Riftbound Radiance Pre-Rift: How It Works & What You Get
The Riftbound: Radiance Pre-Rift is a sealed prerelease where every player gets five Radiance booster packs, a Champion pack and a promo card, and our Fairfield sessions ran 16 to 20 October 2026 at $60 AUD per player. Radiance released worldwide on 23 October, and the next Pre-Rift window, for Legacy, is scheduled for 22-28 January 2027.
Pre-Rift is the easiest way into a new Riftbound set because everything you play with comes in the kit. This guide covers what you get, how sealed deckbuilding works and which Legend might suit you, based on Riot's own Pre-Rift guide and what we ran in store. For other Riftbound sets, see the Riftbound range and our beginner's guide.
Written by the Hobby Collectors Australia team. Last updated 30 October 2026.
What is in the Radiance Pre-Rift kit?
Each player receives one Pre-Rift kit:
- 5 Riftbound: Radiance booster packs
- 1 Champion pack built around one of nine new Radiance Legends, with a Legend, a Champion Unit and supporting cards
- 1 Heimerdinger, Academy Instructor promo card (RAD 132, marked Prerelease), which cannot go in your sealed deck (if you pull the regular version from a pack, you can play that one)
Everything you open is yours to keep, and the event provides extra Runes. Our Radiance set guide covers the new keywords (Deploy, Show Off and Disarm) and chase cards.
How does sealed deckbuilding work at a Pre-Rift?
You build a deck only from the cards in your kit. Riot's sealed rules for the Radiance Pre-Rift are:
- Main Deck: at least 25 cards.
- Domains: up to three across your cards and Runes.
- Legend: if you use one, both of its domains must be among your three. You can also play without a Legend or without a Champion Unit, but you draw an extra card on your first turn.
- Chosen Champion: any Champion Unit can be your Chosen Champion, whatever your Legend is.
- Copies: use as many copies of a card as you open, even above the usual limit of three.
- Battlefields and tokens: opened Battlefields work, or use a facedown card as a blank Battlefield with no abilities. Represent tokens however you like.
- Changing decks: you can adjust your deck between games and rounds under the same rules.
Signature spells are allowed if both of their domains are among your three. If you are new to the game, our beginner's guide to Riftbound explains domains and Legends first.
How do I build a good sealed deck?
- Count your Units. Include at least 15, with about five that cost 2 Energy and the rest spread across higher costs.
- Add support. Pick Gear or Spells that give Might, plus a few spells that remove opposing Units.
- Watch Power costs. Cards with Power costs tend to be stronger, but do not overload on them. Choose your Rune deck to match the Power costs in your Main Deck.
- Try the new keywords. Disarm, Deploy and Show Off are the quickest way to learn how Radiance plays.
Which Radiance Legend should I pick?
The nine seeded Legends in the Pre-Rift each come with a suggested game plan from Riot. We have added what each Legend card does:
| Legend | Card no. | Game plan |
|---|---|---|
| Ekko, Boy Who Shattered Time | RAD 139 | Cheats powerful Units into play early. His Legend ability cuts the cost of your next Unit by 2, but that Unit is killed at end of turn. |
| Ziggs, Hexplosives Expert | RAD 141 | Controls the board and discourages opponents from entering Battlefields. His Legend ability plays a Bomb Gear token to a Battlefield. |
| Mordekaiser, Iron Revenant | RAD 143 | Banishes his own Gear and Units to play more cheaply. His Legend ability banishes a Unit or Gear from your trash to add Power for playing Units or Gear. |
| Orianna, Lady of Clockwork | RAD 145 | Transforms Gear into Units, including Deployed Gear. At the start of your Main Phase she can turn a friendly Gear into a Unit with Might equal to its Energy cost. |
| K'Sante, Pride of Nazumah | RAD 147 | Turns Hold cards into offensive Conquering threats. His Legend ability gives a friendly Unit Assault equal to its Shield for the turn. |
| Riven, The Exile | RAD 149 | Brings Units in ready for early pressure. Units you play to Battlefields you control enter ready. |
| Seraphine, Starry-Eyed Songstress | RAD 151 | Exhausts followers to cast expensive spells, backed by a wide army of cheap Units. Her Legend ability can cut a spell's cost by 2 if you exhaust her and three friendly Units. |
| Evelynn, Agony's Embrace | RAD 153 | Uses hidden cards to set traps. Once each turn, when you play a card from face down, you draw 1, then discard 1 if it is not your turn. |
| Jarvan IV, Exemplar of Demacia | RAD 155 | Uses Deploy to put Units into battle, even with an empty base. When you play a Gear with Deploy, he can move a friendly Unit to that Battlefield. |
If you like setting traps, start with Evelynn. If you prefer going wide with cheap Units, Seraphine fits. Our Seraphine vs Evelynn Showdown Deck post covers those two in a ready-to-play box.
