Legends of Runeterra begins its Open Beta and many players are still figuring out how and what they want to play. The game offers dozens of cards for countless decks. We present to you three decks that you should take a look at at the beginning.
What kind of decks are these? Legends of Runeterra has been in closed beta for some time now. Here, players already had the opportunity to create decks and try out the game. Our editor Alex already finds LoR better than Hearthstone.
The decks presented here come from famous streamers and Hearthstone professionals who already have a lot of experience with card games of this kind.
They have only been adjusted after some beta patches. Their advantage is that you can craft most cards early and use the decks early on.
Tip: Choose a deck from our list that interests you the most and build this one first. This way, you save shards and wildcards and have a strong deck at hand even earlier.
Top Decks for the Beta
How to use the information: For each deck, we have listed the most important cards and the gameplay (or “win condition”). To make it easier for you to copy the decks, we also provide you with the deck code.
Once the open beta and Legends of Runeterra itself start, you will also have the opportunity to play even without access to the closed beta.
How do I use the codes? To adopt a deck, simply copy the deck code. Then select “Collection” in the game under the menu point “Decks” and click on “Import Deck” at the top left.
You can do this at any time, even if you do not own the cards. Because Legends of Runeterra treats the deck as a kind of blueprint.
Then you can see under “Edit Deck” which cards you are still missing and craft them directly with a right-click on the cards on the left in the list.
Deck 1: Aggro/Face (Ionia/Noxus)
Who created the deck? This deck was created by former Hearthstone pro and streamer David “dog” Caero. Dog won the Masters Tour in Las Vegas in 2019 and placed fifth at the GrandMasters 2019 (Season 1) in America.
These champions are used in the deck:
- Zed (1x)
- Draven (2x)
- Katarina (3x)
These are other important cards:
- Intimidating Roar
- Faerie Bladesinger
- House Spider
How does the deck work? This aggro deck works on the same principle as any face/rush deck you know from games like Magic or Hearthstone. The goal is to defeat the opponent as quickly as possible.
To do this, you rely on strong and cheap units with which you flood the board and wear down your opponent before they can defend themselves. Some combos, like with the Faerie Bladesinger, give you some stronger units for the midgame (if it comes to that).
Control cards like Intimidating Roar help you defeat opposing defenders and then finish off the opponent.
What should I watch out for? The deck is based on you being fast. You will have problems against players who can prevent or block your attacks with spells. Especially control decks can be a challenge for you.
If you encounter such a deck, try to get into the midgame somehow and draw your opponent’s strongest control cards from their deck. However, if you haven’t won by turn 7 or so, it will be difficult.
Here is the deck code: CEBACAIDFIDQCAQGBAIRULBRHEBAEAICAILAGAIDBQKBWAQBAEBASBIBAMMSGKZWG4
Deck 2: Fioras Show (Demacia/Ionia)
Who created the deck? This particular deck comes from famous Hearthstone streamer Jeremy “DisguisedToast” Wang. DisguisedToast is not a strong tournament pro, but is considered a strong player in the Hearthstone community.
These champions are used in the deck:
- Fiora (x3)
- Shen (x3)
These are other important cards:
- Judgment
- Counter
- Prismatic Barrier
- Single Combat
- Swift
How does the deck work? The deck has a completely different win condition than other decks in Legends of Runeterra or most card games. You are not trying to destroy the opponent’s Nexus, but rather level up Fiora.
Fiora’s special ability is that she simply wins the game. If one of her copies reaches level 2 and then kills 4 opponents by herself, you win the round, no matter how many health points the two Nexuses have.
To do this, the entire deck is built to protect Fiora and enable her kills.
What should I watch out for? Fiora is your win condition in this deck. You probably do not have enough damage output to win without her effect and simply destroy the opponent’s Nexus.
You need to play all the barriers and duel cards in the deck correctly. Always strengthen Fiora so that she can eliminate an opponent as effectively and quickly as possible. Protect her from damage.
If the opponent manages to destroy a leveled-up Fiora copy, you have practically lost.
Here is the deck code: CEBAIAICCMQDOOIFAEAAGCJAEUWQEAQBAADRUAYBAIGBEMIBAMAQADY5GQ
Deck 3: Teemos Mushroom Hell (Piltover & Zhaun/Ionia)
Who created the deck? Our last starter deck comes from e-sports professional George “Hyped” Maganzini. Hyped has placed several second to eighth places in Hearthstone tournaments in 2015 and has won several Overwatch majors in 2016 and 2017.
These champions are used in the deck:
- Teemo (3x)
- Zed (3x)
These are other important cards:
- Puffcap Merchant
- Ups and Downs
- Swarm of Bats
- Kinkou Wayfinder
How does the deck work? With this deck, you try to conceal as many Poison Puffcaps in the opponent’s deck as possible. This is Teemo’s special ability. The mushrooms are attached to cards and explode for damage (per mushroom) on the nexus when the card is drawn.
Teemo brings five mushrooms into the opponent’s deck when he deals damage to the nexus. The Puffcap Merchant brings three more when he is played, and the Mushroom Cloud (both Teemo’s spell and a card that creates a swarm of bats) adds another five.
The special thing is that you can summon more Teemos onto the field through the Kinkou Wayfinder. It summons a 1-mana unit, and since Teemo is the only 1-mana unit in the deck, he gets summoned.
Typically you can only play one champion at a time. However, the Kinkou Wayfinder enables double summoning. If Teemo then reaches level 2 (after placing 15 mushrooms), he doubles the mushrooms in the opponent’s deck with each nexus attack.
What should I watch out for? Teemo is your win condition in this context, and you have hardly any other way to win. He is “untouchable,” meaning he can only be blocked by other “untouchable” units, but he also only has one health point.
Therefore, make sure to either deflect kill spells from him with “Deny” or quickly enough bring a sufficient number of mushrooms into the opponent’s deck so that you can survive and wait.
Here is the deck code: CEBAGAIEBAMTKCABAIDASCYMDQYTEOIBAMAQEAQYFYAQCAICCI
Note on Deck Building
What you should pay attention to: Our recommendations in this article focus solely on three decks that you can create early and try out. Legends of Runeterra offers many more options for building decks.
If you need more tips on cards, decks, keywords, and more, also check out our beginner’s guide for Legends of Runeterra. There we explain more about how the cards and the game work.
Best to experiment a lot yourself as soon as you become familiar with the mechanics. Use our decks as a starting point or inspiration, but do not let them stop you from building your own top decks.
