Riftbound: The League of Legends TCG Explained for New Players

Riftbound is the League of Legends trading card game from Riot Games. Champions like Jinx, Yasuo, Ahri and Teemo battle for control of battlefields, and the first player to score 8 points wins. Since its English launch in October 2025, the Riftbound TCG has grown quickly, with a new set every few months. This guide explains how it works, the deck rules, the rarities, the best Riftbound decks to start with and the booster boxes.

What is Riftbound?

Riftbound: League of Legends Trading Card Game is a collectible card game set in the League of Legends universe. It is published by UVS Games in English-speaking regions and by Shining Soul in China. The first set, Origins, launched in China on August 1, 2025, and in English on October 31, 2025, with launch events at local game stores. The English rollout covered North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America and Oceania.

Since the fourth set, Vendetta, in July 2026, English and Simplified Chinese sets release on the same day. You can find official news and product details on the official Riftbound website.

How to play

You can play one-on-one duels or multiplayer free-for-all games. In a duel, the first player to 8 points wins; in a 4-player game, the target is 11. The official get-started guide walks you through your first game.

What is in a deck?

• A Champion Legend: names your champion and sets your Domains.
• A Chosen Champion: a unit that matches your Legend.
• A 40-card Main Deck: including your Chosen Champion, with no more than 3 copies of any card.
• A 12-card Rune Deck: your resources.
• 3 Battlefields: each with a different name, with one picked at random each game.

Scoring points

You score 1 point when you conquer a battlefield, and 1 more point at the start of each turn you are still holding it. That means you need to both take battlefields and defend them.

A turn, step by step

Each turn follows the same steps:

• Awaken: ready your cards.
• Beginning: score points for battlefields you hold.
• Channel: add 2 runes from your Rune Deck.
• Draw: draw 1 card.
• Action: play cards, move units and fight.

Card types and Domains

Riftbound cards include Units (champions are units), Spells, Gear, Battlefields, Runes, Tokens and Legends. Runes pay for cards in two ways: you exhaust them for Energy, or recycle runes of a matching Domain for Power. There are six Domains: Fury, Calm, Mind, Body, Chaos and Order.

Building your first deck

Start by choosing your Champion Legend, as it decides which Domains your deck can use. Then add your Chosen Champion and build the rest of your 40-card Main Deck from cards in those Domains, with no more than 3 copies of each. Your 12-card Rune Deck should match your Domains so you can pay for your cards, and your 3 Battlefields should suit your plan, as one is picked at random each game.

A simple first deck has plenty of cheap units to take battlefields early, a few strong spells to win fights and some Gear to make your champion tougher. Once you know how your deck plays, you can swap cards in and out to fit your style.

Champions so far

Each set brings new champions from League of Legends:

• Origins: 12 champions, including Jinx, Yasuo and Teemo.
• Spiritforged: champions including Irelia, Ezreal, Lucian, Fiora and Rumble.
• Vendetta: nine Champion Legends, including Nasus, Renekton, Akali, Mel, Ambessa, Zed and Shen.
• Radiance: new Legends including Seraphine, Ziggs, Jarvan IV, Ekko and Evelynn.

If you have a favourite champion in the video game, there is a good chance they are already in the card game.

Rarities

The main rarities are Common, Uncommon, Rare and Epic. On top of those, Showcase cards are the big chase cards:

• Alternate art champions.
• Overnumbered Champion Legends: numbered beyond the main card list.
• Signature cards: foil, artist-signed overnumbered cards.
• Ultimate: a rarity added with Unleashed for the hardest cards to find, starting with an overnumbered Baron Nashor.

The top card from Origins is the Signature Ahri, “Nine-tailed Fox”.

• Riftbound: League of Legends TCG – Spiritforged Booster Box
• Riftbound: League of Legends TCG – Unleashed Booster Box

Riftbound decks for beginners

• Origins: Proving Grounds: a starter box for 2 to 4 players with Annie, Garen, Lux and Master Yi decks. It is the best way to learn. A Proving Grounds 2nd Edition is due on February 19, 2027.
• Champion Decks: 56-card preconstructed decks. Origins had Jinx, Viktor and Lee Sin decks.
• Showdown Decks: later sets moved to boxes with two 56-card decks, starting with Vendetta’s Zed vs Shen.

A good path is to learn with Proving Grounds, pick up a Champion or Showdown Deck for your favourite champion, then add booster packs to improve it.

Booster packs and boxes

A Riftbound booster pack has 14 cards, and a booster box holds 24 packs. Each pack includes commons, uncommons, rares or better, a foil and a token or rune. Read our guide to how many packs are in a booster box to compare with other games.

We stock booster boxes from several sets, including the Riftbound Origins booster box, the Spiritforged booster box, the Unleashed booster box and the Vendetta booster box.

The Riftbound card list so far

The game has had five main sets so far: Origins, Spiritforged, Unleashed, Vendetta and Radiance, with Legacy and The Reckoning coming in 2027. Each set adds new champions and mechanics to the Riftbound card list. Read our guide to every Riftbound set for release dates and highlights.

Collecting tips

Collectors usually chase the Showcase cards: alternate art champions, Overnumbered Legends, artist-signed Signature cards and the new Ultimate rarity. These are much harder to pull than regular rares, so sleeve them as soon as you find them. Many collectors focus on one champion across every set, which makes a great binder page.

Playing at stores

The game has a strong store scene. Weekly “Nexus Nights” events are a relaxed way to play, and “Pre-Rift” prerelease events let you try a new set before launch. Ask your local game store about its schedule.

Why the game is growing

League of Legends has one of the biggest player bases in gaming, and Riftbound gives those fans a new way to enjoy their favourite champions. The scoring system keeps games tense, since you have to hold battlefields as well as win fights, and the Showcase cards give collectors plenty to chase. With a new set every few months and same-day English and Chinese releases, the game has a lot of momentum.

Tips for new players

• Start with Proving Grounds to learn the rules with friends.
• Pick a champion you enjoy playing in League of Legends.
• Remember that holding battlefields scores points every turn.
• Build around one or two Domains at first.
• Sleeve your Showcase Riftbound cards straight away.

Frequently asked questions

How many cards are in a Riftbound deck?

A 40-card Main Deck, plus a Champion Legend, a 12-card Rune Deck and 3 Battlefields.

How do you win a game?

Be the first to 8 points in a duel, or 11 in a 4-player game, by conquering and holding battlefields.

Is Riftbound good for beginners?

Yes. Proving Grounds and the Champion Decks make it easy to learn, and the turn structure is simple.