Legends of Runeterra Best Decks – Meta Report

The Best Meta Decks for Legends of Runeterra (Domination)

Hey everyone! Welcome back to our Meta Decks Report for Legends of Runeterra.

As always, these deck recommendations will be provided by our experts, Kuvira, Shugo, and Scarzig!

Note that our experts update the tier list often so there may be some lag time between this blog version and the one on our site.

When in doubt, use the LoR Meta Tier List feature for the most up-to-date tier list.

Best Runeterra Decks

• S-tier: Ezreal Seraphine (Noxus + Piltover/Zaun)
• A-tier: Pantheon Vayne (Demacia + Targon)
• S-tier: Vayne Zed (Demacia + Ionia)
• S-tier: Pantheon Varus (Runeterran + Targon)
• A-tier: Swain TF (Bilgewater + Noxus)
• A-tier: Seraphine Viktor (Piltover/Zaun + Shadow Isles)
• A-tier: Rumble Vayne (Demacia + Noxus)
• A-tier: Gwen Katarina (Noxus + Shadow Isles)
• A-ter: Jax Vayne (Runeterran + Demacia)
• A-tier: Annie Jhin (Runeterran + Noxus)
• A-tier: Pirates (Bilgewater + Noxus)
• A-tier: Akshan Lee Sin (Ionia + Shurima)
• B-tier: Plunder (Bilgewater + Freljord)
• B-tier: Gwen Vayne (Demacia + Shadow Isles)
• B-tier: Lurk (Bilgewater + Shurima)
• B-tier: Katarina Yasuo (Ionia + Noxus)

LoR Meta Decks

Whether you like to play aggro, midrange, control, or combo, we’ve got meta deck archetype for you. Enjoy!

S-tier LoR Decks

Ezreal Seraphine (Noxus + Piltover/Zaun)

Deck code: CECACAQDBEAQMAYXAIDAIDQVAEAQIJAEAIAQGKZOAEDAGDQCAECB6NAEAYCBMIBFFADAEBQECIVQCAIEAEAQIBAHAEBQICYBAMBQ2AIEAMFA

[See Ezreal Seraphine deck details]

General info

Ezreal Seraphine takes the classic Noxus PnZ shell and spices it up with some extra splashy goodness. Instead of building up Tribeams, this deck aims to cast a large variety of spells in order to build up and support Seraphine’s doubling abilities. Once online, the combo of Ezreal + Seraphine can burst down the enemy nexus out of nowhere!

👌 Strong Against: Katarina Yasuo, Rumble Vayne, Akshan Lee Sin, Pantheon Varus, Lurk

👎 Weak Against: Pantheon Vayne

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

Look for removal that matches up well against the opponent’s deck. Sentry + Flock is a great combo against Demacia decks. Back Alley Bar is a good keep against the mirror.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• Depending on the matchup, consider playing Seraphine only after she’s leveled. This ensures at least some value before she is potentially removed.
• Maintaining a proper hand size is very relevant with Seraphine. It’s very easy to refill our hand by doubling up cheap draw spells, along with the fact that many cards replace themselves. Sputtering Songspinner is hard to cast when our hand is completely full, so be mindful of that.
• Always count the amount of damage you can do with the Ezreal + Seraphine combo. This deck can often guarantee a burst finish simply by adding enough targetting spells to the stack and killing the opponent before they even get the chance to respond. Don’t give the opponent a window of opportunity when you don’t have to.

Pantheon Vayne(Runeterran + Targon)

Deck code: CECAEBIJAMCQEBQJAQQACAYJEMAQMAAVA4BACAANDIAQGCJTAEDAACYCAYEQMKACAQAAEAYCAUEQIDIBAIAACAA

[See Pantheon Vayne deck details]

General info

Pantheon Vayne is the latest Fated variant, with Vayne an incredible amount of support to this Demacia Targon staple. Saga Seeker carries the deck’s early game as it builds up towards leveling Pantheon. The addition of Vayne gives access to more free attacks to abuse our massive Fated threats!

👌 Strong Against: Swain TF, Ezreal Seraphine, Gwen Vayne, Gwen Katarina

👎 Weak Against: Pantheon Varus, Vayne Zed, Jax Vayne

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

Look for Saga Seeker as our priority #1, but also try to pick up an equipment card. Equipment turns on Lunari Cultist and The Expanse’s Protection, as well as provides an efficient source of triggering Fated.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• Aim to target at least one unit per turn in order to threaten Pantheon level-up ASAP. However, this shouldn’t be at the expense of wasting a card and/or mana.
• Picking the Scout weapon off of Wandering Shepherd allows us to turn Tumbles into Rallies.
• Single Combat and Concerted Strike are our only form of interaction on the stack. Remember this in case you need to develop a unit before a possible open-attack.

