9 Best New Decks from Week 1 of Patch 4.4 – Glory in Navori

It has been a week since the release of Patch 4.4, and since day one, the meta has undergone significant changes.

The buff to Bandle Gunners has made Tristana variants very popular for climbing the ladder. Moreover, the shift in the meta has brought old archetypes to life that we haven’t seen on the ranked ladder in a long time.

Despite the nerfs, Ashe LeBlanc, Varus Samira, and Fizz Samira continue their solid performance on the ranked ladder.

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Tristana Gnar Teemo

The Tristana Bilgewater archetype has demonstrated exceptional performance on the ranked ladder, thanks to its ability to swarm the board and apply early-game pressure to chip away at the opponent’s Nexus. As multi-region units are played, Tristana’s strength increases, forcing the opponent to block her each turn.

Once Tristana levels, she’ll buff the stats of newly played multi-region units and grants them the Impact keyword.

Notably, Bandle Gunners inflicts a significant amount of Impact damage, and the use of Prize Fight mid-combat can maximize its damage potential and create opportunities for lethal attacks.

The Bilgewater version holds an advantageous matchup against the Noxus variant, rendering it a favored choice for players looking to overcome other Tristana builds. Both Fizz Samira and Ekko Jinx can be difficult matchups to beat.

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Ekko Jinx

The Ekko Jinx archetype, once a popular strategy that has since fallen out of favor, has recently resurfaced following the release of Patch 4.4.

Predict cards like Forsaken Baccai, Aspiring Chronomancer, Feral Prescience, and Scrying Sands allow you to place a card on the top of your deck and set it up for your future plays. Furthermore, the Predict cards will level up Ekko, which in turn will shuffle three Chronobreaks into the deck.

After that, players want to look for those Chronobreaks. The revive and Rally effect is a powerful play you’ll want to have ready whenever your champions die. Chronobreak can be played in an aggressive way by attacking, trading your units into the opponent’s units, and casting Chronobreak afterward to revive your whole board and go for a second devastating attack.

Additionally, Voice of the Risen will buff up your whole board, increasing the pressure on the opponent. Ensure to position Voice of the Risen as the last attacker so all the other units don’t lose the +2 Power buff before they strike.

Jinx, a secondary win condition, is a valuable asset that allows for additional card draw and a burn plan with the Super Mega Death Rocket! The Ekko Jinx deck boasts an almost even matchup against a range of popular decks, providing players with more skill impressions to decide the winner of the game.

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Gnar Norra NX

The Gnar Norra NX archetype has recently reemerged as a strong contender in the current meta following the release of Patch 4.4. This particular archetype proves formidable against midrange and aggressive decks, making it a reliable choice for both the ranked ladder and tournament play.

As a control deck, Gnar Norra NX aims to maintain board control by utilizing various removal cards, such as Disintegrate and Scorched Earth. One of its standout units, Lord Broadmane, turns your damage spells into lethal spells when played on damaged or stunned units.

Furthermore, Norra, Junk Construct, and Portalpalooza ensure that the player never runs out of units on the board, thereby enabling them to sustain pressure and sneak in damage on the opponent’s Nexus.

To further amplify the late-game threat, players now include Captain Farron, a highly effective tool for dealing Overwhelm damage and setting up a burn strategy through the creation of two Decimates.

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Samira Pantheon

Samira Pantheon has emerged as a popular deck choice due to its ability to effectively counter Tristana decks. With the help of cards like Brutal Skirmish and Furious Weirdler, you’ll be able to pick off important units like a Tristana or Bandle City Mayor.

Throughout the early to mid-game, you’ll work on leveling up Pantheon by targeting your units. Samira lets you keep up with the opponent’s early game as she can challenge and kill pesky early units and threaten to level up.

Once Pantheon levels up, his new keywords can decisively alter the flow of the game, particularly when combined with an appropriate weapon, enabling him to deal Overwhelm damage and clinch victory.

