Alex secured first place at our Riftbound Nexus Night with a strong control-focused Teemo build. Below is his full interview — all answers preserved exactly as written.

Here’s Alex’s full interview after his Riftbound Nexus Night victory:

🏆 Winner Interview

Q: What’s your name and do you have a different carde.io account name?

A: Alex Nguyen, Vietnamesisch

Q: How long have you been coming to Tilted Gaming?

A: 1st time was 11/20/25 and will definitely be coming back!

Q: Did you jump right into Riftbound on release or waited a bit?

A: I started the day after release.

Q: Since you jumped in at release did you go to any release events and what starter deck did you get or enjoy?

A: I wasn’t able to go to any of the events, but I was able to pick up a Lee Sin and Jinx starter deck, and a Proving Grounds.

Q: Since Riftbound is still fairly new, what other TCG’s do you play?

A: I used to play a lot of Yu Gi Oh growing up and I tried Lorcana at its release. I did a little bit of Magic but never stuck with it.

Q: What is your opinion on the game, carried by its IP or it’s actually engaging?

A: I would say a fair bit of both, the IP was what got me initially into it, I’ve been playing league since release and been a fan of Riot games since. Been heavily invested in most of their games. Play in League, Diamond in TFT, and Ascendant in Valorant. But the game itself is really fun and well structured to keep the interest going.

Q: Do you go for max rarity blinged out deck or functional deck?

A: Functionality. Unless I have a reason to show off my deck like winning a Regionals, I don’t see a need to go max rarity on a deck.

Q: What Legend did you use to take the win tonight?

A: Teemo

Q: Why did you choose Teemo for this event?

A: Kai Sa is too expensive and too meta that it makes a nexus night not fun imo, and I personally enjoy control decks. I think Teemo is the strongest control deck right now with his options of Purple and Blue.

Q: What makes your deck different from other Teemo decks?

A: Teemo right now is one of the only hold based decks, and his options of Blue and Purple give him a huge toolkit. Purple gives him strong control for protection and conquer setups, while Blue gives major resource power. Their synergy helps build a trash pile for Mundo to become a huge wall.

“At the end of the day it’s a game and the more you enjoy it the better the experience.”

Q: How long have you been playing this legend and did you try any other before settling?

A: I’ve been playing Teemo for about 2 weeks now. I had an incomplete version of the deck and took 4th at my last nexus night, losing to Sett, Viktor, Viktor. After completing 98% of my deck, I now have the tools to beat these with specific plays and cards. I originally started on a Midrange Tempo Yi deck since I couldn’t get Aurora/Deadbloom.

Q: What was your toughest matchup today and how did you handle it?

A: The toughest was the Viktor deck. I couldn’t pull a specific card, and on the game-winning turn I used Time Warp to cheese the 8th point, but my opponent stopped my hold with Hidden Blade. I luckily drew Stacked Deck and searched Thousand Tailed Watcher to win. Passing would’ve lost me the game.

Q: We let the community vote for a Bo3 or Bo1 setup for tonight's Nexus event, Bo1 won, any thoughts?

A: I was used to BO3 so it was a weird shift not being able to side deck, but it made it more challenging for everyone. Your deck had to be prepared for all matchups with no sideboarding. It also made the night faster, which was great because of the storm — being able to play and go home at a reasonable time was a great call.

Q: Enough about your deck, do you think there is a stable meta right now because of CN or are we creating our own here in the US?

A: The meta is shifting between A and B Tier, but Kai Sa is the one true S Tier deck. If you have a fully built Kai Sa, you have a 99% chance of winning. But shifting A/B tiers keeps the game healthy.

Q: With only Origins Set out right now and certain cards locked behind products like Proving Grounds, what do you think Riot needs to do?

A: Riot needs to print more cards. Demand is way too high for current supply. It’s inflating the market and making it hard for new players. December’s restock should help. Prices also need fixing — a ~500–600 cost for a full Kai Sa deck is wrong for a brand new game.

Q: Do you have any advice for players wanting to get into Riftbound?

A: 3 things: 1 Decide if you want to play competitively. 2 Build a deck according to that goal. 3 Have fun! You don’t need a maxed out Kai Sa unless you plan on regionals. If you just want to play at your local store, build what you think is fun. Most decks are viable. Play a deck that fits your playstyle and don’t be afraid to try others. But avoid Garen… you'll always lose.

Q: Any shoutouts you want to give out?

A: Huge shoutout to everyone who showed up — great games all night. The staff were so dope and welcoming. Also huge shoutout to Bryan (Kriptini) and Keith (Blank) — crazy seeing old companions from Throne and Liberty in real life.

Thanks for being part of the Tilted Gaming community! 💜