Vayne Zed (Demacia + Ionia)

Deck code: CECQKBQAAYFAWFIYAIDAEDJCAMAQEBQJBQAQMAYXAECQADACAEBQEFABAEBDCAA

[See Vayne Zed deck details]

General info

Zed is back with a new Demacia Ionia core, and now that Vayne has made an appearance, it’s more efficient than ever before! Forget Rallies, Tumble allows Zed to freely attack with ease, all while equipping him at the same time. Combined with powerful combat tricks like Momentous Choice and Wuju Style, it’s sure to put the opponent on a short clock!

👌 Strong Against: Rumble Vayne, Pantheon Vayne, Pirates, Gwen Katarina

👎 Weak Against: Swain TF, Ezreal Seraphine

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

This deck relies heavily on getting its champions and equipment early. Vayne and Zed should be top priority, but Ionian Hookmaster is also a solid pickup.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• It’s important to save some spell mana in order to protect our champions. One of the deck’s greatest strengths is Ionia’s efficient combat tricks, so be sure to have mana ready going into each turn.
• Ranger-Knight Defector + Tumble = Free Rally on the opponent’s turn.
• Take proactive passes when necessary. You can force the opponent to either play cautiously and make subpar plays, or risk overcommitting and getting blown out by a big Tumble turn.

A-tier LoR Decks

Pantheon Varus (Demacia + Targon)

Deck code: CEEACBQCEIBAKCIDAUBQMCIEEAUACAYJEMAQMAZCAEDAMJYBAYASEAIGBQEQGAIGA4CQCBQJAYAQGCKVAEAQMBZI

[See Pantheon Varus deck details]

General info

Pantheon Varus plays similar to other Pantheon lists, except it trades the free attacks and Rallies for a variety of powerful support spells via Varus’ Origin. Additionally, instead of relying on Pantheon as the main win condition, Varus is equally capable of closing out the game. Those attack buffs stack up fast!

👌 Strong Against: Pantheon Vayne, Jax Vayne, Gwen Vayne

👎 Weak Against: Ezreal Seraphine, Lurk

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

Our actual equipment suite is quite low with only Lodestone, Shepherd, and Varus. Prioritize Lodestone and Shepherd in order to enable all of our “if you have equipped” cards.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• Momentous Choice counts as two spells towards the free Varus draw. Keep this in mind, as it’s an easy way to get Varus online early when he isn’t already in hand.
• Varus grows incredibly fast and can be leveled mid-combat to gain Overwhelm and threaten lethal.
• The Unending Wave is powerful draw, but fleeting is a real cost in this deck. Be sure you have enough mana before casting it in order to increase the likelihood of playing both drawn cards.

Swain TF (Bilgewater + Noxus)

Deck code: CECQEAQDA4EQEBQGA4PACAYGBABACAZOG4BQEBQ2EYWQGAIGAYRAEAQDAEEACAQGDQBACAIDCYAQGAYN

[See Swain TF deck details]

General info

Swain TF is the more controlling side of Bilgewater Noxus. It takes advange of the Sentry + Flock package and utilizes cheap units and spells to win the board. Swain levels incredibly fast with Watchful Idol, and once flipped, becomes a massive threat that the opponent can not ignore!

👌 Strong Against: Lurk, Vayne Zed, Gwen Katarina,

👎 Weak Against: Pantheon Vayne, Ezreal Seraphine

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

Watchful Idol is the perfect start to turbo level Swain by turn five. Additionally, look for cheap units like House Spider or spells like Make it Rain to halt early aggression.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• You can cast spells on Swain’s blockers in order to push through Overwhelm damage and trigger his nexus strike effect.
• Consider saving chump blockers in order to enable Flock/Scorched Earth/Noxian Guillotine. Similarly, keep in mind when you’ll need to preemptively cast a spell to avoid awkward enemy open-attacks.
• Riptide Rex can clean up a lot of board states or create a large dent in the opponent’s nexus. Just be sure you have a way to trigger Plunder as the deck has limited options to enable it.

Seraphine Viktor (Ionia + Piltover/Zaun)

Deck code: CEBQCBQFEABQMBAOCUUACAYEAMCAIBQECQLCAKYBAUCBQAIBAQ2AEAIFAEUAOAQBAQNSOAQGAQJB4AIFBJ3QCBAEA4AQGBICAECQIEIBAICAC

[See Seraphine Viktor deck details]

General info

Seraphine Viktor takes the explosiveness of Seraphine and adds the control side of Shadow Isles. The PnZ SI combinations gives access to most of the best, well-rounded removal spells, aimed to punish the opponent and take over the game.

