Resources
How Do Runes Work?
Use Runes for reusable Energy or Recycle them for domain-specific Power.
RiftPal explanation · Answer first
The short answer
RuneRunes are your resources for paying for cards and abilities. They come from a separate Rune Deck and are brought into play as the game progresses.View in Glossary are the resources you use to play cards and use abilities in Riftbound. They come from a separate Rune Deck and stay available to you throughout the game.
Most cards use your runes temporarily by ExhaustTo Exhaust something, turn it sideways to show that it has been used for an action or cost that requires it to Exhaust.View in Glossary them. Some stronger or more specific card costs require you to RecycleRecycle means returning a card to the bottom of the appropriate deck. When you Recycle a rune, it returns to your Rune Deck.View in Glossary runes, returning them to your Rune Deck instead.
As the game goes on, you gain access to more runes, letting you play more expensive cards and abilities.
RiftPal explanation
How it works
Your runes are kept in a separate Rune Deck from your Main Deck. During the game, you bring runes into play to build up the resources available to you.
Normally, you bring two new runes into play each turn. There is one exception at the very start of a standard 1v1 game: the second player brings three runes into play on their first turn, helping compensate for going second.
RuneRunes are your resources for paying for cards and abilities. They come from a separate Rune Deck and are brought into play as the game progresses.View in Glossary can then be used to pay different kinds of costs.
Card reference
Charm
Energy Costs use your runes temporarily. You pay them by ExhaustTo Exhaust something, turn it sideways to show that it has been used for an action or cost that requires it to Exhaust.View in Glossary ready runes. Those runes stay in play and become Ready again at the start of your next turn, letting you use them again.
Spell
Charm
Move an enemy unit.
Card reference
Charm
Power Costs work differently. They require you to RecycleRecycle means returning a card to the bottom of the appropriate deck. When you Recycle a rune, it returns to your Rune Deck.View in Glossary the appropriate runes, returning them to your Rune Deck.
Spell
Charm
Move an enemy unit.
Some cards and abilities can require Energy, Power, or both.