Riftbound Quick Start Guide
Game Objective
Riftbound is a trading card game for 2-4 players. You play as your favorite League of Legends characters, commanding units, casting spells, equipping gear, and conquering battlefields across Runeterra to achieve victory.
You gain 1 point each time you conquer a battlefield with a unit; then, you gain 1 additional point for each subsequent turn you hold that battlefield. The first player to reach 8 points wins!
Deck Construction
A carefully constructed deck is at the heart of Riftbound gameplay.
Your deck consists of the following parts:
1 Legend Card
This special card determines which champion you fight alongside and which Runeterra affinity cards you can use in your deck. The Legend card starts the game in your Legend area.
Battlefield Cards
These tapped cards represent strategic locations across Runeterra that you and your opponents will fight to control. Set these aside for now.
12 Rune Deck Cards
Rune cards are used to pay various costs during the game. You must have exactly 12 Rune cards, which can be any mix matching your Legend's Runeterra affinity.
40 Main Deck Cards
These cards contain the units and spells you use in the game. One of these is your chosen Hero, which you place in your Hero area at the start of the game, next to your Legend card. The remaining 39 cards are shuffled to form your starting Main Deck.
Choosing Your Hero
The chosen Hero is a Hero unit that matches your Legend card. It starts in the Main Deck but is moved to the Hero area before the game begins. You may choose any Hero whose name corresponds to the name noted on your Legend card.
Pairing a specific Legend card with a chosen Hero can lock in a strategic direction, such as swarming the board with many units or gaining advantages by discarding cards. The other cards in your main deck, and even your Battlefield cards, can help you execute your chosen strategy.
Deck Construction Rules
- • You may include up to three copies of any card in your Main Deck, including your chosen Hero.
- • You may include 2 additional copies of the card representing your chosen Hero.
- • Any other cards that match your Legend's affinities (including other non-Hero cards representing the same character mentioned above) may also be included, up to three copies of each.
- • You may also include up to 3 exclusive cards that match your Legend; exclusive cards can only be included in a deck with their paired Legend.
Game Setup
All players place their Battlefield cards in the Battlefield area. Then, each player sets up their play area as shown.
Setup Steps
- • Place your Legend card and chosen Hero face up to the side.
- • Thoroughly shuffle the remaining 39 cards of your Main Deck and place them to the side.
- • Thoroughly shuffle your Rune Deck and place it separately from your Main Deck.
Reserve Space for Areas
Reserve enough space for the following areas:
- • Your Base: For placing units not yet on a battlefield
- • Your Rune Area: For placing Runes manifested from your Rune Deck
- • Your Discard Pile: For placing discarded or destroyed cards
Starting the Game
Determine the Starting Player
Each player has already selected one Battlefield (see the "Game Setup" section for details). Now, thoroughly shuffle these selected Battlefield cards and randomly draw one to determine the starting player. The owner of this Battlefield card goes first. Then, return the Battlefield cards to the Battlefield area. (Their order does not matter.)
In a 4-player game, remove the starting player's Battlefield card, leaving only 3 battlefields.
Initial Draw and Mulligan
- • Each player draws 4 cards from their own Main Deck.
- • Before the game begins, you may take one mulligan (maximum once): choose up to two cards from your hand to recycle (place them face down on the bottom of your deck), then draw that many cards again.
Special Rules
- • The player who acts last gets to manifest one additional Rune card on their first turn (see the "Turn Breakdown" section).
- • In a 4-player game, the starting player also skips their draw step on their first turn.
Game Flow
- • The game proceeds with players taking turns in clockwise order.
- • Note that some rules may be adjusted in different game modes (see the "Game Modes" section).
Key Terms Explained
Dormant
Means to tap a card, usually to pay a cost. Units enter play Dormant; units, runes, and even Legend cards can become Dormant during the game.
Active
Means to untap a card, the opposite of Dormant. At the start of your turn, all your cards become Active.
Recycle
To take a card from its current position and place it on the bottom of its corresponding deck.
Manifest
To draw one or more Rune cards from the top of your Rune Deck and put them into play. You manifest two Runes at the start of your turn, but other cards may instruct you to manifest additional Runes.
