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.
Yangzera
May 18, 2022
Learning How to Learn: The Value of Tempo
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.
Yangzera
May 10, 2022
Learning How to Learn: The Art of Priority
In his first article for Mastering Runeterra, multiple rank #1 Yangzera covers the simple yet hard to master concept of priority management
Yangzera
May 3, 2022
Day One Decks – Champion updates and rules updates? Don’t mind if I do!
Mono Elites, Galio Udyr, Ashe Sivir and… is Thresh Nasus’ time to come back!?
Shadawx
April 27, 2022
Deck Guide: Pirates!
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!
MonteXristo
April 24, 2022
Detailed Deck Guide – Aphelios Viktor
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!
Leer
April 14, 2022
Mono Shurima: a Deck Guide
This patch brought back Mono-Shurima with a vengeance! Learn all about the power of the sun disc and the vast desert from Hydroflare.
Hydroflare
April 11, 2022
Overwhelmingly Awesome: A Guide to Frozen Darius Gnar
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.
Maybenextime
April 6, 2022
Detailed Deck Guide: Azir Irelia
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.
Leer
April 4, 2022
Weekend Warrior Weapons, First Friday Edition
From the new Viktor blends to the Old Dogs that are still doing great, everything for the sophisticated part-time ladderista
Herko Kerghans
April 1, 2022
Day One Decks – Five new decks to try out for Patch 3.4.0!
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!
Shadawx
March 30, 2022
Learning New Decks: Mastery Curves (in collaboration with Legna)
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!
bA1ance
March 29, 2022
Weekend Warrior Weapons – Eighteen High-Performance Blends for the Discerning Ladder Climber
From the Meta Staples to Exotic Medleys, everything for the sophisticated part-time ladderista
Herko Kerghans
March 25, 2022
So, you want to build a deck?
Monte illustrates the process of deck brewing & refining by taking Miss Fortune Renekton to the Ladder.
MonteXristo
March 23, 2022
Fizz Lulu Yordles in Arms (BC/PZ) – A Deck You Shouldn’t Be Forgetting About
Card Gamer breaks down the often-forgotten Fizz Lulu Yordles in Arms, recently remembered and boasting impressive results
CardGamer
March 22, 2022
Monday Meta Report – March 21st
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
March 21, 2022
Detailed Deck Guide: Aphelios Lux
Leer breaks down this novel Aphelios deck, sharing tips and insights from his exchange with “Between Worlds” Seasonal Champion Painas
Leer
March 19, 2022
Weekend Warrior Weapons, March 18 – Twenty-Two Top-Shelf Blends for the Discerning Ladder Climber
From the Popular & Powerful to the Truly Rare, everything for the sophisticated part-time ladderista
Herko Kerghans
March 18, 2022
Fizz Riven Papercraft Combo: A Deck Guide
bA1lance shows how to refine and optimize a deck, based on data and playtesting, and provides a detailed guide for this Combo archetype
bA1ance
March 16, 2022
Feel the (slow) Burn: A Caitlyn Ezreal Guide
After a leave of absence from the metagame, this archetype is back as a viable tournament and ladder deck.
Maybenextime
March 15, 2022
Deck Guide: Trundle Gnar, aka Gnarlines
Monte shares his insights and personal decklist for one of his weapons of choice this Season: Trundle Gnar, aka Gnarlines.
MonteXristo
March 13, 2022
Deck Guide: Swain Gnar
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.
Jasensational
March 12, 2022
Weekend Warrior Weapons, March 11 – Twenty Peak-Performing Blends for the Cultured Ladder Climber
From Strongest Staples to Exotic Medleys, everything for the discerning part-time ladderista.
Herko Kerghans
March 11, 2022
How to Frustrate Opponents and Kick Ass: A Lee Sin Primer
Seasonal Champion and top Lee Sin pilot MajiinBae shares his insights on one of the most powerful tournament decks of all time
MajiinBae
March 10, 2022
Sejuani Gnar Bandle – Value Galore!
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.
