Time to put another game by Riot games on the chopping block and just praise how great it is. So our Legends of Runeterra Tier List will focus on the plethora of champions in LoR, which ones are the best, and which ones fell off. For those who might be unaware, this is a card game involving some of the champions from the main game, and in terms of content, it does not hold back at all. Furthermore, there are many game modes a player can experience here, from single-player matches to PvP.
Most of our list will be made based on how these champions do in the competitive scene. However, some details about these champions, like cosmetics and their part in the “Path of Champions,” will be mentioned sometimes. The game shares some elements with other card games like Hearthstone and Gwent, but overall, LoR is completely on another page regarding synergy and strategies. It recently went through a popular patch update, discussed briefly below.
Key Points
- In this article, we have ranked a total of 16 champions.
- They have been ranked according to their skills and abilities.
- Among the highest-ranked champions, we have Akshan and Heimerdinger.
- The lowest-ranked ones include Jinx and Lux.
Summary
Everything you are about to read below is heavily opinionated. There is a high chance you may not agree with some of the placings made down below; however, know that these rankings have been done after careful research.
| S Rank | A Rank | B Rank | C Rank | D Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heimerdinger | Miss Fortune | Elise | Viktor | Jinx |
| Kindred | Ezreal | Anivia | Caitlyn | Lux |
| Akshan | Vi | Valdimir | ||
| Garen | Ashe | Darius |
You may not agree with all of our decisions, and that’s okay because a tier list is subjective in nature, and everyone has their own experiences and thought processes. Still, despite that, we are open to constructive criticism.
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S Tier
S Tier.The first group among all similar lists is usually the S tier, and this is also the case for our Legends of Runeterra article. Here, we will discuss the most undeniably best champions in the game currently. Rarely do we see that some other champion or strategy counters these champions.
However, a key thing to note here is that these champions are ranked according to their performance in the majority of the decks. In Runeterra, the usability of a champion can significantly increase simply based on which deck they are in. With that in mind, let’s start with the first champion of our S Tier.
Heimerdinger
Heimerdinger is one the most broken cards in the current meta. He is mostly paired with Viktor in some decks. Additionally, he is a Yordle-type card from the region of Piltover and Zaun. His mana cost is five gems, making him one of the more expensive champions. Once you have played 12 + power of tech allies, Heimerdinger levels up. After the event, whenever you play a spell card, Heimderdinger spawns in a fleeting Turret card with equal costm, making it is a very good tactic against strategies that deplete your deck.
Heimerdinger’s champion spell is a burst-type spell named Heimerdinger’s “Progress Day!”. It costs eight mana to play and allows you to draw three cards with -1 cost. Furthermore, it is a non-collectible card like most champion spells.
| Region | Bandle City |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 5 Mana |
Kindred
Next up on our tier list is the embodiment of death itself, Kindred. Kindred is one of the most lethal champions in League of Legends, and it lives up to its name here as well. However, in LoR, Kindred fails to perform well solo, but when paired with supports like Thresh or Viego, it’s very hard to beat. Not only is this combination lethal, but it is also very easy to pull off as well. Usually luck decides a major part of a duel, but now with Kindred.
Kindred is a four-cost champion card from the Shadow Isles regions. Its ability allows you to mark the opponent’s weakest enemy once you kill one of their allies. The ability can only activate once per round. Any unit that Kindred has marked will automatically die when the round ends. And once you kill two units with Kindred’s Mark, it levels up. It is already quite overpowered on its own but what pushes it into the S tier is the Quick Attack Keyword that Kindred has. It allows him to strike first when attacking, which is useful for taking down opponents weaker than it.
Kindred’s champion spell is “Kindred’s Spirit Journey,” which costs five mana gems. It allows the user to kill any unit and immediately revive it. The spell has a number of advantages, but the most useful one is removing status effects.
| Region | Shadow Isles |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 4 Mana |
Akshan
Next up on our list is Akshan, the Rogue Sentinel. Akshan is a pretty well-known champion in LoL as well as LoR. His utility varies immensely completely depending on how you play with him. He can be a deadly killing machine or take the role of a merciless support character with equal lethality. Akshan is a very diverse champion in LoR. He can be paired in decks with a lot of other champions like Ahri, Renekton, and Nasus. Additionally, he can play as both a support in the deck and be the heavy hitter himself.
