
LoR Meta Report – Patch 4.2 Week 2 – Best Ladder Decks
Runeterra’s Meta Report for Week 2 of Patch 4.2 is here!
We have more data to work with compared to last week’s Meta Report. The meta has also settled down, giving us a more accurate representation of the top-tier decks in the meta field.
The experimental phase has brought new archetypes into the mix, allowing anti-meta decks to shine and perform well against some top decks like Jayce Lux and Garen Jarvan IV.
Sources: The 321K matches of data from March 7 to March 13 are from Runeterra.AR and LLor.
Most Successful Archetypes

Tier 1 (Jayce Lux, Garen Jarvan IV, Jax Ornn, Heimerdinger Jayce (SI), Annie Jhin)
Tier 1 didn’t change much compared to last week’s Meta Report. However, Jayce Lux and Heimerdinger Jayce’s win rates have slightly dropped.
As expected, both Annie Jhin and Jax Ornn are seeing more play after proving a solid performance in the current meta.
Tier 2 (Evelynn Kai’Sa, Ryze IO. Kayle Leona, Ziggs Taliyah, Lucian Evelynn, Azir Irelia, Evelynn Viego, Kalista Nocturne, Gwen Quinn, Zilean Nasus, Miss Fortune Twisted Fate, Twisted Fate Illaoi, Norra Swain, Gnar Tristana, Seraphine Twisted Fate Viktor, Norra Veigar, Norra Gnar NX, Annie Ezreal NX, Tristana Gnar NX, Gwen Katarina, Trundle Tryndamere (SI), Ekko Jinx (SH), Gangplank Sejuani, Nasus Kindred, Akshan Varus, Twisted Fate Swain, Pyke Rek’Sai, Gwen Sejuani, Heimerdinger Norra, Twisted Fate Annie, Rumble Vayne, Zed Hecarim, Azir Xerath)
There’s a lot of diversity in tier 2, with a couple of decks like Gwen Quinn and Gangplank Sejuani contending for low Tier 1.
Zilean Nasus joins Tier 2. The Vaults of Helia deck has been showing potential as players test out different versions on the ranked ladder.
Meme Tier











This Karma Master Yi Freljord deck tries to make Serene Sky-Singer work. Unfortunately, it’s sitting at around 40% win rate in the last 2 days.
The deck wants to activate Serene Sky-Singer’s ability, allowing you to start playing cards for a cheaper mana cost. Feel The Rush can summon a Karma on the board, and with a Winter’s Breath, you’ll be able to wipe out your opponent’s board.
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: Annie Jhin. The aggressive deck has been putting up good numbers since Patch 4.2 landed. Its capability of beating a lot of the most-played decks makes it one of the best decks to play on the ranked ladder.
Overplayed: Teemo Caitlyn. Apparently, the mushroom deck has a fan base. The archetype has been in the top 21 most-played decks for quite a while. However, performance-wise, it hasn’t been holding up well, barely keeping a 47% win rate.
Underplayed: Miss Fortune Twisted Fate. The aggressive burn deck has a great matchup table, beating decks like Jayce Lux, Heimerdinger Jayce, Ryze IO, and Annie Jhin.
Hidden Gems:











I’ve been enjoying this Braum Fiora Warmothers deck. I’ve played a total of 35 games with this list and held a 62.86% win rate.
The deck runs ramp cards like Winter’s Touch and Wild Mysticism to accelerate your game plan. Early units like Troll Scavenger, Blocking Badgerbear, Fiora, and Braum are there to buy you time until you cast Warmother’s Call.
Warmother’s Call will start summoning units from your deck at the start of every turn. Cards like Cithria, Lady of the Clouds or Tianna Crownguard are good pick-ups to start putting pressure. Cithria can buff up your whole board, allowing you to challenge and kill your opponent’s board while also threatening to set up a lethal attack.
Tianna Crownguard’s Rally effect can be the final nail in the coffin. The additional attack might be too much for your opponent to handle, especially if Cithria has already buffed the board.
Balance Watch: Albus Ferros. The damage buff on Albus Ferros has created an aggressive burn Jayce Lux playstyle. If you’re not killing Albus Ferros on the spot, you’ll end up taking a lot of Nexus damage, especially in the late game.
Most Popular Archetypes












Jayce Lux’s win rate has dropped after the meta adapted and actively started countering the deck. It still maintains the highest play rate and holds a 53.65% win rate across all ranks.
Good Matchups: Garen Jarvan IV, Ryze IO, Heimerdiner Jayce.
Bad Matchups: Annie Jhin, Jax Ornn, Taliyah Ziggs.










Garen Jarvan IV has kept up a solid performance on the ranked ladder, holding a 54.79% win rate across all ranks and a 53.5% win rate in the Master rank. The Targon Kayle version has a lower play rate and a win rate of 53.24%.
Good Matchups: Evelynn Kai’Sa, Ryze IO, Annie Jhin.
Bad Matchups: Jayce Lux, Heimerdinger Jayce, Taliyah Ziggs.

















Annie Jhin quickly went to the top 3 most-played decks and holds the highest win rate among the top 21 decks. The archetype is one of the best choices to counter the top-tier decks, and its win rate proves that. Annie Jhin has a 58.54% win rate across all ranks and a 59.2% win rate in the Master rank.
Good Matchups: Jayce Lux, Ryze IO, Jax Ornn.
Bad Matchups: Garen Jarvan IV, Heimerdinger Jayce, Kayle Leona.













