League of Legends as a trading card game: Riftbound brings familiar champions from Runeterra to the tabletop, combining classic TCG deckbuilding with battles for various battlefields. But how does Riftbound actually work, what cards are there, and what makes the game special?

With Riftbound: League of Legends Trading Card Game, the world of League of Legends has received its own trading card game.

Familiar champions, different strategies, boosters, rare cards, and custom-built decks are, of course, part of it. At the same time, Riftbound takes its own path in terms of gameplay: Instead of simply reducing the opponent's health to zero, you fight for control of various locations on the playing field.

In this guide, we explain the most important basics of Riftbound and show you what to expect when getting started.

What is Riftbound?

Riftbound is a strategic Trading Card Game from the League of Legends universe.

Champions and other characters from Runeterra become playable cards. Familiar locations, spells, and other elements from the world of League of Legends also appear in the TCG.

You do not need any prior knowledge of League of Legends to play.

Riftbound functions as a standalone card game. Those who already know League of Legends will, of course, recognize many characters and references. Anyone who hasn't been familiar with Runeterra until now can still learn and play the TCG just fine.

Riftbound is designed for 2 to 4 players and can be played in both classic head-to-head matches and with multiple players.

How does Riftbound work?

The basic goal is quickly explained:

You send your champions and units to different battlefields and try to conquer them and keep them under your control.

You collect points for successful conquests and for holding battlefields.

In a classic game, the first player to reach 8 points wins.

This distinguishes Riftbound from many other well-known trading card games in its primary objective.

You do not simply attack an opposing player and reduce their life total. Instead, a battle develops for multiple positions on the playing field.

Battlefields are at the center

The battlefields are one of the characteristic elements of Riftbound.

1. At the beginning of a game, various battlefields are laid out, which are then fought over.
2. You move your champions and units to these locations and try to take control of them.
3. If enemy units are already on a battlefield, combat can ensue.
4. This means you constantly have to make decisions during a game:
5. Do I attack a new battlefield?
6. Would I rather defend a location I already control?
7. Do I send my strongest units together to one position, or do I spread my forces out?

This is precisely where a large part of the tactical depth of Riftbound comes from.

A position that seems safe one turn may be contested again shortly after.

Champion Legends: The heart of a deck

At the center of a Riftbound deck is the Champion Legend.

It is far more than just a particularly strong card. The Legend sets the basic direction of the deck and determines which domains—and therefore which cards—are available for the deck.

Additionally, a deck has a Chosen Champion.

This is a champion unit that is ready at the beginning of the game and matches your chosen Legend.

The Legend and Champion together form the core of your strategy.

Depending on which champion you choose, a deck can play completely differently.

Some strategies want to build pressure as quickly as possible and conquer battlefields. Others focus more on control, efficient units, card advantage, or defending already conquered positions.

The six domains of Riftbound

Another important element is the domains.

Riftbound has six different domains, representing different playstyles and philosophies:

🔴 Fury

Fury stands for aggression, passion, and conquest.

This domain is particularly suitable for offensive strategies and applying direct pressure to the opponent.

🟢 Calm

Calm focuses more on balance, defense, and control.

Here, the focus is often on securing your own positions and disrupting the opponent's plans.

🔵 Mind

Mind stands for planning, knowledge, and outsmarting the opponent.

Card advantage, long-term preparation, and various tactical options play an important role here.

🟠 Body

Body relies on physical strength, efficiency, and strong units.

If you like fighting for control of the battlefields with powerful units, you will find corresponding strategies here.

🟣 Chaos

Chaos revolves around unpredictability, movement, and unusual plays.

Positions and cards can be manipulated, which can make this domain particularly difficult to predict.

🟡 Order

Order stands for community, cohesion, and the synergy of many units.

Here, for example, several smaller units can work together to build a strong position.

The chosen Champion Legend determines which domains you can use for your deck.

Thus, the choice of champion influences not only individual cards but the entire strategic orientation of the deck.

What card types are there in Riftbound?

Anyone opening a Riftbound booster for the first time will encounter different card types.

Each of them takes on a different task in the game.

Legends

The Legend forms the center of your deck.

It determines, among other things, the domains available to you during deck building, and it has its own ability that influences your strategy.

Champions

Champions are familiar characters from the League of Legends universe.

A chosen Chosen Champion is firmly part of your deck and is available right at the start of the game.

In addition, other champion units can be part of a deck.

Units

Units are your troops on the playing field.

They move to battlefields, fight against enemy units, and help you take and defend locations.

Without units, it becomes correspondingly difficult to gain control of the playing field.

Gear

Gear provides additional effects and support.

Spells

Spells trigger various effects.

For example, they can influence a battle, support your own strategy, or thwart the opponent's plans.

The right spell at the right time can make a decisive difference.

Depending on the card, gear can interact with other cards or specific game situations, thereby opening up further possibilities for deck building.

Battlefields

The decisive confrontations of a game take place on the battlefields.

They are not only scenes for battles but can also have their own abilities, thereby influencing the strategy of a game.