Akhsan is a two-cost champion which makes him one of the cheapest champion cards in LoR. His card is from the Shurima region, much like himself. Additionally, he has the keyword “Quick Attack,” which is quite common in champion cards. His ability is pretty deadly, though. Each time you summon or Strike, then Akhsan summons a Warlord’s Hoard. However, if the Warlord’s Hoard is already summoned, Akshan will advance its countdown by one.
Furthermore, his champion spell is quite a powerful tool to have as well. Akhsan’s Grappling Hook is his champion spell name and costs three mana gems to play. It allows you to pick one of your allies to strike an opponent unit. It is a slow spell, so it is quite useful for setting up optimal attacks as well as defenses.
| Region | Shurima |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 2 Mana |
Garen
The last champion of our S tier in our Legends of Runeterra Tier List is the might of Demacia, Garen. Garen has been one of the most dominant characters in LoR for a long time now. He is quite possibly the most durable champion in the game at the moment. When it comes to decks, Garen certainly dominates a good majority of them. Katarina and Garen Attack decks are the First-Strike Caitlyn Equivalent from League of Legends in LoR. This deck has the potential to decimate opponents with relative ease. Furthermore, Garen, with Miss Fortune’s support, is also a very viable deck in the current meta.
Garen is a five-cost champion card which is quite expensive for a champion. It has five power as well as five hp, which isn’t that durable on its own. But, when paired with the keyword “Regeneration,” he quickly becomes a tank. His special ability allows him to power up all his allies by +1/+1 whenever he is summoned. But it only lasts for one round, though. Garen truly becomes a nuisance once he has leveled up after he has struck anything twice. He allows the player to Rally at the start of every round. Rally allows you to gain the attack token even if it is your opponent’s turn.
Lastly, his champion spell is called “Garen’s Judgement.” It costs eight mana gems which makes it one of the most expensive cards in the game. Furthermore, it is a fast spell that allows an allied unit to strike all battling enemies. So if you have a heavy hitter, it is pretty much game over for the enemy.
| Region | Demacia |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 5 Mana |
A Tier
A Tier.Now we move on to the A tier. I am sure you already know what the rank is usually about, but when it comes to LoR, it is a bit different. Of course, the A-tier champions are not as good as the S-tier champions. However, if played well, these characters can easily beat the S Tier ones.
This is one of the major differences between each tier; the difficulty. The ability to adapt plays a crucial role in Legends of Runeterra. The S tier leaves more room for mistakes than any of the other groups, and the A Tier, however, is a little higher in difficulty because of that. Some of the major A-Tier champions are listed as follows.
Miss Fortune
Who better than Miss Fortune to start our A-tier champions list? The Scarlet Bounty Hunter is one of the most annoyingly overpowered champions in both the Riot Universes. She is as much of a menace in LoR as she is in LoL. If you aren’t familiar with LoL, that’s all good because you are about to see why she is as overpowered as I claim. First, she is a three-cost champion which is average for a champion card. Her card is from the Bilgewater region with the “Quick Attack” Keyword. She has three power and three hp as well. Her ability is that whenever allies attack, she deals one to each battling enemy and one to the enemy Nexus.
| Region | Bilgewater |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 3 Mana |
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Miss Fortune levels up once she has seen you attack four times. However, once she has leveled up, she triples her ability. So, now she deals one damage to each battling unit and one to the Nexus in three shots. Her champion spell is called “Miss Fortune’s Make It Rain,” which deals one damage to three different enemies (randomly chosen) or the Nexus. Considering that it costs two mana gems and is a fast spell, it can do a lot of damage over a few short rounds.
Miss Fortune is one of the most versatile champions in the current meta. She can be paired with almost anyone. Some of her best decks include other champions like Irelia, Gangplank, and Swain. Gangplank and Miss Fortune decks are very good at the moment, so definitely try them out.
