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 – The Post-Seasonal Field
As of early Monday, these are the seven most popular LoR decks according to the Mastering Runeterra Meta Tier List:
Overall LoR Ladder Trends
The Legends of Runeterra Seasonal Tournament is over, and our Champions have been crowned!
The LoR meta is in a bit of a weird place right now – usually, we would be waiting for new cards to arrive in two days, but in this case the patch has been delayed a bit (and, as far as we know, the patch will bring balance nerfs/buffs and broad changes to Competitive play, but no new cards).
UPDATE!! Riot has just announced that the Ranked season will be extended one more week!!
Knowing which decks to pick for a last-push climb, and/or to start climbing as soon as the ladder resets, is not too difficult this time around: right now, the Legends of Runeterra tier lists faithfully reflect what pilots were using to get a spot in Seasonals, so current data is as ruthlessly refined as it gets.
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.
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, Katarina Gwen, Gangplank Sejuani (aka Plunder), and Katarina Leona. If those don't fit your playstyle and/or crafting budget, then Trundle Tryndamere (aka Feel the Rush), Lulu Jinx or Aatrox Kayn are all excellent ladder choices, as we'll see in detail today.
Which is the highest win rate deck in LoR?
Among all decks showcased today: Jinx Lulu (amazing 57%+ win rate, with a fairly large play rate). Second-highest is a three-way tie between Katarina Gwen, Katarina Leona, and Gangplank Sejuani, all close to 57%.
Among decks with more than 2,100 games played in the last three days: Kat Gwen and Ganplank Sejuani are tied for highest winrate among most-played decks.
How do I beat…
How do I beat Katarina Gwen? You burn 'em down with Jinx Lulu (or Ekko Jinx), kill 'em on sight with Swain TF, or teach 'em who's the biggest Kat with Katarina Leona.
How do I beat Ganplank Sejuani, Plunder? That's a tough one: Plunder's main strength is that it's an all-around solid deck, without too many weak spots – Ekko Jinx would be the only strong deck with very good odds against it.
How do I beat Trundle Tryndamere, aka Feel the Rush? In one word: Katarina. In more words: Katarina Gwen, or Katarina Leona. Hecarim Zed is another excellent option if you want to ruin TryTrund's day.
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!
Queens of the Hill: Opulent Katarina Gwen
Perhaps this Season's biggest success story: Katarina Gwen was one of the scariest Juggernauts across several seasons, until it got nerfed in the early January hotfix and pushed to the sides…
… only to reemerge two weeks later with a lot of changes (Reckoners and Pigeons were gone; Opulent Foyer
was back; Shunpo
became the new The Harrowing
, with Mark of the Isles
a three-of mainstay to protect everybody's favorite ravishing redhead) and scary results: the most played archetype today, the most played single decklist (with more than 6,500 in the last three days), and win rate north of 56%.
Bottom line: if you're looking for a tool to climb fast with, Kat Gwen is most likely it!
Weak spots: Jinx Lulu above all, and also TF Swain, are very bad matchups for Kat Gwen. Ekko Jinx, Katarina Leona, and Norra Swain are also rough. Handily handles: Kat Gwen eats Trundle Tryndamere and Lurkers for brunch; has a small edge on Aatrox Kayn, Gangplank Sejuani, and Hecarim Zed; brutally murders weaker decks lie Sun Disc, Norra Braum, and unrefined brews.
NOTE: Thanks to Karukos for spotting a typo among the matchups (it said Leona where it should have said Gwen).
12 cards
28 cards
30 000
Gangplank Sejuani, aka Plunder
Plunder jumped from a solid yet fringe option pre-hotfix to a bonafide powerhouse after the then-reigning Top Dogs were nerfed. Now with 3,800 games in the last three days and a smacking 56% win rate, it's along Katarina Gwen the only other current Juggernaut.
The interesting thing about Gangplank Sejuani (and this has been true in previous LoR metas, not just this one) is that it's one of the 'fairest' decks in Runeterra: when looking at matchups, the majority of confrontations will be in the 45/55 range, meaning both pilots will usually have a fair chance at winning when one of them pilots Plunder.
Current exceptions are Lurkers, Sun Disk, Taliyah Ziggs, and Pirates (which Gangplank Sejuani squashes), Trundle Tryndamere (a slightly uphill struggle for Plunder) and Ekko Jinx (a horrible matchup). Most other current strong decks (including Aatrox Kayn, Jinx Lulu, Katarina Gwen, Norra Swain and Katarina Leona) are all in the "roughly even" range.
Further reading: Plunder, Now with Tentacles – A Gangplank Sejuani Deck Guide
11 cards
29 cards
26 500
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!
Trundle Tryndamere, aka Feel the Rush
Greed is good! The Bash Brothers have been on and off Blighted Ravine
this whole season, but they end squarely in the greed-is-good, damn-those-boardwipes-full-ramp-ahead camp, with the most popular Trundle Tryndamere deck pushing a 56% WR across close to 2,000 games.
