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A Beginner's Guide to Getting Into Riftbound
May 1, 2026

A Beginner's Guide to Getting Into Riftbound

New to Riftbound? Here's everything you need to know to get started, from your first preconstructed deck to finding your local game store, buying singles, and avoiding scalpers.

I got into Riftbound the way a lot of people probably did. I heard that Riot Games was turning their League of Legends (LoL) IP into a physical trading card game and I couldn't ignore it. I used to play Legends of Runeterra (LoR), Riot's digital card game, and loved it. I also play games like Hearthstone and Marvel Snap, so when I heard a physical TCG (Trading Card Game) was coming, it felt like the right time to step back into the physical card game space. If you're reading this, something probably caught your eye too. Here's everything I wish I'd known when I started.

Learning the Game

Before you spend anything, it's worth getting familiar with how Riftbound actually plays. The good news is there are some really accessible ways to do that.

Good Time Society put together a fantastic YouTube video that gets you through a solid chunk of the game in just 11 minutes. It's one of the best starting points I've seen for complete newcomers.

Watch: Riftbound in 11 Minutes by Good Time Society

Another great option that often gets overlooked is just showing up to your local game store. LGS players are almost always happy to teach new players and will often lend you a deck so you can learn the game without spending a thing. My suggestion is to find a store near you through riftfound.com, look for a Nexus Night or any other Riftbound event on the calendar, and just go. You'll meet local players, get some games in, and get a real feel for the game in a welcoming environment.

If you want to actually try playing before committing to buying cards, TCG Arena and Rift Atlas let you play Riftbound online for free. This is especially useful if you're thinking about building a specific deck and want to test it out first before buying singles.

Once you're playing and start running into more nuanced rules questions, Heimer-Helper is an AI-powered rules judge built specifically for Riftbound. Ask it about card interactions, errata, and official rulings.

One more tip: if you join a Local Game Store's (LGS) Discord or just show up to an event, you'll often find experienced players who are happy to lend you one of their decks to learn with. The community is genuinely welcoming at the table level.

Building Your Deck

Once you're ready to play with your own cards, there are three main routes to building a playable deck. They vary quite a bit in cost and experience, so pick the one that fits how you want to get into the hobby.

Option 1 — Buy a Preconstructed Deck (Most Affordable)

A preconstructed deck is a ready-to-play deck that comes with everything you need. At $20 MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price), these are excellent value, and even at the $25 to $30 you'll typically see them for online, it's still a great deal for a complete, legal deck. There's no wrong choice here. Pick the champion you recognise or the playstyle that sounds fun. You can always build from there.

Option 2 — Research and Buy Singles (Best Value for Competitive Play)

If you want to play competitively, the smartest move is to look up what's performing well and buy the individual cards you need. riftbound.gg/tier-list is a great place to see which decks are winning at tournaments, how they're ranked, and what they currently cost to build.

Once you know what you want, TCGPlayer and eBay are the best places to buy singles. For browsing every card in the game and putting together decks, Piltover Archive has great filtering and a deck sharing feature that makes the process a lot easier. For tracking card values and knowing when to buy or hold, Magical Meta gives you a solid picture of the overall market.

Option 3 — Buy Boosters and Build With What You Get (Most Fun)

This is the most expensive route, but in my opinion, also the most fun. There's something special about cracking packs and building a deck with whatever you pull. The catch is that with booster prices currently elevated above MSRP, you'll need to buy quite a few to have enough cards to build a legal deck. Hey, to each their own. If the experience of opening packs is what draws you to the hobby, go for it.

If you do go this route, your LGS is the best place to buy packs. More on that below.

A Word on Scalpers

If you're shopping online and see booster packs listed at two or three times what they should cost, those are scalpers. We'd really encourage you to look elsewhere when that happens. Buying from scalpers drives prices up for everyone and makes the hobby less accessible for new players coming in. It also emboldens more of that behaviour, which isn't good for the community long term.

The good news is there are better options. Your LGS, buying singles for exactly what you need, or being patient and waiting for prices to settle are all healthier ways to spend your money, individually and for the Riftbound community as a whole.

Find Your Local Game Store (LGS)

Your LGS is genuinely one of the best parts of getting into a physical TCG. The in-store experience, the community you'll meet, and the deals you can access through a real shop are things you simply can't replicate buying online from strangers.

Use riftfound.com to find a store near you. It's a fan-made site built specifically to make finding LGS locations and upcoming events a lot more user-friendly than the official store locator.

Here's what makes LGS events worth going to:

  • Regular events — Most stores run weekly or bi-weekly events where the buy-in is around $6 to $7 and includes a booster pack. You can also win additional packs as you play. It's a low-cost way to play, meet people, and grow your collection at the same time.
  • Pre-Rift events — These are pre-order events run before a new set releases. Your LGS can offer booster boxes and Pre-Rift kits (which contain 6 boosters) at significantly better prices than what you'd see from scalpers post-launch. Getting in early through your LGS is one of the smartest moves you can make.
  • Lending decks — Showing up to an LGS event and asking if anyone has a spare deck to learn with is completely normal. People are usually happy to help.

Supporting your LGS keeps the local scene healthy, which keeps the events running, which keeps the hobby accessible. It's a genuinely good cycle to be part of.

The Community

The Riftbound community is generally pretty positive, especially in person. If you walk into an LGS event as a new player, expect a warm welcome.

Online it's a bit more mixed, as it is with most internet communities. The r/riftboundtcg subreddit is mostly positive and a decent place to ask questions or follow news. You'll occasionally come across more negative personalities, but that's the internet. Don't let it put you off the game itself.

For the latest news straight from the source, check riftbound.com/news. I also cover new developments regularly on my TikTok (@ignosis_tcg) if you want a more casual take.

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