What rules questions come up in Radiance sealed?
- K'Sante: his Legend effect applies passively, so a Unit with Shield 2 and Assault 2 gains Assault 4 that turn.
- Neeko: the printed card says to choose 3 different Legends, but she has errata to "choose up to 3 different Legends", so she is legal even with fewer than three Legends. She is a neutral Champion Unit, so she fits in any deck.
- Encore: you must choose two different options from the four.
- Equipment that becomes a Unit: it loses its Equipment text. Blade of the Exile, Riven's Signature Gear, turned into a Unit is a 3-Might Unit without Ganking.
Riot says an extended FAQ is coming once Radiance has been out for a while. Judges and staff at the event can answer anything else on the day.
When were the Pre-Rift sessions at Hobby Collectors Australia?
Pre-Rift is casual and social, so you can ask staff or other players for help mid-game. Our Radiance sessions were $60 per player, per session, with door prizes at every session:
- Friday 16 October: 6:30pm
- Saturday 17 October: 12:30pm
- Sunday 18 October: 11:00am
- Tuesday 20 October: 6:30pm
These sessions have finished. The Pre-Rift window for Legacy is scheduled for 22-28 January 2027, and we will announce our own sessions on Discord, the events page and our Riftbound release alerts. Post your results with #RBRadiance and tag @PlayRiftbound, and let us know in our Discord what you pulled.
What else should I grab for Radiance?
Radiance is out now. The Radiance Vault [Set 5] (six booster packs, foil tokens and a full set of 36 Runes) is $69.95. Browse the Radiance collection, and join our Discord for stock updates. Stock changes quickly after a release, so check each product page for current availability.
To keep playing, come to Riftbound Nexus Nights on Friday at 6:30pm (Best-of-3) or Saturday at 11am (Best-of-1), $15 entry. See where to play Riftbound in Sydney and the events page for dates.
Riftbound Radiance Pre-Rift FAQ
What is a Riftbound Pre-Rift?
A Pre-Rift is Riftbound's sealed prerelease event. Players open booster packs and build a deck using only the cards they receive, then play casual rounds against other players before the set releases.
How much was the Radiance Pre-Rift at Hobby Collectors Australia?
Entry was $60 AUD per player, per session. Each player received five Radiance booster packs, a Champion pack built around one of nine new Legends, and a Heimerdinger, Academy Instructor promo card.
Do I need to bring a deck to the Pre-Rift?
No. Your Pre-Rift kit has everything you need to build a sealed deck, and our crew will help with deckbuilding and rules. Sleeves are optional.
How many cards do I need for a sealed Pre-Rift deck?
Your Main Deck needs at least 25 cards, and you can use up to three domains across your cards and Runes. You can use as many copies of a card as you open.
Which Legends are in the Radiance Pre-Rift kits?
The nine seeded Legends are Ekko, Evelynn, Jarvan IV, K'Sante, Mordekaiser, Orianna, Riven, Seraphine and Ziggs. Each kit includes a Champion pack built around one of them.
Do I keep the cards I open at a Pre-Rift?
Yes. Everything you open is yours to keep. The one exception to deckbuilding is the Heimerdinger promo, which cannot go in your sealed deck.
Where can I play Riftbound in Western Sydney?
Hobby Collectors Australia, Shop 2, 20-26 Ware St, Fairfield NSW 2165, runs Riftbound Nexus Nights on Fridays at 6:30pm (Best-of-3) and Saturdays at 11am (Best-of-1). Entry is $15 per night.
Card art and images are copyright Riot Games.
Visit Hobby Collectors Australia
Come and play Riftbound with us. We are an official Wizards Play Network store, and our crew will help with rules and deckbuilding on the day.
Hobby Collectors Australia
Shop 2, 20-26 Ware St, Fairfield NSW 2165
Mon-Fri 2pm-9pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm, closed public holidays
Discord: discord.gg/cBu6CN8R9a
Email: info@hobbycollectorsaustralia.com.au