Riftbound's finally in our hands, which means a whole lot of League players and TCG folks are all asking the same thing: "Okay... what do I actually buy first?"

If you've looked at the product lineup and felt even a little overwhelmed, you're not alone. We've got Proving Grounds, Champion Decks, booster packs, a shiny Arcane Box Set, Worlds bundles - and that's before we talk about future sets like Spiritforged.

Let's walk through it step by step and build a clean path from "I've never shuffled a Riftbound card" to "I'm playing real games and tuning decks."

The Big Picture: What Products Exist Right Now?

Before we talk shopping lists, it helps to understand what each product is actually for.

Proving Grounds - the true starter box

Riftbound: League of Legends TCG - Proving Grounds is the main starter experience. It's a boxed set designed for 2-4 players, and it comes with multiple prebuilt decks centered on Annie, Master Yi, Lux, and Garen. The whole point of the box is "open, sit down, and play," with guided learning and upgrade suggestions built in.

Key points:

• Four prebuilt decks built for balanced matchups
• Supports 1v1, 2v2, and free-for-all
• Includes acrylic champion figures, tokens, and a step-by-step learning experience
• Designed as the "everything you need to start" entry point

If you want the Riftbound equivalent of a board game box you can put on the table with friends, this is it.

Champion Decks - focused, singular-deck entry

The Origins Champion Decks are 56-card preconstructed decks built around a single champion - currently Jinx, Lee Sin, and Viktor. They're meant to give you a tighter, more thematic deck out of the box.

You can think of them like this:

• Jinx Champion Deck - aggressive, explosive "go fast, go wide" energy
• Lee Sin Champion Deck - more technical, combo/control lean
• Viktor Champion Deck - engine/value gameplay, building up advantages over time

Each one:

• Is ready to play immediately
• Gives you a clear identity for upgrades
• Pairs well with boosters if you want to tune quickly

Origins Boosters & Booster Displays - the card pool

Origins is the first Riftbound set: roughly 300 cards with champions like Jinx, Garen, Lux, Yasuo, Lee Sin, Annie, Viktor, Volibear, Master Yi, and more.

A single Origins booster pack (14 cards) typically contains:

• 7 commons
• 3 uncommons
• 3 foils (yes, three foils per pack)
• 1 token slot

You can buy them as:

• Individual sleeved boosters
• An Origins Booster Display

Boosters don't teach you how to play. They exist to:

• Expand your collection
• Upgrade Proving Grounds or Champion Decks
• Chase foils and alternate art

Arcane Box Set & Worlds Bundle - bling, not beginners

These are the products that look the most tempting if you're an Arcane or Worlds fan, but they're not where a new player should start.

Arcane Box Set

• Contains six foil Champion Legend cards: Jinx, Vi, Heimerdinger, Caitlyn, Viktor, and Warwick
• Comes with a display case
• Does not include a full deck or basic cards - it's a collectible, not a starter product

Riftbound Worlds Bundle 2025

Worlds-flavored bundle with Riftbound product and collectibles (details and availability have shifted over announcements)

• Great for fans who already know they're in for the long haul, less important if you're just trying to learn the game

If your main goal is playing, treat these as "nice later upgrades," not step one.

Step 1: The Best First Purchase for Most People

If you're brand new (or teaching friends): Proving Grounds

If you only remember one thing from this article, make it this:

Buy Proving Grounds first, if you can.

Why:

• You get multiple decks that are tuned to play well against each other
• The box is built for 2-4 players, making it perfect for friend groups or families
• It includes the guided learn-to-play experience, which is a huge deal if Riftbound is your first

TCG:

• The champion figures and tokens are included - you're not chasing accessories

How I'd use it:

1. Run "training matches"

   • Start with simple 1v1 games: Annie vs Garen, Lux vs Master Yi.
   • Don't worry about perfect play - just learn how turns flow and how Energy and Might work.

2. Swap decks between games

   • This helps everyone understand what each champion is trying to do.

3. Once everyone is comfortable, try 2v2 or free-for-all

   • This is where Riftbound really leans into its "tabletop night" feel.

If Proving Grounds is available at MSRP, it's hands-down the cleanest way to get your group playing. If it's temporarily sold out or overpriced, Riot has already talked about restocks and additional prints because demand spiked hard after launch.

If you're a TCG veteran and mostly playing 1v1: Champion Deck + boosters

If you've already played other TCGs and don't need a guided on-ramp, you can start a little more aggressively:

• Pick one Champion Deck that matches your style
• Add 6-10 Origins boosters to begin tuning

A rough personality match:

• Jinx - you like aggression, pushing damage, and forcing answers
• Lee Sin - you enjoy sequencing, combo lines, and "I planned this three turns ago"
• Viktor - you want incremental advantages and a board that slowly becomes impossible to answer

Why this works:

• You get a ready-to-play deck day one
• Boosters let you start swapping in stronger units, spells, and runes immediately
• You're not overcommitting to a full booster box before you know what you like

Later on, you can still pick up Proving Grounds if you want extra decks for friends or casual nights.

