Learning How to Learn: Resource Management
There are three main resources in LoR: Mana, Cards and Health. How you manage them is the key to victory, as Yangzera explains in this strategy guide.
There are three main resources in LoR: Mana, Cards and Health. How you manage them is the key to victory, as Yangzera explains in this strategy guide.
Tempo is a seemingly straightforward term in card games – but, like Time, it’s hard to define precisely. Yangzera breaks it down into three factors, to better grasp this crucial strategic concept.
In his first article for Mastering Runeterra, multiple rank #1 Yangzera covers the simple yet hard to master concept of priority management
Mono Elites, Galio Udyr, Ashe Sivir and… is Thresh Nasus’ time to come back!?
Pirates has seen a facelift, come find out how to play the latest iteration from MonteXristo as he breaks down one of LoR’s oldest and most reliable burn decks!
Guns, Robots, and Science! Aphelios Viktor is a toolbox deck based around creating whatever you need. Learn all about it in this deck guide by Leer!
This patch brought back Mono-Shurima with a vengeance! Learn all about the power of the sun disc and the vast desert from Hydroflare.
Do you like smashing face even through blockers? Maybenextime may have just the deck for you! Dive in and learn everything you need to know.
Leer lays out the vast power of Azir Irelia, why it’s especially good right now, and how to pilot it with grace and precision.
From the new Viktor blends to the Old Dogs that are still doing great, everything for the sophisticated part-time ladderista
New patch? New decks! As part of Riot’s “Balance Experiment”, this patch we not only get nerfs and buffs, but also three new cards to try!
In this data-deep article bA1ance shows how many games on average it takes to reach a new deck’s expected mean winrate, and how you may be denying yourself an advantage by not trying to learn new decks!
From the Meta Staples to Exotic Medleys, everything for the sophisticated part-time ladderista
Monte illustrates the process of deck brewing & refining by taking Miss Fortune Renekton to the Ladder.
Card Gamer breaks down the often-forgotten Fizz Lulu Yordles in Arms, recently remembered and boasting impressive results
Are you looking for the best decks in this week’s meta-game? Leer takes a deep dive into the data to show you what decks you should play and those you should prepare to face!
Leer breaks down this novel Aphelios deck, sharing tips and insights from his exchange with “Between Worlds” Seasonal Champion Painas
From the Popular & Powerful to the Truly Rare, everything for the sophisticated part-time ladderista
bA1lance shows how to refine and optimize a deck, based on data and playtesting, and provides a detailed guide for this Combo archetype
After a leave of absence from the metagame, this archetype is back as a viable tournament and ladder deck.
Monte shares his insights and personal decklist for one of his weapons of choice this Season: Trundle Gnar, aka Gnarlines.
Need to slap some pesky Demacia Rally decks? Then let Jasensational tell you all about the exploits of the Noxian Grand General and his (new) furry best friend.
From Strongest Staples to Exotic Medleys, everything for the discerning part-time ladderista.
Seasonal Champion and top Lee Sin pilot MajiinBae shares his insights on one of the most powerful tournament decks of all time
Sejuani Gnar Bandle has mediocre performance and bad matchup tables… but Sirturmund believes that’s because pilots are playing the deck incorrectly, or playing unoptimized lists.
Jasensational shares his tips and tricks for one of his weapons of choice this season, featuring his favorite Champ: the bright, hirsute Prof. Heimerdinger
From Meta Staples to the Risky and Rare, everything for the cultured part-time ladderista.
Maybenextime breaks down his (currently) favorite OTK deck, Akshan Gnar, with detailed matchup & mulligan tips
Sirturmund believes this is the best Udyr deck you can play right now — this in-depth guide covers everything from card description to detailed mulligan & matchup tips.
Pantheon Yuumi is quietly one of the best decks in the upcoming metagame. In this guide, Leer shows how the archetype functions, how to mulligan, and how to beat each matchup.
Maybenextime breaks down the deck he took to Masters this week, and that is taking the ladder by storm.
Yes, indeed: fairly gnarly half of them.
Yet only one gnarly deck in the top three!
The ladder may be Gnar, Gnar, Gnar everywhere, but that’s not an option in Tournaments or Gauntlets, so… what to bring?
Sirturmund and MonteXristo have your back with this week’s Bo3 recommendations!
bA1ance finishes his tour through the best data sites, shares tips on how to best use them, and interviews Team Pandex’ Coach, Tiburón Blanco, about how to make decisions based both on data and extensive experience.
A good fisherman knows the sea, the waves and the weather… and where to get the best supplies for his trade.
bA1ance will tour you around the best LoR data sites, and offer tips about how to use said data.
A Curious Journey begins — these are the fifteen strongest decks currently, with lots of room for refinements and tweaks.
New cards, new Champs, new Meta! Twenty-four hours into the patch, these are the strongest decks in Platinum and above
The newest expansion brings cool new Champs and cards to LoR. Shadawx shows off six decks you can try out on Day #1!
