Note: This is an older article.
For the most recent data, check the latest LoR Best Decks article, or our Meta Tier List!
Best Legends of Runeterra Decks – Chompers, Chompers all the Way Up!
As of early Tuesday, and five days after last week's hotfix, these are the six most popular LoR decks according to Legna and Mastering Runeterra Meta Tier List:
Overall LoR Ladder Trends
In what is arguably the most atypical meta in Legends of Runeterra's history (with two very consequential hotfixes in four weeks), we now find ourselves in uncharted waters.
- Aatrox Quinn Vayne and Bandle Bar remain playable but hover at a mediocre 50% win rate,
- As expected, decks that were strong overall but weak to Aatrox (like Jinx Lulu) or Bandle Bar (like Pirates) now run rampart on the LoR ladder,
- As "expectedly unexpected," so to speak, a flurry of old decks that were nowhere to be seen pre-hotfix (like Norra Veigar, or Ekko Jinx) have leaped forward in this new field, while completely new archetypes (like Katarina Leona) have emerged,
- Although its main prey (Bandle Bar) is gone, Trundle Tryndamere remains one of the most popular, potent decks,
- Several decks (Rumble Vayne, Fizz Gwen, Gwen Irelia, Aatrox Kayn) have either been too harshly nerfed, or find the current field too aggressive, to stay above the 50% win rate line – further refinements and/or meta shifts may bring them back, but they are currently not what we can recommend for the LoR ladder.
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 LoR meta is still reeling from last Thursday's patch, and the dust has not settled yet, but here are the frontrunners.
Jinx Lulu
Pre-hotfix, Jinx Lulu was already one of the best-looking decks: great performance and great matchup spread… except for its awful Aatrox Vayne odds, which was one of the most lopsided among meta decks.
Their main predator removed, Chompers and Death Rockets have been let loose on the ladder: with minor tweaks from last week (for example going all-in on Sneezy Biggledust!
), they are our new reigning Juggernauts, with the best Jinx Lulu deck punching well above the 56% WR mark in more than 4,000 games.
Rocketin' Chompers demolish Trundle Tryndamere, Katarina Gwen, Lurkers, Hecarim Zed, Pirates, Draven Jinx, and the list goes on and one… their current weak spots are four ascending decks: Ekko Jinx, Norra Veigar, Heimer Jayce, and Swain TF.
Further reading: Lulu and Rockets – A Jinx Lulu LoR Deck Guide
21 cards
19 cards
25 500
Pyke Rek'Sai, aka Lurkers
Nearly as immutable as Annie Jhin, Lurkers remain another of the LoR Ladder's Juggernauts without having changed a single card post-hotfix. Performance is not too amazing, though (barely scratching a 51% winrate) but popularity is undeniable, with their most popular version jamming nearly 4,000 games in the last three days.
Dies badly when facing Norra Veigar, Pirates, and Jinx decks (which are plenty: Jinx Lulu, Ekko Jinx, and Draven Jinx) – quite good against Trundle Tryndamere and Frozen Darius.
25 cards
15 cards
27 500
Trundle Tryndamere, aka Feel the Rush
Now, this is an interesting trend! Unlike Jinx Lulu (who was a great deck post-hotfix, only held back by its disastrous Aatrox odds), the Bash Brothers' main selling point was being an excellent counter to Bandle Bar decks that was also able to go toe-to-toe with the World Ender – so, what happened to them once their prey, rather than predator, got hit by the hammer?
Turns out the resulting field is equally welcoming to everybody's favorite ramp abusers: with some tweaks to their Spells from last week (notably going for 3x Vengeance
, plus 1x Atrocity
), the best Trundle Tryndamere deck smacks above 56% in close to 3,000 games.
The Bash Brothers lose to Lulu and her overfed Chompers army, get demolished by Hecarim Zed and Pirates, and would rather not face Ekko Jinx – on the backswing, they slap what remains of Aatrox decks, wipe the floor with Norra Veigar, and are very solid versus Draven Jinx and Swain Twisted Fate.
