Introduction
It's the first week of the January 2025 rotation, and the meta is slowly taking shape. For now, we're only testing out new decks and archetypes that we couldn't build last season.
As I played in these first few days, I noticed 10 super interesting lists that I highly recommend if you want to try out different decks in this first week. Let's dive right in!
Scouts
This is classic Scouts, one of the oldest archetypes in the entire game. For a long time, this archetype was out of Standard, but it has finally returned.
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This version also plays Jarro Lightfeather, which was extremely popular in the Eternal version.
Inspiring Light is probably the most critical spell in this list because it buffs the units on your board and, as such, with it, you'll easily be able to deal damage to the enemy Nexus with your units.
This list is extremely easy to pilot, and I highly recommend it for aggressive players who enjoy fast games and want to climb ranks as fast as possible this season.
Fearsomes
This is probably one of the most powerful decks early this season, as well as the best list if you're just coming back into LoR after a few years away, or if you've just started playing LoR.
It is also one of the best versions of this archetype because it is identical to its Eternal version. This means it is the best Fearsome deck you can build in the entire game.
Mistwraith has finally returned to Standard, and she is at the center of this list. The whole deck was built around this card. We only bring three copies of Precious Pet (a Noxus card) so we can drastically increase our odds of activating Mistwraith's Allegiance effect.
Just like Scouts, this deck is incredibly fast and easy to learn, so I highly recommend it if you want to climb ranks as fast as possible.
Heimerdinger Jayce
This abomination… I mean, this list was one of the strongest, most popular, and impactful lists of all time for a long time. It was perhaps the deck that stayed at the top for the longest, and many players still hate this list as a result.
It is now in Standard again. Because of its history, it will most likely become one of the best archetypes in the game soon, and slowly take over the ranked queue, as well as the few LoR tournaments we still have.
This deck has great matchups against everything in the meta, so it's very safe, and also plays great finishers. It still hasn't stood out because most players don't really enjoy it and its game pattern is a bit boring and repetitive. It might still change in the next few days too until it's refined enough to become one of the best decks in the meta.
Norra Morgana Transform
This is one of the most fun decks in the entire game, as well as one of the most innovative strategies from the last few months. It came up just a bit after we were told support for the competitive scene was ending, and was created by one of the great competitive players around (me!).
Jokes aside, I helped build the first version of this archetype, and it quickly became one of my favorite strategies. You can now play it in Standard.
Its game style is completely different from what you're used to, as well as more complex. This is the newest version that was refined by the community; so, it plays combos that are a bit different from my version, but it is still incredibly powerful and full of amazing strategies.
I highly recommend this deck if you enjoy challenges. After all, you'll have to invest some time to learn how to play it.
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Viktor Zoe Celestials
Targon will most likely become one of the weakest regions this season, but you can still play some strategies with it. The Celestials archetype, now with Zoe, might be one of the few Targon decks that will survive the bad times this region will go through.
This list is classic and already quite popular, so there isn't much to say. It is a solid deck, but a bit hard to pilot if you're not used to control, value-based lists.
I highly recommend this list if you already have some experience with LoR and enjoy Targon. If you're not that into this region and have just begun playing, this deck might not be that fun, as it often struggles a lot in metas as diverse as the one we're in.
Lee Akshan
Lee Sin as incredibly popular in tournaments last season, and will most likely be one of the best champions this season as well. Even more so because one of its best pairs, Viktor, is still in Standard.
However, this version includes Akshan, who was his best pair a while ago. This archetype has also been incredibly strong in the past, particularly in tournaments.
I don't recommend this list for the ranked queue, despite the fact it will be one of the best strategies in the game. From what we know about this deck, it will only be relevant in tournaments because of the ban system. However, we still had to show it and tell you why it could be one of the best lists this season.
Illaoi Jarvan
Illaoi usually plays with Vayne, but, as she isn't available, this version plays the next best thing, which is Jarvan IV.
This will be a great deck in this diverse meta because, to beat this list, you need a very specific strategy. This means that, in most matches, you'll easily be able to make it work.
However, it might not last long this season because the meta will most likely stabilize in a month with mostly control decks, which are great against Illaoi. So, enjoy it while you can, as this list won't be that strong in a few weeks.
Ahri Katarina
This list stood out in the last week of the last Eternal season. In fact, it was incredibly relevant in the last community tournaments we played before this rotation came along.
Now, it is available in Standard, and can be a great addition to this format. It might surprise us this season.
Each season, a new list comes along out of nowhere and takes the ranked queue by assault. Right now, that list is Ahri Katarina.
It basically focuses on Elusives (one of the few meta lists that do), and tempo plays, so it's a bit slower but surprisingly strong. And that's considering Ahri was, for a while, one of the worst cards in the entire game.
I highly recommend this list to all players because it is a new archetype, and, considering the current state of PvP, we need new things.
Mono Shurima Azir Renekton
I'm very anxious to see how this archetype performs in the meta. Mono Shurima Renekton was a Mono Shurima version that was really popular in Brazilian grassroot tournaments in 2023, but it was never very popular out of this environment.
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This is easily one of the most popular and loved archetypes in the entire world, and many players miss playing this list.
However, this version is not as abusive as the Xerath version. It is just as strong, though, and maybe a bit faster.
It is also surprisingly powerful and can compete at a high level with most meta lists. Nonetheless, because it only plays one region, it is a bit predictable. As a result, it only gets to be, at most, a tier-2 deck, sometimes even a tier-3 deck.
Nilah Janna - Returning to Our Roots
This is the worst version of Janna's Updraft archetype, but it is the only one we have in Standard right now. Considering its history, we can definitely say it is usually relevant in the meta.
However, it is difficult to pilot, and most players don't enjoy it precisely because of that. It is often not that popular as a result.
This version inherited a few cards from its Eternal version with Twisted Fate, like Ruined Rex, which might be a critical factor for its popularity and make it a bit better this season.
Another important factor that will make this list even stronger in this meta is how the current decks don't play many landmark removals, particularly in the first few weeks of the season. This list relies a lot on Sunken Temple and typically loses without this card.
I highly recommend this card if you enjoy challenges and tough lists.
Final Words

If you read this far, thank you, I hope you had fun, and enjoyed reading this article.
Don't forget to share.
See you next time!
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