Legends of Runeterra: 5 Neeko Decks to Play in Patch 5.8!

Neeko has returned to Standard in patch 5.8, just this week, and there's no doubt in my mind that she'll change the ranked meta quite a lot this season. So, I decided to bring you 5 Neeko decks that will probably perform really well competitively.

This is the oldest and most classic Neeko list around. It hasn't changed at all since she was rotated, two patches ago.

It is also the most accepted and popular version among the community. After all this time, this was the list that solidified which cards are part of Neeko's staple kit, and which are not. The cards below, for instance, are all Neeko staples:

Nearly all Neeko decks play these cards. The rest of the list is what usually defines the deck's game style.

This Freljord version centers around playing strong units early on, and protecting them with Sky Splitter. Throughout the match, you'll Frostbite enemy units to make better trades. Like so, we can classify this deck as a traditional midrange deck, with multiple win conditions.

However, your main win condition is Warden of the Tribes. You can also use Glacial Saurian, as it has Overwhelm and usually grows a lot as the game goes on, and Neeko herself when she levels up and gains Elusive.

Your two secondary win conditions are The Darkin Spear and Handy Harness, which often change the course of the match. You'll either get a powerful Darkin or give a lot of attack power to one key unit in your match.

The Evil Neeko archetype was once one of the strongest decks in the entire game, as well as one of the fastest lists in the last season we saw it.

This deck has her regular staples, but plays more like an aggro burn deck, and uses classic Noxus cards, like Might and Noxian Fervor.

And, despite being nerfed a thousand times, Enraged Firespitter is still one of the best cards in this deck, as well as the best target for Might.

As for Bonehide Tri-tail, it is the first time we see it as one of the main finishers in this list. It is the most pivotal card if you want to deal combat damage to your enemy.

This version also highlights two cards that have been a bit unpopular for some time now: Decisive Maneuver and Arena Mechacaster.

Decisive Maneuver was extremely strong in the beta, but it has been unstable ever since, and was somewhat forgotten. Nonetheless, because this rotation has a low power level, we can finally use it again. You'll certainly catch many opponents off-guard when you use this card while attacking.

The same goes for Arena Mechacaster. As this season's power level is low, you can develop this 6-cost unit without many issues, and take advantage of its effect, which grants more attack power to your allies. It also levels up Neeko.

The slow version of Neeko's archetype includes Shadow Isles. But don't be mistaken: this deck is not as slow as it seems.

As usual, you'll play her staples, but in the Shadow Isles midrange style, with some removals and a lot of interaction with the enemy board. Cards like Vengeance and Glare are great for this meta, as, besides controlling your enemy, you'll also draw cards with Glare. Vengeance makes sure you'll actually remove that enemy unit for good.

Grimm is still one of the best cards in the entire game, and really fits Neeko's archetype because he's a Yordle. This way, he levels her up, just like Vex.

An incredibly strong addition was The Iron Conquest, which is currently the best card in the game if you want to create value. Many cards in this list match The Iron Conquest's play style because their effects trigger when they're summoned, like Omen Hawk, Glacial Saurian, and Grimm, or they have Last Breath, like Junk Construct.

Out of all the lists in this article, this one might last the longer, as Shadow Isles is still incredibly popular, and Vex is one of the best champions nowadays.

The Neeko of the Sands archetype is not that popular and might sound a bit weird to some players. Like the other lists we've shown you, it plays her staples, but it is more like a Shuriman midrange deck.

Shurima is a unique region with its own game style, and that style happens to fit, perfectly, Neeko's kit. This midrange list takes advantage of cards that disable keywords, like Quicksand and Horned Swarmcaller, as well as counters like Rite of Negation.

This is what makes this deck unique, and, at the same time, captures Neeko's aggressive early game.

Ziggs is a great addition to this archetype. Previously, we played Azir in this list, which was so far the best Ascended champion around for this type of list precisely because he had more life and was more aggressive in addition to his unique subtypes.

Unlike the other decks in this list, however, this one relies a bit more on Neeko, and focuses on levelling her up at any cost. So, we play cards like Sunborn Summoning to make sure we'll draw her.

Another critical card is The Darkin Bloodletters. If the card holding it dies, you'll summon a Cultist, which progresses Neeko's level up. Or, you can sacrifice a unit to summon Xolaani, which is a Darkin and thus will also progress Neeko's level up.

This is the only list in this article that doesn't include her regular kit, but it might also be the weakest list out of all 5.

You can build a Bird typal deck because of Neeko's origin and Taloned Strike, which grants +1/+1 globally to all allied Birds.

This way, you can combine, in one single deck, the best Birds from all regions, with Demacia's combat spells, Lux: Illuminated and Morgana.

This list doesn't level up Neeko and doesn't focus on her at all. We use her just like we used the Elder Dragon in the past: you bring one copy of her to access her origin.

The spells and units in this list are a bit expensive, but, when you play them wisely, you'll create a lot of value both early game and mid-game.

The idea is to lean on Challenger as a keyword (which you'll often find in Birds) and combine it with Royal Shimmerwing's Quick Attack, which will let you use your units to attack any enemy unit you want without worrying about their life points.

Finally, Morgana and Lux: Illuminated are incredibly helpful in this strategy. Lux: Illuminated is just one of the best early game units in this list because she'll give your Birds lots of stats early on, and Morgana is simply one of the best cards in the entire game.

As every Demacia deck, this list can't deal with Shadow Isles, or any list with a lot of direct removal. As the meta is filled with this type of deck, you might not be able to have fun with this list in higher ranks. In the lower ranks, however, I have no doubt you'll be able to get a few laughs with it.

If you read this far, thank you! I hope you had fun and enjoyed reading this article.

What about you? Which list was your favorite? Will you try any of them? Tell us all your thoughts in our comment section below!

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Thank you for reading, and see you next time!