Card Anatomy: What Every Number and Symbol Means

Riftbound Card Anatomy: What Every Number and Symbol Means

Every Riftbound card contains information that affects both how you play it and how you build your deck. Riftbound card anatomy is the term for every number, symbol, and text element printed on a card. Understanding it will help you read any card you pick up with confidence. Here is a breakdown of every component, by card type.

This page breaks down every card type in Riftbound. Jump to the one you are holding, or scroll through from the top.

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Unit and Champion Cards

Units are the fighters that go to Battlefields and deal damage in combat. Champion units are a specific subtype, identified by the word Champion printed before “Unit” on the type line. Both look the same and share the same card elements.

Energy Cost (upper left corner)

The large number in the upper left circle is the Energy Cost. This is how many Energy you need to play the card. Energy is a colourless resource generated by channelling runes from your Rune Deck.

Power Cost (below the Energy number)

Some cards have domain symbols stacked vertically below the Energy number. Each symbol means you need one Power of that domain to play the card. Not every card has a Power Cost. A card showing “4” with one green leaf below it costs 4 Energy and 1 Calm Power Rune.

Might (upper right corner)

The number in the upper right corner is the unit’s Might. This is its combat statistic: how much damage it deals when it fights, and how much damage it can take before being killed. If damage on a unit equals or exceeds its Might, that unit is killed. For a full explanation see How Damage Works in Riftbound.

Type Line

The banner below the illustration shows the card type and any supertypes or tags.

What you see	What it means
Unit	A permanent card that stays on the board after being played. Goes to a Battlefield or your Base.
Champion	A supertype printed before “Unit.” Champion units are linked to a specific Legend and have deck-building restrictions (maximum 3 copies).
Tags	Words printed after the card type, such as KATARINA or NOXUS on the example above. Tags link Champion units to their Legend and can be referenced by card abilities.

Name

The card name appears in the lower portion of the illustration area or on a name bar. Some cards have a subtitle below the name (for example, Katarina / RECKLESS). The full name including subtitle is used for deck-building rules.

Rules Text

The text box describes what the unit can do. It can contain any combination of the following:

Element	What it looks like	What it means
Abilities	Standard sentences describing what the card does	Discrete effects the card has. A single card can have multiple abilities.
Keywords	Short bold or highlighted words: Deflect, Accelerate, Ambush, Hunt, TEMPORARY, REACTION, DEATHKNELL	A keyword is shorthand for a longer rule. See the Riftbound Keyword Index for the full meaning of every keyword.
Reminder Text	Italicised text in parentheses immediately after a keyword	A plain English summary of what the keyword means. No gameplay effect on its own.
Activated Abilities	Written as [Cost]: [Effect]	Abilities you choose to trigger by paying the listed cost. The colon separates cost from effect.

Flavor Text

Some cards have italicised text in a shaded bar at the bottom of the text box. This is Flavor Text. It adds atmosphere and story context but has no effect on gameplay whatsoever.

Domain Symbols (lower right corner)

The symbols in the lower right corner show which Domains this card belongs to. You can only include cards whose domains match your chosen Legend’s Domain Identity. A card with no domain symbols can go in any deck.

Domain	Colour	Symbol shape
Fury	Red	Circular symbol with three projecting points
Calm	Green	Leaf shape
Mind	Blue	Sun and moon combined
Body	Orange	Blocky diamond shape
Chaos	Purple	Hexagonal symbol with swirls
Order	Yellow	Angular winged symbol

Collector Information (bottom strip)

The very bottom of the card shows the set code (UNL, ORI, SFD), the card number out of the total set size (for example, 023/219), a rarity symbol, and the card designer credit. None of this affects gameplay but it identifies exactly which printing you have. The set code and number are the most useful when looking cards up on TCGPlayer or other databases.

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Symbols and Icons in the Text Box

Ability text uses symbols that appear as icons on the printed card. The most common ones you will see:

Symbol	What it means
Exhaust	Turn this card sideways as part of paying the cost. An exhausted card cannot act until it readies at the start of your next turn.
Might	Refers to this unit’s current Might value. Appears in abilities that scale with how powerful the unit is.
Domain Power symbols	Each domain is represented by a unique icon used in cost boxes and ability costs. The six domains are Fury, Calm, Mind, Body, Chaos, and Order.
Universal Power	Power of any Domain. Can be paid using Power from any domain’s rune.
Keyword indicator	Appears after a keyword to show that what follows is modified by that keyword. Used with keywords like Level, Legion, Action, and Reaction.

For a full reference of every symbol and icon used on Riftbound cards, see the Riftbound Icons page.

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Legend Cards

Your Legend is your champion. You choose one before the game begins, place it in the Legend Zone, and it stays there for the whole game. Legends cannot be killed by normal gameplay. The collector info format at the bottom of a Legend card follows the same format as unit cards.

What is the same as a Unit card

Legends have the same Name, Type Line, Rules Text, Flavor Text, and Illustration as unit cards. The collector information at the bottom follows the same format.

