Combining Regions is an essential component of creating the best decks in Legends of Runeterra. Players should ensure they are always working towards unlocking every card the game has to offer following the completion of the Prologue progression track. Not all cards are created equally, however, so here is a peak at some of the best from the six available Regions and how they can synergize within their Region.
Shadow Isles Region
Self destruction and sacrifice embody the main theme of the cards from the Shadow Isles Region, both through the Last Breath and Ephemeral keywords that go hand in hand. Cards like Cursed Keeper provide outstanding value for 2 mana, and while an opponent won’t block it from attacking, they will need to think twice before committing any units to their own attack since it can be used as fodder to the same effect.
As seen in the Tutorial match, Phantom Prankster can combine with these types of cards to devastating effect by leveraging the strong effects of cards doomed to die with their Ephemeral keyword.
Finally, a great way to close out a fight is to boost the power of a board, such as with the Champion card Hecarim. While there are several viable strategies for decks made from this Region, it is perhaps one that requires the most strategy to best benefit from the counter-intuitive nature of summoning allies that only survive a single turn.
Noxus Region
Face is the place, or so the saying goes. Noxus Region cards embody characteristics typically seen with pure aggro decks in other Collectible Card Games (CCGs), and are quite effective at establishing a board quickly with the goal of rushing down an opposing Nexus.
Champion cards Katarina and Draven both look to provide strong offense with level up conditions that encourage fast, offensive strategies in the early and mid game.
Champion Darius continues this trend into the “late game”, though for Noxus decks, this refers to what most other Regions consider the midgame. By the time Darius can be summoned for 6 mana, players will want to be able to bring the Nexus down to ten or fewer hit points to activate his level up condition, and close out the game before the opponent can respond.
Piltover & Zaun Region
Embrace the inner steampunk player and take your pick from a broad range of innovative, strategic cards offered in this Region. Card draw is a defining characteristic of the Region, which is one of the most powerful and important mechanics in all CCGs. The ability to quickly and efficiently cycle through a deck to find the most important cards will always be among the most viable strategies, so expect to see this Region making waves as the meta develops.
The Spell Mana system in Legends of Runeterra already adds a layer of complexity not seen in other CCGs, and the Piltover & Zaun Region brings it up another notch with cards that refill this resources, allowing players to play more cards than any other Region in a round if used correctly.
Finally, cards like Counterfeit Copies tie everything together, allowing for targeting cards to be shuffled into a deck. Since this Region has effective card cycling, players will be able to play multiple copies of the most powerful cards, and this Region feels similar to the Miracle archetype of other CCGs, where the goal is to constantly cycle through a deck without running out of resources.
Ionia Region
If making an opponent pull out their hair in frustration were a quantifiable goal in Legends of Runeterra, the Ionia Region of cards would be the best choice for the job. Recall, Stun, and Elusive all fall within this Region, and they combine to stall out a game, frustrate an opponent’s board, and deal damage through cards that can only be blocked by other Elusive types.
Minah Swiftfoot is a great example of an ally that can frustrate the late game plans of an opponent, since she comes in with a decently stated body, and Recalls three opponents.
Champion Yasuo synergizes beautifully with all Stun and Recall effects, not only dealing damage to each affected card in this way, but also fulfilling its level up requirements. Together, players can not only stall an opponent’s board, they can systematically dismantle it through a barrage of small, and then more powerful hits.
As for Elusive cards, take your pick. There are so many viable options right now, but players should note that while there are perfectly viable counters to Elusive decks, the keyword itself is on the developer’s watch list as of the last balance update in late January. It is not that the keyword is overpowered, but it is often not fun to play against, as it is not interactive with a board state.
Expect something soon in terms of a downgrade in power, or if that does not occur, for the keyword to play a less important role in future content releases. The point is not to invest too heavily in the Elusive archetype, at least until the developer has revealed what they have planned.
Freljord Region
Mana Ramping is a powerful ability that has been known to make big impacts on CCGs for as long as they have been around, and the same is true in Legends of Runeterra. Wyrding Stones are so effective that they have already seen one nerf through a balance update, and still they are a powerful tool. In the future we can expect players to continue and strategize around this style of play, and if it becomes to powerful, for the developers to reign it in further with additional changes.
Tryndamere is a strong late game hero, and if he can be played early with the help of Mana Ramping, provides even more value. The Overwhelm keyword makes him a devastating threat that cannot be left unchecked, and since his level up condition is to die, players are encouraged to play aggressively with this powerful unit. If played carefully, players can close out a game in the blink of an eye with one massive swing from Tryndamere.
Frostbite is a mechanic that is also limited to the Freljord Region of cards, and while it is not currently as powerful as other mechanics, like Deny, it certainly has its place in stalling out a match until the late game.
Demacia Region
The Demacia Region is characterized by cards that focus on strong, effective spells, and supporting the units on the board. The theme of the Region is to build a powerful army and protect units though Buffs and Barriers.
Garen is one of the game’s more popular Champions at the moment, both because his level up requirements are simple to achieve, which is to strike twice, and because he has the Regeneration keyword, which fits perfectly into the theme of the Region. Since this theme resonates throughout the Demacia Region of cards, Garen is a great fit into many decks.
Whenever there is a card that offers an absolute win condition for completing some strange or strange condition, there is always the potential for interesting and innovative decks. Fiora is one such card who reads “When I’ve killed 4 enemies and survived, you win the game.” Combined with the protective, buffing nature of Demacia Region cards and the Challenger keyword, this condition is relatively easy to fulfill. Fiora may not be the most effective card in the current meta, but she will always have a place and the potential to be devastating thanks to this win condition.
Source: lor.mobalytics.gg