Note: This is an older article.
For the most recent data, check the latest LoR Best Decks article, or our Meta Tier List!
Howdy, and welcome to our weekly selection of the best decks in the Legends of Runeterra meta!
As explained in the Technical Note at the end of this article, we'll first take a glance at a snapshot of our LoR Meta Decks Tier List, which sorts archetypes (that's to say, the aggregate of all decks with the exact same Champions) by popularity, and then we'll dive into the data to check how individual decks perform, to showcase the best LoR decks.
Since the Eternal Open is just two days away, we'll focus on Eternal decks first, and review what Standard has to offer on the second half of this article.
Best LoR Decks for the Eternal Ladder
These are the most popular Eternal LoR archetypes according to the Mastering Runeterra Meta Tier List:
Sources: MaRu's data (which samples Plat+ players)
Overall LoR Ladder Trends – Eternal
Azir Irelia has become (perhaps unsurprisingly, given the legion of steadfast followers that Azir has) the most popular archetype in the Eternal LoR ladder, but Trundle Volibear has surged in popularity as the most-played specific deck.
Thresh Nasus, once one Azirelia's predators, has also made a comeback.
But we'll have to dig a bit further down to find what may end up being some of the best Eternal decks: Draven Vi, Poppy Ziggs, and Katarina Vladimir (yes, that is a thing!) all show, as we'll see in a bit, stellar win rates.
By the way: all figures and data in this article is for the Eternal ladder – if you are after deck and lineups for the upcoming Eternal Open, do check Sorry's Top 5 Lineups for the Eternal Runeterra Open.
Juggernauts – Best Legends of Runeterra Decks for the Eternal Ladder
Decks in this category have at least 2400 games played in the last three days, and good to great win rates – as far as current numbers go, these are the best LoR decks in the Eternal ladder.
Trundle Volibear
The Troll King is back!
And with a new friend, too: Trundle
Volibear
surges as the most-played specific deck in the Eternal LoR ladder, with more than 4,000 games played in the last three days and a win rate that amply justifies its popularity: 56%+.
Interestingly, a fairly similar concept showed up this week in the Standard format, making Warmother's Call
a factor in both LoR metas (but featuring Tryndamere instead of Trundle).
Trundle Volibear has a horrible time facing Azir Irelia and looks very weak against Draven Vi and Poppy Ziggs. On the backswing, it murders Ezreal Janna Seraphine and Thresh Nasus, and has good odds against Nilah Twisted Fate, Enduring Elise, and Gangplank Sejuani.
9 cards
31 cards
39 000
Norra Swain
The Grand General and the Portalling Yordle have had their share of profitable partnerships in the past. With a little help from Lord Broadmane
and a murder of Ravenous Flock
s, Norra
Swain
emerges this week as another of the punchiest and most popular decks in the Eternal format, with about 3100 games played and hitting above the 56% mark.
Norra Swain is one of Azir Irelia's worst nightmares. It's also looks very good against Thresh Nasus and Gangplank Sejuani, slightly favored against Ezreal Jenna Seraphine, and 50/50 against Trundle Volibear. Its only weak spot seems to be Nilah Twisted Fate.
15 cards
25 cards
27 700
Gangplank Sejuani
Gangplank
Sejuani
has picked up a couple of buffs and new tricks for this Eternal season, and shows signs of renewed vigor, accruing 3100+ games in the last three days and an excellent 56% win rate.
The Plunder posse has a bit of a rough time against Norra Swain, Trundle Volibear and Ziggs Poppy (but not by a huge margin), while having a slight edge against Azir Irelia and fairly good odds against Enduring Elise.
14 cards
26 cards
26 500
Heavyweights – Strong LoR Decks for the Eternal Ladder
These decks have between 1200 and 2400 games in the last three days – solid heavy-hitters for your LoR laddering needs!
