Riftbound is one of those games where you can understand the basics fast, then immediately get slapped by a card that reads like it's from another planet. Keywords pile up, timing words blur together, and suddenly you're asking, "Wait, can I do this right now?"

Here's the trick - most Riftbound terms already exist in other TCGs, they're just wearing different clothes. Once you translate them into the Magic: The Gathering brain-space you already have, the whole game calms down.

What's the fastest way to "translate" Riftbound?

If you only skim one section, skim this.

• Exhaust / Ready = tap / untap.
• Trash = graveyard.
• Banish = exile (usually).
• Reaction = instant-speed interaction (stack response energy).
• Action = "playable in the fight," kind of like combat tricks with special permission.
• Deflect = Ward-style tax to target something.

With that translation in your pocket, the rest is mostly details.

What do Action and Reaction actually mean?

What is Reaction?

Reaction is the keyword that screams "you can't relax." It's the Riftbound version of instant-speed play, including responding to other cards and abilities.

If you're an MTG player, treat Reaction like instants and activated abilities you can fire off while something is happening. The practical lesson is simple: if your opponent starts a big moment, you should always ask yourself, "Do I have a Reaction here?"

What is Action?

Action is more "combat window permission" than full-time instant speed. It can be played on your turn, and it can also be played during Showdowns (including when it isn't your turn).

MTG translation: think "I can cast this during combat," but the game is being explicit about which tense moments it works in.

What are Showdowns, anyway?

A Showdown is basically Riftbound's "we're in the combat moment now" state. The important part is that Actions and Reactions can happen before combat resolves.

MTG brain - this is your "combat step with priority" vibe. You're not just jamming attackers and hoping. You're planning windows.

What do the combat keywords mean?

What is Might and Mighty?

Might is the combat stat that determines who wins during a Showdown (and it shows up on a ton of effects).

Mighty is a threshold check: a unit counts as Mighty as long as it has 5+ Might, even if it's temporary.

MTG translation - Might is power (not exactly, but close enough for sequencing). Mighty is like "this creature turns on once it hits a benchmark," similar to cards that care about "power 4 or greater."

What is Assault and Shield?

Assault gives extra Might while attacking.

Shield gives extra Might while defending.

MTG translation - these are built-in combat pumps, but conditional. Assault reads like "attacking gets +X/+0." Shield reads like "blocking gets +X/+0."

What is Tank?

Tank changes how damage is assigned in combat. Damage has to get assigned to Tank units first.

If you've played digital card games, it's basically Taunt energy. In MTG terms, it's not "must block," but it is "you must deal with this body before you get to the squishies."

What is Stun?

Stun means the unit doesn't deal damage during combat that turn.

MTG translation - think "fog for one creature," or "it can participate, but its damage is turned off."

What's going on with Hidden and movement stuff?

What is Move, Ganking, and Recall?

• Move is moving units to and from battlefields, usually by exhausting them (though effects can move exhausted units too).
• Ganking lets a unit move directly between battlefields (skipping the usual routing).
• Recall sends a card back to base, and it's explicitly not considered a Move.

MTG translation - Move is like "repositioning between lanes" (not a Magic concept, but treat it like board navigation). Recall is closer to "return to hand/base zone," except the rules care that it's not movement, so don't assume your "whenever it moves" style triggers apply.

What is Hidden?

Hidden is one of the big "read it twice" mechanics. It involves playing a card facedown and later using it in a Reaction-like way, and the rules team has even called it one of the most complex mechanics.

MTG translation - it's morph-ish. Not the same rules, but the same feeling: "this is a concealed resource and you need to respect it."

Here's some practical advice. When your opponent has a facedown Hidden card, assume they're representing a trick. Play like they have it.

What are the "zones" and removal terms?

What is Trash, Banish, Discard, and Kill?

• Trash is the discard pile.
• Discard puts a card into the Trash.
• Kill sends a card from play to the Trash.
• Banish puts cards into a separate zone, generally treated like removed from play (sometimes temporarily, sometimes not).

MTG translation - Trash is graveyard, Banish is exile, Kill is destroy (but don't assume "destroy can't hit X" until you read the actual card).

What is Counter?

Counter negates the targeted card's effect and puts it into the Trash.

MTG translation - yup, Counterspell. Same emotional damage.

What is Deflect?

Deflect adds a cost to target something, and if they can't or won't pay, they can't target it.

Also, rules updates clarified how Deflect costs can be refused in certain cases, which matters if you're deep in timing.

MTG translation - Ward. If you have Ward trauma, you already get it.

What's the deal with resources: Energy, Power, Recycle?

Riftbound splits resource language in a way that trips up MTG players at first.

• Energy is the standard "pay costs" resource, often gained by exhausting runes.
• Power costs are paid by recycling the appropriate runes (and exhausted runes can still be used).
• Recycle places a card onto the bottom of the appropriate deck (Runes go to the Rune Deck, other cards to the Main Deck).
• Channel places the top card of your Rune Deck onto the board.
• Add is rules shorthand for producing Energy or Power that can be used toward paying costs.

MTG translation - Exhaust/Ready is tap/untap, but the resource payment system is closer to a hybrid of "mana" plus "tucking cards to pay colored requirements." Don't fight it. Just learn what your deck pays, and how often it wants to recycle.

What are the "trigger" keywords you'll see a lot?

What is Deathknell?

Deathknell triggers when the unit dies (not when it leaves play in some other way).

It's also gotten official clarification work in rules patches, which is usually a sign it's important and a little nuanced.

MTG translation - "dies triggers." If it didn't die, don't expect the value.

What is Vision?

Vision lets you look at the top card of your Main Deck and optionally recycle it.

MTG translation - light scry, but with "bottom it" energy (and it can matter a lot if your deck cares about what you recycle).

What is Legion?

Legion cares that you've already played another card that turn, then it triggers its effect.

MTG translation - "second spell matters," or "if you've already cast something." Sequencing matters a ton here, and it's an easy place to throw away value by playing your Legion card first.

What is Conquer and Holding?

Conquer is taking control of a battlefield (and some effects care about it).

Holding is maintaining control of a battlefield until your next turn, and some effects trigger off that too.

MTG translation - these are like "you became the monarch" or "you kept the emblem." It's game-state tracking that rewards planning, not just combat math.

What are the newer Spiritforged keywords people keep talking about?

Spiritforged added new systems around attachments and gear, plus some fresh keywords:

• Equip attaches Equipment to a unit by paying its Equip cost.
• Quick-Draw lets you play certain Equipment at Reaction speed and attach it right away (without paying the Equip cost in that moment).
• Weaponmaster interacts with Equipment and helps attach it with a cost reduction.
• Repeat is an optional additional cost that makes a spell's effect happen one extra time.

MTG translation - Equip is Equip (easy), Quick-Draw is "flash plus auto-attach," and Repeat is "kicker that copies the effect once," but still counts as one spell play.

What Now?

If you made it this far, you already did the hard part: you stopped treating Riftbound keywords like a foreign language and started treating them like familiar concepts with different labels.

With that... pick a handful of terms you see every match, write the quick translation somewhere, and test it the next time you play. You will feel the difference immediately, especially in those "can I respond here?" moments.

If you've got a keyword that still feels weird, or you want me to translate a specific card interaction into plain English, tag me on X at @_EmeraldWeapon_. I'm always down to talk lines, timing, and the little rules traps that get people.