Turn Structure
The five phases every turn follows.
Every turn in Riftbound follows the same sequence — no exceptions, no skipping. The first four phases happen automatically in ABCD order. Once they are resolved, the Action Phase begins where the turn player can act freely until the turn is over.
The mandatory opening sequence every turn
Awaken → Beginning → Channel → Draw — then the Action Phase begins.
A — Awaken
Awaken
Exhausted → Readied
Awakening happens before anything else, so you always enter your turn with your full pool of resources restored.
Track exhausted cards carefully. Players often forget to awake their legend and gear contributing to misplays!
B — Beginning
Beginning
What happens here?
- Any card with a "at the start of your turn" ability resolves now, in the order you choose
- For each battlefield you control. add 1 point to your score tracker
Holding two battlefields at the start of your turn scores 2 points simultaneously. At that rate you reach 8 points in just 4 turns. This is why tempo matters so much — every turn of double control is devastating.
C — Channel
Channel
Two runes every turn, automatically — no decisions required. Your Rune Deck holds 12 cards, so you have exactly 6 turns of guaranteed channeling before it runs out. Once your Rune Deck is empty, you simply channel 0 runes that turn (you do not lose the game).
The second player draws an additional rune on their very first turn. This compensates for the advantage of going first. Every subsequent turn — including the first player's second turn — channel normally.
D — Draw
Draw
One card per turn. Simple, but meaningful — your hand is your options. A larger hand gives you more flexibility during the Action Phase; a depleted hand leaves you reactive.
Action Phase
Action Phase
The Action Phase is where Riftbound is actually played. There is no strict order of operations here. Every decision can change the pace of the game depending on the current board state you're in.
Things you can do during your action phase:
- Play a unit from your hand to your Base or battlefield you control
- Move a unit from your Base to a battlefield or vice versa
- Play any spell or attach gear to a unit
- Activate an ability
Things your opponent can do in response:
- React to your spells
- React to your abilities
- React to responses in a showdown
Your opponent can act during your Action Phase. Cards like and Ride the Wind let them respond mid-sequence — do not assume an uncontested battlefield stays uncontested until your phase ends.
The Action Phase ends when you decide your turn is over.
End Turn
End
Once you decide to end your turn, the turn ends. Your hand carries over in full, there is no hand limit. Resolve any end of turn abilities. Your opponent then starts their Awaken phase and the cycle repeats.
The Full Loop
Every turn in sequence:
| Phase | What happens |
|---|---|
| A — Awaken | Ready all exhausted runes, units, and gear |
| B — Beginning | Resolve triggers, score for held battlefields |
| C — Channel | Gain 2 runes from your Rune Deck |
| D — Draw | Draw 1 card from your Main Deck |
| Action Phase | Play, move, attack, respond |
| End Turn | Turn ends, opponent begins their Awaken |
If you remember nothing else:
ABCD → play units → send them to battlefields → hold battlefields → reach 8 points.
Everything else builds on that loop.