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By the Numbers – Twenty Best LoR Decks, March 09

The best Legends of Runeterra decks, according to the latest data!

Note: This is an older article.
For the most recent data, check the latest LoR Best Decks article, or our Meta Tier List!


Best LoR Decks – Return of the Weaponmasters

As of Thursday, after one week since the LoR Variety Patch landed, these are the 6 most popular LoR decks according to Legna the Mastering Runeterra Meta Tier List:

LoR Best Decks: Legends of Runeterra Meta Tier List, sorted by play rate

Sources: MaRu's data (which samples Plat+ players) and Legna's data (which samples High Diamond & Masters players) – both sources in turn get their data directly from Riot (via Riot's API).


DEDemacia, paired with PZPiltover & Zaun or just by themselves, keep their steely grip on the LoR meta – yet we have a new contender, rising through the ranks: JaxJax OrnnOrnn, which made a bit of a splash last patch before petering out, is now back in full swing, and as we'll see in detail it's the most played specific deck right now.

Other growing trends, as you dig deeper into the LoR data:

In spite of DEDemacia's dominance, the scariest decks out there right now are TaliyahTaliyah ZiggsZiggs and AnnieAnnie JhinJhin,

Lurkers never go anywhere and remain popular even if metas that don't quite suit them, but this time around they are a very good choice,

Kai'Sa is thus far EvelynnEvelynn's most popular partner, yet both LucianLucian and ViegoViego remain very good choices,


LoR Meta FAQs

Where does this data come from?

Directly from Riot (via Riot's API) – Liver, our wonderful coder and unsung MaRu 🐐 (also in charge of designing the website) makes the data automagically appear in our meta tier list and meta stats page, and all-around LoR 🐐 Legna shares his data (from the same source, although following a different set of players) with us too.

What are the best decks in LoR?

Short answer: Depends on how you define "best", of course! =)

Much longer answer: Check the Technical Note at the end of the article, above all about the differences between "archetypes" and "decks" in Legends of Runeterra's data.

Practical answer: As of today, Jax Ornn, Garen Jarvan, Jayce Lux, Annie Jhin and Taliyah Ziggs

Which is the highest win rate deck in LoR?

Among all decks showcased today: Annie Jhin – bullet buff and blazing brat are punching above the 60% win rate mark, which in technical terms is known as "friggin' crazy." Which both Champs are, no doubt!

Taliyah Ziggs would be the second highest.

Among decks with more than 2,100 games played in the last three days: It's currently a tie between Garen Jarvan and Jax Ornn.

How do I beat…

How do I beat Elite decks? Your best bet is Heimer Jayce. Jax Ornn and Jayce Lux work very well too, and Taliyah Ziggs is another excellent option.

How do I beat Jayce Lux? Jax Ornn! It brutally demolishes the Big Spells duo. Taliyah Ziggs or Evelynn Kai'Sa are other good options.

How do I beat Jax Ornn? Heimer Jayce, Gangplank Sejuani, and above all Annie Jhin. You could also bring Ryze (which is, technically, the very best deck against Jax Ornn) but it's not a good deck overall.


Juggernauts – Best Legends of Runeterra Decks

Here we showcase LoR decks with more than 2100 games in the last three days, and good-to-great win rate – the best tried-and-true tools the LoR meta has to offer!


The Weapon Forge: Jax Ornn

Weaponmaster and Hammer God were not a thing in the early post-patch days – but since the weekend they've been gaining steam fast. They currently are the most played specific deck in LoR according to MaRu's LoR stats, and the third most popular (after both versions of Elites that we'll see right next) according to Legna's data.

These two Champs have spread across all servers, and Jax Ornn's best deck is also the most played in all three shards – while this early on in a patch cycle no deck can be said to be "solved", this sure looks like a well-refined powerhouse already:

Regions
Freljord
27 cards
Runeterra
13 cards
Rarities
23 700
champion
6
epic
1
rare
6
common
27
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
5
1
16
2
3
3
5
4
7
5
0
6
4
7+
Champions
6
2
Jax
3
Jax
7
Ornn
3
Ornn
Equipments
2
5
Bone Club
2
Bone Club
Followers
18
1
Weaponsmith's Apprentice
3
Weaponsmith's Apprentice
2
Favored Artisan
3
Favored Artisan
2
Ruthless Raider
3
Ruthless Raider
4
Babbling Bjerg
2
Babbling Bjerg
4
Combat Cook
3
Combat Cook
5
Hearthblood Mender
3
Hearthblood Mender
8
Wrought Colossus
1
Wrought Colossus
Spells
14
1
Three Sisters
2
Three Sisters
2
Entrancing Lure
2
Entrancing Lure
2
Sharesies
2
Sharesies
2
Troll Chant
3
Troll Chant
3
Fish Fight
3
Fish Fight
5
The Unforgiving Cold
2
The Unforgiving Cold

The above build punches above the 56% win rate mark (usually known as "bonkers" in technical parlance) across 2,500+ games.