And thus the Season ends: although Ahri Kennen still rules supreme, it reigns atop one of the most varied metas in recent memory, where both Meta Staples and single-author brews thrive.
Leer and Wamuu test-pilot three archetypes, brought to light by Balco, that are rarely seen outside a single shard: Luzeldon’s Muscle Dragon, RickoRex’s Akshan Sivir Noxus, and Renekton Sivir Sejuani
One week to go until the Season ends — if you need a trusty deck for a final effort, here are our writers’ recommendations for a steady Ladder climb.
Welcome to our third iteration of card ratings & Expedition Tier List!
Combining Balco’s winrate data and ratings from five expert drafters, here’s a by-the-numbers Tier List for every card in Expeditions.
Father, card-slinger, Combo lover, guy behind our Matchup tables… bA1ance is a man of many talents. This is his journey, from Magic early days to Master in LoR, along with his detailed guide & optimization for the deck that got him there this Season.
Nope, that’s not a typo. Yep, it’s Jinx Poppy. A very rare deck from the APAC shard that Balco dug for us from his data mines… and, as Wamuu will show you, oh boy can it blow sh*t up.
In LoR, decks come in and out of the meta in the blink of an eye. But some decks are found almost exclusively on one shard.
Our heroes team up with Balco to test-pilot three of the most promising ones: Darius Ziggs, Heimer Kindred, and Jinx Poppy.
With this week’s meta shift, we’re approaching an equilibrium in which no decks are clearly overplayed. Leer takes a deep dive into the data to show you what decks you should play and those you should prepare to face!
Most people would agree Ahri Kennen is the top dog right now but what’s more debatable is: which version is the best?
Kevor is here to tell you all about the Go Hard version right on time for Seasonal
Monte delves deep into the intricacies and countdowns around one of the staple Landmark decks: Zilean Xerath.
In need of inspiration for your Tournament? Looking to qualify to seasonal through Last Chance Gauntlet?
Sirturmund & MonteXristo present six lineups to help you achieve all your tournament goals.
Star Spring specialist Sirturmund explains in detail why TK Raka is great for Tournament lineups, and when to consider it for Ladder.
Although around for quite long, Akshan Sivir is a hidden gem that has a strong matchup table in the meta.
Leer will guide you through the basics of the deck and the intricacies of its matchups.
With the rise of Scouts, we have seen an exciting shift into an elegant dance between Control decks, Tempo-based archetypes, and Ahri Kennen. Leer takes a deep dive into the data to show you what decks you should play and those you should prepare to face!
Seasonal Champion MajiinBae presents three lineups for Gauntlets & Tournaments this weekend.
In need of inspiration for your next Gauntlet or Tournament?
Sirturmund & MonteXristo present six lineups with their ban strategies and possible alternatives.
Their Royal Majesties, Ahri and Kennen, still have a firm grasp on the throne, but there’s no shortage of brews with which to experiment and climb!
FTR Control is an old archetype rejuvenated by the recent balance patch. Jasensational explains in detail how to keep your foe’s board clear while you play your big, overwhelming threats.
The last balance patch finally allowed Kindred to shine. Wamuu explains in detail his favorite version of one archetype in which they do so: Kindred Sentinels.
Leer breaks down the card choices, mulligan strats and matchups for one of the strongest decks right now: Scouts.
Are you looking for the best decks in this week’s ever-changing metagame? Leer takes a deep dive into the data to show you what decks you should play and those you should prepare to face!
Seasonal Champion MajiinBae presents the three lineups he’s considering for Tournaments this weekend.
Twenty high-performance blends, from Meta Staples to Risky & Rare brews, for the discerning LoR ladderista.
In search for some Gauntlet or Tournament lineups? Wamuu explains the current best choices, along with their ban strategies.
Combining Balco’s winrate data and Conansson’s bucket ratings, here’s a by-the-numbers LoR Expeditions Tier List — all archetypes, nearly all cards!
There’s nothing to fear.
Except an endless swarm of Spiderlings made huge with Iceborn Legacy.
Monte’s back with another deck guide on one of his favorite decks, Nightfall!
If you’re sick of losing to Ahri/Kennen click the link to learn how to play one of it’s best counters!
According to our favorite datamancer, Balco: “Yes… but not much.” Unless your name’s on Pyke’s list!
Looking for Gauntlet or Tournament lineups? Wamuu breaks down the best lineups for this fresh new Meta.
Ahri Kennen still rules the Meta… yet Kindred, spiders and fatty furry critters have taken the ladder by storm!
With 24 hours of data from Plat+, here are the five new decks that show the best performance.
And, yes: Kindred is among them!
The newest update to the game, Patch 3.0.0, brings some interesting card changes. Shadawx shows off five decks you can try out on Day #1!
While the meta is still the most diverse we’ve seen in a very long time, pilots have already detected the best performers. Leer dives deep into the data to find out which other decks are being held back by the current Top Dogs, and how things may change with the balance patch we expect on Wednesday.
