How to build your first Riftbound deck

To build a valid Riftbound deck, you need to choose a Champion, respect the 2-domain limit, assemble 56 main deck cards, 3 battlefields and 12 runes, without exceeding 3 copies per card. Our deck builder automatically checks all of these rules as you build your list.

Step 1: Choose your Champion

The Champion (Legend card) is the heart of your deck. It determines the domains (colors) you'll be able to use. A constructed Riftbound deck is limited to 2 domains maximum, so choosing your Champion shapes your entire deck build.

Step 2: Build the main deck (56 cards)

The main deck contains 56 cards: units, spells and gear. You cannot play more than 3 copies of the same card, counting the main deck and sideboard together.

Step 3: Battlefields

Each deck includes 3 distinct battlefields (only one copy of each). They're kept separate from the main deck and directly influence how the game unfolds.

Step 4: Runes (12 cards)

The 12 runes provide the energy needed to play your cards. They form a separate deck of their own, distinct from the main deck.

Step 5: The sideboard (up to 10 cards)

The sideboard lets you prepare up to 10 additional cards that you can swap into your main deck between games, to adapt to your opponent.

Using the Nexus Cards deck builder

Rather than checking these rules by hand, you can use our Riftbound deck builder. It lets you:

• Build your list card by card, with a visual energy curve.
• Automatically check that your deck follows the official rules (56 cards, 3 battlefields, 12 runes, maximum 2 domains, maximum 3 copies).
• Identify which cards you're missing to complete your deck, by comparing it to your already-saved Riftbound collection.

If any missing cards are in stock at Nexus Cards TCG, you'll find them directly in our catalog of single Riftbound cards.