Zones, Setup, and Turn Structure Explained

Welcome back to our Riftbound Strategy Series! Now that you know how to build your deck and choose your Champion (see Part 1), it’s time to master where your cards go and how the turn unfolds. Let’s break down the Riftbound play area, setup steps, and the detailed turn structure.

Note: This is Part 2 of our 5-part series. Don’t miss Part 1 on Deck Building and stay tuned for Part 3 on Combat and Showdowns!

The Play Area: Zones Overview

• Base: Each player's private zone for playing Units, Gear, and Runes
• Battlefield Zone: Shared combat zone with multiple Battlefields
• Facedown Zones: One per Battlefield, limited to 1 card with Hidden
• Legend Zone: Where your Champion Legend resides (can't move or be targeted)
• Other Zones: Trash, Champion Zone, Main Deck, Rune Deck, Banishment, Hand

Setup Steps Before the Game

1. Place Champion Legend and Chosen Champion in their zones
2. Set aside Battlefields based on play mode
3. Shuffle Main Deck and Rune Deck separately and place them
4. Determine turn order
5. Draw 4 cards
6. Mulligan up to 2 cards, then Recycle them
7. First Player begins play

Privacy and Zone Rules

• Secret: No one can see (e.g., Main Deck)
• Private: Only the controller can see (e.g., Hand)
• Public: Everyone can see (e.g., Board)

Turn Structure

1. Start of Turn: Awaken, Apply Start Effects, Channel Runes, Draw
2. Action Phase: Discretionary Actions (only the Turn Player can act)
3. Combat/Showdown Phase: Triggers if opponents are present at a Battlefield
4. End of Turn: Resolve end effects, clear damage, empty Rune Pool

Game States and Priority

• Neutral Open: No Showdown or Chain. Free to act.
• Neutral Closed: Chain active. Only Reaction-speed actions allowed.
• Showdown Open: Combat prep phase. Action/Reaction cards playable.
• Showdown Closed: Chain exists during a Showdown.

Priority and Focus

• Priority: Permission to act during Open States
• Focus: Used during Showdowns

Coming Up Next

In Part 3 of our series, we’ll dive into Combat, Showdowns, and Controlling the Battlefield—the tactical heart of Riftbound!

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