Tawan
Radiance launches on October 23 and brings three new keywords with it, Deploy, Show Off and Disarm (Riot Games, 2026). I touched on them in my Radiance reveal, but they deserve a proper look, so here is what each one does based on Riot’s own definitions and where I think they’ll actually matter once the set is in people’s hands.
One quick caveat, as preview season runs until October 9 and we haven’t seen every card that uses these keywords yet. Treat the strategy parts as early reads and not as final verdicts.
Deploy: strong, but only while you hold the ground
Riot’s definition is short. Gear with Deploy can only be played to a battlefield, where it grants its benefits for as long as it stays there, and when an opponent holds that battlefield the gear is destroyed (Riot Games, 2026).
That makes Deploy a bet on board control, a bit like a flag in capture the flag, where it’s only yours for as long as you hold the ground. You get something powerful right where the fight is, but the moment you lose that battlefield you lose the gear with it. I expect Deploy cards to shine in decks that already want to sit on a battlefield and defend it, and to be a lot riskier in decks that trade battlefields back and forth.
The first showcase for the mechanic is Ziggs, Hexplosives Expert, whose Bomb tokens are Deploy gear. When one Bomb dies it damages an enemy unit and sets off your other Bombs at the same battlefield, which is why Riot’s own summary of the token is simply that the more bombs you play, the bigger the boom (Riot Games, 2026; Switzer, 2026).
Show Off: extra value, if you’re willing to reveal it
Show Off lets you reveal a qualifying card from your hand, or point to one already on your board, to get an extra effect on the card you’re playing (Riot Games, 2026).
The detail I like most is the board option. Showing off from your hand tells your opponent part of what you’re holding, which is a real cost in a close game, whereas pointing at a card that’s already on the board gives nothing away. As long as that card stays in play it can keep enabling Show Off effects, so it quietly rewards decks built around one big, sticky payoff card.
Disarm: Assault in reverse
Disarm reduces the Might of an enemy unit as you attack, and like Assault, each extra instance makes the effect stronger (Riot Games, 2026). The easiest way to think about it is that Assault makes your attacker bigger and Disarm makes the defender smaller.
The first card built around it is Kai’Sa, Rebel, who pairs Disarm with the ability to give her own spells Reaction mid-fight (Switzer, 2026). Shrinking a defender and then responding with a spell at the right moment looks like a nasty combination for aggressive decks.
One more new thing: Equipment Units
This isn’t a keyword, but it’s worth knowing. With Orianna’s Legend effect, Equipment can now become Units. Before you get any clever ideas about stacking them, Riot has already closed that door, as an Equipment that becomes a Unit is automatically unequipped (Riot Games, 2026).
Which one will matter most?
If I had to bet today, Deploy will shape the most games, because it changes how you value holding a battlefield and not just what you play. Show Off is the one I expect to be underrated early. You can read every revealed card yourself in Riot’s official card gallery, and I’ll keep breaking down the best of them on the Tawan Cards page as preview season wraps up. The Pre-Rift events from October 16 will be the first proper test of all three.
It are what it are.
References
Riot Games. (n.d.). Card gallery. Riftbound: League of Legends Trading Card Game. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://playriftbound.com/en-us/card-gallery/
Riot Games. (2026, September 25). The Radiance overview. Riftbound: League of Legends Trading Card Game. https://playriftbound.com/en-us/news/announcements/the-radiance-overview/
Switzer, E. (2026, September 25). Take the stage: Riot Games reveals new Legends and mechanics for Riftbound: Radiance. TriplePoint Newsroom. https://pressreleases.triplepointpr.com/2026/09/25/take-the-stage-riot-games-reveals-new-legends-and-mechanics-for-riftbound-radiance/
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