Swain Level Two

Best 3 Legends of Runeterra 1.3 decks to play before reset

Play one deck consistently and know what your opponents are playing.

Danny Forster

Published: Jun 10, 2020 12:50 pm

This article is over 4 years old and may contain outdated information

The Season of Plunder is coming to an end with Legends of Runeterra patch 1.4, and there are several meta decks that’ll help players rank up before the reset.

Kinkou Elusives

Burn players have switched back over to Kinkou Elusives as the go-to Aggro deck within the Season of Plunder after multiple nerfs that took place in the LoR 1.2 update. The build is easy to navigate with an early game that consists of playing units on turns one to four. Players will want to mulligan for low-cost units like Omen Hawk on turn one, along with cards such as Greenblade Duo and Navori Bladescout.

Shadow Assassin provides necessary card draw so you don’t run out of gas and Kinkou Wayfinder helps deliver massive damage prior to when most Midrange decks are hitting their strengths. Kinkou Elusives is an aggressive deck that wants to end matches quickly, as late-game matches will typically run out of steam and lose the race against Midrange builds.

Jeweled Protector can either assist in finishing off an opponent or can beef up Kinkou Lifeblade for needed Lifepoints. Windfinder Hatchling is a finisher that needs to get played on your attack turn (turn seven or eight). Spell wise, Will of Ionia protects you from your opponent hitting lethal or against spells like Unyielding Spirit. Twin Disciplines protects your units and Fury of the North has been added as a finisher, or combat trick to take out a major unit/champion.

Deck code: CEBAUAICAIDASEIVC4UCYMRZAEAQCFQDAEAQCBABAEBAYAICAEDQCAIBAIYQ

Swain/Sejuani Midrange

There are several Midrange Sejuani decks to choose from like Yoink and Ashe. But for players who prefer a simpler approach, Swain/Sejuani is quick and efficient against Control and most Midrange builds. The early game consists of a mulligan for low-cost drops like Omen Hawk, Crimson Disciple, and Ruthless Raider. Against decks like Tempo Endure and Burn, Ruthless Raider is ideal with its ability to block Fearsome units and take out Boomcrew Rookie.

Midgame consists of getting Ember Maiden onto the battlefield while eliminating threats with spells like Death’s Hand and Noxian Guillotine. Ember Maiden and Citybreaker will help level up both Sejuani and Swain by the time they cast, while also triggering their Level-Up abilities in the late game. Wolfrider is also an ideal midgame play, adding a much-needed mana gem upon Plunder.

Heading into the late game, The Leviathan is an ideal finisher with either Sejuani or Swain on the battlefield and one copy of The Tuskraider is also included, should it be needed. Sejuani has Overwhelm, a fact some players forget, so be sure to attack with her first when she is leveled-up.

Deck code: CECACAIBCYBACAY6F4CAEAIBAIDASAQCAMDQQBABAIAQUAIBAEZACAIDCYBAEAYBAYBQCAIDCMAQCAJOAEBACCA

Tempo Endure

Several Master-tier players hit top-rank this past week playing a version of Swim’s Tempo Endure. It’s an older archetype that has a few new additions and requires a tad more patience than most Midrange builds. The idea behind Endure decks is to make sure you have a wide board presence and are ensuring your units are getting killed each round. These deaths stack up and create a giant They Who Endure when it drops onto the battlefield. And if its Overwhelm can’t finish off an opponent, Atrocity will.

Early-game musts in Tempo Endure are Omen Hawk and Ravenous Butcher into Cursed Keeper. The mid-game is all about staying alive while letting your units die, using Avarosan Sentry for tempo card draw and spells like Glimpse Beyond to remove pesky champions in conjunction with Ephemeral units dying each turn.

Deck code: CEBQMAIFDYUCWMBRGUBQCAIDCYRACAQFAQBQGAIFA4FRSAICAEDQCAQFAEAA

BBG also produced a unique version of Tempo Endure called Unlock the Croc, utilizing Sejuani over Elise. The strategies are similar, but BBG’s take on Endure allows for other win-cons. The mid-game gets a boost with Ancient Crocolith, in conjunction with a leveled-up Kalista, and Sejuani is a nice addition for games that run long.

Deck code: CECAOAIFDIPCQKZQGE4QEAIBAMRAEAQFAECACAQBAIAQEAIFAEMQA

Players have just under two weeks to take the best LoR decks in the meta and rank up before the reset takes place on June 23.

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Author

Danny Forster

Staff writer, lead beat writer for MTG and TFT

Danny has been writing for Dot Esports for over five years, first as a freelancer and now as a staff writer. He is the lead beat writer for Magic: The Gathering and Teamfight Tactics. Danny is also a solid Monopoly GO player, having beaten every main event without spending a dime. When Danny isn't writing or gaming, he's chilling by the water in Spacecoast Florida with his family and friends. He's always got a tan, because touching grass is important, and loves playing strategic digital and tabletop games. Past outlets Danny has written for include TheGamer and ScreenRant.