Riposting Blow + United Blow

[Draven]

1) A player can use Riposting Blow to do an Empowered Strike + Any Spell Available To Them without expending the spell/ES.

2) United Blow is passive; can a player use UB without expending the spell?

 

[Feldor]

( Things in quotes are quotes from the skill descriptions from the CMA )

1) Yes.
RB says "Any offensive skills or spells used from memory during this attack are not expended".
The only thing vaguely questionable is if ES is an offensive skill when used to delivery a beneficial effect, since RB specifies 'offensive' and not just skill. I say yes, because using it would trigger a dumb defense and if it wasn't counting as offensive it wouldn't be triggering a defense.

2) Yes.
UB "may be done any number of times per day" which is more than "at least a single use available" required by RB, and has you "expend any Signature Spell from memory to gain...". RB says "Any offensive skills or spells used from memory during this attack are not expended". So its pretty clear nothing is expended from memory when you use RB.

 

[Dan Nickname Beshers]

I have actually previously confirmed with ARC that United Blow can be used in conjunction with Riposting Blow and does not expend a spell, so if your riposte is a damage call you can add your highest damage United Blow option to it gratis. You cannot, as I was firmly told, add more than one spell to a single swing. So for me my Riposte can be 190 Body no problem, but 2100 Body is sadly not allowed. Ah well, Spellstrike Doom it is.