6 Unexpected Decks from LoR Masters Europe – Chronicles of Bandlewood

Legends of Runeterra Europe Masters – Chronicles of Bandlewood finally came to an end with Germany taking the crown as the new champions of Bandlewood! In a close best of five against Spain, both teams fought till the end – stretching the series to a 5th game, where Germany managed to take it all with a score of 3-2.

I’ve been heavily invested in the Europe Masters tournament, keeping an eye on the gameplay and decks each team has brought. For today’s article, I want to share some unexpected and spicy decks that were brought in a lineup, either to target specific decks or to simply throw off the opposing team in terms of picks and bans. Let’s get started!

1. Elise Vi Ledros Control
2. Elise Ashe Harrowing
3. Teemo Tristana Shadow Isles
4. Peak Braum Aurelian Soul
5. Karma Heimerdinger
6. Jarvan IV Leona

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Elise Vi Ledros Control

• Score: 2 wins – 1 defeat

Spain brought this list of Elise Vi Ledros to the last day of EU Masters! A great risk that ended up rewarding them. So, what is Elise Vi Ledros control?

The archetype isn’t new by any means, in fact, it has been ran in tournaments in the past. It has made a comeback on EUM with a couple of tweaks to the list, most noticeable additions being Aloof Traveler, Buhru Sentinel, and Dess & Ada.

What makes the deck unique is its ability to remove units off the board with spells like Grasp of the Undying, The Box, Withering Mist, and more, prolonging the game as much as possible.

Elise is a solid 2 drop that summons a Spiderling once she attacks, that can later be used for blocking an attacking unit, or damaging a unit to help finish it off with any other damage spell.

Vi has two main roles in the deck: Removing weak or win condition units off the board, and at the same time, she’s a good target for your Atrocity finish, especially if you manage to level her up as Hush will be no longer be a possible counter.

The longer the game goes on, Commander Ledros will eventually outvalue your opponent and put an end to the game. Ledros will also set you up for a lethal Atrocity win.

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Elise Ashe Harrowing

• Score: 1 defeat

Also known as Zombie Ashe, Russia brought this list on Day 6 of the group stage. Although Zombie Ashe is more known to be paired with Thresh, Russia opted to cut Thresh out and run Elise, a more early game-centered champion.

What is Zombie Ashe? The control deck relies on sustaining early pressure your opponent imposes until you can set up Ashe on the board. Unlike the Noxus version of the deck where your main focus is to keep Ashe alive as long as possible, Zombie Ashe is willing to sacrifice Ashe at any point of the game. The goal is to actually get your Ashe killed, and with a 5|3 stat champion that’s freezing a unit and pushing in damage, your opponent does not have much of a choice but to deal with her.

Why get your Ashe killed? Simple, you’ll just revive her. With cards like The Rekindler and The Harrowing, you’ll be able to get your Ashe back on the board while running your opponent out of resources. The more times your Ashe or Rekindler dies, the more you’ll summon when The Harrowing is played. The Harrowing is usually played as a finisher, and the multiple Ashe revived will ensure a level up and a freeze on most of the opponent’s defending units. This will shut down your opponent’s ability to block your attack and will pave the way for you to end the game.

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Teemo Tristana Shadow Isles

• Score: Not played

Who would have thought, a Tristana in a Riot Games official tournament! Italy made it happen. On day one of the group stage, Italy brought this Teemo Tristana Shadow Isles deck. With Bandle City Mayor, the deck is capable of swarming multi-region units for a reduced cost, at the same time playing the multi-region units will help level up Tristana pretty quickly.

Once leveled, Tristana will turn your multi-region units into a force to be reckoned with. The +1 power and Impact keyword given to your units means you’ll be pushing in extra damage to the opponent’s Nexus. At the same time, Tristana will be gaining Power which will force your opponent to either remove her off the board or at least chump block her so the damage doesn’t go directly onto the Nexus. The quick attack keyword will allow Tristana to survive the block without getting killed or damaged. Tristana can then turn to an Atrocity target, and with the Power she gained during the match will eventually threaten to destroy the Nexus if an Atrocity is played.