Forge God and Weaponmaster demolish Jayce Lux, reliably beat Elites, crush all Evelynn flavors into a bloody pulp, and steamroll Taliyah Ziggs – but they are not without their weak spots: Heimer Jayce is quite a bad matchup, and both Annie Jhinn and Ryze are spectacularly awful.


Lone Demacia: Garen Jarvan

Single-region DEDemacia, with its staple Vanguard BannermanVanguard Bannerman making big stuff bigger thanks to the Allegiance mechanic, seems the way to go for Elites (rather than pairing them with Kayle, as we'll see next).

Stats from MaRu and Legna show a near-perfect overlap for the best Garen Jarvan deck, with win rate above 55% across 2,500 games.

Regions
Demacia
40 cards
Rarities
21 100
champion
4
epic
3
rare
11
common
22
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
6
1
10
2
9
3
6
4
3
5
3
6
3
7+
Champions
4
5
Garen
3
Garen
6
Jarvan IV
1
Jarvan IV
Followers
29
1
Cithria of Cloudfield
3
Cithria of Cloudfield
1
Trusty Ramhound
3
Trusty Ramhound
2
Battlesmith
3
Battlesmith
2
Vanguard Defender
3
Vanguard Defender
3
Blocking Badgerbear
3
Blocking Badgerbear
3
Vanguard Sergeant
3
Vanguard Sergeant
3
Vanguard Squire
3
Vanguard Squire
4
Silverwing Vanguard
3
Silverwing Vanguard
4
Vanguard Bannerman
3
Vanguard Bannerman
6
Ardent Tracker
2
Ardent Tracker
Spells
7
2
Sharpsight
2
Sharpsight
2
Single Combat
2
Single Combat
9
Champions' Strength
3
Champions' Strength

DEDemacia Elites tend to be slightly the underdog against Jayce Lux, Jax Ornn and Kayle Elites, and lose quite badly to Heimer Jayce and Taliyah Ziggs – on the other hand, they have a huge advantage against Ryze, Azirelia, Kayle Leona and Kalista Nocturne, with also a slight edge versus Annie Jhin, and mercilessly steamroll weaker decks that stand in their way.


Garen Kayle, ft. Jarvan

Thus far, data from both MaRu and Legna show Kayle Elites a bit below "Kayless" Elites in performance – only a bit according to Legna, and by quite the gap (a win-rate drop of more than 3%) by MaRu, suggesting in both cases that Elites are better alone than paired with MTTargon.

Still, Garen Kayle is quite a punchy deck, mind you – above all if you look at Legna's data (which tracks players in High Diamond and above), where Garen Kayle shows a 55% win rate.

Regions
Demacia
37 cards
Mount Targon
3 cards
Rarities
28 000
champion
6
epic
4
rare
11
common
19
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
8
1
7
2
10
3
3
4
7
5
2
6
3
7+
Champions
6
5
Garen
3
Garen
5
Kayle
2
Kayle
6
Jarvan IV
1
Jarvan IV
Followers
24
1
Cithria of Cloudfield
3
Cithria of Cloudfield
1
Trusty Ramhound
3
Trusty Ramhound
2
Battlesmith
3
Battlesmith
3
Blocking Badgerbear
3
Blocking Badgerbear
3
Vanguard Redeemer
1
Vanguard Redeemer
3
Vanguard Sergeant
3
Vanguard Sergeant
3
Vanguard Squire
3
Vanguard Squire
4
Vanguard Bannerman
3
Vanguard Bannerman
6
Cithria the Bold
1
Cithria the Bold
7
Xolaani the Bloodweaver
1
Xolaani the Bloodweaver
Spells
10
1
Ranger's Resolve
2
Ranger's Resolve
2
Sharpsight
2
Sharpsight
2
Single Combat
2
Single Combat
5
Concerted Strike
2
Concerted Strike
9
Champions' Strength
2
Champions' Strength

When looking at matchups, the difference with Lone Demacia Elites is not trivial: Kayle's version does much worse against Jayce decks (both Lux and Heimer), loses badly against Lurkers (while the Kayless version is slightly favored), and does slightly worse against Jax Ornn. As a trade-off, the Kayle version beats Eve Kai'Sa (which the Kayless version loses to), has a bigger edge on Annie Jhin, and perhaps most important: when facing its Kayless sibling, Kayle's version wins more often than not.


Heavyweights – Strong LoR Meta Decks

These Legends of Runeterra decks have between 900 and 2100 games in the last three days – solid picks for climbing the LoR ladder!


Evelynn Kai'Sa

After some ups and downs during this patch's early days, Evelynn and Kai'Sa have found their stride and are the most-played deck in our Heavyweight category.