Further reading: Fear Their Return: A Tryndamere Trundle Deck Guide.
30 cards
10 cards
32 100
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!
Frozen Darius
Last week's biggest success story still packs a solid punch – 53% WR in about 1,700 games (down from 56% across 2,600 last week). Jinx Lulu is giving Darius some massive headaches, and Lurkers are also an awful matchup; on the other hand, RickoRex's creation is very good against Trundle Tryndamere.
17 cards
23 cards
15 100
🔥🔥Blazing Hot! – Katarina Leona
Don't get fooled by the unusual region pairing: this is an Aggro deck, brought forth by Decimate addict Trinathan. And it's working great: highest win rate of all decks we'll showcase today (over a silly 60%) across 1,600 games in the last three days, and still being refined and improved.
Thus far looks amazing against Trundle Tryndamere and Lurkers, roughly even against Lulu Jinx, and weak versus Norra Veigar and Ekko Jinx.
Further reading: Trinathan, the deck's very own creator, has wrote a full deck guide here: Sunburn – A Katarina Leona Deck Guide.
21 cards
19 cards
29 000
Katarina Gwen
Nerfs and a shifted meta have dulled Kat Gwen's edge quite a bit, yet it still remains a great ladder deck: WR above 53% in around 1,600 games, and the exact same deck as last week.
Red Gwen is among the many decks that Jinx Lulu smashes to dust, and Jinx Ekko is equally ruthless – but, all in all, Katarina Gwen remains a very "fair" deck, with the majority of matchups inside the 45/55 range.
Further reading: Hallowed Attacks and Harrowing Combos – A Katarina Gwen Deck Guide.
20 cards
20 cards
31 900
⭐Rising Star – Ekko Jinx
Ekko Jinx didn't quite get traction after Jinx's buff, but this hotfix may have marked Ekko Jinx's time to shine: nearly 1,600 games in the last three days, smacking the field with a 57% win rate.
What's more, it's superior to all three of today's Juggernauts, consistently beating Jinx Lulu, Tryndamere Trundle, and Lurkers. It also pummels Hecarim Zed, and (in a small sample) seems able to ruin Pirates' parade. Main predators right now appear to be Norra Veigar, Heimer Jayce, and Swain TF.
19 cards
21 cards
25 400
Draven Jinx, aka Discard Aggro
The Original Queen of Rockets keeps its pre-hotfix rampage upwards, and today we find her and Draven punchin' above 56% in more than 1,500 games – it's interesting to note that, although it was Draven Jinx that "discovered" Reveler's Feast
, and even though Feast has now become a staple of other go-wide Noxus decks, Discard Aggro has gone back to roots and, other than Crimson Pigeon
, thus far prefers a more "classic" build (as in, quite close to what you could take to the Call of the Mountain Gauntlet).
Strictly speaking, Draven Jinx is the worst Jinx deck (as in, it loses to both Lulu Jinx, and Ekko Jinx, should they face each other), and is slightly the underdog versus Trundle Tryndamere. But the plus side, Draven Jinx brutally murders Lurkers and Ephemerals, has a tiny edge against Kat Gwen, and can wipe out what remains of Aatrox decks.
Further reading: Return of the Queen – A Refresher on Draven Jinx Discard Aggro
19 cards
21 cards
29 100
⭐Rising Star: Norra Veigar
Well, what do you know! Norra Veigar was clearly buried so deep under Aatrox's dominance that it was very much not a thing last week – yet the tectonic post-hotfix shifts have pushed it upwards in spectacular fashion.
Overall performance is excellent (56%+ win rate across 1,400+ games), and thus far it looks a bit of a polarizing deck (as in, good matchups tend to be great, while bad matchups tend to be awful; a rock-paper-scissor-ish deck, if you will): odds in a big chunk of the popular matchups are either well above 60%, or below 35%.
Great odds: Jinx Lulu, Lurkers, Ephemerals and Draven Jinx. Awful odds: Trundle Tryndamere, what remains of Aatrox, and Sun Disc (which, for reasons beyond human logic, remains popular even if overall is an awful deck for the Legends of Runeterra ladder).