What is different on a Legend card

Element	How it appears on a Legend
No Cost box	Legends are not played from your hand. They start the game in the Legend Zone and have no Energy or Power cost.
No Might value	Legends have no Might number. They cannot be killed by damage and you do not attack directly with them.
Domain Identity	The domain symbols on your Legend appear prominently in the upper left area of the card (not the lower right corner as on units). These symbols determine which cards you can include in your entire deck. Every card in your Main Deck and Rune Deck must match your Legend’s Domain Identity.
Champion Tags	The tag(s) on your Legend’s type line link it to your Champion units. Any unit with a matching tag is that Legend’s Champion unit.
Activated Abilities with Exhaust cost	Many Legend abilities cost [E] (Exhaust) to use, meaning you turn the Legend sideways to pay. The Legend stays exhausted until the start of your next turn.

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Spell Cards

Spells are Main Deck cards that create an immediate effect and then go to the Trash. They do not stay on the board. The collector info format at the bottom of a Spell card follows the same format as unit cards.

Card type	What happens when you play it	Stays on board?
Spell	Creates its effect immediately, then goes to the Trash.	No
Gear	Enters play at your Base as a permanent. Can be attached to a unit to grant it abilities.	Yes

Spell card elements

Spell cards have the same Cost, Name, Type Line, Rules Text, Flavor Text, Domain Symbols, and Collector Info as unit cards. The key differences:

Element	What it means on a Spell
No Might value	Spells have no Might. They are not units and cannot fight.
Self-reference	Spells use “this” to refer to themselves in card text, rather than “I” or “me” which units and legends use.
Signature supertype	Some Spells have “Signature” printed before “Spell” on the type line. Signature Spells are linked to a specific champion and have deck-building restrictions.

Some Spell cards have keyword supertypes on the type line that affect when they can be played:

Keyword	What it means for timing
Action	Can be played during your turn and during Showdowns (when both players can play spells in response to each other).
Reaction	Can be played during your turn, during Showdowns, and also during a Closed State. Reactions resolve before the spells and abilities already on the chain.

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Gear Cards

Gear cards are permanents. After being played they go to your Base and stay there. Gear can be attached to a unit, and while attached it grants that unit additional abilities. The collector info format at the bottom of a Gear card follows the same format as unit cards.

Gear card elements

Gear cards share all the same elements as Spell cards, plus two elements that only appear on Gear:

Element	What it means	When it is active
Rules Text	The upper text block on a Gear card. Contains abilities that apply while the Gear is in play at your Base, such as UNIQUE (only one copy allowed in your deck) and EQUIP (the cost to attach it to a unit).	Always, while the Gear is in play
Effect Text	A visually separate block below the Rules Text, usually in a different coloured panel. These abilities are inactive while the Gear sits at your Base unattached. Once attached to a unit, the Effect Text becomes active and is treated as part of that unit’s Rules Text.	Only while Attached to a unit
Might Bonus	Shown as “+N” in the lower right corner (for example, +3 on Forgefire Cape). While this Gear is Attached to a unit, that number is added to the unit’s Might. If the unit has no Might value, the bonus is ignored.	Only while Attached to a unit

Gear cards also use “this” to refer to themselves in card text. Like Spells, some Gear cards carry the Signature supertype, linking them to a specific champion.

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Rune Cards

Runes live in your Rune Deck, a separate 12-card deck you build alongside your Main Deck. Runes are not played from your hand. They are channelled onto the board at the start of each turn to generate the Energy and Power you spend on everything else. The collector info at the bottom of a Rune card follows the same format as other cards.

Rune card elements

Element	What it means
Domain Symbol	The large domain symbol filling the centre of the card identifies which Domain this rune belongs to and what type of Power it produces when used.
Type Line	The small banner reading RUNE in the lower left area of the card.
Name	Appears in the text bar near the bottom. The name tells you which Domain the rune belongs to: Calm Rune, Fury Rune, Mind Rune, and so on.
No Cost box	Runes have no Cost. They are not played by paying Energy and Power. They are channelled as a specific game action at the start of your turn.
No Might value	Runes have no Might and cannot fight.
Rules Text	All basic runes have two abilities: exhaust to add 1 Energy, or Recycle this rune to add 1 Power of this rune’s Domain. These abilities do not appear on the basic rune card face but are part of the rules for all basic runes.

Six basic rune types exist, one for each Domain: Fury Rune, Calm Rune, Mind Rune, Body Rune, Chaos Rune, and Order Rune. Non-basic runes also exist with additional abilities but always produce the same types of resources.

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Token Cards

Token cards appear during gameplay when card abilities create them. They are not part of any deck and cannot be added to a deck. Physical token cards are included in Riftbound booster packs to represent tokens on the board, but you can use any object in their place.

Token cards look similar to unit cards but have key differences. The card that creates a token describes its type, name, and Might.

Element	What it means on a Token
No Cost box	Tokens are not played from hand and have no Energy or Power cost. The upper left corner where a cost box would appear is empty.
Might	Appears in the upper right corner, same as a standard unit. Tokens can fight and be killed by damage.
Type Line	Shows “Token Unit” or similar. “Token” is a supertype that appears before the card type.
Name	Describes the token type, for example: Sprite, or a character name for named tokens.
Rules Text	Any abilities the token has while it is in play. Some tokens have keywords or special rules.
Collector Info	The collector number on a token card is prefixed with T (for example, UNL T07). The T prefix identifies this as a token-type card, not a Main Deck card.

