By Terry Miller

Hello, today I wanted to talk about how to maneuver conquering in the early game. I'll be going over some basic rules, mechanics, and thought processes on when to move to and from battlefields. This article, as well as most on this site, will focus on the 1v1 game mode.

To start, Riftbound is a game won by reaching 8 points. You gain points by conquering or holding battlefields with your units, and the last point must come from either holding a battlefield or scoring both battlefields in a single turn. If there is an open battlefield, you can move your readied unit to the battlefield, which will start a showdown. Showdowns are moments in a turn where players play spells and pass focus, often called priority in other games, until neither player has an action to take. If your unit remains on the battlefield after the showdown, you will score a point for conquering it. You will receive a point for holding the battlefield if your unit stays there until the beginning of your subsequent turn.

These are the basic rules for scoring in Riftbound, excluding certain effects from characters like Tryndamere or Yasuo, who can score points using their abilities. Once you understand the basic scoring rules, we can move on to discussing when you should conquer an open battlefield with your unit. These scenarios are often not black-and-white, and you will improve at navigating them the more games you play.

The simplest scenarios for when to conquer will be what is currently on board and what your opponent can do with their board on the following turn. If I have a 2-might unit and my opponent has a 3-might unit, it's not often worth it to conquer, as I will lose my unit on my opponent's turn. If my opponent's unit is 2-might, then it may be worth it, as he could trade units with mine, but I would have scored a point. Adding legends and battlefields to this scenario enhances its complexity. If there is a Fortified Position on board, or I'm playing Ahri, I can conquer comfortably, as my opponent's 2-might unit can't trade with mine due to those variables.

If your opponent is playing a Calm or Fury deck, they will have access to pump and removal spells, further evolving the previous situation. Decks like Annie can often play a 2-might unit on turn 1, and with Annie's passive, hold up a removal spell for your unit if you choose to conquer. All these variables need to be taken into account when conquering, and as previously stated, the decision to conquer is not always clear-cut.

Once you know when to fight, you must also know when to hold your ground or retreat. You often want to retreat to base if your opponent played a unit who can contest yours on the following turn, or you need to be able to contest the other battlefield on your following turn. Just like conquering, learning when to retreat will come with time and depends on the variables of each game.

As the game progresses into the mid-game, these fundamentals will often stay the same, just adding more variables and stronger cards at each player's disposal. The scenarios can go from simple to complex, depending on the decks you and your opponent are using and the variables in both of your hands, and learning fundamentals early can go a long way when looking to improve.