LoR Meta Report – Patch 3.20 Week 1 – Best Ladder Decks

Meta Report Patch 3.20 week 1 Darkin Saga: Domination expansion showcases all the data you need to understand the meta and start your climb.

Patch 3.20 introduced the new Timewinder Gauntlet, which gave us that nostalgic old Runeterra meta we used to enjoy.

Although the patch didn’t contain any buffs or nerfs, the meta changed up a bit. Several decks have dropped out of Tier 1 after players adapted to the ladder meta. Vayne Kayn gained a lot of popularity this past week making it in the top 3 most-played decks.

Let’s take a look at how the meta has shaped up.

Sources: The 110K matches of data from November 22 to November 28 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 decks with a low play rate.


Most Successful Archetypes

Tier 1 (Teemo Zoe (BC), Katarina Gwen, Vayne Kayn, Annie Jhin, Gangplank Sejuani, Pantheon Varus, Quinn Vayne)

With the increase of Shadow Isles decks, Demacia decks quickly rose in popularity, regaining Tier 1. This meant archetypes like Annie Jhin and Gangplank Sejuani could perform better in the meta as Demacia counters.

Tier 2 (Viktor Seraphine (SI), Twisted Fate Annie, Trundle Tryndamere (SI), Heimerdinger Jayce (SI), Viktor Seraphine (SI), Draven Jinx, Fiora Quinn Vayne (PZ), Trundle Timelines, Rumble Vayne, Zed Hecarim, Leona Diana (SI), Taliyah Ziggs (BC), Ekko Jinx (SH), Heimerdinger Norra (SI), Elise Norra, Akshan Varus, Miss Fortune Swain, Vayne Gwen, Pyke Rek’Sai)

Tier 2 has a healthy, diverse meta. We have different archetypes with unique playstyles, all performing well in Tier 2. Viktor Seraphine and Trundle Tryndamere dropped to Tier 2 after Demacia decks took over, and Pantheon saw an increase in play rate.

Meme Tier

Even with Master Yi‘s buff, the champion continues to underperform on the ranked ladder. Zoe Master Yi barely holds a 43% win rate.

Balance Watch Katarina Gwen seems to be the most problematic right now. It’s difficult to identify the main offender on the deck. Gwen, Quietus, and Fallen Reckoner seem to be the main cards players are asking to be looked at.


Underplayed and Overplayed Archetypes

In the chart below, I’ve plotted win rates versus play rates for 21 decks to demonstrate which archetypes can be seen as the ‘kings’ in the current meta, and which decks can be labeled as ‘overplayed’ or ‘underplayed’.

The Y-Axis represents the win rate whereas the X-Axis represents the play rate.

Meta Kings: Kayn Vayne. The archetype gained a lot of popularity this past week. It has a great matchup table, almost even against most meta decks. It only has an extremely difficult matchup against Annie Jhin and Pantheon Varus.

Overplayed: Viktor Seraphine SI. The increase in counter decks has dropped the win rate of Viktor Seraphine SI, which barely holds a 50% win rate in Master. Gwen Katarina, Vayne Kayn, Pantheon Varus, and Quinn Vayne are all difficult matchups for Viktor Seraphine SI.

Underplayed: Jinx Lulu (BC). The archetype has been putting up good numbers on the ranked ladder. It has a win rate of 56.7% in Platinum+ and a win rate of 58.1% in Master rank. It beats both Gwen Katarina and Zoe Teemo (BC).

Hidden Gems:

The Targon Atrocity deck seems to hold up well on the ranked ladder. Aphelios Leona had a 60% win rate this past week. This deck tries to win the board with the Daybreak units and Apehlios’ moon weapons while also setting up a late-game win condition with the Celestial Trifecta. Atrocity acts as a finisher to close out the game.


Most Popular Archetypes

Gwen Katarina has been performing amazingly on the ranked ladder and tournament scene. It has a win rate of 56.9% in Platinum+ and 57.9% in Master rank. The archetype has an amazing matchup table and has forced the meta to adapt to it.

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Kayn Vayne created by Sorry • last updated 6 months ago

Kayn Vayne quickly rose to the second-most-played deck on the ranked ladder. It has an insanely amazing matchup table. The deck has a 55.60% win rate in Platinum+ and a 56% win rate in Master rank.

Zoe Teemo (BC) continues a solid performance on the ranked ladder. The fact that the deck holds up well against both Katarina Gwen and Vayne Kayn gives it an edge in the meta. The deck has a 56.1% win rate in Platinum+ and a 57.6% win rate in Master rank.

Trundle Tryndamere is performing decently on the ranked ladder, holding a 52.6% win rate in Platinum+. It has become a challenge for Trundle Tryndamere to maintain a high win rate with the rise of decks like Pantheon Varus, Kayn Vayne, and Gwen Katarina. However, it still holds up well against Zoe Teemo (BC), Annie Jhin, and Annie Twisted Fate.

Viktor Seraphine SI’s win rate drops compared to last week, losing its spot in Tier 1. Due to the increased number of counter matchups, such as Pantheon Varus and Gwen Katarina, the deck only has a 50% win rate.

Amazingly, Annie Jhin has a 55% win rate even with the many unfavored matchups on the ranked ladder. It can beat the likes of Teemo Zoe (BC), Kayne Vayne, Taliyah Ziggs, and Pantheon Varus.

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Sejuani Gangplank created by Sorry • last updated 5 months ago

Gangplank Sejuani’s win rate skyrockets to 55.9% in Master rank! The archetype performs well against aggressive and mid-range decks like Vayne Kayn and Pantheon Varus.

Heimerdinger Jayce drops out of Tier 1 after its win rate goes down to 53%. The archetype is still popular in the tournament scene, but with the rise of counter matchups, it’s difficult for Heimerdinger Jayce to remain as a Tier 1 deck.

Norra Veigar, Pyke Rek’Sai, and Trundle Timelines are all hovering around 50%–52% win rates.

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Draven Jinx created by Sorry • last updated 7 months ago

Jinx Lulu (BC) is rivaling the old-school Draven Jinx for the title of the best discard deck. Jinx Lulu has a higher win rate than Draven Jinx, hovering around 56-58%, while Draven Jinx has a win rate of 54-55%.

Apehlios Seraphine Viktor has a 51.3% win rate in Platinum+ and a 52.2% win rate in Master rank. The archetype struggles to beat many of the top tier decks keeping it from rising above Tier 2.

Pantheon Varus’ ability to put up a fight against Gwen Katarina while also beating other Shadow Isles and mid-range decks has contributed to its powerful performance this past week. The deck has a 54.6% win rate in Platinum+ and a 56% win rate in Master rank.


Closing Words

The meta keeps changing to adapt to the popular decks. Zoe Teemo (BC) has been in Tier 1 for quite some time, but it appears Gwen Katarina will not give up its spot easily, despite the increase in decks attempting to beat the archetype.

This is it for this week’s Meta Report. I’ll see you at the next one!

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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