Ezreal
Keeping up with the pace Miss Fortune started, the next champion we are going to place in the spotlight is Ezreal. If you are an avid enjoyer of the “Path of the Champions” in Legends of Runeterra, then you know how overpowered Ezreal can become. Of course, the multiplayer scene is very different, but the campaign does highlight how Ezreal can quickly Snowball and end a fight before it even begins. It is a three-cost champion card with a very annoying keyword, “Elusive.” Even though he has only one power, Ezreal has the potential to wipe out entire hands in a single round. But then again, most Piltover and Zaun champions are like that.
Each time Ezreal strikes the Nexus, he creates a Fleeting Mystic Shot (also his champion spell) in the player’s hand. Mystic Shot is a two-cost fast spell that does two damage to anything. Once you have targeted eight or more enemies, Ezreal levels up, which is when the snowballing starts, each time you play a spell, you deal one to the enemy Nexus. However, if the spell targets an enemy, then deal two to the Nexus.
When it comes to multiplayer duels, I rarely ever see an Ezreal deck simply because he can be countered by a lot of the meta picks. However, the combination that makes Ezreal truly invincible is either with Viegar or with Annie. The Annie and Ezreal deck has one of the highest ratings in competitive decks on runterrafirefire.com.
| Region | Piltover |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 3 Mana |
Vi
Continuing the Piltover and Zaun train from Ezreal, the next champion is one that is known by all of you, Vi. The Piltover Enforcer has found her way through Arcane fame into Legends of Runeterra as well. She also did it in quite a grand manner as she is one of the hardest-hitting champs in the entire game. Vi is a five-cost champion card from the Piltover and Zaun regions, as discussed above. She is one of the few champion cards that have more than one keyword, Challenger and Tough. Both of these keywords are deadly paired with her abilities.
The Piltover Enforcer starts out with only two power and four health. However, whenever she is in hand or in play, she gains +1/0 for each card you play. This maxes out at +8/0 and resets when Vi levels up. She levels up once you have dealt ten or more damage with Vi. Once she levels up, hell breaks lose. Each time Vi strikes a unit, she deals five damage to the Nexus, which is a lot of damage considering the Nexus only has 25 Hp. Additionally, Vi goes up to 10/8 after you level her up.
Her champion spell is “Vi’s Vault Breaker,” which is a burst spell that gives the target +2/0 and creates a fleeting copy of itself in the player’s hand. Considering it’s only a three-cost spell, makes it is a deadly card to help you clear the enemy units quickly. Finally, who is Vi good with? Ironically, the best combinations with Vi are Caitlyn and Jinx. With Jinx, you can go for a risky play and continue discarding your hand quickly with vi support to start Jinx’s champion spells. Caitlyn is more of support when playing with Vi.
| Region | Piltover |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 5 Mana |
Ashe
The last champion in the A tier of our Legends of Runeterra tier list is another ADC champion from League of Legends, Ashe. The Forst Archer is as annoying in LoR as she is in LoL because of the same reason, Status Effects. She is four cost champion from the Freljord region. Unfortunately, she is one of the rare champion cards that have no keywords at all. Ashe has a very annoying ability. Whenever you attack, she frostbites the strongest enemy. She has five power and only three health but is very easy to level up. Her level-up condition is that she has reduced the power of four or more units to zero.
However, once she levels up, her stats increase to 6/4. Additionally, she improves her card ability to the following. Any enemy with zero power can not block at all now. It guarantees that the opponent’s strongest champion stays nullified. When she levels up, she also creates a Crystal Arrow at the top of the user’s deck. Crystal Arrow is a slow spell and costs two mana gems. It frostbites one enemy that you choose and all other enemy units with three or lower health. It also draws another card from the deck, and the champion spell is quite similar as well.
