Riftbound: Beginner Fundamentals You Need to Know

If Riftbound is your first entry into trading card games, you may be unfamiliar with the common principles that are second nature to veterans.

Terms like “tempo” and “card advantage” have existed for years, along with many nuanced habits that are deeply ingrained in the community.

This guide will hopefully help bridge the gap towards learning the fundamentals of TCGs. It’ll also cover some things that are specific to Riftbound, but ultimately this is meant for newcomers to the genre.

Let’s dive in!

Are you interested in building your own decks? Check out our Beginner Guide to Deckbuilding.

Starting things off is one of the most important parts of any card game – card advantage. Nothing feels worse than running out of things to do, so it’s important to be actively aware of when you’re spending resources.

Card Draw

Drawing cards may sound like the obvious solution, but in practice, it’s a little more complicated than that. While it’ll undoubtedly improve the size of your hand, it often comes at a loss in “tempo” (this means falling behind, but more on that later).

“Cantrips” are a great compromise. This is a commonly used term for cards that replace themselves, or in other words, have “draw 1” attached on top of their regular effect. These cards typically give up a little bit of power, but allow you to maintain card advantage.

Lecturing Yordle is a perfect example of this. It’s a 3-Energy/2-Might unit with Tank that draws a card when played. If we were to evaluate based on stats alone, this card would be pretty bad. However, the sheer fact that it replaces itself (by drawing you another card) makes it excellent.

It’s important to note that cantrips aren’t card draw in the truest sense. After all, they don’t actually generate you more cards. If you want a positive gain, you’ll need to look for cards that can draw two or more.

Burst Draw vs Draw Engines

“Burst draw” refers to effects which draw cards immediately. This is useful in scenarios where you need to dig for answers because it gets right to the point. For the most part, burst draw exists as a one-time use (per card).

Conversely, there’s “draw engines”. These are typically more delayed sources of draw, but can result in a much bigger payout over the long term (if unanswered). While the ceiling is much higher, the floor can be very low.

As you can see, it often takes a considerable investment in order to draw more cards. If you do this too frequently your opponent can take advantage of you, as you’ll lack the Energy to contest them on board. This is why card draw is only part of the picture.

Now let’s look at the other concepts that define card advantage. 

Even Trades

When units with the same Might value defeat each other in combat, this is known as a trade. For example, a showdown between First Mate and Flame Chompers would result in both players giving up their 3-Might unit.

If we look one step further, we can identify that these two units are effectively the same (after their initial effects were used). So when all is said and done, we exchange 3-Might for 3-Might, making this a clean and even trade.

However, let’s say one of these units was instead Heimerdinger, Inventor, a 3-Might unit with an additional Exhaust ability. While it’s still 3 for 3, the player who doesn’t control Heimerdinger, Inventor would have an edge, as they’re losing much less in the exchange. 

Subtle advantages like this can make a big impact over the course of a game, so it’s up to the players to figure out how to get the most value out of each card. Sometimes it won’t be fair, but that’s all part of the fun and interaction.

The same logic can also apply when you cast a spell to remove an opposing card. Playing a Hextech Ray to take out a 3-Might unit results in -1 card for each player, therefore creating another 1 for 1 trade.

2 for 1’s

One final thing I’d like to highlight are 2 for 1 exchanges. As you can probably guess, this refers to using one of your cards to deal with two of the opponent’s cards. This is obviously a favorable outcome, and it also extends to 3 for 1’s or greater.

Falling Star and Singularity are both common spells that can easily put you ahead. Each one has the potential to remove two threats at once, making them extremely advantageous for the casting player.

Of course, they do have to line up well to get your money’s worth. You wouldn’t want to invest 2-Power just to deal with two 1-Might Recruits (unless you absolutely had to). Although more often than not you can usually find good targets.

At the end of the day, while card advantage is important, it isn’t everything. It’s just one half of the push and pull, allowing you to have the options to contest and outlast your opponent.

Winning with an empty hand is the same as winning with a full hand. After all, the final score is what matters, so by all means spend the resources that you’re given.

Tempo is the other half that coexists alongside card advantage. It’s all about playing with momentum, ensuring that you can match or surpass the enemy. This is generally a case of Energy efficiency, challenging players to make the most of every interaction. 

“Aggressive” decks tend to lean more in this direction. They are often willing to give up some resources in order to take an early lead, with the goal being to win before the slower deck comes online (ex. Discard effects from cards like Jinx, Demolitionist and Get Excited!).

On the flip side, some archetypes will sacrifice tempo in the beginning to quickly accelerate towards their late game. For instance, you can play Channel spells like Catalyst of Aeons and Mobilize in order to reach Dazzling Aurora much earlier.

Most decks exist somewhere in the middle, looking to gain tempo where they can without wasting resources or falling too far behind. It’s also important to have quick ways to turn the tide, as having to wait a turn for your Exhausted units sometimes won’t cut it.

Let’s take a look at some key mechanics that influence the tempo of Riftbound.

Accelerate / Ready

Accelerate and/or Ready effects allow you to jump straight into a showdown without having to develop a unit beforehand. They can let you Conquer an open battlefield, or contest the opponent when they least expect it.

Speed matters a lot, especially during the later parts of the game. Drawing a big powerful unit won’t stop the enemy from winning if it enters Exhausted. Knowing this, it can be worth holding a few of these back for the moments when you really need it.

Removal

Remember that Hextech Ray example from earlier? Well, despite it being an even trade in terms of card advantage, it’s actually a favorable trade when it comes to tempo. This is because it only costs 1-Energy/1-Power compared to the 3-Energy for the 3-Might unit.

Spending less to deal with something that costs more works out very well for the reacting player. In fact, most removal tends to be this way, mainly because it’s situational by nature.

Additionally, removal is one of the ways players can immediately deal with a threat. It’s a direct answer instead of having to wait for Exhausted units, making it a vital inclusion for most decks.

There’s not a lot else to say. Interaction is key.

Power Costs

A driving force of Riftbound’s unique resource system is the existence of Power Costs. This allows cards to be significantly stronger in the moment, but can set players back in future turns.

It introduces a really interesting dynamic in terms of tempo. The more Power you pay now, the less Energy you have later, making every decision truly count.

Ultimately, learning when to commit comes down to practice and will greatly vary depending on the deck you play. So just give it a go and you’ll begin to learn what feels right!

I’d like to mention a few simple heuristics that can help improve your play. While they shouldn’t be treated as gospel, they provide a good baseline to remember when considering what to do.

Draw First

If you’re ever planning to draw cards in a turn, do it before playing anything else. This lets you see what you get before committing all your resources. After all, plans can change once you have access to more options.

Act Before Developing

If you’re going to start a showdown, do it before you play other units/gear (unless they help impact the fight). Doing so lets you hold up your runes, allowing you to threaten potential interaction with the opponent. Even if you have nothing, it’s better to keep them guessing.

Overextending

While it’s fun to swarm a battlefield with a ton of units, be careful not to put yourself in danger. Nothing hurts more than having your entire board wiped at once, so consider holding back to avoid a catastrophe (ex. Unchecked Power).

However, if you’re familiar with your matchups and know your opponent’s options, there are definitely times where you can go all-in without fear. 

Response Windows

One last thing to remember is that your opponent can only respond when you give them the opportunity. Actions are only playable during showdowns, and Reactions require a trigger before they can be played (either a spell or an on-play effect).

Therefore, if you really wanted to, you could deny your opponent the chance to do anything on your turn. Of course, this greatly limits your own plays, so it won’t come up too often. That said, if they are sitting with a ton of open runes, it may be worth considering.