In fact, there are two different builds with play rates over 1,000 games in the last three days – while fairly similar in their followers, they differ quite a bit in their Spell composition, and one uses Landmarks while the other prefers Equipment. The latter, seen below, looks thus far the best (win rate near 56% in 1,200+ games – near perfect overlap between MaRu & Legna), but here's the other version (52% win rate) in case you'd like to compare.

Regions
Shurima
26 cards
Runeterra
14 cards
Rarities
30 500
champion
6
epic
7
rare
7
common
20
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
9
1
12
2
4
3
11
4
3
5
1
6
0
7+
Champions
6
4
Evelynn
3
Evelynn
5
Kai'Sa
3
Kai'Sa
Equipments
2
1
The Darkin Bloodletters
2
The Darkin Bloodletters
Followers
19
1
Voidling
3
Voidling
1
Xer'sai Hatchling
2
Xer'sai Hatchling
2
Belvethi Elder
2
Belvethi Elder
2
Sultur
2
Sultur
3
Domination
3
Domination
4
Steem
3
Steem
4
Void Blaster
3
Void Blaster
6
Hive Herald
1
Hive Herald
Spells
13
1
Rite of Calling
2
Rite of Calling
2
Hate Spike
3
Hate Spike
2
Ruinous Path
3
Ruinous Path
2
The Absolver
2
The Absolver
3
Quicksand
1
Quicksand
4
Rite of Negation
2
Rite of Negation

Kindred Nasus Senna

Not exactly a meta-breaker, according to current data, but here's a fresh take on an old classic: SennaSenna has joined the Undying gang in a perfect 2:2:2 threesome, and they are bringing three copies of CastigateCastigate to the fray.

Kindred Nasus Senna shows a near-perfect overlap between MaRu's & Legna's data (in this case a solid 52% across 1,700 games), and has a very interesting matchup spread: demolishes all versions of Elites, has a tiny edge over Jayce decks, beats Lurkers and can go toe-to-toe with Jax Ornn, while losing quite badly to Eve decks, Ryze, and Annie Jhin.

Regions
Shadow Isles
29 cards
Shurima
11 cards
Rarities
33 500
champion
6
epic
9
rare
11
common
14
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
7
1
12
2
3
3
9
4
2
5
2
6
5
7+
Champions
6
4
Kindred
2
Kindred
5
Senna
2
Senna
6
Nasus
2
Nasus
Equipments
2
1
The Darkin Bloodletters
1
The Darkin Bloodletters
1
The Darkin Halberd
1
The Darkin Halberd
Followers
15
1
Forsaken Baccai
3
Forsaken Baccai
1
The Wings and The Wave
2
The Wings and The Wave
2
Ceaseless Sentry
3
Ceaseless Sentry
2
Fading Icon
2
Fading Icon
3
The Undying
3
The Undying
4
Spirit Leech
2
Spirit Leech
Spells
17
2
Glimpse Beyond
2
Glimpse Beyond
2
Hate Spike
3
Hate Spike
2
Vile Feast
2
Vile Feast
4
Crumble
3
Crumble
4
Rite of Negation
2
Rite of Negation
7
Atrocity
2
Atrocity
7
Castigate
3
Castigate

The Six-Plus Pair: Jayce Lux

Now, time to talk about the six-mana elephant in the room!

While the most popular archetype by a landslide, Jayce Lux is also one of the most "scattered" (as in, has tons of different, high-play-rate builds) – case in point, there are no less than six different builds today with more than 1,000 games played in the last three days (as per MaRu's data). The interesting news, though, is that pilots seem to be converging to the best build, since the most popular Jayce Lux deck also shows the highest performance (56% win rate, yet again with perfect accordance between MaRu's & Legna's data):

Regions
Piltover & Zaun
28 cards
Demacia
12 cards
Rarities
26 700
champion
6
epic
3
rare
10
common
21
eternal
Mana cost
1
0
4
1
13
2
2
3
3
4
3
5
11
6
3
7+
Champions
6
4
Jayce
3
Jayce
5
Lux
3
Lux
Followers
14
1
Forge Chief
3
Forge Chief
2
Ferros Financier
3
Ferros Financier
2
Mageseeker Persuader
3
Mageseeker Persuader
3
Blocking Badgerbear
2
Blocking Badgerbear
7
Albus Ferros
3
Albus Ferros
Spells
20
0
Thermogenic Beam
1
Thermogenic Beam
1
Piltovan Tellstones
1
Piltovan Tellstones
2
Mystic Shot
3
Mystic Shot
2
Sharpsight
2
Sharpsight
2
Single Combat
2
Single Combat
6
Assembly Line
3
Assembly Line
6
Formula
3
Formula
6
Hexbliterator
2
Hexbliterator
6
Shock Blast
3
Shock Blast

As preached and practiced by the Aspect of Expensive Spells, the secret to Jayce Lux is no Forge of Tomorrow, and never leaving your lab without Formula.

