Riftbound Proving Grounds: What Is It and Is It Worth Buying?

Page last updated: March 2026. A second print run has been confirmed. This page will be updated as availability improves.

What Is Riftbound Proving Grounds?

Riftbound: Origins Proving Grounds is the official starter set for Riftbound, the League of Legends trading card game developed by Riot Games and UVS Games. It launched on 31 October 2025 alongside the first full set, Origins, and sits at an MSRP of $29.99 USD / approximately £30 in the UK.

It isn’t just a pamphlet and a sample deck, it’s a complete multiplayer experience designed for the table. You can hand a deck to a friend who has never touched a trading card game and be playing a real, meaningful game within minutes. That’s a much higher bar than most TCG starters clear, and Proving Grounds genuinely clears it.

Reprint note: Spiritforged introduced a reprinted version of this product. Read our reprint breakdown to understand the differences.

If you’re new to Riftbound and wondering where to start, Proving Grounds is almost certainly the answer. This box set was designed from the ground up to get two, three, or four players into the game with zero prep work. No deck building, no card hunting, no reading walls of rules before you can play. You just open the box and go.

This guide covers everything: what’s in the box, a breakdown of all four decks, what makes the 24 exclusive cards special, whether you need one copy or two, and where to buy it right now.

Already know you want it? Proving Grounds has sold out at most retailers but a second print run has been officially confirmed. Jump to Where to Buy for current availability.

What’s in the Box?

Here’s everything included in a single Proving Grounds box set:

4 fully preconstructed decks (Annie, Master Yi, Lux, and Garen). Each deck contains 54 cards.
24 exclusive cards found nowhere else in the Origins set. These are split across the four decks (6 per deck) and cannot be pulled from booster packs.
4 acrylic tokens. One per deck, double-sided with a happy face when you’re winning and a grumpy face when you’re losing.
Game boards / battlefield mats. Printed boards that give each player a structured play area and help new players remember where everything goes.
A step-by-step guided play rulebook that walks new players through turn order, mana, combat, and scoring, building complexity gradually rather than dumping it all at once.
Deck upgrade suggestions. Guidance on which Origins booster cards slot naturally into each deck as a next step.

The box supports 2-4 players out of the box. Head-to-head duels, three-way free-for-alls, and team-based 2v2 are all viable formats with what’s included.

The Four Decks

Each deck is built around a different League of Legends Champion and teaches a different core gameplay concept. They’re balanced against each other for beginner play, so no single deck has a built-in win advantage. The matchups are intentionally close.

🔥 Annie: Dark Child (Aggression)

Annie is the most aggressive deck in the box. It’s built on low-cost units, fast spells, and relentless early pressure. The design philosophy is to get cards on the board quickly, chain spell combos, and end the game before your opponent can stabilise.

Best for: Players who like going fast and dictating the pace. Also the best teaching tool for learning how to manage mana efficiently across a turn.

⚔️ Garen: Might of Demacia (Durability)

Garen is the tanky, patient option. His deck is built around durable units, efficient combat trades, and consistent board presence. Where Annie tries to end things quickly, Garen is designed to grind by developing the board turn by turn and applying pressure only when the position is right.

Best for: Players who prefer a methodical, defensive approach. This deck is particularly good at teaching how blocking and board trading work, which is one of the most important skills in Riftbound.

✨ Lux: Lady of Luminosity (Tempo and Spells)

Lux leans into spells and light control tools. The deck is built around tempo (doing the right thing at the right moment) and teaches players how and when to respond to opponent actions. This makes it one of the strongest teaching tools for understanding the timing rules that become critical at a competitive level.

Best for: Players who enjoy reacting and outplaying, rather than just executing a plan. Also great if you have some card game experience and want something with a higher skill ceiling in casual play.

🗡️ Master Yi: Wuju Bladesman (Aggression + Efficiency)

Master Yi hits hard and doesn’t slow down. Like Annie, he’s aggressive, but Yi’s deck leans more into single powerful units and efficient attacks rather than spell chains. He rewards players who can identify when to commit and when to hold back.

Best for: Players who like straightforward offensive play without needing to track lots of spell interactions. A good second deck for someone who found Annie fun but wants a slightly different flavour of aggression.

The 24 Exclusive Cards: What Are They and Do They Matter?

This is one of the most important things to understand about Proving Grounds before you buy.

The 24 exclusive cards are unique to this box set. They do not appear in Origins booster packs, and they cannot be opened in booster displays. Each deck contains 6 of these exclusives (the Champion card itself plus 5 supporting cards built specifically for teaching and for the Proving Grounds gameplay experience).

These cards include alternate versions of the four Champions (Annie, Master Yi, Lux, and Garen as they appear in Proving Grounds), plus units and spells designed to support balanced beginner gameplay.

