Is Riftbound Worth Getting Into? An Honest Look

Riftbound — the League of Legends Trading Card Game — is one of the newest TCGs around, and "should I get into it?" is the question we hear most. Here's an honest answer, without the hype.

What you're actually getting

Riftbound is a strategy card game set in the League of Legends universe. You build a deck around a Legend (your champion), across the game's domains — Fury, Calm, Mind, Body, Chaos, Order and Colorless — and battle for control of battlefields. If you enjoy deckbuilding and tactical card games (or you already love League's characters), it lands in a very familiar, very satisfying place.

The good

• It's early. Getting in now means learning the game as the community grows and the meta is still wide open — a genuinely fun time to play.
• The IP is huge. League's characters and art carry real appeal, and the card art is gorgeous.
• You don't need to spend big to play. Preconstructed decks and Proving Grounds kits give you a complete, playable deck cheaply.

The honest caveats

• It's a new game, so the local scene depends on where you live — check whether stores near you run events before you go deep.
• Like any TCG, it can get expensive if you chase chase-cards. The good news: you rarely need them to play well.

What it costs to start

The cheapest route in is a preconstructed or Proving Grounds deck — a ready-to-play deck out of the box. From there you upgrade card-by-card with singles, which is far cheaper than ripping boxes hoping to pull what you need. Want to know the real cost? Drop a decklist into our deck pricer and it totals every card at the cheapest live price.

Who it's for

If you like building decks, enjoy League, or want to get into a TCG on the ground floor, Riftbound is an easy yes. If you only want a quick filler game with no collecting, it might be more than you're after.

Try before you spend

You can get a feel for the cards completely free: play Riftle, our daily card game, print test decks with the proxy tool, and read Riftbound for beginners. When you're ready to buy, compare every store so you start out paying the least.