Best Legends of Runeterra spells from Rising Tides Patch 1.0

Rising Tides has officially launched in Legends of Runeterra, and the expansion is packed full of new spells everyone should be trying out. 

Spells play a major role in deck construction within LoR, whether crafting Aggro or Control. The best spells are ones that typically provide value and diversity, working within several different archetypes. They also tend to be on the budget side, capitalizing on spell mana you can bank each turn. But once in a while, there are also some expensive spells too good to pass up on.

Within the new expansion, several new spells were added for existing regions and Bilgewater. We’ve compiled a list of the 10 best LoR spells from Rising Tides and ranked them in descending order.  

10) Parrrley

Parrrley is a simple budget spell that deals one damage to anything. And if it’s a unit that dies, it also pings an opponent’s Nexus for additional one damage. Parrrley is Gangplanks’s signature spell, and it can be used in just about any archetype. Damage-based builds will naturally utilize it but so will Control based spell decks that are looking to stall. And at the cost of one mana, players can cast it early without it getting countered.

9) Ranger’s Resolve

Rising Tides is packed with spells that ping for one damage, in addition to the ones that already existed within the LoR open beta. Ranger’s Resolve is a cheap one mana spell that counters those pings, giving every unit tough until the end of turn. And it can be played at Burst speed, thwarting your enemy’s strategy at just the right moment. 

8) Return/Retreat

Return and Retreat are two spells that work together to provide protection and an advantage on the battlefield. Added to the Ionia region via Rising Tides, Retreat Recalls a unit while also creating a Fleeting Return in hand. Return then summons an ally that costs three or less from hand. When wanting to protect key units that cost less than three mana, this spell duo is the way to go.

7) Ravenous Flock

Added to the Noxus region, Ravenous Flock is a Fast spell that deals four damage to a unit if it’s damaged already, or stunned. This one-cost spell is efficient removal that should be included in Noxian build. It synergizes with champions like Swain but can work in just about any archetype that is using Noxus as a region. 

6) Make it Rain

Make it Rain is Miss Fortune’s signature spell that deals one damage to three different targets at random. At the cost of only two mana, Make it Rain synergizes with damage based archetypes while also providing an advantage during combat. Players can cast it at Fast speed, hoping to create an even trade when either attacking or blocking while possibly pinging an opponent’s Nexus for one damage at the same time. 

5) Pick a Card

Twisted Fate is a fresh addition to LoR via the Bilgewater region, and the champion includes a signature spell that provides massive card advantage during the late game. At the cost of three mana, Pick a Card lets you return a card to the deck in exchange for three Fleeting cards at the start of the next round. It should be the last card played on a turn and with sufficient mana on the next turn to cast at least two of those three cards drawn. 

4) Deep Meditation

Deep Meditation is a spell deck’s dream card. Players can draw two other spells for the price of four mana. But if two or more spells were cast the previous round, then Deep Meditation only has a mana cost of two. And as icing on the cake, it can be cast at Burst speed. Several new cards in LoR synergize with two or more spells being cast and Deep Meditation slots perfectly into those archetypes. 

3) Concussive Palm

There are several spells that produce units within LoR, but none quite like Concussive Palm. It’s a four-cost Fast spell that stuns an enemy, similar to Steel Tempest but without restriction. And for the one extra mana, it summons Tail of the Dragon, a 3/2 follower who normally costs three mana to cast. Concussive Palm also synergizes with Yasuo and Swain, providing even more value. 

2) Pilfered Goods

With the addition of Bilgewater to LoR came Pirate-themed builds that steal cards from an opponent’s deck, and Pilfered Goods is the best of them. It has a casting cost of two, Burst speed, and the added benefit of stealing an additional card with Plunder. Not only is Pilfered Goods a ton of fun to play with, but it’ll likely mess up your opponent’s strategy when you start casting their own cards against them. 

1) Unyielding Spirit

Unyielding Spirit is an expensive eight-cost spell that can change the tide of a match in a heartbeat. It provides a unit with indestructible, meaning it can’t be killed or receive damage. On a champion, Unyielding Spirit is annoying to play against, and when combined with Dusk to Dawn, it’s practically broken.