LoR Meta Report – Patch 3.13 Week 1

Patch 3.13 targeted top-tier decks in the meta like Kai’Sa DE, Illaoi Bard, and Shen Bard with multiple nerfs to put those decks in check.

The nerfs managed to push Bard decks out of the meta, but the same can’t be said for Kai’Sa DE. Astoundingly, even after to Superchage and Second Skin the archetype relies on to set up its win condition, the deck continues to perform well and remains one of the most played decks.

Sources: The 134k matches of data from August 17 to August 22 are from LoR Meta. The data is based on Platinum, Diamond, and Master rank matches. I also used Runeterra.AR for more Master rank stats on low play rate decks.

Most Popular Archetypes

• Veigar Senna Darkness makes an outstanding comeback after Twisted Catalyzer was reverted in Patch 3.13. The archetype is currently the most played in Platinum+ and Master with a 51.2% and 52% win rate, respectively.
• Miss Fortune Twisted Fate Pirate Aggro is the second most played deck in the first week of patch 3.13. The aggressive deck has been out of the meta for quite a while. The deck holds a high win rate of 56.5% in Platinum+ and 60.1% in Master!
• A lot of changes happened to Kai’Sa Demacia after the nerfs it received. Mono Kai’Sa is no longer the dominant version, Akshan Kai’Sa claimed the spot as the most played version, followed by Mono Kai’Sa in second place. Sivir Kai’Sa has the lowest play rate but holds a good win rate. All versions are now running Void Abomination as a secondary win condition. Kai’Sa Demacia is still performing well on the ranked ladder, Akshan Kai’Sa is in the top 3 most played decks and has a win rate of 57.2% in Platinum+ and 59.4% in Master.
• Ezreal Kennen rises from the ashes! Currently, it’s in the top 5 most played decks with a win rate of 52.3% in Platinum+ and 52.8% in Master. The buff to Mark of the Storm helped the archetype to keep the board in check until it sets up its game plan.
• Evelynn Viego is a deck! Evelynn decks have been underperforming since her release, unable to hold a 50% win rate on the ranked ladder. That changed after the patch gave buffs to Neverglade Collector and Hate Spike. The archetype is currently at a 52.4% and 54% win rate in Platinum+ and Master ranks, respectively. The deck falls into the top 10 most played decks and has a slightly higher play rate in the ranks below Master.
• Trundle Tryndamere (SI) and Heimderdinger Jayce are both performing well with a high play rate and an above 53% win rate in Platinum+.
• Ramp Aurelion Sol Peak jumps up to the top 10 most played decks! However, it’s barely holding a 50% win rate at Platinum+ ranks.
• Ekko Zilean‘s play rate goes up after the increase of control decks like Darkness and Feel The Rush. Its win rate remains disappointing, with barely a 50% at Master rank.
• Sun Disc, Taric Poppy, and Miss Fortune Quinn Scouts have all had an increase in play rate on the ranked ladder in an attempt to combat the control decks. Both Taric Poppy and Miss Fortune Quinn are performing splendidly well, pulling in win rates higher than 54%. On the other hand, Sun Disc is barely maintaining a 50% win rate across all ranks.
• Bard Illaoi, Bard Shen, and Annie Twisted Fate fall out of the meta, dropping significantly in play rate and win rate. The nerfs to those decks were enough to push them out of the top tier.
• Irelia Azir drops in play rate after the nerf to Defiant Dance. Surprisingly, the deck still has a 55.3% win rate at Master rank.
• Katarina Yasuo falls off. Its win rate drops below 50% in all ranks.
• Ashe Leblanc is underperforming, dropping down to a 45.53% win rate in Master rank.
• Teemo Twisted Fate (BC) continues to perform decently on the ranked ladder.
• Thralls’ win rate and play rate plummet after the nerf to Frozen Thrall, its win rate even dropped below 50%.
• The Karma buff was not enough to bring the champion back in the meta. Karma Viktor is the only deck that holds a positive win rate.

Most Successful Archetypes

Tier 1 (Akshan Kai’Sa DE, Pirate Aggro, Veigar Senna, Poppy Taric, Heimerdinger Jayce) A lot of changes in the Tier 1 decks! Illaoi and Shen Bard fall out of Tier 1. We have a mix of control, aggro, and midrange decks claiming a spot in the high tier.

Tier 2 (Ezreal Kennen, Trundle Tryndamere, Viego Evelynn, Annie Jhin, Nautilus Maokai, Scouts, Teemo Twisted Fate, Irelia Azir) healthy versatility in tier 2, and a lot of candidates that might make it to tier 1 if they continue performing well.

Meme Tier Karma Zoe. An old archetype that used to perform decently on the ranked ladder fell off after the change to Crescendum, prohibiting the deck from tutoring Eye of the Dragon. Players have started to pick up the deck after the buff to Karma, but it’s still underperforming, holding a 38.42% win rate.

Balance Watch Kai’Sa DE seems to still be problematic even after the nerf. The main issue with the archetype stems from its core mechanic of combo-ing Scout and Overwhelm keywords.

As for Karma, although the increase in health is well needed, hand size remains a problem, as you’ll struggle to empty your hand in most scenarios. In a lot of cases, Karma’s ability to create cards hinders your ability to set up your game plan. Although the created cards can be useful, it’s generally more of a negative than a positive, especially when Karma is leveled.

Underplayed and Overplayed Archetypes

Meta Kings: Kai’Sa DE and Taric Poppy. Both decks are holding a high win rate and are great answers to the increase of control decks on the ranked ladder.

Overplayed: Ekko Zilean. The deck’s play rate increased exponentially in order to counter control decks. Sadly, its win rate doesn’t reflect good results, hovering between 48% and 51%.

Underplayed: Taric Poppy. The deck has a high win rate at the moment, and its play rate has started going up! We will probably see the archetype in the top 10 soon unless the meta shifts.

Hidden Gems: Karma Viktor currently holds a 53.43% win rate. The control deck received a buff to Karma’s health, providing a higher defense while you try to hit turn 10.

Closing Words

Patch 3.13 shook up the meta in preparation for the seasonal tournament. Many archetypes that didn’t exist due to Bard and Kai’Sa’s dominance have resurfaced and so far the meta feels versatile and healthy.

That’s it for this week’s meta report, I’ll see you in the next one!