Move
A unit can move onto or off of a battlefield by paying the cost of becoming Dormant. Units with the Scout keyword can move directly from one battlefield to another. Spells and skills can also move units, including those that are Dormant or couldn't normally move between those locations.
Card
In rules text, "card" refers to cards in your Main Deck, excluding Legends, Runes, Battlefields, and tokens.
Token
Tokens are units created during the game that did not start in your deck. You can use official printed tokens to represent them, but don't worry if you run out—any object that can clearly indicate Active and Dormant states can serve as a token!
Playing Cards
Mana Cost
Represented by a number. It indicates how many Runes you must make Dormant (tap) to pay the cost. Some cards have a Mana cost of 0.
Runic Cost
Represented by symbols. It indicates that you must Recycle (place on the bottom of the deck) a certain number and type of Runes to pay the cost. For each symbol, you must Recycle one Rune of the matching affinity. You can Recycle Runes that are already Dormant to pay this cost, including the same Runes you just made Dormant to pay the Mana cost. Some cards have no Runic cost.
Main Deck Card Types
Units
Units are played Dormant on your turn, and you can play them to your Base or a battlefield you control. (See the "Movement, Conquest, and Control" section.) A unit is destroyed and sent to the Discard Pile when it takes damage equal to or greater than its Power. Heroes are also Units.
Spells
Take effect as described on the card and then go to the Discard Pile. Spells do not enter play, even if their effects impact cards in play.
Equipment
Are played to your Base Active on your turn. They do not move or attack but have various skills that can affect the game. They can be played, discarded, made Dormant, Activated, and even destroyed like Units—though they have no Power, take no damage, and do not participate in combat.
Timing: Playing Cards & Using Skills
By default, you can only play cards and use skills on your turn when no combat is happening and no other cards are being played. Some cards have specific keywords that allow you to play them or use their skills at other times. These keywords appear mostly on Spell cards but can sometimes be found on Units or skills.
Swift
Can be played normally on your turn, but can also be played during a Spell Duel (including during combat). (See the "Combat" section.)
Reaction
Can be played on your turn, during a Spell Duel, or before another spell or skill resolves—letting the Reaction card resolve first!
Special Note
Skills that give players Mana or Runic Power (like the inherent skill of Runes) cannot be targeted by Reactions; these skills take effect immediately.
Turn Breakdown
The starting player performs these steps in order, then play proceeds to the next player in turn order, and so on.
Start Your Turn
Awaken Step
Make your Dormant units, Legend card, and Runes Active. (Untap them.)
Start Step
Resolve your skills with "at the start of your turn" text. Gain 1 point for each battlefield you control. (This is called "Holding.")
Manifest Step
Manifest the top two Runes from your Rune Deck. (Put them into play Active.)
Draw Step
Draw 1 card from your Main Deck. (There is no maximum hand size.)
Action Phase
You may perform any of the following actions any number of times (as long as conditions allow), in any order:
- • Play cards. Usually, the cards you play will be your chosen Hero or cards from your hand, but some effects may allow you to play cards from other areas.
- • Use card skills. This includes unit skills, the inherent skills of Runes used to gain Mana and Runic Power, and any skills your Legend card possesses.
- • Make a unit Dormant to move it onto or off of a battlefield. (Moving onto a battlefield with enemies starts a battle!)
End Your Turn
When you are done taking actions, your turn ends.
- • Activate your skills with "at the end of your turn" text.
- • Remove all damage from units.
Proceed to the next player's turn!
Movement, Conquest, and Control
To score points, you must move units onto a battlefield to conquer it. Once you conquer a battlefield, you control it as long as you still have one or more units there.
If a battlefield is unoccupied, you simply need to move a unit onto it to conquer it.
Combat
Moving a unit onto an enemy-controlled battlefield starts a battle!
First, resolve all skills with "when I defend" text, then resolve all skills with "when I attack" text. (Both players may use Reaction cards.)
Spell Duel
Players involved in the battle may play Swift or Prepared cards.
When a spell or skill is used, any player may use a Reaction card before it resolves. Resolve any Reaction cards first, then resolve the original spell or skill. After all involved players pass, the remaining units fight.
In games with three or more players, only two players are involved in the battle. By default, only these two players can play Swift cards during combat, but either side may invite other players to play Swift and Reaction cards!
To Battle!