Enduring Elise
Enduring Elise
has refined its build! What worked last week is still popular, yet had dropped sharply in performance -- but an improved version cutting Fading Icon
for Spirits Unleashed
is, as they say on Reddit, kicking butts very hard. A large variety of butts!
3 cards
37 cards
17 700
Draven Vi
Mixing the classic Discard package with Enraged Firespitter
and Sumpworks Map
, Draven
Vi
shows up today with an excellent matchup spread: it's 50/50 against Norra Swain, favored against Plunder and Warmother's Call, has an edge against Poppy Ziggs and Nilah Twisted fate, and demolishes Azir Irelia – in short, it does well against most other strong decks in Eternal right now.
With one exception, though: Thresh Nasus. But, even in that case, the axe hurler and wrecking girl have decent odds.
21 cards
19 cards
29 200
Poppy Ziggs
Ziggs
has the strange honor of being the champ that Worlds Competitors don't see.
Ziggs Acolytes had to be hotfixed just a few days after the World Ender expansion launched, yet nobody in Worlds 2022 had seen it coming. And in 2021, Poppy Ziggs did something similar, becoming the best LoR deck just a couple of weeks after a major tournament.
The current Eternal version has a somewhat different mix of followers but the exact same punch-face idea as the original Ziggs Poppy. And, at least by now, similarly scary numbers: one of the highest win rates we'll see today (60%+) across 2100 games!
18 cards
22 cards
28 800
Nilah Twisted Fate
As an archetype, Twisted Fate
Nilah
's performance has dropped sharply, but that seems related to brewers and pilots switching builds: what was last week's best version is doing barely above average right now, but a version with a few twists is doing wonderful:
25 cards
15 cards
32 400
Azir Irelia
Azir
Irelia
is another archetype for which brewers and pilots have yet to agree on the optimal build. Several different versions exist, and thus far the best Azir Irelia decks seem to add Deny
(often cutting Nopeify!
) and three copies of Forsaken Baccai
.
20 cards
20 cards
27 700
Azirelia obliterates Trundle Volibear, but has a hard time against Norra Swain, Enduring Elise, Nilah TF and Nasus Thresh.
Thresh Nasus
Another very old concept making a comeback (which, after all, is the whole point of Eternal), Thresh
Nasus
used to be one of Azirelia's predators… and is here to do the exact same thing: it's one of the best decks to bring if you want to sunset those disk lovers.
Thresh Nasus is also excellent against Nilah TF and Enduring Elise, and seems to have good odds against Poppy Ziggs. Trundle Volibear and Norra Swain are a problem, though.
30 cards
10 cards
28 900
Bandle Ezreal Janna Seraphine
Ezreal
Janna
Seraphine
had one of the best performances early on, but has deflated a lot this week – still playable, but just a 50% win rate. At least for the LoR ladder, you may want to check other options unless you really love these champs' playstyle.
16 cards
24 cards
30 000
Punching Up – Eternal LoR Decks Doing Great
Eternal LoR decks with between 800 and 1200 in the last three days – we're sailing into small data samples here, so pilots beware!
Katarina Vladimir
Typing "Katarina
" and "best LoR deck" used to be fairly common until rotation came around. Typing the same phrase with Vladimir
, on the other hand… now that's unusual!
Yet here we are: switching Leona
for Vladimir in the Sunburn shell (which used to be one of the best decks back in January) and going for Enraged Firespitter as the top end has produced what by current numbers is the scariest thing in Eternal, and it's not even close.
We'll see in the coming days if this this is not a fluke, but as of right now Vladimir Katarina it's the deck you want to grab if you want to climb quickly.
22 cards
18 cards
32 500
Teemo Zoe
These two tricksters pulled this one trick not too long ago, and that pony is still kicking: by spamming and buffing Elusive s, Teemo
Zoe
shows up today with a 58% win rate across 800 games, and very good odds against Thresh Nasus and Azirelia.