👌 Strong Against: Katarina Yasuo, Pirates, Annie Jhin

👎 Weak Against: Jax Vayne, Rumble Vayne, Pantheon Varus

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

There are a lot of 1-ofs and 2-ofs in the deck in order to consistently capitalize on Seraphine. Focus on finding the right removal spells for the matchup. Seraphine and Viktor are always welcome keeps.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• Be cautious of potential SpellShields in the matchup and hold pings when necessary in order to prevent getting blown out.
• There is a pretty sizeable amount of variance between cards like Back Alley Bar and Fanclub President. Knowing when you can afford to take a tempo loss is important, as you won’t always be lucky enough to find or generate the perfect card.
• Don’t be afraid to use your cards. Piltovan Tellstones and Sputtering Songspinner can fill your hand very quickly if it gets low.

Rumble Vayne (Demacia + Noxus)

Deck code: CEDQEAYDAEBQCAIADUBQMAYWC4NACBAAAMAQMAAVAECAGFQBAUFFQBABAUBQ2AIFAAGACBQDEQAQCAYLAIAQCAA2AECAAAQ

[See Rumble Vayne deck details]

General info

Rumble Vayne is an all-in combo deck that utilizes Legionary Charge to consistently find Rumble, then swing in multiple times per turn with free attacks. Rumble’s SpellShield + Tumble + Great Hammers is an incredibly fast clock when unanswered!

👌 Strong Against: Gwen Katarina, Gwen Vayne

👎 Weak Against: Vayne Zed, Ezreal Seraphine, Pirates

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

Hard mulligan to find Rumble or Legionary Charge. Most units are simply here to provide discard targets for Rumble. Vayne is a solid keep if you’ve already found Rumble.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• Rumble’s SpellShield is the only true form of protection. Be careful when casting Tumble or Catacylsm once the shield is removed.
• Remember, you only need to discard three cards to Rumble the first time you play him. Afterwards, just toss one to gain the additional point of Impact.
• Whirling Death can clear an enemy blocker while simultaneously pushing damage through with Overwhelm.

Gwen Katarina (Noxus + Shadow Isles)

Deck code: CEDAIBQFBQHBAHABAIBQSAQBAUUDCAIBAMVACBADCYAQKAYPAMBAMBINEAAQMAYXAEAQGLQCAEDAKJIBAECQG

[See Gwen Kat deck details]

General info

Efficiency and tempo are the name of the game. Go wide with cheap units as you pressure the enemy nexus. All three champions are difficult to block as they build up to threaten even more damage each turn. The Reckoner duo denies blockers and launches attacks even on defending turns.. And once we reach that final dance, the board floods with an endless rallying army!

👌 Strong Against: Pirates, Annie Jhin

👎 Weak Against: Swain TF, Jax Vayne, Vayne Zed

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

Focus on early units such as Boisterous Host, Burgeoning Sentinel, House Spider, and Phantom Butler. Gwen is a great keep alongside an aggressive hand.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• Be aware of which unit will receive the Hallowed buff before committing your attack. Similarly, be aware of which unit will be revived with Eternal Dancers.
• Reviving Katarina or Ruined Reckoner enables extra attacks and/or rallies. You can use this to set up sneaky lethals. This lets The Harrowing launch an attack without needing the attack token.
• Ruined Reckoner on Gwen can flip her on the same turn.

Jax Vayne (Runeterran + Demacia)

Deck code: CECQKBQABMIRKGY5AEDAGFYBAYGAQAIGAYOQCBAAAIBQEAIADIOQCBQCDQBAMAAGDEBQCBQADIAQMCIEAEBAAAI

[See Jax Vayne deck details]

General info

Equipment beatdown is the name of the game, and Jax takes it to a whole new level. With help from Vayne, Jax flips very quickly. Then all it takes is a few free attacks or Rallies to end the game.

👌 Strong Against: Seraphine Viktor, Katarina Yasuo, Lurk, Pantheon Vayne

👎 Weak Against: Akshan Lee Sin, Pantheon Varus

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

Look for an efficient curve, as you don’t need to bank much spell mana early on. Early Improvise units should be prioritized in order to maximize Tumble efficiency.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• Zealous Ranger-Knight is a powerful beater when equipped. This is especially true with the Scout weapon, as the stat buff will trigger and compound. An excellent target for free attacks.
• You can use Fish Fight as a means of moving a weapon from one ally to another (as it goes back to hand). Additionally, Tumble can reequip it again efficiently.
• Kind-Hearted Recruit can be used both offensively or defensively. In this deck, it’s essentially a five mana Brightsteel Formation!

