Invisible threats win visible games.
You’ve checked the score. You’ve sorted your hand. You’ve evaluated their threats. Now comes the hardest question: what do I need to play around?
Great players don’t just react to the present — they anticipate the future. They respect open mana, count runes, and imagine their opponent’s strongest possible line. If you leave an opening, they’ll punish it. If you cover their outs, you force them into weaker plays.
When I think about playing around my opponent, I don’t just look at what’s on the board — I think about what their open mana and rune count allow them to do next.
My process is to assume their best possible reply and shape my turn so it either survives it or denies it outright. Here's some general concepts about the topic you can gain from:
- Open Mana & Runes
- Every untapped rune is a signal. Assume it’s there for a reason.
- Ask: What’s the strongest spell they could play right now? Can my line survive it? What's the chances they have it?
- Best-Case vs Worst-Case Thinking
- Don’t just ask what they might do — ask what they’d do if they had the perfect hand.
- If it survives the worst possible case, it’s a solid line.
- Avoid Overcommitting
- Don’t dump your whole hand just to get blown out by one answer.
- Give the least amount of resources possible, that forces a response.
- Think a Turn Ahead
- Always ask: If I make this play, what does their next turn look like?
- All decks have limitations on what they can do each turn, calculating the most likely can win games.
✅ Actionable Steps
- Check open mana
- Count runes
- ***Pressure without overextending ***
- Preview their turn
That’s the fourth and final question: What do I need to play around? Mastering this skill makes you untouchable. Because once you respect the threats in their hand, not just the ones on the board, you close the door on their outs and take full control of the match.
Put all four questions together — the score, your hand, their threats, and their options — and you’ll have a complete framework for winning Riftbound.
