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What you need to play
The official beginner guide describes a deck with these parts: a Champion Legend, a matching Chosen Champion, one battlefield, a 40-card main deck, and exactly 12 rune cards in domains permitted by the Legend. The Chosen Champion starts outside the shuffled main deck; shuffle the other 39 cards. Put each player’s battlefield in the Battlefield Zone, place the Legend and Chosen Champion face up, and shuffle the main deck and Rune Deck separately. Leave room for your Base, runes, and Trash. See the official How to Play guide for its illustrated setup.
Opening setup in the beginner guide
- Randomly select the starting player from the players’ chosen battlefields.
- Each player draws four cards and may take one mulligan: put up to two cards face down on the bottom of the main deck, then draw the same number.
- The last player gets an extra rune on their first turn.
- In four-player War, the first player skips their first draw and removes their starting battlefield.
These are the guide’s described opening rules. For event, format, or other mode-specific details, consult the current Rules Hub; its Core Rules were last updated July 16, 2026.
How runes pay for cards and abilities
Your 12-card Rune Deck is a separate resource deck. At the start of your turn, channel its top two runes onto the board ready. Cards and abilities can require Energy, Power, or both:
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- Energy: Exhaust the required runes by turning them sideways. Exhausted runes are not ready to pay another cost until readied.
- Power: Recycle the required runes by putting them on the bottom of the Rune Deck. The rune domains must match the symbols shown on the cost.
A rune exhausted to pay Energy can also be recycled to pay Power. Keep the distinction clear: exhausting temporarily spends a rune’s readiness; recycling sends it to the bottom of its deck.
Turn sequence
The beginner guide presents the turn in this order. Card text and detailed timing can add exceptions, so use the Rules Hub for specific interactions.
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- Awaken: Ready your exhausted units, Legend, and runes.
- Beginning: Resolve start-of-turn effects, then score one point for each battlefield you control.
- Channel: Put the top two cards of your Rune Deck onto the board ready.
- Draw: Draw one card from your main deck. The guide says there is no maximum hand size.
- Action Phase: In any order and as often as you are able, play cards, use abilities, and exhaust units to move to or from battlefields. Moving into an enemy-occupied battlefield starts combat.
- End turn: Resolve end-of-turn effects; units heal to full health; then the next player begins.
Battlefields, combat, and scoring
Conquer versus hold
You control a battlefield while you have one or more units there. Moving a unit to an unoccupied battlefield conquers it and scores a point. If you still control a battlefield when your next turn begins, you score another point for holding it. These are separate scoring opportunities, so occupying a location can matter both on arrival and at the start of a later turn.
What happens when a battlefield is contested
Moving units into a battlefield occupied by an opponent begins combat. At the beginner level, the sequence is:
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- Resolve relevant defend and attack abilities.
- Players get a showdown window for actions and cards that can be played then. Reactions may respond before a spell or ability resolves.
- When players pass, the units fight. Each side totals its units’ Might and assigns that much damage among opposing units. Assign lethal damage to one unit before assigning damage to another, and assign damage to TANK units first.
- Damage is simultaneous. A unit dies when its damage is equal to or greater than its Might.
- If only attackers remain, they conquer the battlefield and score. If a defender remains, there is no conquer; surviving attackers return to base.
This is the guide’s introductory combat explanation, not a complete account of every card-specific timing interaction. Check the Rules Hub when a card or edge case is unclear.
The final point is different
To win, your final point must come from holding a battlefield, or you must score all battlefields in one turn by holding or conquering them. If you would otherwise score the winning point without meeting either condition, the guide says you draw a card instead of gaining that point. A lone conquer can therefore earn points during the game but cannot, by itself, provide the final point.
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First-game decisions that matter
- Plan around exhausted units. Units enter play exhausted, and moving a unit exhausts it. A newly played unit may not be available to move or defend right away unless a card effect says otherwise.
- Budget runes for more than one kind of cost. Decide whether each rune should be exhausted for Energy or recycled for domain Power; track what remains ready and what has already been recycled.
- Expect a response before starting a fight. Moving into an enemy-held battlefield starts combat and gives the opponent a showdown window. Consider that timing before committing units.
- Think about both scoring moments. A conquer scores on arrival; holding the battlefield into a later turn can score again. The final-point rule makes a hold especially consequential near the end.
What should a beginner get?
Preconstructed decks let new players start without building a deck first. Riot’s Learn to Play page lists the Proving Grounds Starter Set as supporting 2–4 players, with four preconstructed decks, a rulebook, playmats, and tokens. It also says standalone starter decks are playable out of the box and include an additional booster; booster packs are for expanding a collection.
| Option | Players supported | Ready-to-play contents | Customization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proving Grounds Starter Set | 2–4, according to the official Learn to Play page | Four preconstructed decks, rulebook, playmats, and tokens, according to the official Learn to Play page | Preconstructed decks provide a starting point; boosters can expand a collection. |
| Standalone starter deck | Not stated on the official Learn to Play page | Playable out of the box; includes an additional booster, according to the official Learn to Play page | The additional booster can expand the collection; specific deck-building options are not stated on that page. |
| Booster pack | Not stated on the official Learn to Play page | Not stated on the official Learn to Play page | Described as a way to expand a collection, rather than as a ready-to-play deck. |
Product contents and availability can change, so confirm the current listing before buying. The official learning page also recommends local Riftbound or Nexus Nights events as a way to learn with other players; check its current event information for options in your area.
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- READY-TO-PLAY DECK: A full 56-card preconstructed deck featuring Rumble, designed for accessible and dynamic gameplay. This ready-to-play deck includes 1 champion legend, a 40-card deck, 12 rune cards, and 3 rare cards.
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- EXTRAS TO KEEP YOU IN THE ACTION: Includes a full-size paper playmat, a booster pack for customization, and deck-building tips. Booklet Included – Learn the game with an easy-to-follow rules and deck-building guide.
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Where to check current rules
Use the official beginner guide to learn the basic flow, then consult the Rules Hub for updated Core Rules, FAQs, and format details. The Quick Start Guide was published June 6, 2025, while the Rules Hub lists Core Rules last updated July 16, 2026. Card interactions and organized-play details may change, so the Rules Hub is the better reference for a current ruling.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