And thus the Year ends:
Not with a bang,
But aflame with Chompers!
Unlike the other Magic Misadventures champions, Rumble was a bit slow in finding its proper shell… but the wait is over: Wamuu gets the party ready to roll!
Are you looking for the best decks in this week’s new meta-game? Leer takes a deep dive into the data to show you what decks you should play and those you should prepare to face!
What’s the difference between Teemo and Swain? Well… one is a ruthless war criminal, and the other is the Grand General of Noxus. How do they team up? Here’s Jasensational with the detailed run-down!
Although some trends are now clear, the Meta is still up in the air — here are some the best-performing decks, from the well-know to the highly-experimental!
Santa ain’t lying: if you’ve been bad (player), you get punished. Luckily, here’s CastMin to help you avoid getting the coal!
Surging in playrate after the hotfix, Kennen Ahri Shurima is now one of the strongest decks. Wamuu lays bare all its many tricks, mulligan and matchups in this in-depth guide.
Right after reaching Top Four in the Championship Qualifier#2, Shadawx takes a look at the top performing decks with cards from the new set.
Pantheon/Taric has been the most played deck since the hotfix on Dec 14th. In this guide, we will cover what’s behind the hype and how to pilot this deck to success.
The recent hotfix sent the meta back to Day One — here are some of the best-performing decks, both new and old, in this brave new ladder!
Are you looking for the best decks in this week’s meta-game? Leer takes a deep dive into the data to show you what decks you should play and those you should prepare to face!
The meta in flux, unrefined decks, untested ideas… WhatAmI helps us navigate our opening hands against the unknown in this episode of the Mulligan Show.
This article is part of a six-part series geared towards newer players to teach them about the fundamentals of Legends of RuneTerra (and card games in general). Each article is aimed to build on each other and teach you how to think deeper behind your plays and how you pilot the game.
There have been a lot of new players joining LOR and our community here at Mastering Runeterra! If you are new, you’ve seen articles about the meta shifting, deck breakdowns, how to get yourself in the headspace to improve your play, and, of course, why this game is so amazing.
Fifteen-plus Decks, from Revolutionary to Experimental to Well-Known with a Twist, to Start the Season With
Looking for something new? Or something old, but with a new spin?
Shadawx has you covered: four champs, five decks to try on Patch Day!
WhatAmI again takes us to school to teach us how to mulligan in LoR — a crucial skill if you want to improve as a player.
A Wide Variety of Strong Decks, from Well-Known Meta Staples to Far-Flung Exotics, for a LoR Ladder End-Of-Season Push.
Top 200 player Wamuu shares his tips on overcoming the anxiety that comes with the (sometimes brutal) ups and downs in the LoR Ladder,
Using Feel the Rush and Zoe Lee Sin as detailed examples, Jasensational explains in depth the most difficult fundamental to master: Passing correctly.
An Ample Assortment from among the Best Ladder Decks, from Meta Staples to Risky and Rare, for the Discerning Part-Time Climber.
As of this writing there are 586 players in Masters. Which means if you can achieve that rank you will qualify for Seasonals this Saturday! This climb can be done from Gold up to Masters with a solid day of grinding the Ladder so there is still time.
Nine hours packed with intense gameplay and hard decisions at every corner… CastMin answers the tough questions so you can focus on preparing for the event.
Get ready for Seasonals! Wamuu explains in detail how to craft your own LoR Tournament Lineup
WhatAmI again takes us to school to teach us how to mulligan in Legends of Runeterra — a crucial skill if you want to improve as a player.
Knowing our deck’s gameplan is crucial, but we’ll focus this chapter of Mastering the Fundamentals on the other side of the equation: factoring what our *opponent* is doing.
This old Archetype remains one of the strongest in tournaments, and a force to reckoned with when piloted skillfully on the LoR Ladder. Jasensational’s Zoe Lee Sin Deck Guide will teach pilots the skills needed to kick foes in both settings.
Looking to play The Path of Champions for the first time? Struggling with your PvE runs? AidenThorne has all the answers for you in this PvE rundown!
Tired of playing the same old decks game after game? We have a sampling of potent off meta decks to spice up your game!
Are you looking for the best decks in this new meta? Leer takes a deep dive into the data to show you what decks you should play and those you should prepare to face!
Ladder woes, and a run down of LoR’s Past and current features alongside a wishlist for what we could see in the future! Full podcast + Recap
Rather than focusing on a specific deck, Yasuo specialist Jasensational shows in this article how to solve a different side of the Stun equation: Leona, and her Daybreak package.
Our 6th Road to Seasonals tournament has Dudu de Nunu winning with three pillars of the current meta; Sun disc, Pantheon, and Jayce Lux!
Beastllama wobbles to wictory with Mr.Chronoshift himself, alongside Taliyah Ziggs and a Jayce Elise deck! Catch the top 4 lineups here.