Riftbound Guide

Preparing for your first Riftbound Nexus Night is mostly about removing the uncertainty so you can actually enjoy the event when you get there. The game itself is the easy part. What makes people nervous is not knowing what the room will look like, what to bring, or what happens when something goes wrong. This article covers all of that.

Before You Go

Confirm the event and ask about entry

Nexus Nights are organised by local game stores, not by Riot centrally. There is no single public listing that updates in real time. Before you show up, contact your store directly to confirm the event is running that week, check the entry fee (typically $5-10, but varies by store), and ask whether they require a deck list. Most casual Nexus Nights do not require written deck lists, but it is worth checking so you are not scrambling on arrival.

Build a legal Constructed deck

Nexus Nights use the Constructed format. A legal deck must have:

• Exactly 40 cards in your main deck
• 1 Champion Legend card
• Exactly 3 Battlefield cards
• Exactly 12 Rune cards
• No more than 3 copies of any unique card

If you are still deciding which deck to build or buy, our guide to which Champion Deck to buy first walks through every option for beginners.

Check the ban list

Banned cards are not legal at Nexus Nights, with one exception: if you are playing an unmodified preconstructed champion deck that contains a banned card, that deck is legal at casual organised play events. The moment you change a single card, the ban applies. Check the current list before you go, because it has changed before and it will change again. Our Riftbound ban list guide keeps the current list and explains what each ban means in practice.

Sleeve your deck

Sleeves are not required, but I would not show up without them. Unsleeved cards shuffle differently from each other as they wear at different rates, which makes the shuffle less random. More practically, they protect cards that may be worth something. Standard-size sleeves work and you do not need premium ones for a Nexus Night. Around $5-8 for 100 sleeves at most game stores or online.

What to Bring

Pack everything the night before so you are not rushing on the day.

• Your 40-card main deck
• Your Rune deck (12 cards)
• Your 3 Battlefield cards
• Any tokens or markers your Champion uses
• Something to track life and points (pen and paper is fine, a notepad works)
• Entry fee in cash (stores often do not have card payment for event entry)

You do not need dice, a playmat, or any accessories. If your Champion needs specific tokens that did not come in the deck, ask the store in advance. Most stores have spares, and your opponent will not penalise you for not having them.

If You Do Not Have a Deck Yet

The quickest way to arrive at your first Nexus Night with a legal deck in hand is to order a preconstructed Champion Deck. They are 40 cards, legal out of the box, and built around a single champion so they are easy to learn during your first games.

What to Expect When You Arrive

Registration

When you walk in, find the person running the event and give your name. If the store requires a deck list, you will hand it over now. If they do not, you just confirm you are playing and pay the entry fee. This usually takes about two minutes. Come a little early, particularly for your first event, so you are not rushing in as rounds start.

How Swiss rounds work

Nexus Nights use a format called Swiss pairings. Each round, you are matched against someone with a similar record. If you win your first round, you play another person who won. If you lose, you play someone who also lost. Critically, you are never eliminated. You keep playing regardless of your record, all the way through to the final round. How many rounds depends on attendance, but most Nexus Nights run three to four rounds.

Round timing

Each round has a time limit, typically 30 to 40 minutes. If time is called before the game ends, finish the current turn, then count points to determine who is ahead. The player with more points wins that game. Your store may handle this slightly differently, so listen to the announcement at the start of the event.

What you get for showing up

Every player who attends gets a promo pack, regardless of how they finish. You do not have to win a single game to leave with something. At higher attendance events, additional prizes may be distributed based on record, but the promo is guaranteed to everyone who participates.

During the Event

When you are not sure about a rule

Call a judge or ask your opponent. At a Nexus Night, this is expected and welcomed. Nobody at a local casual event will roll their eyes at a rules question. If the store has a judge, they are there specifically to answer these. If there is no dedicated judge, your opponent and the event organiser can help. Stopping to clarify a rule is not a sign of weakness, it is just how you play correctly.

If you make a mistake

Mistakes at the Casual OPL tier are treated as learning opportunities. The enforcement philosophy in the tournament rules is explicitly aimed at sportsmanship and improvement, not penalising errors harshly. If you play a card incorrectly or forget a trigger, say so when you notice. Most mistakes at this level are corrected and play continues. You are not going to receive a game loss for misplaying a unit ability.

Conceding

You can concede at any point. If a game is clearly over and you want to save time for a second game in the round, it is completely fine to say “I concede” and move on. There is no stigma in it, and at Nexus Nights particularly, experienced players often concede early when a position is lost so there is time for a more interesting game afterward.

Between rounds

Nexus Nights are explicitly social events. The gap between rounds is when most of the actual community-building happens. People talk about their games, show off pulls, ask questions about each other’s decks. You do not have to participate if you would rather just sit quietly, but if you are nervous about fitting in, talking about the game is the easiest entry point.

One Honest Note

You will probably lose some games at your first Nexus Night. That is not a failure, it is just what attending your first competitive event looks like. Everyone in that room lost games at their first event. The point of going is to play against opponents you have not played before, see how other people build their decks, and meet the local community. Winning is a bonus. Going is the thing.

Most people leave their first Nexus Night wanting to go back. That outcome is not determined by your record. It is determined by whether you came prepared, had a legal deck, and talked to a few people. This article has covered the first two. The third one is up to you.

Quick Reference: Nexus Night Deck Requirements

More on Organised Play

The Organised Play hub has the broader picture of how OPL events are structured, from Nexus Nights up through Regional Qualifiers and beyond.