Evelynn Kai’Sa is the fourth most-played deck with a 51.49% win rate across all ranks and a 52.1% win rate in the Master rank.
Good Matchups: Jayce Lux, Heimerdiner Jayce, Ryze IO.
Bad Matchups: Annie Jhin, Jax Ornn, Garen Jarvan IV.















Ryze Ionia is in the top 5 most played decks, with a 49.6% win rate across all ranks and a 50.8% win rate in the Master rank.
Good Matchups: Jax Ornn, Evelynn Viego, Azir Xerath.
Bad Matchups: Garen Jarvan IV, Annie Jhin, Azir Irelia.











Jax Ornn’s ability to beat popular decks on the ranked ladder has contributed to its high win rate. The equipment-oriented deck has a 55.34% win rate across all ranks and a 54.4% win rate in the Master rank.
Good Matchups: Jayce Lux, Garen Jarvan IV, Evelynn Kai’Sa.
Bad Matchups: Annie Jhin, Ryze IO, Azir Irelia.











Heimerdinger Jayce’s play rate has dropped, but it’s still performing well in the meta. The deck has a 54.6% win rate across all ranks and a 54.7% win rate in the Master rank.
Good Matchups: Garen Jarvan IV, Ryze IO, Annie Jhin.
Bad Matchups: Evelynn Kai’Sa, Taliyah Ziggs, Kalista Nocturne.











Ziggs Taliyah has been a popular anti-meta choice on the ranked ladder. The archetype has a 54.86% win rate across all ranks and a 54.5% win rate in the Master rank.
Good Matchups: Garen Jarvan IV, Heimerdinger Jayce, Jayce Lux.
Bad Matchups: Annie Jhin, Jax Ornn, Evelynn Viego.











Pyke Rek’Sai maintains a positive win rate on the second week of Patch 4.2. It has a 52.44% win rate across all ranks.
Good Matchups: Evelynn Kai’Sa, Ryze IO, Jax Ornn.
Bad Matchups: Jayce Lux, Annie Jhin, Taliyah Ziggs.











Azir Irelia is in the top 10 most-played decks. It has a 52.83% win rate across all ranks.
Good Matchups: Ryze IO, Taliyah Ziggs, Jax Ornn.
Bad Matchups: Garen Jarvan IV, Annie Jhin, Evelynn Lucian.











Champions (6)


landmarks (9)



Zilean Nasus is one of the new rising decks that take advantage of the Vaults of Helia. The archetype has a 49.8% win rate across all ranks.
Good Matchups: Jayce Lux, Garen Jarvan IV, Azir Irelia.
Bad Matchups: Ryze IO, Annie Jhin, Jax Ornn.













Evelynn Viego has the highest win rate compared to other Evelynn decks. The archetype has a 54.42% win rate across all ranks and a 53.1% win rate in the Master rank.
Good Matchups: Taliyah Ziggs, Jax Ornn, Kayle Leona.
Bad Matchups: Ryze IO, Annie Jhin, Heimerdinger Jayce.











Gangplank Sejuani is maintaining a good win rate on the ranked ladder. It has an almost even matchup against most of the decks, making it a safe choice for the ranked ladder. It has a 55.17% win rate across all ranks and a 54.8% win rate in the Master rank.
Good Matchups: Jayce Lux, Evelynn Kai’Sa, Pyke Rek’Sai.
Bad Matchups: Lucian Evelynn, Garen Kayle, Nasus Zilean.











Gwen Quinn rises to the top 20 most-played decks with a solid performance. The Demacia Shadow Isles deck beats a lot of the top performers in the meta. It has a 55.24% win rate across all ranks.
Good Matchups: Jayce Lux, Heimerdinger Jayce, Ryze IO.
Bad Matchups: Garen Jarvan IV, Jax Ornn, Taliyah Ziggs.











Teemo Caitlyn continues to underperform on the ranked ladder. It has a 46.61% win rate across all ranks and a 47.4% win rate in the Master rank.
Good Matchups: Ryze IO, Azir Xerath, Azir Irelia.
Bad Matchups: Jayce Lux, Garen Jarvan IV, Annie Jhin.










Champions (6)


landmarks (6)



Azir Xerath has a bad matchup table, making it difficult to maintain a win rate above 50%. It currently has a 47.94% win rate across all ranks.
Good Matchups: Jayce Lux, Heimerdinger Jayce, Zilean Nasus.
Bad Matchups: Ryze IO, Annie Jhin, Garen Jarvan IV.











Spells (21)


















Seraphine Twisted Fate Viktor still has a low win rate on the ranked ladder. It has a 46.81% win rate across all ranks and a 47.2% win rate in the Master rank.
Good Matchups: Annie Jhin, Azir Irelia, Pyke Rek’Sai.
Bad Matchups: Jayce Lux, Evelynn Kai’Sa, Ryze IO.
Closing Words
New decks are still attempting to push their way into the meta, trying to exist against popular decks like Jayce Lux, Garen Jarvan IV, and Annie Jhin.
This is it for this week’s Meta Report; I’ll see you at the next one!