Sirturmund
March 9, 2022
Deck Guide: Jayce Heimer Shadows
Jasensational shares his tips and tricks for one of his weapons of choice this season, featuring his favorite Champ: the bright, hirsute Prof. Heimerdinger
Jasensational
March 6, 2022
Weekend Warrior Weapons, March 4 — Twenty-Two High-Performance Blends for the Discerning Ladder Climber
From Meta Staples to the Risky and Rare, everything for the cultured part-time ladderista.
Herko Kerghans
March 4, 2022
Getting (Paper)Crafty: A Guide to Akshan Gnar
Maybenextime breaks down his (currently) favorite OTK deck, Akshan Gnar, with detailed matchup & mulligan tips
Maybenextime
March 3, 2022
Udyr Tahm Kench – Unleashing Power of Regeneration
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.
Sirturmund
March 1, 2022
Detailed Deck Guide: Pantheon Yuumi
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.
Leer
February 27, 2022
Breaking Tristana: A Faeries Deck Guide
Maybenextime breaks down the deck he took to Masters this week, and that is taking the ladder by storm.
Maybenextime
February 25, 2022
Weekend Warrior Weapons — Sixteen Top-Performing Blends for the Discerning Part-Time Ladderista.
Yes, indeed: fairly gnarly half of them.
Yet only one gnarly deck in the top three!
Herko Kerghans
February 25, 2022
Sirturmund’s & Monte’s Bo3 Lineup Recommendations, Feb 24
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!
MonteXristo
February 24, 2022
The Angler in Deep Water: A Shark’s Perspective, Part 2
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.
bA1ance
February 23, 2022
The Angler in Deep Water: A Shark’s Perspective, Part 1
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.
bA1ance
February 22, 2022
Weekend Warrior Weapons, First Friday Edition — The Fifteen Most Potent Brews, New and Old, to Climb the Ladder With
A Curious Journey begins — these are the fifteen strongest decks currently, with lots of room for refinements and tweaks.
Herko Kerghans
February 18, 2022
By the Numbers: Strongest New Decks, 24 hours into the New Meta
New cards, new Champs, new Meta! Twenty-four hours into the patch, these are the strongest decks in Platinum and above
Herko Kerghans
February 17, 2022
Day One Decks: A Curious Journey Towards New Brews!
The newest expansion brings cool new Champs and cards to LoR. Shadawx shows off six decks you can try out on Day #1!
Shadawx
February 16, 2022
Weekend Warrior Weapons, Final Friday Edition — Twenty-Nine High-Performance Brews, from Meta Staples to Off-Meta Blends, to Close the LoR Season With
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.
Herko Kerghans
February 11, 2022
Leer & Wamuu test-piloting: Three More Decks from Balco’s Single-Shard Stash
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
Leer
February 10, 2022
Our Writers Recommend: Five Staple Decks (plus Ahri Kennen) for a Last Push Climb
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.
Herko Kerghans
February 9, 2022
Expeditions: Advanced Resources
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.
Herko Kerghans
February 8, 2022
Popping Off with Lulu Poppy! — a Deck Guide, and a Journey to Masters
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.
bA1ance
February 6, 2022
Off-Meta Deck Guide: Jinx Poppy Discard Aggro
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.
Wamuu
February 4, 2022
Leer & Wamuu Test-piloting: Three decks from Balco’s Single-Shard Stash
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.
Wamuu
February 1, 2022
Monday Meta Report – Jan 31st
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!
Leer
January 31, 2022
Detailed Deck Guide: Ahri Kennen Go Hard, by Kevor
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
Kevor24
January 29, 2022
Detailed Deck Guide: Zilean Xerath
Monte delves deep into the intricacies and countdowns around one of the staple Landmark decks: Zilean Xerath.
MonteXristo
January 29, 2022
Sirturmund’s & MonteXristo’s Last Chance Gauntlet Lineup Recommendations
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.
MonteXristo
January 28, 2022
Detailed Deck Guide: Tahm Kench Soraka, Healing Their Way to Victory
Star Spring specialist Sirturmund explains in detail why TK Raka is great for Tournament lineups, and when to consider it for Ladder.
