Riftbound rules

How to play Riftbound

Each player brings a legend, a champion, a main deck of at least 40 cards, 12 runes and 3 battlefields. Conquer and hold battlefields to score points. First to 8 wins.

The explanation

Riftbound is a trading card game where players fight over battlefields. You score a battlefield by conquering it, which means taking control of it, or by holding it, which means still controlling it when your turn starts. Each battlefield can be scored once per turn, usually for 1 point. The first player to 8 points wins, or the first team to 11 in 2v2. Scoring has the details, including the special rule for the final point.

Each player brings a Champion Legend, a Chosen Champion, a main deck, a rune deck and battlefields. Your legend's domains decide which cards your deck can include, and the legend stays in your Legend Zone all game; the legends page lists every one. Your Chosen Champion is a champion unit with your legend's champion tag. It starts in your Champion Zone, and you can play it from there. Your main deck has at least 40 cards, counting the Chosen Champion, with no more than 3 copies of any card. Your rune deck has exactly 12 runes, and every sanctioned mode asks for 3 battlefields. Deck building covers the full rules.

To set up, put your legend in your Legend Zone and your champion in your Champion Zone, shuffle your main deck and rune deck separately, and set your battlefields aside. The game mode decides which battlefields go into play. Choose the first player with any fair random method. Everyone draws 4 cards. Then, in turn order, each player can mulligan: set aside up to 2 cards, draw that many, and put the set-aside cards on the bottom of their main deck.

Players then take turns, and every turn runs through six phases in order. In the Awaken Phase you ready your cards. In the Beginning Phase start-of-turn effects happen and you hold the battlefields you control. In the Channel Phase you channel 2 runes from your rune deck. In the Draw Phase you draw 1. In the Main Phase you play cards, move units and fight. In the Ending Phase units heal and "this turn" effects end. Turn structure walks through each phase.

Riftbound has six card types. Your main deck holds units, gear and spells. Units and gear are permanents that stay on the board after you play them, while spells take effect and then go to your trash. Runes make up your rune deck and pay for your cards. Battlefields and legends are never played: battlefields start the game on the board, and your legend starts in your Legend Zone. Card types covers each one.

A card's cost is in its top-left corner: a number of energy, and on some cards one or more power symbols below it. Runes pay for both. Exhaust a basic rune to add 1 energy, or recycle it to add 1 power of its domain. Unspent energy and power are lost at the start of every Main Phase and at the end of every turn. Runes explains the details.

Units do the fighting. You play a unit to your base or to a battlefield you control, and it enters exhausted. A ready unit can move from your base to a battlefield, or back to base, by exhausting. If an opponent's units are at that battlefield, a combat decides who controls it. If it's empty, a showdown starts, and if only your units are there when it ends, you take control and conquer it. Units with Ganking can also move from one battlefield to another; movement covers the rest.

What the Core Rules say

103: To play Riftbound, a player must have a Main Deck, a Rune Deck, a Champion Legend, and a number of Battlefields determined by the Mode of Play. These are collectively referred to as a player’s deck.
103.2.b.2: Your deck’s Domain Identity is dictated by the domains of your Champion Legend. In the default card frame, these domains appear as symbols in the legend’s upper left corner.
103.3: A Main Deck of at least 40 cards: A Chosen Champion Unit, as well as Units, Gear, and Spells
103.3.b: Your Main Deck can include up to 3 copies of the same named card.
161.2.a: Exactly 12 Rune cards chosen during Deck Construction.
115: Determine Turn Order using any fair random method agreed on by all players.
116: Players each draw 4.
117.1: A player may choose up to two cards in their hand. They set those cards aside.
117.2: Then, that player draws as many cards as they set aside.
117.3: Finally, that player Recycles the cards that were set aside.
143.4: Units enter the Board exhausted.
194.2: A player wins the game if, in a cleanup, they have points greater than or equal to the Victory Score and more points than any other player.

Quoted word for word from the Riftbound Core Rules, updated October 9, 2026

Common questions

How do you play Riftbound?

Each player brings a legend, a champion, a main deck of at least 40 cards, a rune deck of 12 runes and battlefields. On your turn you channel 2 runes, draw a card, and use your runes to play units, gear and spells. Your units move to battlefields to take control of them. Conquering or holding a battlefield scores a point, and the first player to 8 points wins.

