How to Tell If a Riftbound Card Is Rare: Read the Gem and the Number
Riftbound shows rarity in a gem at the bottom of the card: round, triangle, square, pentagon, hexagon. Learn the shapes, and how the number names each version.
In this guide
Look at the small gem in the middle of the card's bottom edge. Round is Common, triangle is Uncommon, square is Rare, pentagon is Epic, and a gold hexagon marks the collector versions that Riot's Card Gallery lists as Showcase.
This page reads the marks. For what the chase cards earn, read are Riftbound cards worth money.
Where is the rarity gem?
We opened Amateur Demolitionist from Riot's Card Gallery on 3 November 2026. A small round gem sits in the centre of the bottom edge.
The collector number is just below it in the lower left corner: RAD 001/167 EN on this card. The frame on this card is bronze, which matches Riot's description of a Common.
What each gem means
Riot explains the marks in Collectability in Riftbound: Origins, dated 28 July 2025. It calls these four the functional rarities.
| Gem | Rarity | Frame | Origins pack slots |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Common | Simple bronze | 7 |
| Triangle | Uncommon | Silver | 3 |
| Square | Rare | Gold, full art, foil pattern | 2, shared with Epic |
| Pentagon | Epic | Minimalist gold, foil | About 1 in 4 packs |
Each Origins pack also has 1 foil slot and 1 token or rune slot. An Epic replaces a card in a rare slot, so two Epics in one pack can happen.
That article covers Origins only. Later sets use similar slots but add categories, so read the overview for your own set.
The hexagon and what it hides
Riot's Origins guide names the hexagon only for Alt Art. But the gallery images we opened show the same gold hexagon on all five versions below, so the number has to do the sorting.
| Version | Number on Riot's cards | Rate Riot gave |
|---|---|---|
| Alt Art | Ends in "a": OGN 039a/298 | About 2 per box in Origins |
| Overnumber | Above the set total: SFD 239/221 | About 1 per 3 boxes in Origins |
| Signature Overnumber | Asterisk, plus artist signature: SFD 227*/221 | About 1 in 10 Overnumbers in Origins |
| Special Alt | SP in the number: VEN SP3/006 | Roughly the same as Alt Art in Radiance |
| Ultimate Rare | Overnumber in Unleashed | About 0.025% of Radiance packs |
Riot says these rates are averages across a print run and not guarantees for any pack or box. The Radiance page adds that no pack, box or case is guaranteed an Ultimate Rare.
Riot's Unleashed page also says Ultimate Rares will not appear in every set.
Special Alt has no definition. Riot's overviews list it in the Vendetta and Radiance pack slots and never explain it. The SP numbers come from the Card Gallery, and we read them as the Special Alts.
The Ultimate has no label of its own in the gallery. Its one overnumbered Baron Nashor, UNL 238/219, is listed there as Epic while the card prints a hexagon. We read that as Riot's Ultimate Rare, so trust the printed gem over the filter.
Traps on Riftbound cards
Foil does not mean rare. In Origins, Riot says every Rare and Epic is foil, and the foil slot usually holds a Common or Uncommon. So a shiny card can still be a round gem.
Not every special number is an Overnumber. Riot's Vendetta overview says its Crystal Rose alt arts have a "special" numbering, and that Overnumber is kept for art made for Riftbound.
Riot adds that those Crystal Rose cards are distributed more like a base Alt Art. So check the set's own overview before you call a card an Overnumber.
An Overnumber can be an old card. Riot says a card reprinted as an Overnumber in a later set stays a card of its original set for tournament legality.
"Showcase" is a filter, not one version. Riot's Card Gallery has five rarity labels: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic and Showcase. It put 290 cards under Showcase on 3 November 2026, mixing Alt Arts, Overnumbers, signed cards and SP cards.
Riot's articles say Alt Art, Special Alt and Overnumber instead. So a listing that only says "Showcase" has not told you which one you are buying.
This game is young. Riftbound reached English on 31 October 2025, and Radiance arrived on 23 October 2026. Ultimate Rares and Special Alts were both added within that first year, so expect more marks to appear.
Rare does not mean expensive
A rare gem does not mean a high price. The gem tells you the pack slot, not what a buyer pays.
Riot itself designed its Rare tier so players can reach the decks they want, and it made Champion Legends Rare for that reason. So a square gem says little about price by itself.
We quote no prices here. Our Riftbound value guide has the data, and how much are my trading cards worth has the method.
Our rarities explainer shows the same split in other games.
A quick check for any card
- Read the gem shape at the bottom centre.
- Read the number, then look for an "a", an SP, an asterisk or a figure above the set total.
- Match the art in the Card Gallery.
- Open the set's overview for its rates and any special numbering.
- Check the condition guide, and use how to spot fake trading cards if anything looks wrong.
What people ask next
- Which Riftbound cards earn real money?
- Which Riftbound sets are coming next?
- Where can I buy Riftbound cards in Europe?
- Is grading worth it for a rare pull?
FAQ
What is the rarest Riftbound card type?
Ultimate Rare has the lowest rate Riot states: under 0.1% of packs in Unleashed and about 0.025% in Radiance. Unleashed had a single one, a Baron Nashor Overnumber.
What does the "a" in a collector number mean?
Riot says cards with alternate art treatments have an "a" at the end of their collector number.
How do I know an Overnumber is signed?
Riot says a signature version carries the artist's signature and an asterisk in its collector number.
Can two Epics come in one pack?
Yes in Origins. Riot says an Epic replaces a card in a rare slot, and that pack had 2 rare slots.
What does Showcase mean on a Riftbound card?
It is the label Riot's Card Gallery uses for its hexagon cards, such as Alt Arts and Overnumbers. The label is wider than any one version, so read the number as well.
Are the rates guaranteed?
No. Riot gives them as averages across the print run, and contents are randomized during manufacturing.
Find your card
See the shops → Independent shops on Foilio. On an order you pay the seller directly.
Foilio does not hold the payment and does not guarantee the deal.
Check a card price → Search the Riftbound cards on Foilio and compare the figure with sold prices.