Sirturmund
January 27, 2022
Detailed Deck Guide: Akshan Sivir
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.
Leer
January 26, 2022
Monday Meta Report – Jan 24th
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!
Leer
January 24, 2022
Champion Choices: Lineups I Would Bring to Gauntlets and Tournaments
Seasonal Champion MajiinBae presents three lineups for Gauntlets & Tournaments this weekend.
MajiinBae
January 22, 2022
Sirturmund’s & MonteXristo’s Bo3 Lineup Recommendations
In need of inspiration for your next Gauntlet or Tournament?
Sirturmund & MonteXristo present six lineups with their ban strategies and possible alternatives.
MonteXristo
January 21, 2022
Weekend Warrior Weapons, Jan 21 — Thirty-Three Potent Blends, from Staples to Risky Brews, for the Discerning Part-Time Ladderista
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!
Herko Kerghans
January 21, 2022
Detailed Deck Guide: Trundle Tryndamere FTR
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.
Jasensational
January 20, 2022
Detailed Deck Guide: Kindred Sentinels
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.
Wamuu
January 19, 2022
Detailed Deck Guide: Scouts
Leer breaks down the card choices, mulligan strats and matchups for one of the strongest decks right now: Scouts.
Leer
January 18, 2022
Monday Meta Report – Jan 17th
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!
Leer
January 17, 2022
3 Lineups I Would Bring to a Tournament this Weekend
Seasonal Champion MajiinBae presents the three lineups he’s considering for Tournaments this weekend.
MajiinBae
January 15, 2022
Weekend Warrior Weapons, Jan 14
Twenty high-performance blends, from Meta Staples to Risky & Rare brews, for the discerning LoR ladderista.
Herko Kerghans
January 14, 2022
Tournament Tech, January 13
In search for some Gauntlet or Tournament lineups? Wamuu explains the current best choices, along with their ban strategies.
Wamuu
January 13, 2022
Expeditions Tier List: Win Rates for (nearly) All Cards, Ratings for All Archetypes.
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!
Herko Kerghans
January 13, 2022
Detailed Deck Guide: Elise Trundle
There’s nothing to fear.
Except an endless swarm of Spiderlings made huge with Iceborn Legacy.
Wamuu
January 12, 2022
Detailed Deck Guide: Nightfall
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!
MonteXristo
January 12, 2022
Attacking First: Does it matter?
According to our favorite datamancer, Balco: “Yes… but not much.” Unless your name’s on Pyke’s list!
Herko Kerghans
January 10, 2022
Tournament Tech, January 7
Looking for Gauntlet or Tournament lineups? Wamuu breaks down the best lineups for this fresh new Meta.
Wamuu
January 7, 2022
Weekend Warrior Weapons – Twenty-Five Potent Brews, from Last-Week Staples to Recent Discoveries, to Climb the Ladder With
Ahri Kennen still rules the Meta… yet Kindred, spiders and fatty furry critters have taken the ladder by storm!
Herko Kerghans
January 7, 2022
Strongest New Decks, 24 hours into the New Meta
With 24 hours of data from Plat+, here are the five new decks that show the best performance.
And, yes: Kindred is among them!
Herko Kerghans
January 6, 2022
Patch 3.0.0 – New patch, new decks!
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!
Shadawx
January 5, 2022
Monday Meta Report – Jan 3rd
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.
Leer
January 3, 2022
Weekend Warrior Weapons — Seventeen Top-Performing Blends, from Meta Staples to Experimental Brews, for the Discerning LoR Ladderista.
And thus the Year ends:
Not with a bang,
But aflame with Chompers!
Herko Kerghans
December 31, 2021
Draven Rumble Deck Guide
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!
Wamuu
December 28, 2021
Monday Meta Report – Dec 27th
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!
Leer
December 27, 2021
Teemo Swain Deck Guide
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!
Jasensational
December 25, 2021
Weekend Warrior Weapons — Twenty-Six High-Performing Blends, from Staples to Risky & Rare, to Climb the Ladder With
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!
