Delve into the world of Riftbound, the League of Legends card game, where player decisions reign supreme. This mobility-oriented game, playable by 2 to 4 individuals, prioritizes strategic thinking, offering a platform for players to uncover numerous strategies. The initial set, Origins, introduces a rich tapestry of champions, each crafted to cater to various gaming styles. Whether you’re aiming for a competitive advantage or a more laid-back adventure, Origins functions as a starting point that provides plenty of room for discovery and innovation.
In the game Riftbound, strategy takes center stage rather than relying on powerful, standalone cards. Instead, players are invited to develop strategies centered around a champion by using different methods. To create a deck, you only need one Legend card and a Champion of the same color combination. This setup allows for diverse playstyles as players can customize their strategies uniquely. This versatility leads to a vibrant gameplay experience with various avenues to victory, making each game feel distinctive and captivating.
Here’s a breakdown of the basics for me as a Riftbound gamer: I’ll learn the rules for gameplay, understand the point system, and master deck building to dominate this exciting new world!
How To Play
Initially, mix up both your Rune and Main stack, making certain that a Champion and Legend card are visible on top of each stack in the Champion and Legend areas respectively. At this juncture, every player will arrange their selected Battlefields off to one side, followed by shuffling their own decks. Remember to maintain the distinction between your Main deck (blue) and Rune Deck (white), and then position them accordingly into their designated zones.
Once the decks are mixed up, decide who starts first and draw 4 cards from your primary deck. In the order of play, each player gets an opportunity to do a mulligan. This is when a player can select 2 cards from their hand and get 2 replacement cards instead. Now, let’s dive into the game!
As a card enthusiast, I’ve found that there are two types of costs associated with playing a card in this game. The first one is the Energy cost, represented by the large number in the top left circle. This indicates the number of Runes you need to have already in play and turn sideways (Exhaust) to play the card. For instance, if I want to play Viktor, it costs 4 Energy, with two of those requiring yellow Runes.
The second cost is the Power cost, denoted by a colored symbol beneath the Energy cost. To use this card, you’ll need a specific color Rune that matches the symbol, which should be recycled or placed under your Rune Deck. Not every card has a Power cost. Some are more straightforward and can be played without this additional requirement.
After deploying a Unit, it moves to your base while being affected by an ‘Exhaustion’ status. With this status active, the Unit becomes incapable of taking any actions.
The Phases
At each turn, players will employ four distinct phases:
1. Awake – The active player arranges all their cards for play, including Runes.
2. Start – If a player owns a Battlefield, they earn a point.
3. Empower – Players draw 2 Runes from the Rune Deck.
4. Act/Draw – Players draw one card from their main deck and perform any actions during this phase.
After your units are deployed, choose a battlefield for conquest. Rotate your unit horizontally to exhaust it. If you arrive at a battlefield with no opposing units, you’ll capture it (Congratulations! You earned a point!). Use the score tracker on the left side of your playmat to monitor points. Moving a unit onto an already occupied battlefield will trigger a confrontation.
By checking the symbol and number at the top right corner of your Unit card, you’ll find a sword and shield symbol followed by a number that shows your offensive and defensive strength. This number indicates both the amount of damage you can inflict and the amount your Unit can withstand in a confrontation. In a conflict, the higher number will prevail. If a Unit loses, it will be eliminated and moved to the Trash area beneath your Main deck. For instance, if two Units with three-point strength face off against one with five points, the two three-point Units would win because their combined total of six is greater than five. However, one of the three might fall in battle. Following the conflict, all Units will restore to full health, and damage sustained during a turn will not persist into subsequent turns.
Besides capturing outposts, Unit cards can also be grouped to seize Battlefields, though they can’t all move to separate Battlefields at once. Once you control a Battlefield, you can reinforce it with more Units to boost your total Power, making your army more formidable.
A “Spell” is an instant ability that you play from your hand and it has no strength value (Might score). The effects of a Spell happen immediately and then the card goes into the discard pile. There are many different kinds of effects for Spells, like causing damage, boosting units, or drawing more cards. Importantly, you play Spells before any Showdowns take place.
Each Champion possesses a unique Signature Ability that is exclusive to their deck setup. To illustrate, the Siphon Power ability is only usable within a Viktor-centric game.
