain, as long as no other showdown or combat is going on. If combats are waiting at two battlefields, the player whose turn it is picks which goes first.
Core Rules 316.7.a, 462, 463, 463.1
Who is the attacker and who is the defender?
The attacker is the player whose units contested the battlefield, by moving or being played there while that player didn't control it. The defender is the other player, whether or not they controlled the battlefield. Units that arrive during the combat join their controller's side in the next cleanup.
Core Rules 466.2.c.1, 466.2.c.2, 466.2.c.3.a, 190.3.a.1
Is a showdown the same as combat?
Not always. Every combat includes a showdown, but moving to an empty battlefield starts a showdown with no combat. Either way, players take turns playing Action and Reaction cards, starting with the player who contested the battlefield. A showdown without combat becomes a combat if another player's units arrive.
Core Rules 316.7.f, 316.8.b.1, 316.8.b.1.a, 308.1.a, 345
How does combat damage work?
When the showdown closes, each side adds up the Might of all its units at the battlefield, exhausted or not. Starting with the attacker, each player assigns that much damage among the other side's units, then all of it is dealt at once. Stunned units add no Might, and a unit with Might below 0 adds 0.
Core Rules 467.2, 467.2.a, 467.2.b, 467.2.c, 467.2.c.1.a, 424.1.b, 143.2.c
How do I assign combat damage?
One unit at a time. Each unit must be assigned lethal damage, enough to kill it counting damage it already has, before the next unit gets any, and no unit can be assigned more than that unless no other units are left to assign to. Units with Tank must be assigned damage first, and units with Backline last. A unit that can't be dealt damage is exempt from these requirements.
Core Rules 467.2.c.3, 467.2.c.4, 142.4.a, 815.1.b, 826.3, 467.2.c.10
When do units heal in Riftbound?
At two times: in the cleanup right after combat damage, and at the end of every turn. In the combat cleanup, units with lethal damage die first, then all units heal, so the survivors don't keep their combat damage.
Core Rules 143.3.b, 143.3.b.1, 143.3.b.2, 323.4, 468.1.a.1
What happens if both sides have units left after combat damage?
The attackers still at the battlefield are recalled to their base, already healed, and nobody wins the combat. The defender, now the only player with units there, keeps the battlefield, or takes it if they didn't control it.
Core Rules 468.1.a.1, 468.1.a.2, 468.3.d, 468.5
Who controls the battlefield after combat?
If only one player has units left, they win the combat and take control if they didn't already have it, which is a conquer if they haven't scored the battlefield this turn. That player doesn't have to be the attacker. If no units are left at all, the battlefield becomes uncontrolled.
Core Rules 468.3.a, 468.5, 468.5.b, 468.5.d, 468.5.eRiftbound Spiritforged FAQ
Is Assault a trigger?
No. Assault is a passive ability: the unit has extra Might for as long as it's an attacker, and Shield does the same for defenders. "When I attack" and "When I defend" abilities are triggers, and they trigger the first time the unit becomes an attacker or defender in each combat.
Core Rules 807.1, 807.1.c, 814.1.c, 383.4.e, 383.4.fRiftbound Core Rules: Patch Notes
Can more than two players fight at the same battlefield?
No. A combat is always between exactly two players. With more than two players, nobody else can move or play units to a battlefield where a combat is staged or going on, and no move can take units to a battlefield that already has units from two other players.
Core Rules 464, 464.1, 464.2, 451.2
Example: Attacking past a Tank
You move Petty Officer, 5 Might with Assault, and a 2 Might unit to a battlefield where your opponent has Sunlit Guardian, 3 Might with Shield and Tank, and Stalwart Poro, 2 Might with Shield. As an attacker Petty Officer has 6 Might, and as defenders the Guardian has 4 and the Poro 3. Both players pass in the showdown. You assign your 8 damage: 4 to the Guardian first because it has Tank, 3 to the Poro, and the last 1 to either. Your opponent assigns 6 of their 7 to Petty Officer and 1 to your other unit. All of it is dealt at once, so both defenders and Petty Officer die. Your 2 Might unit heals in the cleanup and is the only unit left, so you win the combat and conquer the battlefield.
From Riftbound Core Rules
Official rulings
Riot's own words, from its rules articles.
Now, a showdown will open as long as the battlefield is contested and there is a unit there whose controller doesn’t control the battlefield. If there are units controlled by different players at that battlefield, it will open as a combat showdown. Otherwise, it will be a non-combat showdown. If a non-combat showdown is ongoing and a combat becomes staged at the same battlefield, the non-combat showdown will become a combat showdown in the next cleanup and the normal procedures for opening a combat will begin.
What does it mean to win or lose a combat?
It doesn’t matter whether combat damage was actually dealt, only that there was a combat showdown and only your units were left after combat damage. … You can win a combat on either offense or defense.
NEW RULE: Attack and Defend triggers can happen once per combat, specifically the first time something gains the attacker or defender designation during that combat.
Does a unit with negative Might contribute negative damage to my Might total in combat?
No. Negative Might is treated as 0 Might for the purposes of dealing damage, but as its true value for raising it back above 0. So a unit with -3 Might would contribute 0 damage in combat, would die if it was dealt 1 or more damage, and would require +4 Might to get it back up to 1 Might.