Annie Jhin (Noxus + Runeterran)

Deck code: CEEQCBQDBQAQEBR4AMAQGAQMFAAQCBBWAIBAGAYEAECASDIBAYBAGAIFAEDACBQMAIBACAYFAYAQIAYDAA

[See Annie Jhin deck details]

General info

Annie Jhin is an aggressive burn deck that utilizes some of the most efficient 1-drops in the game. Flood the board wide early and stun any blockers that get in your way. Then finish the game with burn!

👌 Strong Against: Pantheon Varus, Gwen Vayne

👎 Weak Against: Pirates, Seraphine Viktor

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

Look for multiple 1-drops to threaten a wide aggressive start, or Jhin to help proc additional free damage.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• Taking damage is okay, you usually want to keep your stun cards for attack turns.
• Be okay with sacrificing Annie to push burn damage especially if you have another one in hand.
• Playing Jhin before the attack to setup for multiple stuns on the next turn is a great way to push lethal damage.

Pirates (Bilgewater + Noxus)

Deck code: CECQKAQGCYNCMLJ2AQAQGAQMB4UACBIGAEAQEAYDAEDAMHQCAEBAGBABAEBSKAA

[See Pirates deck details]

General info

Classic Pirates is one of the most aggressive burn decks around, but with support from Eye of Nagakabouros, it can even outlast the typical aggro deck. ‎

👌 Strong Against: Annie Jhin, Lurk, Rumble Vayne, Gwen Vayne

👎 Weak Against: Seraphine Viktor, Vayne Zed

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

The deck runs twelve 1-drops for a reason, so always mulligan to ensure you have one. Consider the matchup when prioritizing one over the other. Legion Rearguard is great against decks without 1-drops and can avoid 1 damage pings like Vile Feast. Precious Pet and Legion Saboteur are best against other units, as Pet can avoid blockers with Fearsome while Saboteur can trade while still pushing one damage.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• Zap Sprayfin is guaranteed to pull either Make it Rain or Noxian Fervor. Be sure to factor in that potential damage when looking to find those final points of damage for lethal.
• Eye of Nagakabouros can be used as a burst speed 2/2 attacker. This is especially relevant when you need to push just a bit more damage before finishing the game with burn.
• Utilize Noxian Fervor to deny enemy Lifesteal or in response to the opponent’s removal.

Akshan Lee Sin (Ionia + Shurima)

Deck code: CECQEBQCBYRAGBAHQAAYEAMKAEAQMAYXAEAQEMIBAIBAMAYDAYDQIBJGAIDAEDJEAMBAEAYFBAAA

[See Akshan Lee Sin deck details]

General info

Akshan Lee Sin is a OTK deck that uses Absolver and Warlord’s Hoard to threaten a near-unstoppable combo kill. Utilize spells at the perfect time to punish and kick your opponent to victory!

👌 Strong Against: Gwen Katarina, Jax Vayne, Pantheon Vayne

👎 Weak Against: Pantheon Varus, Ezreal Seraphine

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

Akshan is extremely important for the deck, so hard mulligan in order to find him. Vekauran Vagabond can be a reasonable Plan B if you’re unable to find him.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• We’re ideally looking to set up an open-attack with Lee Sin + SpellShield buff + Absolver. Aim to have Lee Sin already on board so that you can immediately combo before giving the opponent any action to respond at slow speed.
• Try to hold up enough mana for Deny in order to have insurance against decks that can answer your combo.
• Save Tellstones and Palm for when you really need them. It’s okay to take some damage and chump block with our units. We lack removal overall, so be sure you have answers to any problematic threats.

B-tier LoR Decks

Plunder (Bilgewater + Freljord)

Deck code: CECAMAQGBMKCAIJNHIAQKBQBAMDAMFI5DYAQEAICAEBAEBQSFABACBQGDQBAEBQCEY

[See Plunder deck details]

General info

The classic Plunder archetype is a Bilgewater allegience deck that aims to deal damage to the enemy nexus each turn in order to level-up Gangplank and Sejuani. These are two of the strongest level two champions in the entire game, but they require a bit of work and planning. Nab adds an element of RNG to the deck, but adds potential for some cheeky plays like using the opponent’s own Deny against them!