Considering all of the above, it is pretty easy to note how overpowered Ashe is. She is a strong counter to sentinels and champions that rely on attacking like Vi and Garen. Because of this, her best decks include her synergized with champions like Le Blanc and Tryndamere.
| Region | Freljord |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 4 Mana |
B Tier
B Tier.With the A rank champions out of the way, it is time to discuss the lesser-played champions in LoR. In the next section of the article, we will be going over the characters that are considered average in terms of multiplayer potential. The strategies to successfully play a lot of these champions are pretty complicated.
Granted, with a bit of luck and brains, these can potentially beat a lot of the meta decks. However, pulling wins with these champions consistently is pretty hard, if possible at all. But still, games like LoR allow you to build with your imagination, so these champs may inspire you to create some new decks. Let’s get started, shall we?
Elise
The first champion in the B tier of our section is Elise. The Spider Queen is another champion who hails from the Shadow Isles region. She is not the most meta of champions, but some of the strategies that include her are very annoying to counter. Her best deck is with champions like Kalista and Kindred. Firstly, Let us talk about the champion a little bit. She is a two-cost champion with two power and three health points. The base card has only one keyword, Fearsome. Her keyword matched with her cost makes her a very early game and aggressive champion to play with.
Furthermore, Elise’s special ability allows her to summon a spiderling whenever she attacks. She levels up once you have three spiderlings at the start of a round. A neat thing about her is that she gains an additional keyword, Challenger after she levels up. Additionally, she gives her keywords to her spiderlings as well. Her champion spell is Elise’s Crawling Sensation which summons two spiderlings if one of your allies dies that round. It costs only one mana gem and is a slow-type spell. Elise is a very good champion to play with in the Path of Champions, but in the multiplayer scene, her plays are very risky.
| Region | Shadow Isles |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 2 Mana |
Anivia
Next up on our B Tier of the list is the benevolent winged spirit, Anivia. Hailing from the region of Frejlord, she used to be one of the most played champions in Legends of Runeterra. Her abilities are reminiscent of those in League of Legends, but the strategy and difficulty tied to her are way higher. Anivia is a six-cost champion card that is among the most expensive champion cards. It has no keywords but has a very powerful ability. Whenever you attack, you deal one to all the enemies along with the Nexus. Furthermore, Anivia has the Last Breath condition, which allows her to respawn into an Eggnivia when she is KO’d.
Eggnivia allows Anivia to respawn if you’re Enlightened. Additionally, she levels up if you have Anivia in play and are Enlightened. Her level-up increases the damage of her ability from one to two per unit and Nexus. Now it’s time to discuss her champion spell. It is a five-cost burst spell that allows you to frostbite any two enemies and creates another Anivia in your deck. Anivia is a very late-game champion which is especially why decks built around her are very hard to sustain. Some of her best allies are champions like Lux and Karma.
| Region | Freljord |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 6 Mana |
Vladimir
The second last champion in the B tier of the tier list 2023 is Vladimir. Otherwise known as the Crimson Reaper, he is one of the most brutal champions to play against if he has just a little bit of luck by his side. Vladimir is a Noxian champion who has a five-cost champion card in Legends of Runeterra. He has the Fearsome keyword with the combo of 5/5 stats. He is a bit of a give-and-take champion because of his ability. When attacking using Vlad, for each ally you have to his right, he deals one damage to them and one to the enemy Nexus.
Furthermore, he levels up once you have had five or more allies sustain damage dealt to them. Once Vladimir levels up, he gains the Regeneration keyword. Because of this combo, it is very hard to kill him effectively. His champion spell is a two-cost burst spell that does one to an ally and gives another ally +2/+2 for that round. Vladimir does leech off his allies a lot, but it’s a high-risk and high-reward type deal. He has the best synergy with tank allies like Udyr and Barum.
| Region | Noxus |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 5 Mana |
Darius
The last champion that we are going to discuss is God-King himself, Darius. Darius is one of the strongest champions in the game but lacks synergy with some meta decks. He and Garen are pretty similar champions, but in the case of LoR, Darius falls short by a bit. Darius has a six-cost champion card from the Noxian Region. It has 6/6 stats to start out and the Overwhelm keyword as well. Darius is quite possibly one of the selected few champions without an ability.