Step 2: How Many Boosters Do You Actually Need?

It's easy to go from "I'll buy a couple packs" to "why is my cart a car payment?" So let's be real about volume.

Given the 14-card pack structure with 7 commons, 3 uncommons, and 3 foils, you start building a decent base of options pretty quickly.

Here's a practical rule of thumb:

• Casual home play (one player):

  • 6-10 packs on top of a Champion Deck or Proving Grounds is enough to start meaningful customization.

• Two players both tuning decks:

  • 12-18 packs total (or split a booster display with a friend) gives both of you real flexibility.

• You know you're in deep:

  • A full Origins Booster Display is worth considering once you've committed to the game, not as literally your first purchase.

Start small, tune your first deck, and then decide if you like the gameplay enough to chase deeper playsets or foils.

Step 3: What Not to Buy First

Let's save you some frustration (and money).

Don't start with the Arcane Box Set

It's gorgeous. It has Arcane art. It is not a starter product.

• It's six foil Champion Legend cards and a display case - no deck, no tokens.
• You need an actual deck from Proving Grounds, Champion Decks, or homebrew construction to use them.

Grab this if you:

• Already know you love Riftbound, and
• You want Arcane bling for your favorite champion deck

Don't grab it thinking, "This is how I learn the game."

Be cautious with resold Proving Grounds / Worlds bundles

Because Riftbound is tied to League and Arcane, some products sold out and instantly hit resale sites at silly prices. Riot's already addressed this by planning additional print waves and retailer incentives to keep pricing sane.

If something is double or triple MSRP, you're usually better off:

• Waiting for a restock at your LGS or Riot's store, or
• Starting with a Champion Deck + boosters while you wait

Where to Buy: LGS vs Riot Store vs Big Box

You've got three main lanes:

Local Game Store (LGS)

If your shop already carries UniVersus, there's a good chance they'll carry Riftbound thanks to Riot's partnership with UVS Games for distribution.

Upsides:

• You support your local scene
• You're more likely to find events, demos, and league play
• Staff can often help you decide between Champion Decks and boosters based on what's in stock

Riot Games Merch Store

The Riot store:

• Carries Proving Grounds, Champion Decks, booster displays, Arcane Box Set, and Worlds Bundles directly
• Requires a Riot ID login and often uses purchase limits per account to fight scalping

If your LGS is dry, this is your best "official" safety valve.

Just remember: boosters alone don't teach the game - pair them with Proving Grounds or a Champion Deck.

Sample Shopping Paths

Let's turn this into concrete plans.

1. "I want to learn with friends at home."

• 1x Proving Grounds
• Optional: 4-8 Origins boosters to slowly upgrade the champion decks over time

This gives you:

• Four decks for up to four players
• Learn-to-play materials and all the accessories you need
• Enough boosters to feel upgrades without overwhelming new players

2. "It's just me and one friend, we're TCG-savvy."

Option A - More structured:

• 2x Champion Decks (pick two champs you both like)
• 12 Origins boosters (you can split them 6/6 or draft them together casually)

Option B - All-in starter:

• 1x Proving Grounds
• 6-10 Origins boosters

With A, you get focused decks quickly. With B, you also get extra decks for teaching more people later.

3. "I know I'm going to chase events and build multiple decks."

• 1x Proving Grounds - good for teaching, variety, and extra staples
• 2x Champion Decks (pick champions that fit your competitive goals)
• 1x Origins Booster Display (or split a box with a friend)

You'll have:

• A strong base of cards to experiment with
• Multiple decks you can hand to friends or tune for different metas
• Flexibility to pivot as future sets like Spiritforged and beyond roll out

Looking Ahead

Origins is just the start. Riot has already mapped out future sets like Spiritforged and talked openly about restocks, OP support, and ways they're responding to feedback from the initial launch.

For now, though, your path into the game doesn't have to be complicated:

1. Start with gameplay products - Proving Grounds or a Champion Deck.
2. Layer in a sensible number of boosters to tune your first list.
3. Treat Arcane / Worlds and other promos as bonus bling, not your first buy.

Once you've played a few nights and figured out whether you're a Jinx enjoyer, a Lee Sin tactician, or a Viktor schemer, the rest of your collection plan will come together naturally.

If you're jumping into Riftbound, I'd love to hear what your first purchase looks like and which champion you're building around first.

You can always find me and yell about card choices over on Twitter (X) at @_EmeraldWeapon_.