26 cards
14 cards
27 900
Draven Ezreal Katarina
While seeing Draven and Lord Broadmane again may make you think this is just a variation of Draven Vi, Draven Ezreal Katarina is a very different deck. Draven Vi seems superior right now, but this alternative take is also very playable.
18 cards
22 cards
29 100
Other Eternal Considerations
If none of the above floats your boat, here are a handful of more fringe options that are doing well on the Eternal LoR ladder – sample sizes are small, though, so tread carefully!
- Teemo Tristana, once one of the best decks in LoR,
- Annie Jhin, refusing to retire,
- Jayce Lux,
- Kalista Nocturne.
Best LoR Decks for the Standard Ladder
These are the most popular Standard LoR archetypes according to the Mastering Runeterra Meta Tier List:
Sources: MaRu's data (which samples Plat+ players)
Overall LoR Ladder Trends – Standard
Shen Jarvan's time has finally come, and while not yet the most popular specific deck, it has become the most popular archetype overall, and one of the punchiest.
And there's an interesting return at the top: Tryndamere Volibear, paired with Warmother's Call, has pushed its way among the most popular decks in Standard.
Juggernauts – Best Legends of Runeterra Decks for the Standard Ladder
Decks in this category have at least 2400 games played in the last three days, and good to great win rates – as far as current numbers go, these are the best LoR decks in the Standard ladder.
Pyke Rek'Sai, aka Lurkers
Our single Standard Juggernaut today, Pyke
Rek'Sai
has climbed at the top of the popularity charts and is the most-played specific deck in the format. Its winrate has decreased a tad in the last three days, compared with last week (from 57% to nearly 55%).
Unless Shen Jarvan has something to say about it, Lurkers may end up having its best season ever!
Pyke's crew does have a horrible matchup with Prince and Protector, but that's its only truly weak stop; matchups against The Poro King Yuumi and Miss Fortune are unfavored, but only slightly so.
Further reading: Pyke Rek'Sai Deck Guide
15 cards
25 cards
26 400
Heavyweights – Strong LoR Decks for the Standard Ladder
These decks have between 1200 and 2400 games in the last three days – solid heavy-hitters for your LoR laddering needs!
The Poro King Yuumi
His Fluffy Majesty's performance has dropped a fair bit, punching at 53% this week when it smacked above 57% last week, yet with 2300 games played in the last three days it remains very popular.
The Poro King
Yuumi
is one of the most "fair" decks out there when looking at matchups, with most confrontations inside the 45/55 range. In particular, it's almost 50/50 against Shen Jarvan, and slightly favored against Lurkers.
The exception is one of this week's newcomers, Tryndamere Volibear; in this case, His Fluffiness handily dominates the fight.
28 cards
12 cards
24 000
Shen Jarvan
Already the most popular archetype overall, Shen
Jarvan IV
will very likely become the most popular deck in a few days: the only reason it has not overtaken Lurkers or Kings is that there are two competing lists with very similar popularity.
Thus far this one seems clearly superior…
22 cards
18 cards
26 100
… with a whopping 58% win rate, and the other (trimming a couple of other spells to make room for two copies of Deny, and trimming a couple of Brightsteel Protector
s to add Scholarly Pioneer
and Sai'nen Thousand-Tailed
) doing very, but not as, well: 55%.
Once pilots agree on the best version, Shen Jarvan will very likely dominate the LoR meta…
… unless Tryndamere Volibear can turn things around: this week's newcomer is the only strong deck in Standard that with very good odds to beat Shen Jarvan.
Tryndamere Volibear
And here we have them: the new angry kids in the block!
Answering Warmother's Call, Volibear comes back to the Standard charts with Tryndamere
as sidekick, and with one of the most spell-heavy builds this side of Seraphine decks.
15 cards
25 cards
36 500
Tryndamere Volibear finds itself in an interesting triangle: it brutally murders Shen Jarvan, and it's actually the only strong deck that can do so… but it goes belly-up against Lurkers, which themselves get wrecked by Shen Jarvan.