Runes: The resources in Riftbound

Of course, strong champions, units, and spells cannot simply be played for free.

For this, Riftbound has its own resource system using Runes.

Runes are located in a separate Rune Deck.

During the game, you acquire new runes and use them to pay the costs of your cards.

Runes can be used in different ways. Some costs only require available energy, while stronger effects may additionally have specific power requirements.

The resource system evolves during the game, thereby allowing you to make increasingly stronger plays.

How do you win a game of Riftbound?

The goal remains in sight throughout a game:

Conquer and hold battlefields and collect points.

If you take control of a battlefield, you can receive points for it.

If you retain control, the battlefield can continue to contribute to your score in subsequent turns.

In a classic game, the victory target is 8 points.

This leads to interesting situations, because an opponent close to victory does not necessarily have to be attacked directly.

Instead, it may be decisive to take control of a battlefield away from them.

This back-and-forth for different positions is one of the special features of Riftbound.

How do you build a Riftbound deck?

When building a deck, you usually start with your Champion Legend.

It sets the domains available for the deck and already provides a strategic direction.

After that, you choose your Chosen Champion and supplement it with fitting units, spells, gear, and other cards.

A constructed deck regularly consists of 40 cards in the main deck, where the Chosen Champion already counts toward these 40 cards.

In addition, separately:

• 1 Champion Legend
• 12 Runes
• 3 different battlefields

In the regular constructed format, you may generally use up to 3 copies of a card.

This leaves enough room to experiment with your own strategies and combinations without every deck built around the same champion having to be identical.

Do you have to know League of Legends?

No.

While the world, champions, and design of Riftbound come from League of Legends, the card game has its own rule set.

League fans naturally have the added appeal of finding familiar champions and locations on the cards.

For the actual playing of the game, however, knowledge from the video game is not necessary.

You don't need to know which position a champion plays in League of Legends, nor do you need to know their abilities from the video game.

Everything that is important for a game of Riftbound is written on the cards and in the TCG's rules.

Is Riftbound also suitable for TCG beginners?

Even without experience with other trading card games, you can start with Riftbound.

Pre-constructed decks are particularly well-suited for your first games.

With these, you don't have to build a complete deck yourself right away, but can first get to know the basic mechanics:

• How do runes work?
• How do I move units?
• When does a fight begin?
• How do I conquer a battlefield?
• And when should I rather defend a position?

Those who have already played Pokémon, Magic, One Piece, Lorcana, or other TCGs will recognize some basic concepts more quickly.

However, the battle for the battlefields gives Riftbound its own unique identity regardless.

Collecting is naturally part of it, too!

Riftbound is not just a strategic card game, but at the same time a trading card game to collect.

Boosters contain cards of different rarity levels and, in addition to regular cards, can contain special variants.

This allows players to expand their decks, try out new champions, or work specifically on their collection.

As with other TCGs, not every Riftbound fan has to pursue the same goal.

Some want to build the strongest or most creative decks. Others collect specific champions. And sometimes it's just fun to open boosters and see which card appears next. ✨

Who is Riftbound interesting for?

Riftbound should be particularly exciting if you…

• like League of Legends and the world of Runeterra
• already play other TCGs and would like to try something new
• enjoy developing your own decks and strategies
• find games with tactical positioning interesting
• want to not only play cards but also collect them
• are looking for a TCG for classic duels and multiplayer rounds

The system revolving around the battlefields in particular sets Riftbound apart from many other trading card games.

Instead of merely working toward defeating the opponent directly, you must keep an eye on the entire playing field.

Riftbound at Zauberkram

Of course, Riftbound shouldn't be missing from the star realm of Zauberkram either. ✨

With us, you will find selected Riftbound TCG products for your collection and your next games.

From boosters and displays to game-ready decks and special bundles, we are gradually building up our Riftbound assortment for you.

👉 Riftbound TCG at Zauberkram!

Frequently Asked Questions about Riftbound

What is Riftbound?

Riftbound is a strategic trading card game from the universe of League of Legends. Players build their own decks around champions and fight for control of various battlefields.

Who makes Riftbound?

Riftbound is based on the League of Legends universe by Riot Games.

How many players can play Riftbound?

Riftbound is designed for 2 to 4 players.

How do you win at Riftbound?

Players capture and control Battlefields to earn points. In a standard game, the first player to reach 8 points wins.

Do I need to play League of Legends to understand Riftbound?

No. Riftbound has its own independent rule set and can be played without any prior knowledge of League of Legends.

How many cards are in a Riftbound deck?

A regular constructed main deck consists of 40 cards, including the Chosen Champion. Additionally, a Champion Legend, a Rune Deck with 12 runes, and three different Battlefields are part of the deck composition.

What domains are there in Riftbound?

The six domains are Fury, Calm, Mind, Body, Chaos, and Order. They represent different strategic focuses and determine which cards can be used together in a deck.

Is Riftbound only for two players?

No. In addition to classic duels, Riftbound also supports multiplayer games with up to four players.

Can you collect Riftbound cards?

Yes. Riftbound is a full-fledged trading card game with boosters, different rarity levels, and special card variants.