Last week, Jayce Lux's selling point was its lack of strong predators: back then, only Taliyah Ziggs could reliably beat it. Things have changed now: Eve Kai'Sa has good odds against the Big Spells pair, Annie Jhin is also rough, and Jax Ornn is downright a nightmare for Jayce Lux. On the other hand, Jayce Lux still consistently beats Elites, Heimer Jayce, Ryze, Lurkers and Eve Lucian, and as witnessed by its stellar win rate it wipes the floor with weaker brews.


Lurkers, aka Pyke Rek'sai

The most aptly-named deck in LoR's history, Lurkers are always there, even when the meta is decidedly against them. The latter is not the case now, though: Pyke & crew are an excellent choice against the current field, with their best deck packing a 54% punch across 1,700+ games. Amazing odds against Ryze, Kayle Elites and Eve decks; not too happy to run into Jayce, Taliyah Ziggs and Kayless Elites. 

Regions
Shurima
25 cards
Bilgewater
15 cards
Rarities
27 500
champion
6
epic
5
rare
3
common
26
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
9
1
12
2
6
3
1
4
8
5
3
6
1
7+
Champions
6
3
Rek'Sai
3
Rek'Sai
5
Pyke
3
Pyke
Followers
27
1
Forsaken Baccai
3
Forsaken Baccai
1
Sharkling
3
Sharkling
1
Xer'sai Hatchling
3
Xer'sai Hatchling
2
Aspiring Chronomancer
2
Aspiring Chronomancer
2
Redfin Hammersnout
3
Redfin Hammersnout
2
Snapjaw Swarm
3
Snapjaw Swarm
3
Xer'sai Caller
3
Xer'sai Caller
5
Xerxa'Reth, The Undertitan
3
Xerxa'Reth, The Undertitan
6
Xer'sai Dunebreaker
3
Xer'sai Dunebreaker
8
Jaull-fish
1
Jaull-fish
Spells
7
2
Call the Pack
3
Call the Pack
2
Ruthless Predator
1
Ruthless Predator
4
Rite of Negation
1
Rite of Negation
5
Blood in the Water
2
Blood in the Water

Annie Jhin

Aaand they are back to 'Powerhouse' status – it's a marvel how these two can go from fringe, mediocre choice to ladder terror as the LoR meta shifts, without changing themselves.

Bullet buff and blazing brat are currently the highest-winrate deck when checking lists with more than 500 games in the last three days – specifically, the only deck above 60%, across a 1,500+ game sample.

Regions
Runeterra
28 cards
Noxus
12 cards
Rarities
22 000
champion
6
epic
0
rare
3
common
31
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
12
1
15
2
7
3
3
4
0
5
3
6
0
7+
Champions
6
1
Annie
3
Annie
4
Jhin
3
Jhin
Followers
28
1
Crackshot Corsair
3
Crackshot Corsair
1
Legion Rearguard
3
Legion Rearguard
1
Legion Saboteur
3
Legion Saboteur
2
Boomcrew Rookie
3
Boomcrew Rookie
2
Imperial Demolitionist
3
Imperial Demolitionist
2
Solari Sunhawk
3
Solari Sunhawk
2
The Stagehand
3
The Stagehand
2
Tusk Speaker
3
Tusk Speaker
3
Arachnoid Sentry
1
Arachnoid Sentry
3
Doombeast
3
Doombeast
Spells
6
3
Noxian Fervor
3
Noxian Fervor
6
Decimate
3
Decimate

They lose to Elites and Heimer Jayce, but prey upon Jayce Lux, Eve Kai'Sa and Jax Ornn – and with amazing odds against the latter two.


Taliyah Ziggs

Time to adapt!

While last week's build is still doing well, Taliyah Ziggs' best deck today brings to the fray Rockbear ShepherdRockbear Shepherd, Safety InspectorSafety Inspector, and The AbsolverThe Absolver...

Regions
Bandlecity
14 cards
Shurima
26 cards
Rarities
27 000
champion
6
epic
2
rare
17
common
15
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
5
1
13
2
13
3
3
4
5
5
0
6
1
7+
Champions
6
3
Ziggs
3
Ziggs
5
Taliyah
3
Taliyah
Landmarks
5
1
Ancient Preparations
2
Ancient Preparations
2
Preservarium
3
Preservarium
Followers
16
1
Inventive Chemist
3
Inventive Chemist
2
Rock Hopper
3
Rock Hopper
3
Endless Devout
2
Endless Devout
3
Rockbear Shepherd
3
Rockbear Shepherd
4
Desert Naturalist
2
Desert Naturalist
5
Safety Inspector
2
Safety Inspector
8
The Arsenal
1
The Arsenal
Spells
13
2
Drop the Bomb
3
Drop the Bomb
2
Pokey Stick
2
Pokey Stick
2
The Absolver
2
The Absolver
3
Ancient Hourglass
1
Ancient Hourglass
3
Rite of the Arcane
2
Rite of the Arcane
3
Unraveled Earth
2
Unraveled Earth
4
Rite of Negation
1
Rite of Negation

… resulting in the second-highest win rate we'll see today: almost 60%, across 1100+ games, mostly fueled by good odds against Jayce Lux and great odds versus all Elites flavors, while also killing Heimer Jayce, Lurkers and Kindred Nasus Senna in the process.

