Riftbound

How Combat Works in Riftbound

Combat in Riftbound happens at a battlefield when units of two players are there at once. It runs in three steps: a showdown for Action and Reaction cards, a damage step where each side deals its total Might, and a resolution step that decides who controls the battlefield. This guide follows each step under Riot's Core Rules of October 9, 2026.

Chart of Riftbound combat in three steps: the showdown (Action and Reaction cards, attacker first), damage (each side deals its total Might, lethal to one unit before the next, Tank first and Backline last) and resolution (the dead die, survivors heal, attackers go home if defenders remain), plus the four results: only the attacker left takes the battlefield, only the defender left keeps it, both left means attackers go home, and nobody left leaves it uncontrolled. — Riftbound combat at a glance: the three steps and who controls the battlefield afterward. View full size (SVG) → View full size (SVG) →

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How Combat Starts The Three Steps Step 1: The Showdown Step 2: Damage A Worked Example Step 3: Who Takes the Battlefield Combat Keywords Showdowns Without Combat

How combat starts

Combat starts when units controlled by two different players are at the same battlefield. Most of the time that is because you used a unit's move to go from your base onto a battlefield where an opponent's units are standing. A spell that moves units can start one too, and so can a unit with Ambush played into a battlefield.

Combat only happens at battlefields. Units in a base are never in combat, which is why keeping a unit at home protects it from fights but not from spells that can reach it. A combat is always between exactly two players, and in a three- or four-player game, nobody else can move into a battlefield where a combat is going on.

The player whose units moved in is the attacker and the other is the defender. If two battlefields have a combat waiting at once, the player whose turn it is picks which one goes first.

The three steps of combat

StepWhat happens

1. ShowdownStart-of-combat effects happen. Then players take turns playing one Action or Reaction card or ability at a time, starting with the attacker, until everyone passes in a row.

2. DamageIf both sides still have units there, each side adds up its Might and assigns that much damage to the other side's units, attacker first. All damage is dealt at once.

3. ResolutionUnits with lethal damage die, every unit heals, and if the defender still has units there, the attacker's survivors go back to base. A side that is alone at the battlefield takes or keeps control.

Step 1: the showdown

The showdown is the part of combat where cards get played. The attacker has focus first and can play one card or ability with Action or Reaction, or pass. Then focus goes to the next player, who does the same. Each card played can be answered with Reactions before it resolves. The showdown ends when every player passes in a row without playing anything.

Spells without Action or Reaction can't be played here, and you can't move units with their normal move during a showdown. That makes the cards you hold back for showdowns some of the most important in your deck: a +3 Might trick or a removal spell at this moment decides most fights.

Cleave

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Cleave has Action: give an attacker Assault 3 in the showdown.

Shakedown

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Shakedown has Reaction: play it even while another spell waits to resolve.

Units can leave or arrive during the showdown. If a spell kills or moves away every unit on one side, there is nothing left to fight, the damage step is skipped, and the side still standing wins.

Step 2: damage

If both players still have units at the battlefield when the showdown ends, each side adds up the Might of its units there. That total is how much damage it deals. The attacker assigns theirs first, then the defender, and only after both have assigned is the damage dealt, all at the same time. A unit that dies still deals its damage.

Assigning damage has rules, and they are where most new players get it wrong:

RuleWhat it means

Lethal firstYou must assign a unit lethal damage, an amount equal to or greater than its Might, before you assign any to another unit. You can't spread 1 damage around to wound several units.

No overkill while others are aliveYou can't give a unit more than lethal damage while another enemy unit there still needs some. Extra damage goes anywhere only once every unit has lethal.

Tank goes firstUnits with Tank must be assigned lethal damage before units without it.

Backline goes lastUnits with Backline get damage only after every unit without it has lethal.

Damage already marked countsA 4 Might unit with 1 damage on it needs only 3 more to be lethal.

Stunned units hit for 0A stunned unit adds nothing to its side's total, but it still needs its full Might in damage to die.

A worked example

You move a 4 Might unit and a 2 Might unit onto a battlefield your opponent controls. They have a 3 Might unit with Tank and a 5 Might unit there. Nobody plays anything in the showdown.

Attacker (you)Defender

Units4 Might, 2 Might3 Might with Tank, 5 Might

Damage to deal68

How it's assigned3 to the Tank first (lethal), the other 3 to the 5 Might unit4 to your 4 Might unit, 2 to your 2 Might unit, and the extra 2 anywhere

ResultBoth of your units dieThe Tank dies. The 5 Might unit survives with 3 damage.

