The release of Riftbound: Origins is almost here! The game's growing community has already started analyzing the best cards awaiting us. To help you prepare your decks for our Nexus Nights or to build your list of must-collect cards, I've analyzed what meta experts are saying to present the 10 cards that will dictate the tempo and value of your games.
Better Understanding Strategy: Tempo, Value, and Area Control
The effectiveness of a card in a TCG often relies on specific concepts. Since it's a new game, I wanted to give you a quick recap of some useful terms to understand the usefulness of Riftbound's cards:
Tempo (or pace of play): This is the speed at which you develop your advantage over your opponent. Gaining tempo means you force the player opposite you to react by wasting their resources to manage you. As a result, they have less time to establish themselves and potentially score points.
Two-for-One (Exchange Value): This term describes when you can take care of two of your opponent's cards with just one card. However, Two-for-One can also be considered interesting if it offers you a bonus, for example, by playing a card that generates a card advantage (such as destroying a unit while also allowing you to draw): you gain the advantage over available resources.
Zone Control: In Riftbound, the game is divided into battlefield zones (between players) and the base zone (on your playmat). Zone control consists of dominating these locations. Powerful cards are those that can interact with or neutralize one or more of these zones, forcing your opponent to play only in the zones you allow.
Tempo Domination
The key to winning in Riftbound is often to unbalance your opponent's Tempo. Cards with a lower cost and a disproportionate impact are therefore important to consider.
The most obvious example is Gust.
A Spell with only 1 Energy and Reaction speed. Its ability to return a unit with 3 Might or less to its owner's hand is the perfect tempo tool. It can cancel the opponent's first turn investment.
Along the same lines, there's Charm.
For a very low cost, this card can move any enemy unit anywhere, allowing you to free up a point for an immediate conquest to your advantage.
The same principle applies to Hidden Blade.
This card offers extremely flexible unit removal: it can be played to kill a blocker or even, in an emergency, on your own dying unit to draw two cards and gain a resource advantage.
The Essential Value: Two-for-One
In a resource management game, a card that does the work of two cards is always a powerful card. These spells are the cornerstones of Control strategies.
Void Seeker is a perfect example.
For 3 Energy and 1 Fury Power, the card deals 4 damage and draws a card. It removes a threat without costing a card from your hand, saving you resources.
Falling Star deals 3 damage twice, targeting two different units, and can even hit units at the Base, helping prevent units from arriving on your battlefields.
Another card that takes Control to another level is Singularity.
For 6 Energy, it hits up to two units for 6 damage. Its crucial advantage is that it can hit Base units, making it the best board clearer available for Control decks in Origins.
Finishers and Power Generators
These cards define the endgame and are the reason why it's important to know how to handle your Energy reserves properly.
Kai'Sa, Survivor, arguably the best champion in the set, is a card that generates card advantage very effectively. With Accelerate, 4 Might, and her passive ability that lets you draw a card when she conquers, she's essential for quickly propelling you to your more expensive spells.
Once ramp (resource acceleration) is established, cards like Dazzling Aurora become interesting. This 9 Energy Gear is a bomb in itself. It plays a unit from your deck for free.
The goal is to constantly add powerful units, turn after turn, like Deadbloom Predator, which can not only enter an occupied battlefield with 8 might, but also has a Deflect ability.
But the most interesting card in the first Riftbound set is, without a doubt, Thousand-Tailed Watcher.
The card can already be Accelerated for 8 Energy. When played, it grants -3 Might to all enemy units this turn, including those positioned at the Base. It therefore favors an opening on any defended point and almost always guarantees immediate capture, often synonymous with victory since it is played at the end of the game.
Your next goal: find the Meta cards
Analysis of these 10 cards clearly shows that Riftbound's high-level strategies are already in motion and are based on efficiency and surprise. These cards will be among the most requested by the competitive community.
Don't miss the opportunity to integrate these cards into your decks!
Pre-orders for Riftbound: Origins products are still open in store. Come to Cartes Léo in Lachute or visit the Riftbound section on our website to purchase these cards individually (or in booster packs)!