LoR: Top 3 Best Lineups to play in the Runeterra Open

With the arrival of the newest Legends of Runeterra tournament format, Runeterra Opens, the competitive scene has never been more alive. From February 18th to 20th, players from around the world will compete for trophies, hoard points and try to get that very sought-after spot in Legends of Runeterra World Championship.

As the name already says, the tournament is open to everyone, with no elo restriction, which makes the competitive experience very accessible. And as everyone will be playing this tournament, I decided to prepare for you guys a guide on the best meta lineups currently.

Obviously, each one has their preference and styles, and that influences a lot when it's time to build a lineup. There are players who prefer to play a bit more aggressively, others prefer slower games.

Fortunately, Runeterra currently has a very diverse meta, and there are competitive decks for each archetype, be them Aggro, Control or Combo. However, competitive lineups are a bit more complex than those archetypes because before anything happens you need to think what is your goal with it.

Do you want to play the meta decks? Or do you prefer playing a deck that wins against the meta decks? Or do you prefer to think outside the box and bring crazy piles? All of that is valid.

Midrange decks are very strong, and it is all about who has the biggest card on board. After the buffs to the champions Jax and Ornn, this list is dominating the ranked ladder, and as a result, there is a need to stop these decks. Ryze is a great option, in fact, the whole Ionia region is very strong, due to cards like Unworthy Soul and Deny. And it is due to that Illaoi and Twisted Fate lists started to sprout, as it is a deck that can go Midrange with Ionia as a support region to the Tentacle archetype.

Because of all of that, the game is slower, and when that happens, control decks get stronger: they have more time to make their strategies actually work. So, you must have noticed that with control decks strong, there is a need for quick and aggressive lists, this way creating a circle for the archetype spectrum.

And that is why the meta is so varied: there are very good decks for each of the strategies listed above. The big secret to have success in tournaments is evaluating what most people will be bringing. And my bet is aggressiveness.

It is an open tourney, with no elo restriction. It is very likely that Runeterra Open is one of the first competitive experiences for many people, and as the most played archetype is always Aggro, you can be sure this tourney will be filled with fast lists. Let's take a look at what I've prepared here to help you conquer your trophies.

Lineup: Just Aggressive Decks

You must have realized that Shadow Isles is in every list. That is because even aggressive decks in LoR have some control tools. And they are still lists that interact a lot with the enemy board.

Kalista and Nocturne is experiencing a huge trend and can surprise many people during the tournament. This list is filled with Fearsome units, and if everything goes wrong, you don't care about losing units because you just have to play The Harrowing in the end, and it's GG.

As for Red Gwen, there is no secret: even after the nerfs to Katarina and Quietus' rework, this deck is still one of the best options for the competitive scene, and it has a very consistent win rate against most meta decks.

This list is here because it is, maybe, the safest option possible when it comes to aggressive lists. Teemo and Tristana is another very strong list, but definitely the hardest, as it is still a list that is going through a building process for this new archetype, and there is plenty of space to create in this deck.

You are welcome to add or take out a few cards from this list if you'd like. The Bandle City region is very versatile and can bring to your games very interesting tools for you to win your matches.

Lineup: Just Control Decks

This lineup is quite solid, and it also brings the newest meta bomb, Ryze's deck. This list is incredibly strong and definitely can be the target of bans.

Norra and Gnar are quite a pair, and historically Noxus Control lists have always been great, but card draw was missing, and now with the newest addition to the Bandle City region this changed: the list is boosted with draw and rarely runs out of gas.

You must have realized that there are many options for decks when it comes to Noxus Control. You are welcome to bring any variant of those you'd like - be them Ezreal Katarina, Annie with Ezreal or even Norra Swain. You're more than ready to deal with any threat playing these decks, even more so with the arsenal of removals that Jayce and Heimerdinger's deck has.

With these three decks, you have a great win rate, which averages around 50% to 55% across the variety of meta decks. This lineup I recommend for those who enjoy answering the meta, and playing responsively.

Mixed Lineup

This lineup is the one I'd bring to the tournament: you have one of the strongest and most fun lists in the ranked ladder, which is Norra and Twisted Fate. This deck is incredibly consistent and full of removal and card draw.

Norra is also one of the strongest cards in the current meta, and I believe the portal mechanic is too strong, as it creates followers to help you control the board the whole time.

Aphelios and Leona bring a more Midrange idea to their list, and is currently one of the safest decks for this playstyle, as you will also bring an arsenal of removals and stuns. That is without saying the multiple options for finishers, them being the followers themselves or even direct Nexus damage spells such as Atrocity.

It is quite hard to ban, in general, against this type of lineup, very varied in archetypes, but you will also have to crack your head open a few times when it comes to your bans. You will have zero problems against most of the meta, but some decks might surprise you, such as ephemeral lists or some Jhin list.

Other than that, I believe this lineup is quite safe. Remember, you're welcome to change cards or decks in case you prefer other options of control, Midrange or combo lists in this lineup.

Final Thoughts

Well, you can tell that no matter what you have, most of what's strong in this meta will always have an average of 50% win rate against everything else. So, it is much more about how you play and if you're comfortable and having fun with your lineup.

Keep in mind that the most important at the end of the day is just that: have fun playing!

I hope this article helped you clear your mind and better understand the competitive meta. In case you liked this article, don't forget to share and comment on social media.

See you!