Champion Choices: Lineups I Would Bring to Gauntlets and Tournaments

Hello guys! Majiin here again with another quick article on some lineups I really like for the tournaments this weekend.

Last weekend we saw the rise of Demacia decks to counter the Control-heavy metagame that plagued the top 8 of the week prior, and I expect to see a lot of the same type of lists on Sunday. 

With that said, my first pick of the best lineup is a bit of a copout as it is the lineup that SamanthaHoney used to take down the entire MR Qualifier last weekend.

The "Double Demacia + X Deck" Lineup

Akshan Sivir

Regions

Demacia
16 cards

Shurima
24 cards

Rarities

23 200

6

0

9

25

eternal

Mana cost

0

0

9

1

14

2

6

3

3

4

8

5

0

6

0

7+

Champions

6

2

Akshan

3

4

Sivir

3

Landmarks

2

2

Preservarium

2

Followers

17

1

Fleetfeather Tracker

3

1

Treasure Seeker

3

2

Brightsteel Protector

3

3

Merciless Hunter

3

3

Vekauran Vagabond

2

5

Vekauran Bruiser

3

Spells

15

1

Shaped Stone

3

2

Sharpsight

3

2

Single Combat

1

2

The Absolver

2

3

Cataclysm

1

5

Concerted Strike

2

5

Golden Aegis

3

Pantheon Shyvana

Regions

Demacia
23 cards

Mount Targon
17 cards

Rarities

24 000

6

0

13

21

eternal

Mana cost

0

0

4

1

17

2

7

3

6

4

6

5

0

6

0

7+

Champions

6

4

Pantheon

3

4

Shyvana

3

Followers

14

1

Dragon Chow

3

2

Brightsteel Protector

3

2

Mountain Goat

3

3

Wounded Whiteflame

3

5

Screeching Dragon

2

Spells

20

1

Chain Vest

1

2

Guiding Touch

2

2

Hush

1

2

Pale Cascade

2

2

Sharpsight

3

2

Single Combat

3

3

Dragon's Clutch

3

3

Strafing Strike

1

5

Concerted Strike

2

5

Golden Aegis

2

Kennen Ahri

Regions

Ionia
38 cards

Shurima
2 cards

Rarities

23 800

6

0

12

22

eternal

Mana cost

0

0

11

1

16

2

3

3

10

4

0

5

0

6

0

7+

Champions

6

1

Kennen

3

2

Ahri

3

Followers

14

1

Dancing Droplet

3

1

The Mourned

2

2

Navori Conspirator

3

3

Shadow Assassin

3

4

Kinkou Wayfinder

3

Spells

20

1

Recall

3

2

Nopeify!

3

2

Retreat

2

2

The Absolver

2

2

Twin Disciplines

3

4

Deny

2

4

Homecoming

3

4

Will of Ionia

2

This lineup took first and for a very good reason: when you are able to ban Ahri Kennen the slower Demacia strategies shoot way up in power.

Pantheon and Sivir have very few weaknesses in the meta and perform very well not only against Control, but also against strategies based around smaller units, like Scouts for example, which I also expect to show up in numbers. 

The Level 1 Lineup

Spiders 

Regions

Noxus
22 cards

Shadow Isles
18 cards

Rarities

14 500

3

0

9

28

eternal

Mana cost

0

0

12

1

13

2

12

3

0

4

0

5

3

6

0

7+

Champions

3

2

Elise

3

Followers

27

1

Legion Rearguard

3

1

Legion Saboteur

3

1

Precious Pet

3

1

Stygian Onlooker

3

2

Arachnoid Horror

3

2

House Spider

3

2

Imperial Demolitionist

3

3

Doombeast

3

3

Frenzied Skitterer

3

Spells

10

2

Brothers' Bond

1

3

Noxian Fervor

3

3

Stalking Shadows

3

6

Decimate

3

Draven Rumble Burn

Regions

Piltover & Zaun
16 cards

Noxus
24 cards

Rarities

25 400

6

2

9

23

eternal

Mana cost

0

0

6

1

12

2

11

3

5

4

1

5

3

6

2

7+

Champions

6

3

Draven

3

4

Rumble

3

Followers

18

1

Reborn Grenadier

2

1

Zaunite Urchin

3

2

Ballistic Bot

3

2

Boom Baboon

3

2

Fallen Rider

3

4

Ruined Reckoner

2

8

Lost Soul

2

Spells

16

1

Poro Cannon

1

2

Mystic Shot

3

3

Get Excited!

