As Riot Games' first venture into physical TCG,Riftboundfurther expands onLeague of Legends' universe through eye-catching art and its mobility-based gameplay. Compared to other TCGs, what’s unique aboutRiftboundis that unit cards are moved from players' bases in order to take control of several battlefield cards and score points to win.
In some ways,Riftboundplays like a MOBA in TCG form because players have to conquer battlefields and also make use of various resources for their champion units.League of Legends' pool of champions also brings a lot of fun and diversity toRiftbound, where players can maximize their abilities and also get different rarities. Out of the 171 (and counting) champions,Riftboundfeatures nearly 40 in its first set, called “Origins.”
Riftbound First Set Champion Units Rundown
Ahri
The fox-like vastaya from Ionia is one ofLeague of Legends' best mid-lane champions. InRiftbound, Ahri is a control-mage who can make it easier to conquer fields as long as she is protected. Her Alluring variant allows players to score an extra point when attacking a battlefield, while her Nine-Tailed Fox form reduces an enemy’s Might by 1 every time they attack a battlefield that players control.
Annie
Known for her pyrokinetic powers, Annie is a young mage from Noxus who can deal immense damage to enemies inRiftbound. Annie’s Fiery variant lets units deal 1 bonus spell and ability damage to enemies, while her Stubborn form lets players return used spells from the trash to their hand.
Blitzcrank
As aLeague of LegendsandRiftboundsupport champion, Blitzcrank is designed to tank damage to protect his allies. When his Impassive variant is played, an enemy unit can be moved to the same battlefield he’s on.
Caitlyn
Caitlyn is apopular ADC amongLeague of Legendsbeginnersbecause of her simple marksman kit. InRiftbound, she can deal significant damage equal to her Might at a battlefield as long as she is protected to sruvive.
Darius
Darius is a fearsome general inLeague of Legends' Noxian lore, who’s known for wielding a battleaxe. InRiftbound, he is an aggressive Champion Unit that can gain additional power when players place multiple cards in a single turn. When his Executioner variant is played, allies gain +1 power, allowing them to grow alongside the Noxian general.
Draven
A well-known Reckoner in Noxus' fighting arenas,Draven uses spinning axes inLeague of Legendsto deal great damage to his enemies. Similar to his brother, Darius, Draven can be an aggressiveRiftboundunit as his Showboat form grants him additional power based on players' points.
Dr. Mundo
Dr. Mundo is a simple yet impactful championwith abilities that can deal significant magic damage. HisRiftboundcard gives him additional Might based on the number of cards in the trash. Players can also recycle 3 cards at the start of the Beginning Phase if Dr. Mundo is played on the field.
Ekko
Ekko has one of the most recognizable looksboth inLeague of Legendsand inArcane, and his ability to rewind time makes him even more unique. His specialRiftboundability is that he can be recycled from the trash after death.
Fiora
If she has 5 Might, Fiora will become Mighty and will gain unique abilities. This includes moving between battlefields, deflecting attacks, and also providing shields to herself and her allies.
Garen
As the “Might of Demacia,” Garen is a warrior and protector inLeague of Legendslore, which also translates to hisRiftboundroles. Garen’s Rugged variant gives him 2 Assault powers when attacking and 2 Shield when blocking. Meanwhile, his Commander variant provides +1 Assault when it’s played.
Heimerdinger
Yordle scientistHeimerdinger became a favorite amongArcanefans, so much so that he deserves to return in the reported sequel. InRiftbound, he gets all the abilities of friendly legends, units, and gears, which gives him a unique advantage on the field.
Jinx
Jinx has grown in popularity thanks toArcaneover the last few years, and now,Riftboundplayers can experience the loose cannon’s aggressive attacks. When her Demolitionist form is played, Jinx gets +2 power when she’s the attacker. Her iconic monkey bomb and rocket launcher are also ability cards that can deal more damage to enemies.
Kai’Sa
Kai’Sa incentivizes players who aggressively conquer battlefields as her variants' abilities either require them to draw 1 card or play spells from the trash. Her Evolutionary variant also gives her the ability to gank battlefields.
Karma
Known as “The Enlightened One,” Karma is an ancient Ionian spirit that takes various human forms.Riftboundgives her the Vision ability, which allows players to look at the top card of their main deck and have the option to recycle it. Whenever they recycle one or more cards, they buff any friendly unit on the field.
Karthus
InLeague of Legends, Karthus is a wraith from themysterious Shadow Isles regionwho has the passive ability to defy death and is able to cast spells for a limited time. This is whyRiftboundgave him the ability to trigger Deathknell abilities one more time, making him a good teammate for the likes of Ekko and Kog’Maw.
Kayn
Kayn wields the Darkin weapon Rhaast, which gives him inhuman strength and abilities. InRiftbound, he has the ability to move between battlefields, and if he moves twice in a player’s turn, he doesn’t take any damage.
Kog’Maw
Kog’Maw is a creature of the Void that shoots out acid at enemies. HisRiftboundability is pretty straightforward: if he dies, he deals 4 damage to all units on the battlefield, both friend and foe.