Keywords
In the same vein as well-known Trading Card Games, Riftbound also features crucial terminologies that drive the gameplay. Let me explain some of them for clarity:
Orb – These serve as the life force for your creatures and provide them with magical energy.
Summon – This term refers to the act of bringing your creature into play from your deck.
Aura – An enchantment that provides additional abilities or boosts to a creature.
Champion – A powerful creature that often leads your strategy in battle.
Enchantment – A type of card that adds special effects to other cards on the field, usually your own.
Trap – A cleverly designed card that can hinder your opponent’s plans or gain an advantage for you.
Faction – Groups of cards with shared characteristics or themes, often providing synergies when used together.
- Burning Out: When a player runs out of cards in their deck, they must perform a Burning Out action. The player must shuffle their Trash into their main deck, then choose an opponent to gain 1 point.
Example: A player attempts to draw 1 during their Draw Phase while their Main Deck is empty. That player instead shuffles their trash into their Main Deck, chooses an opponent to gain 1 point, and then draws 1. [Riftbound Core Rules v1.0]
- Channel: Drawing cards. For example, “Channel 2 Runes” would mean to draw 2 more rune cards.
- Conquer: Taking a battlefield (1+ point)
- Exhaust: Turning the card to the right. In this state, it cannot be used.
- Ganking: An ability that lets a Unit go from one battlefield to another battlefield.
- Holding: Securing a Battlefield for an entire round (1+ point).
- Recycle: Placing a card at the bottom of the deck.
- Runes: Similar to energy, they are necessary to play cards.
- Seals: A Gear card that creates a Rune that cannot be recycled. No cost but you have to recycle a Rune in order to put it into your Base.
Scoring Points
The first player to 8 points wins the game, and there are two ways to get points.
- Conquer: Players gain a point each time they conquer a battlefield (either by securing an empty battlefield or by winning a Showdown and taking it over).
- Hold: The second way to score a point can be earned by Holding a Battlefield. This means you remain there until their next turn. In some situations, you may be able to conquer more than one base! Earn 1 point for every base you conquer.
Currently, it may appear that accumulating points is effortless, but there’s a limit of 7 points. The real challenge comes from figuring out how to score the final point and emerge victorious. To achieve this last point, a player needs to seize control of EVERY single Battlefield. For instance, if a player already controls one Battlefield, they must capture any remaining ones.
In a single turn of Riftbound, a player can only earn points using a specific method in each Battlefield. The game will carry on until a player manages to secure victory!
Deckbuilding
Origins presents a fresh gameplay structure, including a dual-colored Legend card, a dual-colored Signature Spell, and two single-colored Champion Units within every deck. This configuration gives gamers a strong foundation to display their champions effectively.
At its foundation, Origins serves as a base for a brand-new, challenging competitive environment. This collection boasts vital cards to assist novice players in their start, among them are six Seal cards, specially crafted to boost the efficiency of the resource system.
In the game of Origins, the battlefields provide a range of tactical options for players, allowing them to amplify their strong units, improve movement capabilities, or have a substantial impact on close-quarter fights. Each battlefield is categorized as “common,” making them available to all gamers.
Keeping these points in perspective, let’s outline the fundamental process for crafting a primary deck of around 40 cards, which includes one selected Champion character, creatures, equipment, and magic spells.
- Pick a Legend. This will define the two colors of your deck.
- Pick a chosen Champion unit. Make sure that your Champion unit matches the Legend. For example, a Yasuo needs to be matched with another Yasuo.
- Choose 39 main deck cards. The chosen Champion unit you selected in step 2 is your 40th card.
- Be sure to select deck cards that are within your Legend’s colors.
- Include your Legend’s Signature Spell
- You can include up to 3 copies of any card. This goes for the chosen Champion unit, too.
- Build a 12-card Rune deck. It is a good idea to have a split of the two basic runes of your Champion colors.
- Choose 3 Battlefields.
As a passionate League of Legends gamer, I always make sure to familiarize myself with the ins and outs before jumping into the game. To get all the details about the rules, terms, and cards, head over to the Riftbound website for a comprehensive rundown. With my chosen champion in hand, I’m all set to bring them into the heat of battle!
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2025-06-09 23:40