For a visual reference of every token card in Riftbound including Unleashed tokens, see the Riftbound Token Cards page.

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Buff Cards

Buff cards appear during gameplay when card abilities attach them to units. Like Token cards, they are not part of any deck and cannot be added to a deck.

A Buff card is attached to a unit by a card ability. While attached it grants that unit the Might Bonus printed in the upper right corner. A unit may only have one buff attached at a time.

Element	What it means on a Buff card
Name	Printed in the upper left. All standard buff cards share the name “Buff.”
Might Bonus	Shown as “+N” in the upper right corner with a domain symbol next to it. While this Buff is attached to a unit, that number is added to the unit’s Might. The domain symbol indicates the buff’s domain.
Rules Text	The text box in the lower half of the card. On the standard Buff card this reads: “A unit may have no more than one buff at a time.”
No Cost box	Buff cards have no Cost. They are attached to units by ability effects, not played from hand.
Collector Info	The collector number is prefixed with T (for example, UNL T04), confirming this is a token-type card included in booster packs rather than a Main Deck card.

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XP Tracker Cards

The XP Tracker is a special non-deck card used to track a champion’s accumulated XP during the game. It is not played from hand and is not part of any deck.

The XP Tracker card enters play alongside a Champion unit that has the Level keyword. XP is marked on the tracker as the champion earns it. Some cards gain bonuses based on the amount of XP tracked, and some can spend XP for powerful effects.

Element	What it means on an XP Tracker
Name	Printed in the upper left. Identifies this as the XP Tracker.
Rules Text	Explains the function of the card: track gained XP here. Reminds you that some cards get bonuses based on XP and some cards can spend XP.
No Cost box	XP Tracker cards are not played from hand and have no Energy or Power cost.
Collector Info	Prefixed with T (for example, UNL T08), confirming this is a token-type card included in booster packs.

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Showcase, Alternate Art, and Foil Cards

Some Riftbound cards come in showcase, alternate art, or foil versions with different artwork, different border treatment, or extended full-art layouts. These versions have identical gameplay rules to their standard counterparts. The only difference is visual. Rune cards also come in alternate art versions and the same rule applies. If you are unsure whether a card is a special version, check the collector number against the standard set size.

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Card Designer Credit

Every Riftbound card carries the name of the card’s illustrator in small text in the bottom right corner of the card, next to the copyright notice. This credit has no gameplay significance but acknowledges the artist who created the card’s artwork. Riftbound cards are illustrated by a wide range of professional artists from across the world.

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Quick Reference: Every Card Element

Use this table as a quick reference for riftbound card anatomy: every element in one place, with which card types they appear on.

Element	Plain English meaning	Appears on
Energy Cost	The number in the upper left circle. How many Energy you need to play the card.	Units, Champions, Spells, Gear
Power Cost	Domain symbols stacked below the Energy number. Each symbol means 1 Power of that domain required to play.	Units, Champions, Spells, Gear (not always present)
Might	Upper right corner. The unit’s combat stat. Damage dealt in combat. Unit is killed when damage reaches this number.	Units, Champions, Tokens
Name	The card’s unique identifier, including any subtitle.	All cards
Type Line	What kind of card it is. Supertypes (Champion, Signature, Token) appear before the main type. Tags appear after.	All cards
Tags	Words after the card type. Link Champion units to their Legend. Referenced by abilities.	Units, Legends
Rules Text	What the card does. Contains abilities, keywords, reminder text, and activated abilities.	All cards (can be blank)
Effect Text	A visually separate block below the Rules Text. Only active when the card is Attached to a unit.	Gear cards (not always present)
Might Bonus (Gear)	“+N” in the lower right. Added to the Might of the unit this Gear is Attached to.	Gear cards (not always present)
Might Bonus (Buff)	“+N” in the upper right of a Buff card with a domain symbol. Added to the unit the Buff is attached to. One buff per unit maximum.	Buff cards
Domain Identity	Domain symbols in the upper left area of a Legend card. Determines which cards can be in your deck.	Legend cards
Domain	Domain symbols in the lower right corner. Must match your Legend’s Domain Identity for deck-building.	Most Main Deck cards
Flavor Text	Italicised text in a shaded bar. Decorative only. No gameplay effect.	Some cards
Collector number and set code	Bottom strip. Set code (UNL, ORI, SFD) plus card number out of set total. Token cards use a T prefix (T04, T07). No gameplay effect.	All cards
Card designer credit	Illustrator name in the bottom right corner next to the copyright notice. No gameplay effect.	All cards

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Go Further

Now that every element makes sense, here are natural next steps:

• Domain Symbols explained covers what each domain means and how they shape your deck.
• Riftbound Keyword Index A to Z gives the full meaning of every keyword you will see in the text box.
• How Damage Works in Riftbound explains exactly how Might and combat damage interact.
• Which Riftbound deck should I buy first? is a good stop if you are thinking about getting started.