We have two exclusive Riftbound Unleashed card previews, and they include the return of a fan-favorite Legend of Runeterra nihilist

Date:
Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Description:
Mister Root enters the Blast Cone with our pair of Riftbound Unleashed card previews.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
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successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter It is preview-season for Riftbound s upcoming Unleashed set which launches in China on April 10 and in English on May 8 and I have not one but two exclusive new cards to showcase for you today.

This pair looks set to cement themselves as solid limited environment picks such as the excellent Pre-Rift events Id strongly recommend you attend
though I could see both, especially our first card Blast Cone, being solid utility pieces in the right constructed deck. (Image credit: Riot Games) There's a lot of strong text on Blast Cone. Forcibly moving an enemy unit is
a potent defensive and offensive ability, and that latter option is amplified by this cards secondary effect to also stun what it moves if you exhaust
Blast Cone as a stunned unit cant deal damage in combat. Article continues below You may like My favorite League of Legends spin-off since Arcane just got even better Forget Marvel Super Heroes, I can't wait for Secrets of Strixhaven Even with a new planet, fresh characters and many freebies, I'm most excited about the collectible card game coming in Honkai Star Rail's Version 4.0 update Crucially, Blast Cones stun effect happens whenever you move an enemy not simply when you move it with Blast Cone so it can seriously amplify the likes of Blitzcrank Impassive, Charm, and Temptation.

The cost seems somewhat reasonable for this card too four plus recycling a Chaos rune though like other enemy move effects, a major drawback this card has is you cant play Blast Cone as an Action or Reaction meaning youd have
to telegraph your combat plans by playing this before a Showdown rather than during one.

Theres not yet a Champion and Legend pairing ideally in Calm and Chaos flavors to form the basis of a synergistic deck around moving your foes to disrupt their plans and push your own strategy, but I feel it wont be long before we see one with cards like this being printed. When we do, I can see Blast Cone being a staple in that deck.

I could also see it working with a card that lets you bring in Gear as an Action or Reaction; theres possible synergy with effects like Factory Recall, and also synergy with Malzahar or Jayce, who want you to have friendly gear around to sacrifice. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
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Thats all to say theres potential for Blast Cone, but for now, I worry it's homeless. A nihilistic adventurer returns Next, we have a cute little common with Mister Root. The nihilistic character returns from the Legends of Runterra, but instead of card draw, this little guy helps with the new XP mechanic. (Image credit: Riot Games) This resource, being introduced in Unleashed, can be accrued through various card effects and then spent to perform effects or held to level up certain cards. For my fellow Magic: The Gathering players, it's a bit like Energy with some Riftbound twists to make it feel fresh. What to read next Exclusive: WWE 2K26 MyRise lead talks this year's campaign and why fan-favorite Jordynne Grace is taking on the role of
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Given Mister Roots Chaos identity, its home is in KhaZix decks a new
Champion and Legend who cares about XP, and the only one with Chaos flavoring so far. When Mister Root moves to a battlefield, youll get 2XP, and you can then spend that in the showdown youre entering (provided you have a little extra XP in your bank) to use KhaZix Evolving Hunters ability which lets you spend 3XP to deal damage equal to Kha'Zix's might to an enemy unit at its location.

Or you could rely on KhaZixs Legend to use 1XP to buff Mister Root or another Unit. (Image credit: Riot) In a limited environment like Pre-Rift, Mister
Root will be a useful Common for any XP decks I expect. Its rarity will make it a reliable pick up, and its low cost coupled with its Accelerate effect, could help you accrue XP at just the right moment to inch out a victory.

In constructed formats, Mister Root seems like a solid KhaZix, as Ive mentioned, but with so few XP cards revealed at the time of writing, its
tough to tell how potent this new strategy will be and how well Mister Root will fit in. Im rooting for the little guy, but well need to wait and see
what more Riot has in store for us.

Speaking of, if you want to check out all of the new Unleashed cards, you can head over to the official Card Gallery , as it updates with the latest sets goodies. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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