Additionally, his level-up condition is a very late-game one, much like Anivia’s. Once the enemy Nexus is at 50% of its original HP, Darius levels up. After he levels up, his stats go up to 10/7, and that is pretty much it. His champion spell is called “Darius’ Decimate” and is a five-cost slow spell that deals four to the enemy nexus. Darius seriously underperforms in LoR but is very good as a tank champion if regions restrict you. His best ally champions are Swain and Sejuani. Although these decks are quite old, so no one really plays them anymore.
| Region | Noxus |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 6 Mana |
C Tier
C Tier.Continuing with our rankings, the next tier we are going to be going over is the C Tier. In the C tier, we are going to discuss some of the champions who are very inconsistent in their decks. They are not necessarily bad but highly dependent on the luck of the draw.
Most of the champions in this tier are ones that rely on status effects and on the opponent making a lot of mistakes. Of course, there are some strategies out there that reduce the risk—however, even those work sometimes but not all the time. Let’s get started with these champions.
Viktor
The first champion we will place in the spotlight for our C Tier is Viktor. The Machine herald is equipped with certain death for whoever stops him on his road to Glorious Evolution. Let’s see how he fares for us in Legends of Runeterra, though. Viktor is a four-cost champion card from the region of Piltover and Zaun. Unfortunately for Arcane fans, Viktor did not yet receive any show-themed cosmetics yet (unlike Vi and Jinx). His card has the Augment keyword with 2/4 stats. Furthermore, his special ability is that each time he is summoned or a round starts, he creates a “Hex Core Upgrade” in the player’s hand.
The Hex Core Upgrade is a zero-cost slow spell that grants Viktor a random Keyword. Additionally, once you have played seven or more created cards, Viktor levels up. His Champion spell is quite interesting. It is called Viktor’s Deathray -MK 1. It deals one to a unit and creates Death Ray Mark 2 in the top three cards of your deck. Each Death Ray scales in damage, making it quite a potential snowball card. Now, why is he in the C Tier, then? The problem with Viktor is that he has very little utility compared to the champion card’s cost. However, he does have good synergy with champions like Jhin and Zoe, but that’s pretty much it.
| Region | Piltover |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 4 Mana |
Caitlyn
The last champion in the C tier is the Sherrif of Piltover herself, Caitlyn. Caitlyn is a champion who, too, benefitted well from Arcane fame and got a bunch of buffs in both League of Legends and Legends of Runeterra. Caitlyn is a champion who hails from the region of Piltover and Zaun and has a three-cost champion card. It has the Quick Attack Keyword, which suits her condition quite well. Her ability allows her to plant two Flash bomb traps in the enemy deck on each strike.
Once five of these traps activate, Caitlyn levels up and adds two more Flash bomb traps to her ability. Flashbomb traps, when activated, deal one damage for each trap to enemy units. Additionally, her champion spell is called “Caitlyn’s Piltover Peacemaker,” which is a three-cost fast spell. It deals two to a unit and plants two traps in the enemy deck. Lastly, Caitlyn is a unique champion which is why it’s very hard to find allies who synergize well with her. However, champions like Teemo and Vi do sometimes make it work. It is key to note that the Caitlyn and Teemo is a unique deck that is quite fun to play around with.
| Region | Piltover |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 3 Mana |
D Tier
D Tier.The time is here to discuss the final tier of the Legends of Runeterra tier list. In the D tier, we will be going over some of the champions that are very easy to counter or have very risky plays. A lot of the decks avoid these champions simply because they lack the utility to make their plays work effectively.
A fair bit of warning, though, the champions in the D tier are some of the fan favorites, so chances are you’re not going to like it too much. However, these placements have been made after careful research. As much as it pains me to place these champions here.
Jinx
The first champion of the final tier of this list is none other than Jinx. Jinx is a champion that needs no introduction. The loose cannon does live up to her name of being absolutely chaotic in Legends of Runeterra. Let’s have a look at how she accomplishes that. Jinx is a champion from the Piltover and Zaun region with a three-cost champion card. It has the Quick Attack Keyword but no ability before she levels up. When she sees that your hand is empty is when she levels up.