Taliyah Ziggs is one of the decks for whom the rise of Eve decks and Jax Ornn is awful news, though, so we'll see how the landmark duo fares into the next week.


Evelynn Lucian

In this case, there's a stark disagreement between MaRu's and Legna's data: MaRu puts toying Demoness and toy Sentinel at 52%, while Legna shows 55%; sample sizes are also different (1,400 games for MaRu, around 900 games for Legna), hinting at a difference between the Plat+ and High Diamond+ metas.

According to MaRu, Eve Lucian beats other Eve decks, Ryze and Taliyah Ziggs, while being the underdog against Jayce decks, Elites, and Jax Ornn.

Regions
Demacia
22 cards
Runeterra
18 cards
Rarities
34 200
champion
6
epic
10
rare
9
common
15
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
5
1
14
2
9
3
7
4
1
5
3
6
1
7+
Champions
6
1
Lucian
3
Lucian
4
Evelynn
3
Evelynn
Followers
21
2
Durand Sculptor
3
Durand Sculptor
2
Sultur
3
Sultur
3
Dawnspeakers
3
Dawnspeakers
3
Domination
3
Domination
3
Vora
3
Vora
4
Steem
3
Steem
6
Genevieve Elmheart
3
Genevieve Elmheart
Spells
13
1
Ranger's Resolve
2
Ranger's Resolve
2
Hate Spike
3
Hate Spike
2
Sharpsight
2
Sharpsight
2
Single Combat
3
Single Combat
4
Riposte
1
Riposte
5
Concerted Strike
1
Concerted Strike
9
Champions' Strength
1
Champions' Strength

Akshan Varus

The Rogue and the Cultist are having quite a good time in this patch – nothing meta-breaking, but neither something to scoff at, punching at 53% in across 1300 games according to MaRu's data; they do drop to 51% in about 800 games in Legna's, though, hinting at more competitive metas being difficult for these two.

Regions
Shurima
19 cards
Runeterra
21 cards
Rarities
30 000
champion
6
epic
6
rare
10
common
18
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
7
1
10
2
8
3
12
4
3
5
0
6
0
7+
Champions
6
2
Akshan
3
Akshan
4
Varus
3
Varus
Equipments
6
1
The Darkin Bloodletters
3
The Darkin Bloodletters
3
Swinging Glaive
3
Swinging Glaive
Followers
11
1
Forsaken Baccai
3
Forsaken Baccai
2
Lunari Cultist
2
Lunari Cultist
3
Merciless Hunter
2
Merciless Hunter
3
Vekauran Vagabond
2
Vekauran Vagabond
4
Ranger-Knight Defector
2
Ranger-Knight Defector
Spells
17
1
Shaped Stone
1
Shaped Stone
2
Momentous Choice
3
Momentous Choice
2
The Absolver
2
The Absolver
3
Desert Duel
1
Desert Duel
4
Furious Wielder
3
Furious Wielder
4
Rite of Negation
2
Rite of Negation
4
The Expanse's Protection
2
The Expanse's Protection
5
Heedless Resurrection
1
Heedless Resurrection
5
The Unforgiving Cold
2
The Unforgiving Cold

Gwen Quinn

Turns out these are not a fluke! Continuing with their good performance last week, Gwen Quinn shows a 55% winrate across 1,000+ games in MaRu's data – like Akshan Varus, though, both play and win rates drop in Legna's.

Regions
Demacia
14 cards
Shadow Isles
26 cards
Rarities
31 400
champion
6
epic
6
rare
17
common
11
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
6
1
16
2
6
3
6
4
3
5
3
6
0
7+
Champions
6
4
Gwen
3
Gwen
5
Quinn
3
Quinn
Landmarks
3
3
Opulent Foyer
3
Opulent Foyer
Followers
12
1
Boisterous Host
3
Boisterous Host
2
Phantom Butler
3
Phantom Butler
2
Redeemed Prodigy
3
Redeemed Prodigy
6
Eternal Dancers
3
Eternal Dancers
Spells
19
1
Quietus
2
Quietus
1
Ranger's Resolve
1
Ranger's Resolve
2
Blinding Assault
3
Blinding Assault
2
Glimpse Beyond
2
Glimpse Beyond
2
Hate Spike
2
Hate Spike
2
Sharpsight
1
Sharpsight
2
Vile Feast
2
Vile Feast
3
Cataclysm
3
Cataclysm
4
Relentless Pursuit
3
Relentless Pursuit

Kalista Nocturne

Reversing the trend from the previous three decks, Fearsome performs better in Legna's data (56% win rate) than in MaRu's (52%), across a similarly sized sample (about 1,000 games in both cases), hinting that Kalista Nocturne may thrive at higher ranks.

