# Understanding Riftbound Card Rarity & Printings

_2026-06-11 · RiftCompare_

Common to Showcase, alt-arts, Signatures, Overnumbered and promos — what every Riftbound rarity and special printing means, and why it changes the price.

Two copies of the "same" Riftbound card can have very different prices — because they're different *printings*. Here's how rarity and special treatments work, so you always know exactly what you're buying.

## The rarity ladder

Every base Riftbound card has a rarity, shown on RiftCompare with a coloured badge:

- **Common** — the backbone of the set; cheap and plentiful.
- **Uncommon** — a step up in scarcity.
- **Rare** — less common, often deck staples.
- **Epic** — scarcer still, and home to many chase cards.
- **Showcase** — special alternate-art treatments; the rarest pulls and usually the priciest.

Higher rarity generally means a higher price, but **playability** matters too — a Rare that defines the meta can cost more than an Epic nobody plays.

## Special printings (and how we label them)

Beyond rarity, the same card can appear in several printings. RiftCompare labels each one right in the card name so you're never guessing:

- **Alt Art** — an alternate-artwork version of a card (collector numbers like *112a*). Plays identically to the base card; priced as a collectible.
- **Showcase** — the premium alt-art treatment (see above).
- **Signature** — artist-signed, "overnumbered" cards marked with a *★* in the collector number (e.g. *223★/221*). Among the rarest cards in the game.
- **Overnumbered** — cards numbered beyond the set's base count (e.g. *238/219*) — special chase pulls.
- **Promo** — limited printings from prereleases, organised play and events. A promo shares the base card's art and number but trades at its own price.

## Why the same card has multiple prices

Because each printing is, to a collector, a different card. The **base print** is what you want for a deck — it plays the same and costs the least. The fancy versions (alt-art, Signature, promo) cost more because they're scarcer, not because they're better in play. On any **[card page](/browse)** the printing is spelled out in the title, so you can pick exactly the version you mean to buy.

## The practical takeaway

- **Building a deck?** Buy the cheapest base print — it plays identically.
- **Collecting?** Decide which treatment you're chasing (alt-art, Signature, promo) and confirm the label before you buy.
- **Selling?** Make sure you list the right printing — mixing them up is the most common pricing mistake.

Want to see the chase cards in action? Read **[the most valuable Riftbound cards](/guides/most-valuable-riftbound-cards)**, then **[browse the database](/browse)** and sort by price.

Source: https://riftcompare.com/guides/understanding-riftbound-card-rarity