Riftbound Reaction: what it does
GlossaryReaction is Riftbound's true instant-speed keyword. It grants everything Action does — permission to play or activate during a Showdown — plus permission to play during a Closed state, the game's most restrictive timing window, which otherwise only Reaction cards can act in. A Reaction card can be played on any player's turn, essentially any time you have priority.
What playing at "Closed state speed" means
Riftbound splits timing into states rather than a single stack. A Closed state is the tightest of them — normally nothing new can be played into it at all. Reaction is the keyword that carves out an exception: a card or ability with Reaction can still be played or activated there, on either player's turn. That's what makes Reaction cards feel like tricks and counters rather than ordinary plays — they show up exactly when the board state is most locked down.
Reaction abilities that add resources
One of the most common uses of Reaction in practice is on abilities that Add resources (mana/power) to your pool — those can be activated the instant a cost needs paying, even mid-resolution of something else, letting you hold energy back and still afford a cost you didn't fully plan for. Combined with Hidden and Ambush, Reaction is one of the core tools for playing around what your opponent expects — see the Timing Keywords guide for how they combine.
Consult the Heavens is a real, officially revealed Radiance card printed with Reaction — open it to see the exact printed rules text and its live price across stores.
Every Reaction card
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Reaction FAQ
What does Reaction mean in Riftbound?
Reaction lets a card or ability be played or activated during a Closed state — the game's tightest timing restriction — on any player's turn, in addition to everything Action already permits.
Is Reaction the same as an instant in other card games?
It's the closest Riftbound equivalent — a Reaction card can respond at almost any point, including your opponent's turn, rather than waiting for your own.
Can a card have both Action and Reaction?
It's redundant to print both — Reaction already includes every permission Action grants, so a card only needs Reaction to get both.