Trundle Tryndamere feats upon Aatrox Kayn and Norra decks, while having nightmares full of Kat Gwen and Hecarim Zed.
Further reading: Fear Their Return: A Tryndamere Trundle Deck Guide.
30 cards
10 cards
32 100
Aatrox Kayn
Back in December, the World Ender expansion had to be hotfixed in a rush, as Ziggs Acolytes and Aatrox Kayn were running rampant.
Then the January hotfix took care of Aatrox Vayne, which had become the new LoR ladder ruler, and Aatrox decks fell to obscurity for about two weeks…
… until Kayn Aatrox, a bit like Kat Gwen, reemerged refined and with much of its former glory restored: with winrate north of 54% across 1,400 games, it's the deck to bring if you hate Lulu Jinx, and having from okay to great odds against most other strong decks save for Trundle Tryndamere.
Further reading: Reject Regions Embrace Darkin – An Aatrox Kayn Deck Guide.
40 cards
31 700
Trinathan's Katarina Leona
Katarina Leona turns Targon into an aggro region and pushes one of the highest win rates among current meta decks.
Jinx decks are a nightmare for Kat Leona, and Bilgewater Noxus archetypes are a pain – but this is one deck that beats Kat Gwen while also having a slight edge on two other powerhouses (Ganplank Sejuani and Trundle Tryndamere) and demolishing a good chunk of the rest of the field.
Further reading: Sunburn – A Katarina Leona Deck Guide.
18 cards
22 cards
29 600
⭐Rising Star: Norra Swain
This once-powerful pair is perhaps the one big change the Legends of Runeterra meta has seen in the last week; the other Norra
deck, namely Norra Veigar, is still playable, but Swain
has taken the lead as the best Norra deck right now, with win rate over 53% in more than 1,300 games.
The reasons: a slight edge against the reigning Queens of the ladder, namely Katarina Gwen, while also beating Ekko Jinx, Lurkers, Swain TF, and unafraid of both Plunder and Sunburn.
16 cards
24 cards
27 100
Jinx Lulu
Everybody's favorite rocketin' Chompers have had a great World Ender Season (including being the LoR ladder's apex predator for a short while after Aatrox Kayn's nerfs), and the best Jinx Lulu deck has the highest win rate from among all decks showcased today.
Lulu Jinx demolishes Katarina decks (be it with Gwen or Leona) along with Lurkers, Sun Disc Hecarim Zed, and Taliyah Ziggs, while consistently beating Trundle Tryndamere and Norra Swain. Its main predators are Aatrox Kayn (a horrible matchup – Jinx Lulu has had Aatrox nightmares in every meta this Season), Norra Veigar and Ekko Jinx.
Further reading: Lulu and Rockets – A Jinx Lulu LoR Deck Guide
21 cards
19 cards
25 500
Ekko Jinx
Outshined a bit by Jinx Lulu in the best Jinx deck department, Ekko
Jinx
is a very different option for those that love lobbing rockets to face – the Predict package provides Ekko Jinx with a lot of agency and choices for how to execute its game plan.
Exhibiting about 1,000 games with nearly 55% win rate in the last three days, Ekko Jinx is one of the decks that really don't enjoy Norra Swain's recent success – but, notably, it's one of the only two really bad matchups Ekko Jinx shows, the other being Pantheon Varus.
On the backswing, the time-traveling rocketeers are a bit of an aggro hunter: they wreck Jinx Lulu and Katarina Leona, and have a slight edge against Kat Gwen. They also consistently beat Plunder, Lurkers, Hecarim Zed and Norra Veigar, while not being afraid of Trundle Tryndamere.
21 cards
19 cards
25 400
Pyke Rek'Sai, aka Lurkers
In spite of the many changes the Runeterra meta has gone through in January (including quite the impactful hotfix), Lurkers have remained a staunch, solid option: always hovering a bit above the 51% WR mark, although decreasing in play rate to around 1,000 games in the last three days today
25 cards
15 cards
27 500
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.
⭐Rising Star – Ashe Kindred
Probably more of a result of the field relaxing a bit now that Seasonals is past us (as opposed to this deck being a slept-on powerhouse), Ashe Kindred makes a showing with a modest 51% winrate and 800 games under its belt. Looks amazing against Aatrox Kayn.
10 cards
30 cards
30 600
Garen Jarvan IV
Well, it's official: World Ender is the Season in which Elites became a competitive deck! =)
With a good win rate for several weeks in a row and 55%+ in the last three days, and with play rate high enough to not be a fringe deck, Garen Jarvan IV has shown that Trusty Ramhound
is the real deal.
Matchups against Jinx decks, Plunder and Feel the Rush tend to be rough, but Elites have a mild matchup spread overall (with very few matches that are either horrible, or a piece of cake), and in particular a slight edge against Katarina decks.