3

3

Might

3

3

Whirling Death

2

5

Survival Skills

1

6

Decimate

3

Pirates

Regions

Bilgewater
22 cards

Noxus
18 cards

Rarities

26 300

6

3

8

23

eternal

Mana cost

0

0

11

1

12

2

6

3

3

4

5

5

3

6

0

7+

Champions

6

3

Miss Fortune

3

5

Gangplank

3

Followers

23

1

Crackshot Corsair

3

1

Jagged Butcher

2

1

Legion Rearguard

3

1

Legion Saboteur

3

2

Imperial Demolitionist

3

2

Legion Grenadier

3

2

Marai Warden

3

4

Zap Sprayfin

3

Spells

11

2

Line 'Em Up

1

2

Make it Rain

2

3

Noxian Fervor

3

5

Double Up

2

6

Decimate

3

If everyone is going to bring Demacia, and Control takes a back seat this weekend, then triple Burn is absolutely the place to be.

All the healing in the format is concentrated into only a few decks such as Darkness and FTR, and I believe that the rise of scouts and Sivir decks will make most players think twice about bringing them. This lineup is looking to take advantage of a weakness in other lineups so it’s likely to be very feast or famine. 

The “My Decks Are Better Than Yours Nanana Booboo” Lineups

Scouts

Regions

Demacia
28 cards

Bilgewater
12 cards

Rarities

27 700

6

3

15

16

eternal

Mana cost

0

0

10

1

13

2

5

3

3

4

6

5

3

6

0

7+

Champions

6

3

Miss Fortune

3

5

Quinn

3

Followers

23

1

Fleetfeather Tracker

3

1

Penitent Squire

3

1

Pool Shark

2

2

Brightsteel Protector

3

2

Fortune Croaker

2

2

Marai Warden

2

3

Vanguard Sergeant

2

4

Island Navigator

3

6

Genevieve Elmheart

3

Spells

11

1

Ranger's Resolve

2

2

Blinding Assault

3

2

Sharpsight

3

5

Golden Aegis

3

Ahri Kennen

Regions

Ionia
39 cards

Shurima
1 cards

Rarities

27 000

6

2

17

15

eternal

Mana cost

0

0

12

1

13

2

3

3

10

4

0

5

0

6

2

7+

Champions

6

1

Kennen

3

2

Ahri

3

Landmarks

3

3

God-Willow Seedling

3

Followers

15

1

Dancing Droplet

3

1

The Mourned

3

2

Fae Bladetwirler

2

2

Navori Conspirator

2

4

Kinkou Wayfinder

3

7

Sai'nen Thousand-Tailed

2

Spells

16

1

Recall

3

2

Nopeify!

2

2

The Absolver

1

2

Twin Disciplines

3

4

Concussive Palm

2

4

Deny

2

4

Homecoming

3

Fizz Lulu 

Regions

Piltover & Zaun
18 cards

Bandlecity
22 cards

Rarities

23 200

6

0

9

25

eternal

Mana cost

0

0

10

1

15

2

9

3

3

4

3

5

0

6

0

7+

Champions

6

1

Fizz

3

3

Lulu

3

Followers

18

1

Zaunite Urchin

3

2

Bomber Twins

3

2

Boom Baboon

3

2

Flame Chompers!

3

3

Loping Telescope

3

4

Yordle Captain

3

Spells

16

1

Poro Cannon

3

1

Scrapheap

1

2

Mystic Shot

3

2

Pokey Stick

3

3

Get Excited!

3

5

Yordles in Arms

3

This lineup is simple…

… and about as subtle as a brick. Show up with the strongest three decks in a vacuum, and dare people to beat you.

It’s tough to have a lineup that is strong against all three of these -- you will able to leverage raw power in a way that other players might not with their “tuned” and “well thought out” lineups.

Screw that, thinking is for losers. I’m just here to do busted stuff!

In Closing

There are lots of viable strategies, from very complex to brick-simple. But you need to at least have a plan -- make sure you know what your lineup wants to do.

And good luck out there!