Once she levels up, your job is to make sure your hand stays empty each round. After she has leveled up, the first time your hand is empty in a round, Jinx creates a Super Mega Death Rocket. It is a one-cost slow spell that deals four to the Enemy Nexus and one to each enemy. Her champion spell is called “Jinx’s Get Excited.” It makes you discard one card and deals two to an enemy unit. Lastly, it is key to note that whilst she sucks at multiplayer duels, she excels at the path of champions.
But what she loses in the multiplayer scene, she makes up for it in her campaign. Her best synergy likes with champions like Rumble and Sion, but those decks rarely win, if at all.
| Region | Piltover |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 4 Mana |
Lux
The last champion we will discuss in the D tier is Lux. Lux is a very well-known champion in the League of Legends universe. Furthermore, she is the strongest mage from the region of Demacia. In Legends of Runeterra, Lux has a five-cost champion spell that has the Barrier Keyword. It does have 3/5 stats but no abilities before leveling up. However, her level-up condition is fit for a mage, playing 6+ mana of spells.
Once she levels up is when she starts to show a little more power. Every time you play six or more mana of spells again, Lux creates a Final Spark in your hand. Final Spark is a zero-cost slow spell that deals four damage to the Nexus if no enemies are present. However, if there are enemy units, it will deal four damage to the enemy and surplus damage (if any) to the Nexus. Lux dominates the Path of Champions, much like Jinx. Consequently, in the multiplayer scene, she is mostly used as a support champion with Jayce or Anivia.
| Region | Demacia |
| Type | Champion |
| Cost | 5 Mana |
Comparison Table
| Card | Tier | Region | Type | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heimerdinger | S | Bandle City | Champion | 5 Mana |
| Kindred | S | Shadow Isles | Champion | 4 Mana |
| Akshan | S | Shurima | Champion | 2 Mana |
| Garen | S | Demacia | Champion | 5 Mana |
| Miss Fortune | A | Bilgewater | Champion | 3 Mana |
| Ezreal | A | Piltover | Champion | 3 Mana |
| Vi | A | Piltover | Champion | 5 Mana |
| Ashe | A | Freljord | Champion | 4 Mana |
| Elise | B | Shadow Isles | Champion | 2 Mana |
| Anivia | B | Freljord | Champion | 6 Mana |
| Vladimir | B | Noxus | Champion | 5 Mana |
| Darius | B | Noxus | Champion | 6 Mana |
| Viktor | C | Piltover | Champion | 4 Mana |
| Caitlyn | C | Piltover | Champion | 3 Mana |
| Jinx | D | Piltover | Champion | 4 Mana |
| Lux | D | Demacia | Champion | 5 Mana |
Patch Notes 4.3.0 Version
The following champions were added to the game in the latest patch notes.
Jack
- Star Power 1: When you refill mana, give allies +1|+0 this round.
- Star Power 2: +1 Starting Mana. When you gain the attack token, create a Fleeting Prize Fight in hand.
- Star Power 3: When you refill mana, give allies +1|+0 this round and deal 1 to all enemies.
Sett
- Star Power 1: Every 6+ mana you spend each round, grant allies +1|+1.
- Star Power 2: +1 Starting Mana. Round Start: Create a Coin in hand.
- Star Power 3: Every 6+ mana you spend each round, grant allies +2|+2. After you spend 12+ mana each round, Rally.
Samira
- Star Power 1: The first time you damage the enemy Nexus each round, the next card you play costs 1 less.
- Star Power 2: +1 Starting Mana. When you play your third card each round, grant allies +1|+1.
- Star Power 3: The first time you damage the enemy Nexus each round, the next card you play costs 3 less.
Verdict
Well, that does it for our tier list. LoR has always been one of my favorite games, so writing it was fun. However, my information is based on the current win rates and ratings of meta decks.
I try my best to provide you with the most accurate information possible, but if there is anything you disagree with, let me know in the comments below. Also, if there is anything else you wish to tell me, leave that down there. Lastly, have a great day, and best of luck with your duels.
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