Core Rules 103, 103.3, 161.2.a, 315.3.b, 315.4.b, 471.1, 471.2, 194.3

How many cards are in a Riftbound deck?

A Riftbound main deck has at least 40 cards, including your Chosen Champion, with no more than 3 copies of any card. Alongside it you bring a rune deck of exactly 12 runes, a Champion Legend, and 3 battlefields in every sanctioned mode. At most 1 of your 3 battlefields is used in each game.

Core Rules 103.3, 103.3.b, 103.3.b.1, 161.2.a, 487.4.a, 491.4.a, 490.4.b

How do you win Riftbound?

Reach the Victory Score with more points than every opponent: 8 points in 1v1 and free-for-all games, or 11 for a team in 2v2. Points come from conquering and holding battlefields, from cards that give points, and from opponents who burn out. The game checks for a winner in every cleanup. You also win if a card says you do, or if you're the last player left in the game.

Core Rules 194.2, 194.3, 491.3, 194.1, 195

How does the mulligan work in Riftbound?

Everyone starts by drawing 4 cards. Then, in turn order, each player may set aside up to 2 of them, draw that many new cards, and recycle the set-aside cards to the bottom of their main deck. You draw before you recycle, so you can't redraw the cards you set aside.

Core Rules 116, 117.1, 117.2, 117.3, 417.1

Who goes first in Riftbound?

Decide with any fair random method that all players agree on. Unless the mode says otherwise, turns then go clockwise from the first player. In 1v1, the player going second channels 3 runes instead of 2 on their first turn. In 3- and 4-player games, the player going first skips their first draw and the player going last channels an extra rune.

Core Rules 115, 115.1.b, 487.7, 489.7, 490.7, 491.7

What happens on a turn in Riftbound?

Six phases, always in this order. Awaken: ready everything you control. Beginning: start-of-turn effects happen, then you hold the battlefields you control. Channel: channel 2 runes. Draw: draw 1 card. Main: play cards, move units and fight. Ending: end-of-turn effects happen, then all units heal and "this turn" effects end. Turn structure covers each phase.

Core Rules 315.1.b, 315.2.a.1, 315.2.b.2, 315.3.b, 315.4.b, 316.5.a, 317.1.a, 317.2.b, 317.2.c

Where can you play units in Riftbound?

To your base or to a battlefield you already control. Units enter exhausted, so a unit usually can't move until it readies at the start of your next turn. A unit with Accelerate can enter ready if you pay its extra cost, and a unit with Ambush can be played to a battlefield where you have units.

Core Rules 355.2.a, 143.4, 144.2, 315.1.b, 805.1.b, 822.1.b

How do you take control of a battlefield?

Move your units there. If an opponent has units there, a combat decides it. If both sides still have units after combat damage, the attackers return to base, and then the player with units left there controls the battlefield. If it's empty, a showdown happens instead, and if only your units are there when it ends, you take control. Taking control of a battlefield you haven't scored this turn conquers it.

Core Rules 144.4.a, 316.7.a, 468.1.a.2, 468.5, 316.8.b.1, 348.2.a, 471.1

How many players can play Riftbound?

Two to four. The sanctioned modes are Duel and Match for 2 players, Skirmish for 3, War for 4, and Magma Chamber, which is 2v2. Every mode is played to 8 points except Magma Chamber, which is played to 11.

Core Rules 487.1, 488.1, 489.1, 490.1, 491.1, 491.3

What are the card types in Riftbound?

Six: units, gear, spells, runes, battlefields and legends. Units, gear and spells make up your main deck. Units and gear stay on the board after you play them, while spells go to the trash once they resolve. Runes make up your rune deck. Battlefields and legends aren't played: battlefields start the game on the board, and your legend starts in your Legend Zone.

Core Rules 133.4.a.2, 133.4.b.1, 157, 133.5.a.1, 133.6.a.1, 133.6.b.1

Example: Your first two turns in 1v1

You win the coin flip and go first. Both players draw 4. You set aside 1 card, draw 1, and put the set-aside card on the bottom of your main deck. On your first turn there's nothing to ready or hold yet, so you channel 2 runes and draw 1. In your Main Phase you exhaust both runes for 2 energy and play a unit that costs 2 energy to your base. It enters exhausted. Your opponent goes second, so they channel 3 runes on their first turn. On your second turn, your unit readies in your Awaken Phase, and in your Main Phase it can move to a battlefield.

From Riftbound Core Rules