Is The Legacy Of Bilgewater Suffocating LOR?

1. Pirate aggro (burn)

2. Plunder midrange (gangplank)

3. Nami Tf (combo)

4. Scouts (rally)

5. Annie/Swain TF (control)

Thats five top tier decks in one region identity with the last of which only recently having been nerfed but it still very strong and playable in my opinion just getting pushed out by shadow  grandma bunny a little bit.

Regardless even with the current count at 4 (5 for me ) top tier decks all coexisting within the Bilgewater region identity it begs the question is it just too good, and has it been too good for too long and will it ever stop being so pervasive?

Like its possible everyone is okay with Bilgewater and the Rising Tides expansion being the face of LOR but personally I do find that it exists as too much of a one stop shop at the moment.

Here are a few of its current problems that make it the best/easier region in the game to succeed or pilot right now:

1. Burn potential - six mana deal 4, spawn 3 deal 2 is a little too strong (3 of in pirate aggro, and plunder, can probably go in scouts, and is a 3 of in my Annie tf list)

2. Card draw potential 5 mana draw 2 spawn 2 I literally run as a 3 of in deep for God sakes, because it can burst block, burst attack while maintaining card advantage

3. Tempo, 1 mana summon a 3/3, 2 mana summon 4/2 of stats across 2 bodies, 4 mana scout and a million cycle bodies.

4. Elusives, way back in the day you used to run this archetype in Ionia but now it's Nami as your one stop shop

5. Amazing Chmpions, this is the real nail in the coffin or the Z Virus gene that keeps the oldest region in Runeterra evergreen in the meta to the point of dominating the meta. Mf, Tf, Gangplank babeeee never gonna die.

I think its probably time the LOR devs to think to themselves yes rising tides was an awesome expansion, people liked it, good times had by all, but has it been played out. 

Can we start exploring the dominance of other regions, like what about poor targon? I won't say Shurima cuz it does a few things so well that it's actually a pain to play against, and finally I like bandlewood there I said it sue me.

To answer your question... nope.

I understand where you're coming from, it can be boring to see these deck come back to the meta again and again but the fact is, even when Bilgwater is strong it still a fair region with plenty of counter play.

I will take Bilgwater any time over region like Shurima or Ionia who just aim to create uninteractive boards with their counter spell and protection or all the high roll B.S. that we have getting since worldwalker.

Thats a fair oppinion, that is the thing that set LOR apart afterall the evergreen state of the competitive scene.

But I still feel like there's probably some healthy tweaking to be done, because 4 - 5 competitive Bilgewater decks does feel a little over represented.

Even the fact that they now have a mystic shot in heavy mettle, the best 2 mana board clear in make it rain, the best 5 mana draw, the best  6 mana removal etc.

If I had to guess Bilgewater is the reason Riot was starting to consider rotation. Because man the more tools they keep printing for them the stronger they get every season.