If you're looking for spoilers for Riot Games' upcoming physical League of Legends TCG Riftbound, you've come to the right place. We had the chance to try out the cards early a couple weeks ago, and now we're back to share them with you lovely lot.
If you're a TCG fan interested in learning about how Riftbound plays compared to other games in the genre, check out our preview. If you're more interested in how this game will appeal to League players, or what it means for Legends of Runeterra, you should read this interview on our sister site, PCGamesN.
But, if you just want to get straight to the cards, keep scrolling. Below you'll find the Legend cards and Signature Spells for 12 champions. In case you're unaware, Legends are a special card attached to each deck that give you an ability you always access to. Signature cards can only go into a deck that features their associated champion.
First up we have Sett, who plays with aggression and buffed units (buffed units have +1 might). His Showstopper spell lets you buff a unit in your base, perhaps one you've just played, and then immediately move it to a battlefield. This synergises perfectly with the Legend card Sett, the Boss, which gives you an option to spend resources and retreat to save buffed units that would otherwise die. The cool thing about these two cards is they work really well together whichever order you play them.
Next is Miss Fortune, Bounty Hunter, whose power gives units Ganking, and encourages a movement-based deck. Her signature spell Bullet Time works well with this, as you can quickly move a unit to a different battlefield and rain down fire on your opponent's luckless units.
I believe Viktor, Herald of the Arcane has already been widely shown, but he's here for completion's sake. He makes little token creatures, encouraging a go-wide strategy. His Signature move Siphon Power is a mass buff that will all but ensure you win a showdown.
Probably the most movement-based champion card, Yasuo, Unforgiven can transport units to your base or to a battlefield without exhausting them, which has loads of different tactical applications. Meanwhile, Last Breath can pick off a unit at a heavily guarded battlefield before your own forces move in.
Darius is the champion I played during my time at the Riftbound summit. He's all about playing multiple spells a turn, and there are plenty of cards with the 'Legion' ability that get better if you've already cast something that turn.
His Legend power to create extra energy shouldn't be underestimated. From what I've seen, Riftbound doesn't have a ton of ramp, and one energy can make all the difference.
Ahri's abilities are more controlling than damaging, with an effect that weakens all your opponents units when they're attacking you. With Fox-Fire she can still lay down some hurt, however, instantly blowing up 4 Might worth of units. This card can be hidden and played for free later, and used during showdowns to turn an even fight into a blowout.
Lee Sin is pretty straightforward, as his ability simply buffs units for energy. His Signature spell looks a lot like a Magic: The Gathering 'fight' spell, but it functions very differently thanks to Riftbound's movement mechanics.
Another champion that's a quite straightforward showcase of a keyword, Leona, Radiant Dawn buffs your units when you stun opposing units, stopping them from dealing damage that turn. Zenith Blade is an excellent way to perform that action, not only shutting down a unit, but immediately bringing in one of your own to deliver the coup de grace.
Teemo is one of the more complex champions to play in Origins. He works with the Hidden ability, which we saw earlier on Fox-Fire. Not only does Teemo make it much easier to pay for hide costs, his signature spell can return spent or beaten cards with hide back into play. And on top of that his legend can bounce a Teemo to your hand, ready for you to hide them.
Volibear, by comparison is dead simple. He wants you to play big units, letting you ramp by channeling runes if you do. His Stormbringer spell is devastating if you control the largest unit on the board.
Kai'sa encourages to play a deck big on magic, with a Legend card that adds power to help you play spells (which in Riftbound are only 'action' type cards, not units). You'll need it to pay the ridiculous cost of Icathian Rain, but it'll be worth it when you obliterate multiple units in multiple locations. Not even your opponents' bases are safe!
Finally, we have Jinx - another card that I think the community is already aware of. Her Loose Cannon legend lets you draw extra cards if you start the turn one or fewer, encouraging you to play with a suite of cards that can be discarded or have an effect after they're discarded.
Super Mega Death Rocket is her Signature Spell. It simply whallops something for 5 damage, but when you take over a battlefield, you can get it back, swapping out something else from your hand to bring it back online.
That's a pretty quick and choppy look at the champion-based cards in the first Riftbound set, but I was keen to serve them up to you as swiftly as possible. Do any of them jump out at you as interesting cards to build a deck around? Come discuss (or ask me any questions about what I saw at the Summit) in our Discord.