40 cards
23 100
Swain Twisted Fate
Slinger and Grand General have remained a solid post-hotfix choice, now punching above 52% in around 700 games.
Swain TF is one of the best Katarina Gwen counters, and also very good against other aggressive decks like Katarina Leona, Jinx Lulu, and Lurkers – yet suffers in front of Kayn Aatrox and Norra Veigar, and the Trundle Tryndamere matchup is in the auto-lose range (odds close to 25% for Swain TF).
16 cards
24 cards
29 200
Hecarim Zed
Hecarim Zed's win rate has been up and down like crazy in the last couple of months, although in the last few weeks it's been fairly stable, and on the "very good" side of things.
Matchups are quite roller-coaster-y: you often either stomp your foe mercilessly, or you get run over (what in card games' lingo is usually known as "polarized").
Sun Disc, Trundle Tryndamere, Lurkers, and Ashe Kindred would fall under "you run over." Katarina Leona and Jinx decks, under "you get squashed underfoot."
Further reading: Ephemeral Onslaught – A Zed Hecarim Deck Guide.
20 cards
20 cards
32 600
Pantheon Varus
Pantheon Varus was brought back to life by January's hotfix, and is the only Fated deck with solid stats right now, punching a bit above the 52% winrate mark. Very solid against Aatrox Kayn, and a very worthy consideration as a Tournament deck.
19 cards
21 cards
28 000
Aphelios Leona Shadows
A spicy yet very fringe deck two weeks ago, Aphelios
Leona
proves it has what it takes and has become a solid ladder option (and the second good Leona deck we've seen this expansion!), punching above 53% in about 600 games in the last three days.
Aphelios Leona actually murders its Kataria Leona sibling, along with Lurkers and Ephemerals, and is unafraid of Kat Gwen and Jinx Lulu – Aatrox Kayn, Plunder, and Swain TF are its main weak spots, with Trundle Tryndamere also being a rough matchup.
10 cards
30 cards
26 900
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.
Miss Fortune Twisted Fate, aka Pirates
Miss Fortune and her merry bunch of misfits are the scariest thing you may bump into the fringes of the Legends of Runeterra meta, with win rates that rival that of Lulu Jinx.
Great odds against Katarina Gwen, Sun Disc, Hecarim Zed and Lurkers – dies horribly when facing Kayn Atrox, Plunder, or Jinx decks.
Further reading: Pirates Ahoy! – A Miss Fortune Twisted Fate Deck Guides
19 cards
21 cards
29 200
Annie Jhin
If you've seen these two before, you've probably seen all there is to see: blazing brat and bullet buff keep doing their thing, now with a great 56% win rate, never bothering to change a single card yet always remaining relevant. Truly a testament to what that tenacious stubbornness can accomplish!
Further reading: Annie goes to Stack School – A Jhin Annie Deck Guide.
28 cards
12 cards
22 000
Ashe LeBlanc
Another Ashe
deck with a good showing, putting a 53% win rate across 300-plus games. Like Ashe Kindred, seems great against Aatrox decks.
25 cards
15 cards
31 300
Aphelios Aurelion Sol Leona
Will this become the third solid Leona deck? 'Soleona' is not a novel concept, but a sky-high winrate is interesting news indeed.
9 cards
31 cards
27 300
Elise Kindred Vi
Now, this one is an interesting pile. By the lack of variations, probably a concept being brewed and refined by a single pilot, or a small team; very encouraging results thus far, with a win rate above 53% in 200+ games in the last three days.
23 cards
17 cards
28 700
Teemo Zoe
A very scary deck some metas ago, Teemo Zoe disappeared after the nerf to The Sudden Surge
– yet here it returns, putting very good numbers. Recent top-cutterista Leer wrote a detailed Teemo Zoe deck guide when the archetype was at its apex.
17 cards
23 cards
26 100
Fizz Gwen
Fizz Gwen is an interesting example of what happens to a deck when its prey (rather than itself) gets nerfed: an up-and-coming powerhouse right before the January hotfix, it suffered greatly in the post-hotfix field. It's been putting amazing numbers in the last few days, though, but as the fringest deck we'll showcase today: pilots beware!
16 cards
24 cards
32 200
Wrapping Up
Final reminder: a week to go for the World Ender Season to come to a close!
At the moment of writing, it seems like the patch will land next week (for context: it was delayed due to hackers ransoming Riot; yes, really). The last current info is that this Ranked season will be extended until then:
Hope you have enjoyed this showcase of the best Legends of Runeterra decks, 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.
Last but not least, all stats are from the LoR ladder. If you're looking for Tournament lineups or Gauntlet decks, you may want to check our latest LoR Tournament & Gauntlet Decks article.
Sources: Legna, Mastering Runeterra Meta Tier List, and our LoR meta stats page.