After all players involved in the battle have finished playing cards and using skills, the battle is resolved.
Damage Assignment
Each player totals the Power of their units on the battlefield and assigns damage equal to that total to the enemy units on the battlefield as they choose. A player must assign lethal damage to one unit before assigning damage to another, and units with the Bulwark property must be assigned damage first.
All damage is dealt simultaneously, and a unit is destroyed when the damage marked on it is greater than or equal to its Power. Then, remove all marked damage from units in all locations. Damage does not reduce Power, so a unit with 6 Power that has taken 5 damage still deals 6 damage in combat!
Battle Outcome
If only the attacking player's units remain on the battlefield after combat, the attacker conquers the battlefield and gains 1 point. If the defender still has surviving units, the attacker fails to conquer the battlefield, and all surviving attacking units are returned to their Base.
Winning the Game
The game ends when a player reaches 8 points; in team games, the game ends when a team reaches 11 points. (See the "Game Modes" section.)
Winning Point
Unlike other points, the winning point cannot be gained solely by conquering a battlefield. To win, you must gain the final point by Holding a battlefield, or by scoring on all battlefields (via Holding or conquering) in a single turn. If you are about to gain the winning point but do not meet these criteria, you instead draw 1 card and do not gain the point.
Game Modes
Riftbound supports multiple game modes for 2, 3, or 4 players. Remember, even in games with more than 2 players, a single battlefield can only hold units from up to 2 players at a time. The player who acts last always manifests one additional Rune card on their first turn.
Duel Modes (2 Players)
Duel
A single game for two players. The first to 8 points wins. This is the default mode described in these rules.
Tournament
A best-of-three match for two players. All rules are the same as Duel mode, differing only in setup: in the first game, each player chooses 1 of their 3 Battlefield cards instead of drawing randomly. In each subsequent game of the match, each player chooses one more Battlefield card from among those they haven't chosen yet in that match.
Multiplayer Modes (More than 2 Players)
Skirmish
A free-for-all for three players. There are 3 battlefields (instead of 2), and the starting player skips their draw step on their first turn.
Total War
A free-for-all for four players. Similar to the three-player version, but in addition to skipping the draw step, the starting player also removes their starting Battlefield card.
2v2 Team Battle
A 2 vs. 2 team game mode where the first team to reach a total of 11 points wins. As in Total War mode, the starting player skips their draw step and discards their starting Battlefield card.
Teammates cannot share cards, resources, or control, but each other's units and other cards are considered friendly. (For example, a card that says "make a friendly unit Active" can target either your own units or your teammate's units.)
Your turn and your teammate's turn will alternate with your opponents' turns. You can choose to sit opposite your teammate and take turns in the usual clockwise order, or you can sit next to your teammate but alternate turns with the players sitting opposite you.
Additional Rules & Keywords
Keywords can modify the restrictions of the general rules. Here are some common keywords:
Haste
Pay an additional cost to have this unit enter play Active.
Inspire
If you have played another Main Deck card this turn, then an effect happens.
Assault
This unit gets bonus Power while attacking.
Garrison
This unit gets bonus Power while defending.
Bulwark
This unit must be assigned combat damage first.
Last Breath
When this unit is destroyed, an effect triggers.
Spellshield
Opponents must pay additional Runic Power to target this.
Scout
This unit can move directly from one battlefield to another.
Fleeting
At the start of your turn, destroy this card.
Predict
When you play this, look at the top card of your Main Deck. You may choose to Recycle that card.
Prepare
On your turn, you may pay any type of Runic Power to place a card with the Prepare skill from your hand face down on a battlefield you control. You can only have one Prepared card per battlefield. It stays there as long as you control that battlefield and can be revealed and played as a Reaction card for [0] cost on a later turn. If you play the card this way from being Prepared, then: if it is a targeted spell, it must target something on that battlefield when played, and if it is a unit, it must be deployed to that battlefield (if able).
Stun
When a unit is Stunned by an effect, it cannot deal damage in combat this turn. Additionally, other effects may interact with a unit's current Stun status.
Buff
To Buff a unit is to give it a Buff counter. A Buff counter gives it +1 Power. By default, a unit can only have 1 Buff at a time; further Buff effects are ignored. Some cards allow you to " consume" a Buff to trigger an effect.