Our Favorite Legends of Runeterra Cards and Decks From 2020

Every champion in Runeterra feels very satisfying to level, but no one feels quite as exciting to play (or as terrifying to face) as a Level 2 Aurelion Sol. Not only is he constantly generating powerful celestial cards, but his L2 form makes them all cost 0 mana. Oh, and did we mention that his Fury makes him grow stronger every time he kills something and his SpellShield will entirely negate the first hostile spell cast on him?

Multiple decks have included this powerful champion, but in my opinion none of them quite capture his magic as well as this deck originally innovated by Chinese streamer FiVE. At a time before the release of Shyvana, this combination of Targon & Demacia was arguably the best "dragons" deck in the game. Midgame units like Whiteflame Protector, Fused Firebrand, and Screeching Dragon provided solid midgame pressure while Starshaping and (pre-nerf) Radiant Guardian gave strong healing if needed. And heaven help your opponent if they played into a Judgment on one of your dragons!  

Despite the nerf she received, I still feel that Genevieve Elmheart is my favorite. She's got everything I'm looking for in a card: Challenger to kill priority targets + remove defenders, Scout so she can attack twice, and a board-wide buff so I can bring the house down in a satisfying sweep attack. Plus her voice and voice lines are cool; what more do you need?

I use Genevieve in a couple archetypes, but my favorite among them is a BruisedByGod control deck from a few months ago. Daybreak units form the core of my army, providing strong presence for trades alongside Radiant Guardian. Haven't updated the deck in a while, but I might swap her out for Solari Sunforger. Finishers come in the form of Genevieve, an L2 Leona stun-chain, or the big man himself: Aurelion Sol.

I haven't played Runeterra for a while, so my pick will be from the original set and it will have to be Cithria of Cloudfield. I like that Riot made a story for this character that is represented throughout multiple cards. She begins her journey a young girl full of dreams about adventures and glory. As she is growing up into a woman, Cithria, Vanguard Squire is taking in the life lessons and eventually becoming a strong, bold hero of her people.

I don't play a ton of Legends of Runeterra, but I can say that I am undoubtedly a Shadow Isle main. I love their aesthetics and their playstyle that is some unholy combination of Warlock and Priest from Hearthstone. Speaking of, Chronicler of Ruin almost identically mirrors Wretched Reclaimer from Hearthstone, which is a card that I want to enjoy but has a hard time seeing play. Chronicler has far more applications than Wretched, synergizing well with both Last Breath and Summon effects and allowing for some truly creative and interesting combinations. One of my favorite decks to use Chronicler in is a mono-SI deck that makes use of Last Breath and Summon triggers to spam Mistwraiths. I haven't played LoR in a hot minute, so I'm not sure if its any good, but I had fun running it.