Beyond Pantheon, the deck boasts additional formidable threats such as Naganeka of Zuretta, Horazi, and Camphor of the Doubt, which can set up powerful attacks capable of closing out the game.

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Teemo Tristana Noxus

The Teemo Tristana Noxus archetype has emerged as the most prevalent and aggressive variation in the current meta. Its game plan closely resembles that of its Bilgewater counterpart by flooding the board with multi-region units and utilizing Tristana and Bandle Gunners as primary damage dealers to inflict Impact damage to the opponent’s Nexus.

However, the Noxus version uses Might and Noxian Fervor as tools to deal more Nexus damage. Might can be played on either Tristana or Bandle Gunners, enabling players to deal considerable Overwhelm damage and possibly end the game on the spot.

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Illaoi Swain

Swain has seen more play with the increase in aggressive and midrange decks. Caitlyn Swain, Illaoi Swain, and Norra Swain have seen the most success on the ranked ladder.

The Illaoi version is the most popular, as it utilizes Illaoi’s Overwhelm damage to set up a more aggressive game plan.

The archetype is capable of keeping the board under control with the removal tools it runs while also setting up powerful attacks with both Illaoi and Swain.

A leveled-up Swain can stun opponents’ units every time their Nexus is damaged, rendering their blockers useless and setting up for a strong attack.

Managing to set up both Swain and The Leviathan on the board will commence the stun lock. This allows the deck to keep the strongest units stunned and set up for a strong open attack.

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Illaoi Norra

Not only Swain, but Illaoi has also appeared in various versions on the ranked ladder, showcasing the remarkable adaptability of certain champions in Runeterra. Illaoi has made an appearance in Bandle City, Bilgewater, and Demacia decks, proving her versatility in different gameplay situations.

With the aid of Mysterious Portals, Illaoi Norra has the ability to flood the board with units. This creates an advantageous position for the player, forcing the opponent to trade into the summoned units. Portalpalooza and Eye of Nagakabours are your value cards that keep the engine running.

In the mid-to-late game, Illaoi serves as the primary damage dealer, with her Tentacle companion providing a substantial Overwhelm damage boost. Additionally, Prize Fight can help level up Illaoi faster and can even be used mid-combat to inflict damage on units that are blocking her, thereby increasing the Overwhelm damage output.

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Teemo Tristana Demacia

I promise this will be the last Tristana deck.

Tristana Demacia operates similarly to its counterparts, overwhelming the board with units while using Tristana and Bandle Gunners to deal massive Impact damage.

What sets this version apart is its access to Form Up!, a powerful protection tool that keeps your key units alive or deals additional Nexus damage. Furthermore, the inclusion of Champions’ Strength, a game-changing play that grants a substantial stat boost, and the Scout keyword to all units on your board allows for a devastating double attack that can end the game in a single turn.

Some Tristana Demacia builds are running Bloodcursed Harpy and Cataclysm, a deadly combination that synergizes well with the Rally effect, posing an even greater threat to your opponent.

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Shen Jarvan IV

This is a midrange deck that uses barriers to keep units alive and win the board’s presence.

Shen Jarvan IV focuses on utilizing barriers to keep your units alive and dominate the board. Shen‘s ability to protect challenger units like Petricite Broadwing and Screeching Dragon enables you to continually eliminate your opponent’s units, and his level-up ability grants additional power to your barrier-protected units, further enhancing your board presence.

When Jarvan IV hits the board on turn 6/7, he can challenge the strongest enemy unit, paving the way for your other units to strike the opponent’s Nexus.

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Closing Words

The first week has been an exhilarating ride. While Tristana decks have dominated the ranked ladder, they have also sparked the resurgence of other archetypes that can hold their own against Tristana and other popular meta decks. Although Ashe LeBlanc, Fizz Samira, and Varus Samira were nerfed, these decks remain viable in the meta, paving the way for even more diverse and exciting gameplay.