The deck has a secondary win condition, Bandle Gunners. This 8-mana unit with Impact x4 will push in a lot of damage. The fact that it has a Spell Shield makes the follower perfect to play Splinter Soul on. The Bandle Gunners + Splinter Soul combo will summon an Ephemeral with 1|1 stats, but because it’s a copy, the summon ability will trigger an additional time, this means the Ephemeral Bandle Gunners will have Impact x8. In total, you’ll be pushing in 12 unblockable damage towards the Nexus purely from Impact!

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Peak Braum Aurelian Soul

• Score: 1 win

Now Braum is a champion I didn’t imagine seeing in EU Masters! On the last day of the group stage, Russia brought Peak Braum Aurelion Sol into their lineup. The deck relies on the Targon’s Peak landmark which reduces the cost of a random card in both player’s hands to 0 mana, The fact that the deck runs a lot of mana-heavy units makes Targon’s Peak more of an advantage to you than your opponent. Cards like Avalanche, Blighted Ravine, and Kindly Tavern Keeper help keep you in the game early on.

Managing to play Aurelian Sol, It That Stares, She Who Wanders, or Feel The Rush for 0 mana will put immense pressure on your opponent to find answers for your units. Targon’s Peak is a 5 mana commitment though, and for a turn 5 play, your opponent might take advantage of your mana demanding landmark to play more aggressively before you can set up your big units on the board. Once you’ve managed to take control of the game, it’ll be pretty easy to level up your Aurelion Sol and from there the game is in your favor.

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Karma Heimerdinger

• Score: Not played

Yup, that’s right. Belarus brought Heimerdinger and Karma into EU Masters all in one deck. This Ionia P&Z deck is pretty similar to the old-school Karma Ezreal that used to wreak havoc back in the day. The main difference, well… No Ezreal. A look at the list suggests that the deck relies heavily on swarming the board with Heimerdinger’s Turrets and the Ionia region provides many tools to protect your champions. Cards like Nopeify, Twin Disciplines, and Deny can keep your champions alive especially when you level up your Karma on turn 10.

Although the lack of Ezreal makes it a little hard to just win the game with the damage he can do to the Nexus, the ability to constantly summon Turrets capable of attacking and forcing trades will eventually run your opponent out of cards, especially if Karma Is leveled up and already on the board. The ability to cast a spell twice will trigger Heimerdinger’s ability, providing an additional Turret in hand. Hexite Crystal can be played as a board wipe if your Karma is leveled up, and this will open a chance for a solid attack from your units.

Although the list wasn’t played in the tournament, it’s always astonishing to think that one of the teams decided to bring something unorthodox to the tournament and possibly even play it.

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Jarvan IV Leona

• Score: 1 defeat

Last but not least, Jarvan IV Leona, brought by Turkey on day 3 of the group stage. The Demacia Targon archetype made a comeback in EU Masters. The list relies on the Daybreak keyword to level up Leona and start stunning the board. The stun ability allows you to slow down your opponent’s aggression or put pressure on your opponent when you’re setting up for an attack by stunning their blockers.

Rahvun, Daylight’s Spear is a massive value follower that not only creates a random Daybreak card but will allow you to activate the Daybreak multiple times a turn. Combined with Leona, its ability will allow you to stun enemy units multiple times.

Jarvan IV fits in the deck due to the ability of your units to survive when they are attacking. On Turn 6-7 Jarvan IV can burst come down on the board when you initiate an attack, adding pressure on your opponent to find answers for Jarvan IV. Once you’ve dominated board presence you’ll slowly chip on the opponent’s Nexus with your units until you’ve finally dropped it down to 0 health!

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Closing Words

Although meta decks are usually dominant in a competitive atmosphere, it’s always interesting to see how players think outside the box and bring something out of the ordinary into a lineup and make it work in a competitive tournament!

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