Legends of Runeterra, Riot Games’League of Legendsspin-off and mobile hit of 2020, lets players control powerful allies all across the fictional world of Runeterra. A PVP deck builder similar to the likes ofMagic: The GatheringandHearthstone, the title draws in players looking for new content fromthe growingLeague of Legendsuniverse.
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With 8 factions to mix and match together in decks, every player creates a build that suits their personal playing style. As with many competitive games, the meta is always changing, so one faction that reigns supreme one season may be out of style the next. With new factions and cards added frequently to the game, it’s wise for players to research just what they’re getting into when building a new deck.
8Targon
Added with the recentCall of the Mountainexpansion, Targon is a tricky deck more suitable for experienced players. With championssuch as the formidable Aurelian Soland Tarric, Targon decks focus mainly on invoking Celestials: non-collectible summons with differing abilities depending on the specific Celestial. Targon pairs well with Shadow Isles, as Targon’s invoking mechanic complements the necromancy and sacrificial gameplay of Shadow Isles decks (not that silly joke one, though).
While not an impossible faction to play, Targon is best employed when a player has a deeper understanding of the other factions and their key abilities.
7Ionia
Ionia is home to iconic champions such as Yasuo and Shen. The spiritual region plays a subdued role inLegends of Runeterra,with Ionian decks honing into dodging and evasive abilities to slip through an opponent’s powerful attacks.Champions from Ionia can be powerhouses in the lore,and while squishy in comparison to other factions, their supportive attributes make them a force to be reckoned with.
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Ionian decks are at their most effective when supporting factions with stronger champions, such as Demacia or Noxus.
6Noxus
The relentless empire of Noxus is a faction known for ending battles quickly. Champions like Darius and Katarina make quick work of an opponentwith their sheer strength, as the most powerful Champions can. Cards from Noxus have a low cost but high damage output that can clear a wave of enemies easily. While great in the early portion of a game, however, Noxus decks can fizzle out towards the end of battles.
Good offense means nothing against an opponent with impenetrable defense, after all. Noxus players need to work quickly to win a battle as fast as possible.
5Demacia
Demacian champions are some of the most resilient in all of Runeterra, making the faction a formidable foe. Both Demacia’s champion and follower cards are tough to take down. Their high health and armor allow players to build up a wall of charactersto defend their Nexus. Sporting champions like Garen and Lux, Demacia is a faction for players who want to build up their defense while slowly destroying their opponents.
Choosing Demacia is a great way to learn about the game from a new player’s perspective. Demacia’s playstyle is easy to understand and adaptable with other factions, though perhaps doesn’t quite have the potential of some other factions when looked at as a whole.
4Piltover & Zaun
Like its eccentric champions such as Jinx and Heimerdinger, Piltover & Zaun boasts varied gameplay that’s as defensive as it is offensive. The faction is built around drawing spell cards and sparking combos that will either aid the player or demolish their foe. Piltover & Zaun players create unstoppable attacks that can quickly turn an opponent to dust at any point in the battle.
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Just like its quick and witty characters, Piltover & Zaun is a faction that’s fast-paced and exciting, making it a great deck to build. However, the faction can be intimidating for new players and very complex to play, given all the spells and combinations.
3Freljord
The icy lands of the Freljord boast some of the strongest champions in the game. Playing Braum or Tryndamere are great ways to intimidate an opponent. The Freljord is a faction that takes time and patience. While Demacia’s defensive strategy allows players to build an army, the faction of Freljord is all about bulking up a small team of incredibly strong characters.
While slow-paced compared to the other factions, the Freljord has a rewarding payoff for players patient enough.
2Shadow Isles
The faction of the Shadow Isles is as terrifying as its name suggests. Full of spooky spiders and monstrous creatures, Shadow Isles decks focus on draining life from the enemy and sacrificing their own cards for better ones. Players can also form a small army of the undead or creepy crawlies with this faction. With a soul-suck playstyle, the Shadow Isles faction gives the players frightening champions like Thresh and Elise to terrorize their opponents.
Strong on its own, the Shadow Isles are a faction not to be messed with. Paired with other factions, the nightmares of the Shadow Isles are even more threatening. In and of itself, however, it may not be the very best currently available.
1Bilgewater
Bilgewater is a faction full of high risk and even higher rewards. The jack-of-all-trades playstyle of this faction not only rewards players with tense gameplay through luck but dives fully into the faction’s high seas theme. Featuring pirates like Miss Fortune and the gambling magician Twisted Fate, this tricky faction has something for all kinds of players to latch onto.
Bilgewater players deal heavy damage to the enemy’s Nexus and can steal cards from the enemy’s hands. The tricky gameplay of Bilgewater makes skilled players who have mastered the faction terrifying to go up against. It may well be the most potentially powerful faction of all.