Regions
Shadow Isles
38 cards
Noxus
2 cards
Rarities
27 100
champion
6
epic
3
rare
12
common
19
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
10
1
9
2
9
3
9
4
0
5
0
6
3
7+
Champions
6
3
Kalista
3
Kalista
4
Nocturne
3
Nocturne
Followers
23
1
Boisterous Host
3
Boisterous Host
1
Precious Pet
2
Precious Pet
1
Stygian Onlooker
3
Stygian Onlooker
2
Arachnoid Horror
3
Arachnoid Horror
2
Mistwraith
3
Mistwraith
2
Phantom Butler
3
Phantom Butler
3
Frenzied Skitterer
3
Frenzied Skitterer
4
Wraithcaller
3
Wraithcaller
Spells
11
1
Mark of the Isles
2
Mark of the Isles
3
Soul Cleave
3
Soul Cleave
4
Risen Mists
3
Risen Mists
10
The Harrowing
3
The Harrowing

Not Looking Good...

RyzeRyze decks, and Mischievous MaraiMischievous Marai decks (chiefly with SeraphineSeraphine and Twisted FateTwisted Fate) see a lot of play and little success, and we won't recommend them today.

Caitlyn Norra, ft. Banana BlasterBanana Blaster, is an interesting case: subpar deck according to MaRu's data, but quite playable per Legna, so we'll leave it to pilots' discretion.


Punching Up – Runeterra Decks Doing Great

Runeterra decks with between 450 and 900 games in the last three days – we're sailing into small data samples, yet all decks here have quite a few games under their belts.


Azir Irelia

Aaand these two are back, too! The DominationDomination buff, plus additions from previous expansions, have pushed the best Azir Irelia deck to a 56% win rate in about 750 games played in the last three days. Nukes Ryze and Heimer Jayce, dies horribly when facing Elites and Annie Jhin.

Regions
Ionia
24 cards
Shurima
16 cards
Rarities
31 900
champion
6
epic
7
rare
14
common
13
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
10
1
14
2
9
3
2
4
5
5
0
6
0
7+
Champions
6
3
Azir
3
Azir
3
Irelia
3
Irelia
Landmarks
3
2
Emperor's Dais
3
Emperor's Dais
Equipments
3
1
The Darkin Bloodletters
3
The Darkin Bloodletters
Followers
18
1
Forsaken Baccai
3
Forsaken Baccai
1
Sparring Student
3
Sparring Student
2
Greenglade Duo
3
Greenglade Duo
2
Ribbon Dancer
3
Ribbon Dancer
3
Domination
3
Domination
4
Field Musicians
1
Field Musicians
5
Blossoming Blade
2
Blossoming Blade
Spells
10
1
Rite of Calling
1
Rite of Calling
2
Momentous Choice
3
Momentous Choice
2
Retreat
2
Retreat
4
Homecoming
1
Homecoming
5
Defiant Dance
3
Defiant Dance

Gangplank Sejuani, aka Plunder

Another very old archetype that has remained relevant for several patches now, Plunder shows a great 55% win rate in about 600 games.

If you haven't played these two before, here's a deck that can go both aggressive (cosplaying as old-school Pirates) or more combo-oriented, by freeze-locking the board when Sejuani (level 2)Sejuani (level 2) is in play – and which is amazing against Jayce Lux, Eve Kai'Sa and Jax Ornn, so definitely a deck to keep an eye on!

Regions
Freljord
11 cards
Bilgewater
29 cards
Rarities
26 500
champion
6
epic
3
rare
9
common
22
eternal
Mana cost
3
0
8
1
12
2
0
3
5
4
9
5
3
6
0
7+
Champions
6
5
Gangplank
3
Gangplank
6
Sejuani
3
Sejuani
Followers
20
1
Jagged Butcher
3
Jagged Butcher
1
Shellshocker
3
Shellshocker
2
Black Market Merchant
3
Black Market Merchant
2
Marai Warden
3
Marai Warden
2
Tusk Speaker
3
Tusk Speaker
4
Babbling Bjerg
2
Babbling Bjerg
4
Zap Sprayfin
3
Zap Sprayfin
Spells
14
0
Warning Shot
3
Warning Shot
1
Parrrley
2
Parrrley
2
Make it Rain
3
Make it Rain
5
Eye of Nagakabouros
3
Eye of Nagakabouros
5
Spirits Unleashed
3
Spirits Unleashed

Heimer Jayce

Like Jayce Lux, Heimer Jayce is an archetype that has tons of different builds – although very much unlike Jayce Lux, many of those builds are mediocre or downright bad right now.