👌 Strong Against: Lurk, Rumble Vayne, Swain TF, Annie Jhin

👎 Weak Against: Pantheon Varus, Gwen Vayne

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

Look for early plays that can kickstart the Plunder game plan. Warning Shot is a reasonable keep alongside cards like Jagged Butcher or Black Market Merchant. Shellshocker also pairs well with Parrrley to pick off one health enemies while still presenting a unit.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎

• Combat damage is ideal for triggering Plunder on our attacking turns. So when possible, save spells to make progress while defending.
• Eye of Nagakabouros can be used as a burst speed attacker to help go wide enough to trigger Plunder.
• Jagged Butcher can be played without its Plunder condition if it can get you a Gangplank or Sejuani trigger.

Gwen Vayne (Demacia + Shadow Isles)

Deck code: CEBQIBQFBQHBAHABAECTCAQGAAFRKBYCAYCQGDIBAMAA4AIBAANACAIFFABAIAACAMAQMAAGAEBAAAIBAEDAKIA

[See Gwen Vayne deck details]

General info

Gwen Vayne takes advantage of Rallies and free attacks to capitalize on Hallowed triggers. Gwen’s power grows incredibly fast, especially when you can stack it up multiple times per turn!

👌 Strong Against: Gwen Katarina, Plunder

👎 Weak Against: Pirates, Rumble Vayne, Pantheon Vayne, Vayne Zed

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

Look for early Hallowed units to start building up the buff. Both Gwen and Vayne are definite keeps to start applying major pressure to the board.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• Opulent Foyer is often best played on the opponent’s turn. The free Ephemeral blocker is often enough to deter combat, then once the turn passes, another one will summon immediately.
• The Overwhelm weapon works wonders with Gwen to push her massive damage over the top. The Scout weapon is a solid second choice to turn Tumbles into Rallies.
• Our only real form of protection is Sharpsight, so be extra mindful of the cards you’ll need to play around.

Lurk (Bilgewater + Shurima)

Deck code: CEBAIBAGAEBQKDYGAQDRGFSBIRFFAAYBAYDQKAIEA5CQCBAGA4CACBAGAQAQMBZBAECAOOYBAYDC2

[See Lurk deck details]

General Info 

Lurk is centered around proccing the Lurk keyword as much as possible. It’s an archetype for players that like to attack and swing face with huge statted units.

👌 Strong Against: Gwen Katarina, Pantheon Varus, Pantheon Vayne

👎 Weak Against: Pirates, Jax Vayne, Ezreal Seraphine, Rumble Vayne, Seraphine Viktor

How to Play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

We’re trying to trigger Lurk as much as possible so prioritize mulligan for a good early curve.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• Snapjaw is best used on off turns in order to trigger more Lurks.
• We want to avoid playing Rek’Sai unless we can level her that turn, or if we plan on using her on a turn we also want to cast Pyke’s Bone Skewer.
• Predicts are perfect in order to ensure we have a Lurker on top of our deck or to grab key cards when we need them for a matchup.

Katarina Yasuo (Ionia + Noxus)

Deck code: CEDACAQDBEBAMAQKBYBQCAQIBQHQCBQDC4BACAZKFYAQEAQFAMAQGAQUAIAQELRRAEAQGBABAIDAGGRB

[See Katarina Yasuo deck details]

General info

Katarina Yasuo is a deck that pops off once it has time to assemble its stun engine. Keep your enemies at bay with an arsenal of stuns, then strike right back at them!

👌 Strong Against: Off-Meta Decks

👎 Weak Against: Seraphine Viktor, Jax Vayne, Ezreal Seraphine

How to play

🃏 Mulligan 🃏

Yasuo, Katarina, and Windswept Hillock are crucial pieces for the deck. These cards create a powerful engine, but it can take time to set up. Prioritize these cards, plus other early interaction such as the Sentry + Flock combo.

💡 Tips 💡 ‎ ‎ ‎

• Assembling your engines is how this deck wins. Don’t be afraid to pass before putting down your main cards until you have additional mana to protect them.
• Be patient with saving your interaction for the most vital scenarios when playing against value decks. Against aggro, spend your cards to minimize damage as we generally can’t afford to be greedy.
• Fae Bladetwirler can apply a lot of pressure on the opponent and often force an answer, or help keep them on the backfoot. Take advantage of this to help sustain through the early game.

Conclusion

So there you have it! We’ll be updating the decks regularly so check back here. We also have our dedicated meta feature for LoR within our platform. See you next time.

Thanks for reading! To explore all the cards in LoR, check out our Card Gallery or jump straight into our Deck Builder if you already got some ideas from our article. Show us your best decks in the comments below.