15 cards
25 cards
26 400
Miss Fortune Twisted Fate, aka Pirates
Nothing says "Turbulent waters, ahoy!" more than a fresh, new LoR meta. An' there ain't nobody sailin' them turbulent waters more than Miss Fortune and her merry bunch of misfits!
A bit like Jinx Lulu, Pirates were a great pre-hotfix deck in spite of their poor odds versus both Aatrox and Bandle Bar – remove those from the equation, and bloody pillage follows: Lurkers, Red Gwen, Trundle Tryndamere, Frozen Darius… all read "Grab yer LPs" to Miss Fortune TF.
What may keep them in check this time is the reigning Juggernaut, Jinx Lulu, along with Ekko Jinx, Norra Veigar, and Heimer Jayce – all matchups with odds well under 40% for Pirates.
Further reading: Pirates Ahoy! – A Miss Fortune Twisted Fate Deck Guides
20 cards
20 cards
29 600
Elise Gwen
The hotfix has been pretty neutral for these two Shadow Isles ladies – that's to say, the best Elise Gwen deck keeps kicking butts and taking names, just like before the hotfix, with not a single card changed.
Superb win rate (north of 56%) across 1,200 games, with amazing odds against Trundle Tryndamere and Lukers. Do notice that chances against Jinx Lulu are atrocious, though: below 25%, which is "auto-lose" territory by card games' standards.
13 cards
27 cards
26 500
Akshan Varus
Another post-hotfix miracle, returning to life a deck that had died in the early World Ender days. And with a win rate over 54% in more than 1,000 games, which is enough of a large sample to suspect that Akshan Varus is no fluke.
19 cards
21 cards
28 300
Hecarim Zed
Hecarim Zed is enjoying the post-hotfix field a good bit, with a solid 53% win rate and nearly 1,000 games played with its best deck. Like Norra Veigar, it's quite the polarizing deck (as in, rock-paper-scissor-ish) when it comes to matchups: Trundle Tryndamere and Sun Disc are amazing, while Jinx decks (and Ekko Jinx in particular) and Pirates are horrible.
Further reading: Ephemeral Onslaught – A Zed Hecarim Deck Guide.
19 cards
21 cards
32 200
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.
Diana Leona, aka Celesbians
Another returned-to-life miracle from this hotfix, and quite surprising given that Leona Diana had vanished well before the World Ender showed up – yet here they are, the Twilight Lovers, with an eye-widening 58% winrate in about 850 games. Looking great against Lurkers and Kat Gwen, not too bad versus Jinx Lulu, and awful when facing Trundle Tryndamere.
8 cards
32 cards
26 500
Annie Jhin
Blazing brat and bullet buff have certainly seen better days, but with a 52% win rate they remain a solid climbing tool. Don't bump into Jinx decks and you'll be fine.
Further reading: Annie goes to Stack School – A Jhin Annie Deck Guide.
28 cards
12 cards
22 000
Gwen Sejuani
Joining the rather long list of decks that make a post-hotfix showing after having been dead for quite a while, Sejuani Gwen goes for a different approach with the Seamstress than the usual Freljord - Shadow Isles deck… and one that can consistently beat both Jinx Lulu and Lurkers, while being only slightly disfavored against Trundle Tryndamere. Quite a good spot to be, in this meta!
Further reading: Cold Cuts – A Sejuani Gwen Deck Guide.
18 cards
22 cards
24 000
Aatrox Vayne Quinn
The nerfs have been pretty brutal, and the former meta tyrant falls to a modest 51% win rate with about 800 games played – still a deck you can climb the LoR ladder with, and may still find a spot in the meta (it's very good against the ascending Norra Veigar, for example), but it clearly is just a shadow of its former self.
Further reading: World Ending Birds with Weapons – An Aatrox Vayne Quinn Deck Guide.
