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Riftbound Deck Building Guide
Building a legal Riftbound deck starts with the hard rules for its five parts: a legend that fixes your colors, 40 main-deck cards, 12 runes, 3 battlefields, and a 3-copy limit. This page covers the concepts and how the TopCut HK builder streamlines the whole workflow.
The five parts of a legal deck (hard rules)
- Legend ×1: defines your deck’s two domains.
- Main deck: exactly 40 cards — units, spells, gear — including 1 champion that shares the legend’s name (counted within the 40).
- Rune deck: exactly 12 runes, from the legend’s two domains only.
- Battlefields ×3: each with a unique name.
- Sideboard: 0–10 of any number under current rules; an older document says “exactly 0 or 8” — follow your organizer’s rules version.
The legend fixes your domains: pick colors first
Domains are this game’s color factions: Fury, Calm, Mind, Body, Chaos and Order. Your legend belongs to two domains, and every card in your main and rune decks must fall within those two colors — so the first step of building is picking a legend, not individual cards.
The copy limit and bans: the two rules that trip people up
- Max 3 copies of any card name, counted across main deck and sideboard combined (not separately). Runes and battlefields are exempt.
- Bans apply by effective date: our ban list shows each card’s status — e.g. wave 3 (“Ekko - Recurrent”, “Stacked Deck”) is effective worldwide from 2026-09-18, but the Traditional Chinese region (including Hong Kong) follows a later date of 2026-09-21; events before that date are unaffected.
- Casual / store-event exemption: an unmodified official precon may be played as-is even with banned cards inside; any modification makes the ban list apply in full.
Using the TopCut HK builder: six steps
- Pick a legend, or load an official precon in one click.
- Choose your champion (counted within the 40-card main deck).
- Add cards from the pool: 40 main, 12 runes, 3 battlefields, plus a sideboard if you want one.
- Watch the live legality checks: counts, domains, copy limit and ban warnings update as you build.
- With 40 main-deck cards, simulate opening hands to test the feel.
- Copy the share link in one click (friends can view without logging in), or export a text list.
Building tips
- Fewer battlefields than you think: 5 of 24 are banned (all colorless), leaving 19 legal — decide your battlefield line early.
- After logging your physical collection, the builder’s “missing cards” analysis tells you exactly what you still lack — avoid building a deck you can’t assemble.
- Not sure which legend to start with? Use the opening-hand simulator to try official precons before committing to a build.
FAQ
How many cards does a Riftbound main deck need?
Exactly 40, and it must include 1 champion sharing the legend’s name — the champion counts within the 40, not on top of it.
What is the rune deck and how big is it?
The rune deck is a separate resource pile that pays your cards’ costs: exactly 12 runes, each matching one of your legend’s two domains.
How many copies of one card can I play?
Up to 3 copies of any card name, counted across main deck and sideboard combined. Runes and battlefields are exempt (the 12 runes necessarily repeat; battlefields must have unique names instead).
Does the builder check whether my deck is legal?
Yes. The TopCut HK builder checks live: main/rune/battlefield counts, the champion–legend name match, the copy limit, domain identity, and banned cards (judged by effective date).
How do I share a deck with friends?
The builder’s share button copies a link in one click; anyone opening it sees a read-only deck list with no login required. You can also export the deck as a text list.
Unofficial community content, compiled from official public tutorials, the 2026-07-16 tournament rules and card reminder text. Riftbound and all related names, characters and card images are trademarks/copyright of Riot Games.