The best Heimer Jayce deck, though, is one of the scariest things out there, punching nearly at 59% across 550 games. Great against Elites, Ryze and Jax Ornn, Heimer Jayce is very weak to Taliyah Ziggs and quite afraid of Eve Kai'Sa.

Regions
Piltover & Zaun
30 cards
Shadow Isles
10 cards
Rarities
26 400
champion
6
epic
2
rare
14
common
18
eternal
Mana cost
4
0
8
1
8
2
3
3
3
4
3
5
9
6
2
7+
Champions
6
4
Jayce
3
Jayce
5
Heimerdinger
3
Heimerdinger
Followers
10
1
Forge Chief
3
Forge Chief
2
Ferros Financier
2
Ferros Financier
3
Hextech Handler
3
Hextech Handler
7
Albus Ferros
2
Albus Ferros
Spells
24
0
Production Surge
3
Production Surge
0
Thermogenic Beam
1
Thermogenic Beam
1
Piltovan Tellstones
2
Piltovan Tellstones
1
Quietus
3
Quietus
2
Mystic Shot
3
Mystic Shot
2
Vile Feast
3
Vile Feast
6
Formula
3
Formula
6
Hexbliterator
2
Hexbliterator
6
Piercing Darkness
1
Piercing Darkness
6
Vengeance
3
Vengeance

Evelynn Viego

Lucian and Kai'Sa may be the popular partners nowadays, but Eve's first good deck, many metas ago, was with Viego – and although these two had a bit of a rocky start this patch, they have found their place in the current field. They actually thoroughly beat the Kai'Sa version should they face each other, and have good odds against Elites and Taliyah Ziggs.

Regions
Shadow Isles
25 cards
Runeterra
15 cards
Rarities
29 800
champion
6
epic
6
rare
9
common
19
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
3
1
13
2
7
3
6
4
3
5
5
6
3
7+
Champions
6
4
Evelynn
3
Evelynn
6
Viego
3
Viego
Followers
24
1
Boisterous Host
3
Boisterous Host
2
Ceaseless Sentry
3
Ceaseless Sentry
2
Sultur
3
Sultur
3
Camavoran Soldier
3
Camavoran Soldier
3
Domination
3
Domination
4
Steem
3
Steem
5
Neverglade Collector
3
Neverglade Collector
7
Invasive Hydravine
3
Invasive Hydravine
Spells
10
2
Glimpse Beyond
3
Glimpse Beyond
2
Hate Spike
3
Hate Spike
2
Vile Feast
1
Vile Feast
3
Black Spear
1
Black Spear
6
Vengeance
2
Vengeance

Your Mileage May Vary – Fringe LoR Decks

Legends of Runeterra decks with less than 450 games played in the last three days – very little data, so these may range from total flukes… to the next big thing.


Braum Fiora, ft. Warmother's Call

Yes, this is a thing! Giving Feel The RushFeel The Rush decks a run for their shards in the fight for the Deck With the Biggest Spells title, Braum Fiora has been doing very well with some of the most expensive cards in Legends of Runeterra.

The ideal deck for the "Go big or go home" among you! 

Regions
Freljord
21 cards
Demacia
19 cards
Rarities
41 400
champion
6
epic
18
rare
1
common
15
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
0
1
9
2
3
3
9
4
10
5
0
6
9
7+
Champions
6
4
Braum
3
Braum
4
Fiora
3
Fiora
Equipments
3
2
The Darkin Spear
3
The Darkin Spear
Followers
15
2
Troll Scavenger
3
Troll Scavenger
3
Blocking Badgerbear
3
Blocking Badgerbear
5
Hearthblood Mender
3
Hearthblood Mender
8
Tianna Crownguard
3
Tianna Crownguard
10
Cithria, Lady of Clouds
3
Cithria, Lady of Clouds
Spells
16
2
Single Combat
3
Single Combat
4
Winter's Touch
3
Winter's Touch
5
Concerted Strike
3
Concerted Strike
5
Harsh Winds
1
Harsh Winds
5
Wild Mysticism
3
Wild Mysticism
8
Judgment
1
Judgment
9
Buried in Ice
1
Buried in Ice
11
Warmother's Call
1
Warmother's Call

Opulent Katarina Gwen

Not so long ago, and for very long, one of LoR's Juggernauts – Kat's nerf and the subsequent meta have been quite rough on these two ladies, but as of late, they've been doing very well on the meta's fringes.

