Riftbound Radiance Legends: Card Breakdown & Deck Picks - Champions

Riftbound Radiance Legends: Card Breakdown & Deck Picks

Every revealed Riftbound Radiance legend and card analyzed: K'Sante, Heimerdinger, Ahri, new keywords Show Off and Deploy explained.

2026-09-26
Riftbound Radiance Wiki Team
Quick Guide
  • Riftbound Radiance legends headline set five: Ekko, Seraphine, Evelynn, Ziggs, Jarvan IV, and Orianna join the roster.
  • K'Sante converts shields into attack power, anchoring a new orange-green defensive-aggressive archetype.
  • New keywords — Show Off and Deploy — reward big-cost hands and battlefield-only gear.
  • 180 new cards across all domains; the set releases October 23, 2026.
  • Preorders for sealed product open October 6, 2026.

Radiance Set Overview and New Legends

Riftbound Radiance legends are the centerpiece of Riftbound's fifth expansion. The set adds 180 new cards and introduces nine legends in total: poster legends Ekko and Seraphine, plus fan favorites Evelynn, Ziggs, Jarvan IV, and Orianna, with three more still to be revealed. Preview season kicked off in late September 2026, and daily reveals are rolling out across the community.

Video Highlights:

  • K'Sante revealed as an orange-green legend numbered 172/167 (Heartsteel overnumbered)
  • Supernova: a 9-energy blue spell dealing 10 damage and drawing two cards
  • Show Off and Deploy confirmed as brand-new Radiance keywords
  • Heimerdinger turns recruit tokens into 3-might mech tokens
  • Speculation points to Orianna as a blue-green legend

The card gallery is organized by domain — Fury, Calm, Mind, Body, Chaos, Order, Multi-Domain, and Colorless — plus Tokens, Showcase Rares, Heartsteel Overnumbered, and Ultimate Rares. You can follow the full daily-updated gallery at Star City Games' Radiance card list.

Timing Tip

Radiance releases October 23, 2026, with sealed product preorders opening October 6. Budget your pulls around preview season — prices and availability shift fastest in the first two weeks.

K'Sante: The Shield-Turned-Spear Legend

K'Sante is the first big legend reveal of the season, and his kit is exceptionally thematic. For one energy and a tap, he gives a friendly unit assault equal to its shield for the turn — letting defensive stats double as offense. In League terms, he sheds his defenses to hit harder, and that fantasy translates directly into card form.

His signature spell, Tofa Strikes (2 energy, 1 power, action speed), gives a friendly unit Shield 2 this turn, then deals damage equal to its shield to an enemy unit. It is a buff and a removal spell in one card.

CardCostEffectSynergy Rating
K'Sante1 energy + tapFriendly unit gains assault equal to its shield this turn★★★★★
Tofa Strikes2 energy, 1 powerShield 2 a unit, then shoot for its total shield★★★★☆

Why the archetype works:

  • Shield 2 and Shield 3 units become genuine threats on attack
  • Blocker-style cards gain dual use — defense and offense
  • Unlike Master Yi (free shield in the same colors), K'Sante charges one energy but applies on offense too
  • Tofa Strikes on a Shield 5 unit is removal plus a buff for one extra power over a standard discipline effect
Cost Awareness

K'Sante's tap ability costs one energy each use — it is not free like Master Yi's defensive shields. Sequence your energy carefully in the midgame when you want to attack and develop on the same turn.

Key Card Breakdown: Removal, Tokens, and Gear

Beyond K'Sante, the first reveal batch covers the full spectrum of Radiance archetypes — from expensive blue removal to yellow token spam.

CardDomainCostEffectFirst Impression
SupernovaMind9 energy, 1 powerDeal 10 to a unit, draw twoWild finisher; competes with Singularity
Rousing DisplayOrder5 energyShow Off a 7+ cost card: play 4 recruits to your base instead of 2Strong in tall Lux/Seraphine decks
HeimerdingerOrder6 energy, 1 powerWhile on battlefield, unit tokens become 3-might mechsNeeds setup, high ceiling
Invigorating BloomGearLow cost+3 might on play; exhaust a mighty unit to draw 1Solid in committed game plans
Ahri (Radiance)Multi4 energy, 1 power, 4 mightDisarm; on attack, -1 might to enemy here, then +1 to selfAverage; pairs with might-reduction effects
Pillaged ArmoryGear1 costDeploy to battlefield; on play or conquer here, buff a friendly unitEfficient repeatable buff

Supernova vs Singularity

  • Singularity: 6 energy, 12 damage
  • Supernova: 9 energy, 10 damage + draw 2
  • Supernova fits draw-hungry Mind decks

Heimerdinger Engine

  • Replaces recruit tokens with 3-might mechs
  • Potential combo with Vanguard Armory
  • Weak stats; needs protection

New Ahri

  • 4 might with Disarm
  • Grows off might-reduction effects
  • Compare with blue Ahri from Origins
Rules to Watch

Heimerdinger's replacement effect may trigger on every token instance or only the first — the updated comprehensive rules will settle this. Pillaged Armory's "when an opponent holds here, kill this" timing also awaits official clarification.

New Keywords: Show Off and Deploy Explained

Radiance introduces two keywords that push deckbuilding in fresh directions. Show Off asks you to reveal a card with energy cost seven or more from your hand, or point to a friendly one on the field — rewarding decks that actually run expensive haymakers. Deploy restricts a card to battlefield placement, tying its value to map control.

1

Build Tall

Include several 7+ cost cards — big spells, tall units, or expensive gear — so Show Off conditions are reliably met.

2

Reveal or Point

When playing Rousing Display, either reveal a 7+ cost card from hand or select a friendly one already deployed, such as Vanguard Armory on the field.

3

Collect the Upside

If you showed off, Rousing Display produces four recruits instead of two — and in Lux, it draws a card on top.

4

Control the Battlefield for Deploy

Pillaged Armory must deploy to a battlefield. Hold the location to keep it alive; each turn you conquer there, buff a friendly unit again.

Deckbuilding Tip

Show Off decks and Heimerdinger token decks overlap naturally — both want high-cost cards and token generators. A yellow Order shell with Vanguard Armory, Rousing Display, and Heimerdinger could be the core of a genuine Radiance archetype.

Preparing for Release Day

With the full spoiler still growing daily, smart preparation now pays off on October 23. Track the reveals, identify your target legends, and lock in your preorder window.

Radiance Release Prep:

  • Bookmark a daily-updated Radiance card gallery
  • Preorder sealed product between October 6 and release
  • Identify your target legend (K'Sante, Orianna, or others)
  • Watch for the remaining three legend reveals
  • Review updated comprehensive rules for Deploy and Show Off

FAQ

Q: Which legends are confirmed for Riftbound Radiance?

Ekko and Seraphine are the poster legends, joined by Evelynn, Ziggs, Jarvan IV, and Orianna. Three additional legends have yet to be revealed, bringing the total to nine alongside 180 new cards.

Q: When does Radiance release?

Radiance releases October 23, 2026. Sealed product preorders begin October 6, 2026, roughly two and a half weeks before launch.

Q: How does K'Sante work?

For one energy and a tap, K'Sante gives a friendly unit assault equal to its shield this turn, turning defensive stats into offense. His signature spell Tofa Strikes gives Shield 2 and then deals damage equal to the unit's total shield.

Q: What does the Show Off keyword do?

Show Off lets you reveal a card with energy cost seven or more from your hand, or select a friendly one on the battlefield, to unlock an upgraded effect — for example, Rousing Display making four recruits instead of two.