A few important points:

The Proving Grounds versions of Annie, Lux, Garen, and Master Yi are different cards from any versions that appear in Origins boosters. If you want the Champion cards specifically from this set, this box is the only way to get them.
The exclusive support cards are primarily designed for learning and casual play. They are legal for casual play and informal games, though you should check current Riftbound organised play rules if you plan to use them competitively.
Because these 24 cards exist only in Proving Grounds, the box has collector value beyond just being a starter set: each copy contains a fixed, predictable set of exclusive content.

PriceCharting currently tracks all 24 Proving Grounds exclusive cards individually if you want to check their secondary market values.

Do You Need One Copy or Two?

This is the most common question for new players and small groups, so here’s a clear breakdown.

One copy is enough if…	Two copies are worth it if…
You’re buying this to learn the game with one other person	You want two players to each keep their own deck after the session
You want a low-cost entry point before deciding whether to invest further	You’re running a small event, a club, or introducing multiple groups
You’re buying it as a gift for someone brand new to TCGs	You want to experiment with deck-building using two sets of the exclusive 24
You plan to play 2-4 players using the decks as-is without modification	You know you’ll be playing regularly and want two independent setups

Two copies essentially doubles the card pool for the exclusive 24 and lets you run two fully independent setups simultaneously. At approximately $38 per box, two copies is still a very affordable way to equip a gaming group.

Heads up: If your main goal is to move into competitive play, the next step after Proving Grounds isn’t a second copy of Proving Grounds. It’s the Origins Champion Decks (Jinx, Viktor, or Lee Sin) and booster packs. Those products connect directly to the competitive card pool.

Where to Buy Riftbound Proving Grounds

Proving Grounds launched in October 2025 and sold out quickly at most retailers. The good news is that a second print run has been officially confirmed by Riot Games. The reprint (product code UVSRB01PG02) will carry a slightly higher MSRP of $40 USD and will return to shelves. Exact timing has not been announced. Check back here for updates as availability improves.

Official Riot Merch Store. The Riot Games Merch Store (merch.riotgames.com) sells Proving Grounds directly when stock is available. This is the most reliable source for the correct English edition at MSRP. Stock availability fluctuates, so check back regularly if it’s showing as sold out.

Local Game Stores (LGS). Riftbound has broad distribution through local game stores in the UK, EMEA, North America, LATAM, and Oceania. Finding your nearest stockist is the best way to support local hobby shops and often the fastest way to get your hands on a copy. The product code is UVSRB01PG01 if you’re searching for it at your local game store. The UVS Games store locator can help you find participating stores.

TCGPlayer is the best option for US buyers. Multiple sellers compete on price, shipping is fast, and the Proving Grounds box set is listed when stock is available.

Check prices on TCGPlayer

Amazon UK doesn’t currently list the Proving Grounds box set, but the individual Champion Decks are available and make a great companion purchase.

Champion Decks on Amazon UK

Champion Decks on Amazon US

Chaos Cards – Listed at £29.99, currently out of stock. Worth checking back as reprint stock arrives.

Goblin Gaming – Listed at £26.99 (10% discount from £29.99), currently out of stock.

eBay UK currently has multiple listings for Proving Grounds from third-party sellers, including some at or near RRP. Worth checking if other routes are out of stock. Be cautious of listings marked as the Chinese-language edition – confirm English language before buying.

Cardmarket (cardmarket.com) is Europe’s largest trading card marketplace and stocks Proving Grounds from verified European sellers. A solid option for UK buyers who want to avoid international shipping costs.

Not sure whether Proving Grounds is the right starting point for you? See our guide to which Riftbound deck to buy first for a full breakdown by player type.

Verdict: Is Proving Grounds Worth Buying?

Yes. And it’s one of the easier recommendations to make in the current Riftbound product range.

At approximately $38, you’re getting four complete, balanced decks, a full multiplayer experience, quality acrylic tokens, a proper guided rulebook, and 24 cards that don’t exist anywhere else. The value per dollar is strong, especially compared to buying four individual Champion Decks (the Origins Champion Decks retail at approximately $25 each and only support one or two players per set).

The box won’t take you deep into competitive Riftbound, but that’s what booster packs and the Origins Champion Decks are for. It’s genuinely the best on-ramp into the game that currently exists. Whether you’re a League of Legends fan who’s curious about the card game, a TCG veteran who wants to introduce friends to Riftbound, or someone completely new to the hobby, Proving Grounds is designed with you in mind.

If you know you want to play Riftbound, buy this first.

Ready to Go Further?

Once you’ve played through the decks, the natural next step is the Origins Champion Decks guide to see which Champion suits your playstyle. Or if you want to know what’s coming next, our Riftbound Unleashed guide covers everything confirmed for the next set.

Get Notified When Proving Grounds Comes Back in Stock

The reprint is confirmed but the release date isn’t. Sign up and we’ll let you know when Proving Grounds is available to buy again, along with new product announcements as Riftbound grows.

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