26 cards
14 cards
37 000
Gangplank Sejuani, aka Plunder
Plunder jumps from solid fringe option pre-hotfix, to quite promising deck as of now: win rate above 56%, and roughly even against two Juggernauts (Jinx Lulu and Trundle Tryndamer) while pummeling the third (Lurkers).
Further reading: Plunder, Now with Tentacles – A Gangplank Sejuani Deck Guide
9 cards
31 cards
26 500
Heimerdinger Jayce
Student and Professor didn't want to miss the "Revived by the Hotfix" party, and today show up with a 54% win rate in around 700 games played.
Heimer Jayce is one deck that can keep Jinx in check while having no terribly bad matchup right now (Trundle Tryndamere and Norra Veigar are unfavored, but not terribly so).
9 cards
31 cards
26 600
Garen Jarvan IV
And yes, it's still official: Elites are a thing!
What's more, their win rate has grown to 55% (up from 52% last week), so Garen J4 may end up being one of this patch's winners.
40 cards
24 700
Swain Twisted Fate
Slinger and Grand General had made a great showing two weeks ago, only to vanish a few days later – now they make a spectacular return (winrate north of 58%, which is ridiculously high), but their deck's inconstant nature as of late makes it hard to guess if TF Swain is here to stay.
At any rate, it looks amazing against Jinx Lulu and beats Lurkers – on the other hand, it's awful against Trundle Tryndamere, so we'll see where they land.
17 cards
23 cards
29 600
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, World Ender willing, the next big thing.
Nocturne Charge, ft. Elise & Kalista
Mistwraith Allegiance have borrowed Rumble Vayne's trick, jammed Legionary Charge
in their otherwise mono-Shadow Isles builds, and are going to town: win rate above 55% in about 400 games played.
3 cards
37 cards
30 000
Aphelios Leona Shadows
The current best Aphelios deck shares several similarities to Leona Diana (the early units are the exact same, for example) but with a much heavier top-end when looking at spells, on top of course of its choice of champion. Bonkers winrate, decent play rate (60% and 340 games, respectively).
10 cards
30 cards
27 500
Diana Nocturne, aka Nightfall
Another Targon - Shadow Isles blend, Nightfall's stats have remained nearly identical to before the hotfix (striking above 55% in close to 300 games, just like last week). Looks spectacular against Lurkers.
21 cards
19 cards
23 800
Braum Vladimir
And for our fringiest deck today… No, really: Vladimir and Braum are punching above 53%, and their sample size (230 games with their most popular deck, plus other less-played versions also doing well) would indicate they may have a shot in the current LoR meta. Be warned that this is one of those archetypes with some seriously die-hard fans, capable of pushing it upwards through Hell and high water, so take stats with care.
23 cards
17 cards
30 200
Wrapping Up
In what is arguably the most atypical meta in Legends of Runeterra's history (with two very consequential hotfixes in four weeks, not to mention being jumpstarted by the LoR Worlds Tournament competitors), we now find ourselves in uncharted waters. On the one hand, and as expected, decks that were strong overall but weak to Aatrox (like Jinx Lulu) now run rampart on the LoR ladder – yet on the other hand, a flurry of old decks that were nowhere to be seen pre-hotfix (like Norra Veigar, or Ekko Jinx) have leaped forward, while completely new archetypes (like Katarina Leona) have emerged.
Hard to say where the LoR meta will land…
… but it will sure be fun to find out! =)
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/
And good luck with your climb! =)
Technical Note – About overall archetypes and specific decks in Legends of Runeterra, and what we mean by "best LoR decks"
Most data sites (including MaRu's Meta Tier List) and articles like Leer's Runeterra 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 Legends of Runeterra 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 amount 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.
Last but not least, all stats are from the LoR ladder. If you're looking for Tournament lineups, you may want to check Sirturmund's latest LoR Tournament Decks article. And if Gauntlets are your jam, check Sirturmund’s & Monte’s LoR Gauntlet Decks: Rising Tides! article for a dozen decks and lineups you can use there.
Sources: Legna, Mastering Runeterra Meta Tier List, MaRu LoR stats.