Herko Kerghans
December 24, 2021
What’s the Punish?
Santa ain’t lying: if you’ve been bad (player), you get punished. Luckily, here’s CastMin to help you avoid getting the coal!
CastMin
December 22, 2021
Ahri Kennen Deck Guide
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.
Wamuu
December 22, 2021
Top-performing decks with cards from the new Expansion!
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.
Shadawx
December 20, 2021
Pantheon Taric Deck Guide
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.
Leer
December 19, 2021
Weekend Warrior Weapons, Dec 17 — Eighteen Decks to Start the Season With… Again!
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!
Herko Kerghans
December 17, 2021
Monday Meta Report – December 13th
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
December 13, 2021
The Mulligan Show: Episode Nine
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.
WhatamI
December 12, 2021
Learning About Unspent Mana
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.
Jasensational
December 11, 2021
Introduction to LOR
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.
Guren
December 11, 2021
Weekend Warrior Weapons, Dec 10 — Fifteen Decks to Start the Season With
Fifteen-plus Decks, from Revolutionary to Experimental to Well-Known with a Twist, to Start the Season With
Herko Kerghans
December 10, 2021
Magic Misadventures Decks to Climb With Day #1
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!
Shadawx
December 8, 2021
The Mulligan Show #8
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.
WhatamI
December 5, 2021
Weekend Warrior Weapons, Dec 3 – Twenty-three Decks to Last-Push the LoR Ladder With
A Wide Variety of Strong Decks, from Well-Known Meta Staples to Far-Flung Exotics, for a LoR Ladder End-Of-Season Push.
Herko Kerghans
December 3, 2021
LoR Ladder Anxiety
Top 200 player Wamuu shares his tips on overcoming the anxiety that comes with the (sometimes brutal) ups and downs in the LoR Ladder,
Wamuu
December 2, 2021
Mastering the Fundamentals: Passing
Using Feel the Rush and Zoe Lee Sin as detailed examples, Jasensational explains in depth the most difficult fundamental to master: Passing correctly.
Jasensational
November 28, 2021
Weekend Warrior Weapons, Nov 26 – Twenty-plus Decks to Climb the Ladder With
An Ample Assortment from among the Best Ladder Decks, from Meta Staples to Risky and Rare, for the Discerning Part-Time Climber.
Herko Kerghans
November 26, 2021
5 Decks to make Masters FAST!
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.
Jason Fleurant
November 25, 2021
Seasonal Open Rounds Essentials
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.
CastMin
November 24, 2021
How to make your own LoR Tournament Lineup
Get ready for Seasonals! Wamuu explains in detail how to craft your own LoR Tournament Lineup
Wamuu
November 23, 2021
The Mulligan Show #7
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.
WhatamI
November 21, 2021
Mastering the Fundamentals: How to Beat your Opponent
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.
Jasensational
November 20, 2021
Zoe Lee Sin Deck Guide
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.
Jasensational
November 19, 2021
The Path of Champions – PvE Tips & Tricks
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!
AidenThorne
November 18, 2021
More Articles
Off Meta Machinations
Gregory the Grey
April 19, 2022
Tired of playing the same old decks game after game? We have a sampling of potent off meta decks to spice up your game!
Monday Meta Report
Leer
April 25, 2022
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!
Ep 62: The Mastering Runeterra Podcast – Wishlist for the Future of Runeterra + Recap
Gregory the Grey
April 23, 2022
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
Breaking Dawn Leona, and the rest of Daybreak
Jasensational
May 7, 2022
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.
Road to Seasonals 5/2 Winner’s Lineups
Mastering Runeterra
May 3, 2022
Our 6th Road to Seasonals tournament has Dudu de Nunu winning with three pillars of the current meta; Sun disc, Pantheon, and Jayce Lux!
Road to Seasonals 5/6 Winner’s Lineups
Mastering Runeterra
May 7, 2022
Beastllama wobbles to wictory with Mr.Chronoshift himself, alongside Taliyah Ziggs and a Jayce Elise deck! Catch the top 4 lineups here.