What Is a Riftbound Showdown Deck? The Two-Player Starter Set Explained
The Riftbound Showdown Deck is the first product in the game designed specifically for two players to sit down and play together straight out of the box. One box, two complete decks, two booster packs, everything you need to start. If you’ve been looking for the easiest way to get into Riftbound with a friend, this is it.
Page last updated: March 19, 2026. Prices reflect current TCGPlayer market rates.
Quick summary: The Showdown Deck is a two-player starter set, similar in spirit to the original Proving Grounds but built purely for 1v1 play. The first one launches with Vendetta on July 31, 2026, and features Zed facing off against Shen.
What Is a Riftbound Showdown Deck?
A Showdown Deck is a boxed two-player starter product that comes with everything needed for a full 1v1 game of Riftbound. Think of it as the “grab and play” option, designed for two friends who want to learn the game together without having to buy two separate products first.
Each Showdown Deck box contains two complete, ready-to-play preconstructed decks, one for each player. The decks are built around rival champions from Runeterra, so the flavour of the box matches the characters inside. It’s a clean, self-contained entry point and, importantly, nothing in the box is exclusive. Every card you get can also be found in standard booster packs, so you’re not locked out of anything competitively relevant if you don’t own one.
What’s in the Box?
Here’s exactly what comes in a Riftbound Showdown Deck:
| Component | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Preconstructed 56-card decks | 2 | One per player, rival champions |
| Cards per deck breakdown | 40 cards + 12 runes | Plus 1 Champion Legend and 3 battlefields |
| Booster packs | 2 | From the matching set (e.g. Vendetta) |
| Paper playmats | 2 | One per player |
| Rulebook | 1 | Included for new players |
The MSRP is $34.99, which puts it at a meaningful discount compared to buying two Champion Decks separately. More on that comparison below.
Note on deck size: Each deck is 56 cards total, broken down as 40 play cards, 12 runes, 1 Champion Legend, and 3 battlefields. This is the standard Riftbound deck structure, so both players are starting with properly formatted, playable decks from the first game.
Who Is the Showdown Deck For?
Two friends starting together. This is the primary audience. If you and a friend both want to try Riftbound, the Showdown Deck solves the “who buys what” problem immediately. One box, and you’re ready to play. The rival champion theme means the decks are designed to play against each other, so your first games are more likely to feel balanced than if you’d grabbed two random Champion Decks off the shelf.
Gift buyers. A $34.99 two-player starter is a strong gift option, especially for people who know the recipient plays games but aren’t sure which specific deck to buy. The Zed vs Shen theme is immediately recognisable to anyone familiar with League of Legends, and the “everything included” nature makes it a low-risk purchase.
Solo players who want a second deck to teach with. If you already play Riftbound but want to introduce someone new, the Showdown Deck gives you a complete teaching kit. Both decks are balanced and beginner-friendly, and the included rulebook means you’re not relying on your own notes to explain the game.
Showdown Deck vs Buying Two Champion Decks
This is the comparison most people want to see. Here’s how the two options stack up:
| Showdown Deck | Two Champion Decks | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$34.99 | ~$39.98 ($19.99 x 2) |
| Number of decks | 2 | 2 |
| Booster packs included | 2 | 0 |
| Playmats included | 2 paper playmats | 0 |
| Rulebook included | Yes | No |
| Decks designed to play each other | Yes | Not guaranteed |
| Champion choice | Fixed (Zed + Shen, or Seraphine + Evelynn) | Any two available champions |
| Exclusive cards | None (all cards available in boosters) | None |
The Showdown Deck saves you around $5 compared to two Champion Decks, and throws in two booster packs, two playmats, and a rulebook on top. The trade-off is that you don’t get to pick your champions. If neither of you particularly wants to play Zed or Shen, you might prefer to buy the specific Champion Decks you want instead. But if either combination appeals to you, the Showdown Deck is the better value.
If you want to explore which Champion Decks are available and compare them, my starter deck comparison guide covers the full range.
Showdown Deck vs Proving Grounds
If you’ve read anything about getting started in Riftbound, you’ve probably heard of Proving Grounds, the original multiplayer starter set. Proving Grounds was designed for multiple players (the recommended format is 3v3), so it’s built around a different experience entirely.
The Showdown Deck is the first Riftbound product built for pure 1v1 play. Where Proving Grounds is about a chaotic multi-player first game, the Showdown Deck is about sitting across from one other person and running through a focused duel. If you want to learn the competitive format that Summoner Skirmish and ranked play use, the Showdown Deck is closer to the right starting point.
Which should you buy? If you want a 1v1 experience or you’re learning with just one other person, go with the Showdown Deck. If you want to bring a group of 4-6 friends into Riftbound at once, Proving Grounds is still the better fit.
The Vendetta Showdown Deck: Zed vs Shen
The first Riftbound Showdown Deck launches with the Vendetta set on July 31, 2026, and it centres on one of League of Legends’ most iconic rivalries: Zed, master of the shadow arts and the Order of Shadow, facing off against Shen, the last guardian of the Kinkou.
Both Zed and Shen are new Champion Legends making their Riftbound debut in Vendetta. Shen plays in the Green/Yellow domain pairing (Calm and Order), while Zed’s domain combination is still being finalised in official materials but appears to lean into the Chaos and Shadow themes the set introduces. The decks are designed to feel like natural opposites, which makes the Showdown box an especially good buy for anyone who’s followed that rivalry in League lore.
The Vendetta set as a whole introduces new domain pairings that haven’t appeared in Riftbound before, including Chaos and Order (purple and yellow), Fury and Calm (red and green), and Mind and Body (blue and orange). So both Showdown Deck players will be getting a taste of genuinely new deckbuilding territory.
Preorder status: As of early March 2026, the Vendetta Showdown Deck does not yet have a dedicated TCGPlayer product listing. The set releases July 31, 2026. I’ll update this page with a direct preorder link as soon as one goes live. In the meantime, the search link below will show any current listings.
The Radiance Showdown Deck: Seraphine vs Evelynn
The second Showdown Deck arrives with Riftbound: Radiance on October 23, 2026. The rival champions are Seraphine and Evelynn, two of Runeterra’s most dramatically opposed figures. Seraphine, the rising star pop idol, and Evelynn, the demon of agony hiding in plain sight. It’s a thematically sharp pairing for a set built around creativity and brilliance.
Specific deck contents for the Radiance Showdown Deck haven’t been announced yet. Expect the same core format: two 56-card precon decks, two Radiance booster packs, playmats, and a rulebook.
Where to Buy
The Vendetta Showdown Deck is a preorder product with a July 31, 2026 release date. TCGPlayer is the best place to track pricing and availability once listings go live. Amazon is a solid backup option, especially if you have Prime shipping.
Riftbound Vendetta Showdown Deck (Preorder)
Check for the latest availability and pricing below. TCGPlayer listings will appear closer to the July 31 release date.
Already playing? If you want to explore the competitive side of Riftbound, check out the Summoner Skirmish organised play guide for how 1v1 tournament events are structured.