Lee Sin
The blind monk may be known as a brawler inLeague of Legends, but inRiftbound, he functions mostly as a defender. His Ascetic variant allows him to receive any number of buffs as well, so players can ramp up his power.
Leona
Similar to her support role inLeague of Legends, Leona’s Determined form is able to defend battlefields and stun enemies on attack. She can also be a great late-game unit to play in order to slow down opponents' progress to win.
Lux
Lux is a popular choice amongLeague of Legendsfans, especially mage mains. InRiftbound, Lux is a control-mage who rewards players for using high-cost spells. The mage’s Illuminated form gives her +3 power when a 5-cost spell is played, while her Lady of Luminosity Legend variant allows players to draw one card every time they use high-cost spells.
Malzahar
As a prophet of The Void, Malzahar provides sacrifices to empower his master and fellowLeague of Legendschampion Bel’Veth. This is why hisRiftboundability lets him kill a friendly unit or gear.
Master Yi
Master Yi is a popular jungle championinLeague of Legends, who’s known for his quick and deadly sword attacks. Both his Meditative and Honed variants are heavily focused on dealing a lot of damage, especially in the endgame. Honed, in particular, has the ability to jump from one battlefield to the other, making it easier to pick off enemies.
Miss Fortune
Miss Fortune is a popular ADC and one of thestars inRuined King, who’s known for her leadership and gun skills.Riftboundgives players the option to use Miss Fortune to either attack while ganking, or counter enemies before they enter empty battlefields.
Nocturne
Nocturne is a dark demon from the spirit realm, and his ganking ability inRiftboundis essentially like haunting players in every battlefield.
Qiyana
A princess from Ixtal, Qiyana is known for her confidence in combat and elemental magic. HerRiftboundcard gives players the ability to draw one card or channel one rune after she conquers a field.
Sett
The leader of Ionia’s criminal ring, Sett is known for his brawler skill set, making him aformidableLeague of Legendstop-laner. Sett’sRiftboundabilities mostly revolve around buffs, with his Kingpin form giving him additional power for every buffed unit; and his The Boss variant bringing back dead units that received upgrades.
Shen
Shen is essentially a ninja from Ionia who uses a spirit blade to deal damage inLeague of Legends. Meanwhile,Riftboundmade him a defender that provides shields to teammates and he can also tank incoming attacks.
Sona
Sona is an easysupport champion forLeague of Legendsnewbies, and that seems to reflect in herRiftboundfunction as well. When Sona is played, players can prepare four friendly runes at the end of their turn.
Taric
As a support champion, Taric provides shields to protect his allies during matches. He has the ability inRiftbound, allowing him to tank damage and protect his teammates on the same battlefield.
Teemo
Known as one of themost hatedLeague of Legendschampions, Teemo is all about playing tricks on his opponents, even inRiftbound. Players with Teemo decks will have to utilize the Hidden function to surprise their enemies with unexpected moves.
Tryndamere
Tryndamere is the powerful Barbarian King of Freljord, who can grant 1 point to players if they deal 5 or more excess damage to enemy units.
Twisted Fate
Known for using empowered cards in battle similar toX-Men’s Gambit, Twisted Fate’sRiftboundability allows players to reveal the top rune of their deck after he attacks. Depending on the rune, the champion can deal damage, stun an enemy unit, or draw one card.
Udyr
League of Legendstook some time to rework Udyra few years back, and he came back with more refined abilities. InRiftbound, players have the option to spend one of four buffs in a turn.
Vayne
Demacian hunter Vayne gains +3 Assault when she’s the attacker, and also has the ability to return to hand after conquering the battlefield.
Vi
Similar to Jinx,Vi’s popularity also grew thanks toArcane. InLeague of Legends, she is categorized as a brawler because of her hand-to-hand combat prowess. InRiftbound, Vi can jump between battlefields, and also increases her power every time the player recycles a card from the trash.
Viktor
From a budding scientist to a messianic sorcerer, Viktor was the definition of an antihero inArcane. Aside fromredesigning Viktor’s defaultLeague of Legendsmodel,Riftboundalso adopted some of his character qualities in his cards, such as the Leader earning recruit tokens whenever a player’s unit dies. It’s all about building a strong board that will last until the end, regardless of who and how many die in the process.
Volibear
Considered a god in Freljordian myth, Volibear is one ofLeague of Legends' strongest characters according to lore.Riftboundplayers can also see this, since it costs 10 energy to place Volibear on the field. It can be worth it though, because his Furious variant can split 5 damage between enemy units on the field whenever he attacks.
Warwick
WhileLeague of Legendsdid a good job of introducing how deadly Warwick can be,Arcanegave the champion emotional depth.Riftboundperfectly illustrates Warwick’s bloodthirstiness as he can instantly kill all damaged units in a field.
Yasuo
Yasuo is an aggressive mid-laner from Ionia, which can make himdifficult to beat inLeague of Legendsmatches. He adopts this same quality inRiftboundas he can deal damage equal to his Might to a random enemy.