Regions
Noxus
12 cards
Shadow Isles
28 cards
Rarities
30 000
champion
6
epic
6
rare
10
common
18
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
11
1
11
2
10
3
3
4
2
5
3
6
0
7+
Champions
6
3
Katarina
3
Katarina
4
Gwen
3
Gwen
Landmarks
3
3
Opulent Foyer
3
Opulent Foyer
Followers
12
1
Boisterous Host
3
Boisterous Host
2
Phantom Butler
3
Phantom Butler
2
Redeemed Prodigy
2
Redeemed Prodigy
3
Arachnoid Sentry
1
Arachnoid Sentry
6
Eternal Dancers
3
Eternal Dancers
Spells
19
1
Mark of the Isles
3
Mark of the Isles
1
Quietus
2
Quietus
1
Ravenous Flock
3
Ravenous Flock
2
Glimpse Beyond
3
Glimpse Beyond
2
Vile Feast
3
Vile Feast
3
Might
3
Might
5
Shunpo
2
Shunpo

Hecarim Zed

A very old concept that, after literally years of disappointing results, finally managed to become competitive a few patches ago – it was later pushed to the sides, but as our fringest pick today, it has been showing a lot of promise again.

Regions
Ionia
19 cards
Shadow Isles
21 cards
Rarities
32 200
champion
6
epic
8
rare
10
common
16
eternal
Mana cost
0
0
7
1
16
2
8
3
2
4
4
5
3
6
0
7+
Champions
6
3
Zed
3
Zed
6
Hecarim
3
Hecarim
Landmarks
5
2
The Black Flame
3
The Black Flame
3
Opulent Foyer
2
Opulent Foyer
Equipments
3
2
The Darkin Fan
3
The Darkin Fan
Followers
17
1
Boisterous Host
2
Boisterous Host
1
Shadow Apprentice
3
Shadow Apprentice
2
Redeemed Prodigy
3
Redeemed Prodigy
2
Shark Chariot
3
Shark Chariot
2
Soul Shepherd
3
Soul Shepherd
3
Moonlit Glenkeeper
3
Moonlit Glenkeeper
Spells
9
1
Mark of the Isles
2
Mark of the Isles
2
Twin Disciplines
1
Twin Disciplines
4
Deny
2
Deny
5
Defiant Dance
1
Defiant Dance
5
Dragon Ambush
3
Dragon Ambush

Wrapping Up

Jax Ornn and Evelynn decks have raised to contest DEDemacia's iron-fisted rule over the meta…

… while Ryze keeps seeing a lot of play because, well, some decks just see a lot of play; there are certain matters that fall beyond data's explanatory powers.

While it's a bit too early to tell yet, this is thus far looking like a very open meta – we'll see next week once the dust settles a bit more, but there is as of today nearly two dozen decks showcasing good to great performance, and a lot more bubbling upwards from the fringe.

Hope there's at least one deck whose play pattern you find enjoyable, and good luck out there!


If you have any questions or comments, or more data you may need, feel free to:

Poke me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HerkoKerghans,

Stop for a chat on the Mastering Runeterra Discord: https://discord.gg/8RQqZECTz2,

Or find more writings on substack: https://riwan.substack.com/


Technical Note – About overall archetypes and specific decks, and what we mean by "LoR best decks"

Most data sites (including our LoR Meta Tier List, and our meta stats page) and articles like Leer's Legends of Runeterra Meta Decks Report sort LoR meta decks by archetype ("Archetype" being the aggregate of all decks in LoR with a specific champion combination) – that's also how matchup tables are shown in pretty much all data sites.

In this article, we'll sort these decks by the best specific decklist for each archetype. And, whenever we talk about LoR decks in general, or best Legends of Runeterra decks in particular, we'll always be referring to specific lists (while reserving "archetype" to denominate the aggregate of all decks with a particular champion pair).

And, since in each archetype some decks fare better than others (and sometimes the difference is quite noticeable), we'll broadly group the best LoR decks in four arbitrary categories, by the number of games played in the data samples we check:

  • Juggernauts: LoR decks with more than 2100 games – these are the best tried-and-true, top meta decks in Legends of Runeterra at the time of writing.
  • Heavyweights: LoR decks with between 2100 and 900 games played – other excellent choices, with large enough samples to confidently say, "Yeah, this works."
  • Punching Up: LoR decks with between 900 and 400 games played – we're entering the Land of Small Sample Sizes here, but as far as numbers go, these decks can put up one hell of a fight into the current LoR meta.
  • YMMV: decks with less than 450 games in the last three days – fringe, risky stuff, but here's where you usually find the spice!

As a rule of thumb, LoR decks with a win rate (WR) above 52% catch our eye; above 53% are eye-widening, and anything with a WR over 55% is exceptional.

Sources: Legna's LoR data website, Mastering Runeterra Meta Tier List, and our LoR meta stats page.