6 Top New Decks from Week 1 of Patch 4.1

Patch 4.1 changed the meta field quite drastically. Jax Ornn, Illaoi Twisted Fate, and Ryze IO started strong but were quickly put in their place with the increase of aggressive decks.

Lord Broadmane has been seeing more play in different archetypes, paired with regions like Bilgewater, Bandle City, and PnZ.

Here are six of the best decks from week 1 of Patch 4.1.


Teemo Tristana SI

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Teemo Tristana created by Sorry • last updated 9 months ago

Teemo Tristana quickly rose in popularity as one of the best swarm-aggressive decks out there. The archetype wants to set up a wide board and start squeezing in Nexus damage.

An early Tristana empowers your multi-region units with additional power. Once Tristana is leveled, she’ll be granting the Impact keyword to the units you play, giving you additional Nexus damage even if your units are blocked.

Tristana can’t be ignored, she’ll gain a lot of power that forces your opponent to block and protect their Nexus. Wandering Shepherd can potentially create an Overwhelm or Scout weapon, which turns a Tristana into an immediate threat that needs to be dealt with.

The list runs Atrocity as an alternate win condition if you cannot end the game through your attacks.


Kalista Nocturne

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Nocturne Kalista created by Sorry • last updated 9 months ago

The fearsome, aggressive deck showed up on the ranked ladder and had been putting up a good performance.

Kalista Nocturne wants to build a board of fearsome units and work on leveling up Nocturne. You’re able to develop and buff your Mistwraiths with the help of Wraith Caller and Risen Mist.

Frenzied Skitterer and Nocturne can lower the Power of all your opponent’s units, making it more difficult for your opponent to block your fearsome units. The Valnrauble keyword Nocturne gives lets you either kill a unit or strategically pull it to push more Nexus damage.

A leveled Nocturne can be a nightmare; every time you summon a unit, you’ll lower the Power of your opponent’s board, eventually rendering them useless against your fearsome units.

Finally, the list runs Soul Cleave, which finds value if played on Nocturne, Mistwraith, or Wraith Caller.


Jax Ornn

Jax Ornn gained insane popularity on the first day of patch 4.1. Since then, the archetype’s popularity has declined due to an increase in counter matchups on the ranked ladder.

This is an equipment-oriented deck that wants to level up both champions and start pushing Overwhelm damage.

The Forge cards like Weaponsmith’s Apprentice, Time and Dedication, and Hearthblood Mender can create a more powerful unit, which you might later use on other units.

When attacking alongside his fellow equipment users, a leveled Jax can deal a lot of overwhelm damage. Your objective is to strike with an 8+ Power unit to level up your Ornn.

You want to copy either a Scout or Overwhelm weapon on Ornn to maximize the threat you put on the board. A leveled Ornn will summon Spirit of the Ram to deal additional Overwhelm damage.


Illaoi Twisted Fate IO

Illaoi Twisted Fate Ionia wants to buff up your Tentacle and try leveling up your Illaoi. With the help of Tentacle’s stat buff, Illaoi can deal more Overwhelm damage and level her up faster.

The Sea’s Voice can make use of your Tentacle’s stats, giving it the Overwhelm keyword to start threatening more Nexus damage.

The Ionia region offers protection tools like Twin Disciplines, Deny, and Syncopation to keep Illaoi alive.

Ghost is an unexpected play that allows you to sneak elusive damage with your tentacle and potentially end the game.

Nagakabouros is a late-game play that can be a win condition if your Tentacle has 12+ Power. Nagakabouros Tantraum can be an overwhelming attack, your opponent might not be able to survive.


Kayle Leona

Kayle Leona is the new version of the aggressive Katarina Leona deck. This deck uses the Daybreak package to set up powerful attacks and level Leona.

Leona can be annoying with her stun mechanic, letting you shut down a blocker and pave the way for more of your units to hit the Nexus.

As you work on squeezing Nexus damage, cards like Crimson Pigeon, Solari Soldier, Twilight Protector, and Sun Guardian can work on your Kayle’s level-up when you commit an attack.

A leveled Kayle will gain the Overwhelm keyword and potentially double attack to end the game. The list includes Shunpo, which activates the Rally effect to catch your opponent off guard.


Gnar Norra

Gnar Norra Lord Broadmane deck operates by removing your opponent’s win conditions and running them out of value.

The deck runs a lot of damage and removal spells to kill off your opponent’s key units. Lord Broadmane enables your ping spells such as Group Shot and Pokey Stick to kill damaged units.

Norra provides Mysterious Portals to keep your board active and ready to deal early damage. Eventually, your opponent will run out of units. and you’ll start slamming down their Nexus.

Gnar is a value generator with the Pokey Stick he creates, and when leveled, he’ll threaten to pick off one of your opponent’s units and push Overwhelm damage.


Bonus Deck: Ryze Ionia

Ryze Ionia has been one of the most popular choices on the ranked ladder. The deck wants to stretch out the game with the help of Eye of the Dragon, Claws of the Dragon, and Taste Faefolk.

Each of your World Runes has a unique ability that should help you keep up with your opponent. You’ll prioritize different World Runes in the early game depending on the matchups. Usually, dealing 2 damage or refilling spell mana are great early choices. Card draw can be more important against slow decks that don’t present early pressure.

In the mid-game, you’ll want to play your Ryze and start shuffling more World Runes into the deck. Try and keep your Ryze alive for as long as possible, forcing more resources out of your opponent. Your deck runs Deny, Homecoming, and Unworthy Soul which can be used to protect your Ryze.

Once all five World Runes are on the board, the game is won the second you commit an attack with Ryze. Try to bank enough mana to keep Ryze alive until you’re able to commit the last attack.


Closings Words

A lot of new decks have shown up on the ladder, creating a completely new meta compared to the previous one. Aggressive decks are seeing more play, but this gives more space for different Shadow Isles decks to exist.

Sorry
Sorry

Alaa "TricksterSorry" Yassine is a competitive Legends of Runeterra player. His passion for card games ignited in his youth with favorites like Yugioh and Pokemon. Currently, he dedicates himself to achieving professional excellence in Runeterra, while also creating informative video and written content for the Runeterra community.

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