Legends of Runettera is an awesome card game developed by Riot. Just like the wildly popular League of Legends, it utilizes champions and the same lore, so if you’ve played this popular MOBA, then you’d feel right at home with Legends of Runeterra. It has all the features of trading card games and RPGs, but with a few twists.
You can see our past coverage of the game here. This article is a more in-depth look at the game.
The usual card game format applies to Legends of Runeterra. Two gamers go against each other summoning monsters and spells. In order to beat the opponent, you need to deal 20 damage to their Nexus. The basic premise is pretty simple, but what makes it complex are the cards and card combinations.
Summoning basics
Similar to other TCGs, you need mana to utilize cards. This also goes for summons, where each unit carries a specific price. Both players start with one mana and their pool increases by one with each passing round.
What makes Legends of Runeterra so specific is that the summons can attack during the same turn that they were invoked. This can feel a bit out of place for seasoned veterans, but you will quickly get used to it with practice.
Another thing that makes this title refreshingly cool is the fact you have two types of summons for followers and champions. Followers are the basic cards in your deck, while champions are advanced cards that can be upgraded up to two times. Upgrading not only boosts their stats but also unlocks powerful abilities. If you have extra copies of that champion, they will all advance one level at the same time.
Players have to consider a few limitations. For example, your deck cannot exceed 40 cards. At the same time, you can’t have more than 6 champion cards and up to 3 copies of the same character. Furthermore, you can’t have more than one of the same champion on the board at a specific moment.
As for the followers, you also cannot have more than 3 of them in your deck. However, you can put several of them on the board. While these units are weaker than the powerful champions, they still have their role. Followers scale well with champions, and if you create a proper synergy, you can gain a decisive advantage over your opponent.
Spell basics
Of course, there is much more to Legends of Runeterra than summons. You can also utilize strong spells that are meant to help champions directly and indirectly. We can categorize spells into four groups:
- Burst – Burst spells are used instantly, and you can utilize them at any point of the match.
- Fast – Although fast spells are utilized in a similar manner as burst spells, the opponent is given the opportunity to counter them.
- Slow – These ones can only be played out of combat.
- Fleeting – You can only use these cards at the end of the turn. Otherwise, they will be discarded.
Another thing worth noting is that the game allows the accumulation of mana. You can store up to 3 mana and utilize it in the next round. That way, you can always keep your opponent on their toes, as they can never know when you will utilize a spell card.
Available regions
Most card games have factions and races that have specific traits. For example, a certain race might have the flying ability, or they can have the ability to make the first strike. Races commonly have similar types of spell cards.
The same can be said for Legends of Runeterra. In this game, all cards are classified based on regions. When building a deck, you can utilize cards from just two regions, which can be daunting at times. Here is a breakdown of all the regions and their specifics:
- Demaci is all about maintenance and stability. Once you put champions and followers on the deck, your primary goal is to keep them in the game for as long as possible. They are very durable and synergize well with each other. Demacian champions are Lux, Quinn, Garen, Fiora, and Lucian.
- Ionia has stealthy, elusive champions. Their spells are all about deception, and the featured champions are Shen, Zed, Yasuo, Karma, and Lee Sin.
- Noxus focuses on burst damage. Their champions are very fragile but can dish a lot of damage in an instant. The featured champions are Swain, Vladimir, Draven, Darius, and Katarina.
- Bilgewater is great for gamers who rely on luck. Like Noxus, they are characterized by aggressive gameplay and instant effects. When it comes to champions, you can go with Twisted Fate, Fizz, Gangplank, Miss Fortune, and Nautilus.
- Piltover and Zaun are focused on quantity, not necessarily quality. They have a lot of units and rely on overwhelming numbers, although their summons are not initially as powerful as those of other regions. Featured champions are Vi, Ezreal, Heimerdinger, Teemo, and Jinx.
- Frejlord focuses on controlling their opponents. They scale well into the late game but tend to be fragile early on. Their champions rely on ice spells and abilities, and the featured characters are Sejuani, Tryndamere, Ashe, Braun, and Anivia.
- Shadow Isles champions and spells require sacrificing to achieve maximum effect. Their champions are Kalista, Thresh, Elise, Hecarim, and Maokai.
Legends of Runeterra combat basics
The game’s rounds tend to be convoluted, and even if you’re a long-term card game player, they might seem a bit funky.
At the start of a round, both players get 4 cards. After that, they go through the Mulligan phase, where they swap certain cards and get random new ones. Besides increasing your pool, a new round also provides a new card to your hand.
What separates this game from other similar titles is that the opponents can react instantly to your moves. Only after you place all the summons on the deck can you use the spell cards. When that’s done, you can resolve battle situations.
All in all, Legends of Runeterra is a great card game, and you should definitely give it a try!