Tryndamere Volibear also have a rough time against Ashe LeBlanc and The Poro King Yuumi, and a very rough time against Miss Fortune Quinn – all in all, not a great spot to be in the current LoR meta.
Punching Up – Standard LoR Decks Doing Great
Standard LoR decks with between 800 and 1200 in the last three days – we're sailing into small data samples here, so pilots beware!
Miss Fortune Quinn, aka Scouts
Scouts have increased their win rate this week from 54% to above 57% – an impressive feat, considering the nerf to Champions' Strength
!
Miss Fortune
Quinn
is enjoying the decrease in popularity of Galio decks, against which they are pretty hopeless – Shen Jarvan is a tough matchup for Scouts, but much more manageable.
On the other hand, Fortune's gang has a small edge against The Poro King and Lurkers, and a huge edge against Tryndamere Volibear.
28 cards
12 cards
32 600
Gwen Zed
A lot more subtle than the angry kids (as befits a master of shadows), Gwen
Zed
is the other surprise this week.
It was already making tiny waves last week; with 900+ games now the highest winrate from among all Standard decks today, it looks like Gwen Zed is the real deal!
Seamstress and Shadow Master do crumble against Shen Jarvan, but they destroy Lurkers, The Poro King decks, and Trynd Volibear.
15 cards
25 cards
27 000
Galio Garen Jarvan IV
Galio
Garen
Jarvan IV has dropped both in popularity and performance, the Prince now preferring its new Shen best friend.
It's still a formidable deck, and arguably your best choice if you want to make Miss Fortune cry. Lurkers, on the other hand, are an awful matchup, and Shen Jarvan is close to auto-lose.
9 cards
31 cards
31 400
Teemo Yuumi
Even though it has remained a bit of an off-meta choice, Teemo Yuumi's performance has been excellent for several weeks, and today is no exception: a stellar 57% win rate across 900+ games.
Further reading: Teemo Yuumi Deck Guide.
23 cards
17 cards
33 300
Ashe LeBlanc
Ashe
LeBlanc
has once again improved its performance compared with last week (from about 56%, to above 57% now), making it one of the punchiest decks in Runeterra.
17 cards
23 cards
28 900
Your Mileage May Vary
If none of the above floats your boat, here are a handful of more fringe options that are doing well on the Standard LoR ladder – sample sizes are small, though, so tread carefully!
Aurelion Sol Volibear
Not a deck we can recommend by its performance alone (just a mediocre 51% win rate), but we do have a soft spot for space dragons around here!
14 cards
26 cards
36 500
Bandle Kayle Teemo
Winged Protector and puffcapy Scout were doing amazing last week; the have dropped sharply in play rate, but their performance suggests that Kayle
Teemo is not a fluke.
11 cards
29 cards
33 300
Darius Gnar
Darius
Gnar
has certainly seen better times, but is still very playable and the joy of anybody with a taste for Overwhelm ing tactics.
Further reading: Darius Gnar Deck Guide
23 cards
17 cards
24 000
Bandle Jinx
Jinx
has ditched Kennen
as a partner and has gone solo, with one very low-to-the-ground, burn-on-top deck.
22 cards
18 cards
15 600
Wrapping Up
As noted in today's introduction, we'll get a Variety Patch next week – there's no way to know how much it will shake the LoR meta, so if you're short on shards and wildcards, you may want to save them for until when the dust settles.
And the Eternal ranked ladder will go live; that's gonna be the Wild West, as pilots and brewers try to crack the Onward Eternal meta before the Eternal Open.
Hope you've found your weapon of choice to end this patch cycle with, 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,
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 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.
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.
Where does this data come from?
Directly from Riot (via Riot's API) – in other words, all the numbers in this article are "from the horse's mouth," so to speak.
Liver, our wonderful coder and unsung MaRu 🐐 (also in charge of designing the website) makes Riot's 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.