The defender is the only player with a unit left, so they keep the battlefield, and the surviving unit heals back to full. With one Action card that gave your 4 Might unit +2 Might, you would have had 8 damage: 3 to the Tank and 5 to the other unit, killing both. Your 6 Might unit would still have died to their 8, so with no units left on either side, nobody would control the battlefield afterward.

Step 3: who takes the battlefield

After damage, units with lethal damage die and go to their owners' trash. Every surviving unit then heals, so damage never carries over out of a combat. Then the result is decided:

After damageResult

Only the attacker has units leftThe attacker wins and takes control. If they haven't scored this battlefield this turn, that is a conquer, worth 1 point.

Only the defender has units leftThe defender wins and keeps control.

Both sides have units leftNo result. The attacker's surviving units go back to their base, and the defender keeps control.

Neither side has units leftNo result, and the battlefield becomes uncontrolled, even if the defender controlled it before.

That last row follows from a broader rule: you only control a battlefield while you have units there. If your last unit at a battlefield dies or leaves outside a showdown, you lose control of it, and you can't hold it at the start of your next turn. How to win at Riftbound covers what a conquer is worth and why the last point is harder to get.

Keywords that change combat

Several keywords exist only to change how a fight goes. These are the ones to know first:

KeywordWhat it does in combat

Assault+1 Might while the unit is an attacker, or more with a number (Assault 2 is +2).

Shield+1 Might while the unit is a defender, or more with a number.

TankThe unit must be assigned lethal damage before its allies without Tank.

BacklineThe unit is assigned damage only after its allies without Backline.

GankingThe unit can move from one battlefield straight to another, so it can attack from where it stands.

AcceleratePay extra to have the unit enter ready, so it can move and attack the turn you play it.

AmbushPlay the unit as a Reaction to a battlefield where you have units, such as in the middle of a showdown.

Stun (an effect)A stunned unit deals no combat damage this turn.

Chemtech Enforcer

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Assault 2: a 2 Might unit that attacks as a 4.

Sunlit Guardian

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Shield and Tank: a 4 when defending, and it must be assigned lethal damage first.

Enthusiastic Promoter

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Backline: assigned damage last.

Leona, Determined

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Leona stuns an enemy unit when she attacks.

Every keyword, including the ones that don't touch combat, is on the Riftbound keywords list.

Showdowns without combat

Moving onto a battlefield with no enemy units still opens a showdown, just not a combat. Your opponent gets a chance to play Action and Reaction cards: they could kill your unit, or play a unit with Ambush there, which turns the showdown into a combat. If you are the only player with units there when the showdown ends, you take control, and it is a conquer if you haven't scored that battlefield this turn.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does combat work in Riftbound?

Combat starts when units of two players are at the same battlefield, usually because one player moved in. It has three steps: a showdown where both players can play Action and Reaction cards, the damage step where each side deals damage equal to its total Might, and resolution, where dead units go to the trash and the side with units left takes the battlefield.

What is the difference between a showdown and combat in Riftbound?

A showdown is the window where players take turns playing Action and Reaction cards. Every combat starts with one. Moving onto a battlefield with no enemy units also opens a showdown, but no combat: if you still have units there when it ends, you take control.

How is combat damage assigned with multiple units?

Each side adds up the Might of its units in the combat and splits that much damage among the enemy units, attacker first. You must give one unit lethal damage (at least its Might) before assigning any to the next, Tank units must get lethal damage first and Backline units last. All the damage is then dealt at the same time.

What happens if both sides survive a Riftbound combat?

The attacker's surviving units return to their base and the defender keeps the battlefield. Damage on every surviving unit is healed right after combat, so a unit that survives is back to full Might.

What happens if every unit dies in a Riftbound combat?

Nobody wins the combat and the battlefield becomes uncontrolled, even if the defender controlled it before. Controlling a battlefield requires having units there.

Who is the attacker in Riftbound combat?

The player whose units contested the battlefield, which usually means the player who moved in. The attacker gets the first chance to play a card in the showdown and assigns combat damage first.

Can you attack units in a base in Riftbound?

No. Combat only happens at battlefields. Units in a base can only be hit by spells and abilities that can reach them.

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TurnZero HQ's Riftbound score tracker records each point by battlefield and whether it came from a conquer or a hold. Free to start.

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TurnZero was created under Riot Games' "Legal Jibber Jabber" policy using assets owned by Riot Games. Riot Games does not endorse or sponsor this project. Card data comes from Riot Games' official Riftbound card gallery, and prices from TCGplayer via TCGCSV.