Top 7 New Decks from Day 1 of Patch 4.4 – Glory in Navori

A whole day has passed since Patch 4.4 dropped, and the metagame has already experienced changes due to the nerfs to Samira, Fizz, Leona, and Ashe, LeBlanc.

As a result, decks like Deep and Taliyah Malphite have seen more play as there are fewer Samira players around to exploit their matchups.

As for Ashe LeBlanc, the archetype had a strong Day 1 performance, beating most of the emerging midrange decks.

In this article, I’ll share new rising decks that performed well on Day 1 of Patch 4.4.

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Caitlyn Swain

I tested out Caitlyn Swain on the first day of Patch 4.4 and it didn’t disappoint. While this archetype did not receive any significant buffs outside of Advanced Intel, it excels against the current midrange decks that were popular on day 1.

The deck revolves around planting Flashbomb Traps in the opponent’s deck with cards such as Flashbomb Peddler, Sting Officer, and Caitlyn. These traps help control the board and advance Swain’s level-up requirement.

Lord Broadmane is also a powerful addition to the deck with his ability to kill damaged or stunned units, which makes it difficult for the opponent to keep key units alive as long as Lord Broadmane is in play.

You either run your opponent out of resources or you set up one powerful swing with Swain. Finally, Swain and The Leviathan can set up a stun lock, which, combined with tools like Stylish Shot, Mystic Shot, and Pirouette, can stun the opponent’s units and go for a lethal attack.

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Teemo Tristana Noxus

We expected Teemo Tristana to be a popular choice on the first day of Patch 4.4. The aggressive deck definitely showed up and was one of the best performers on day 1.

If you’re looking for an aggressive deck to replace Samira Leona, look no further! Teemo Tristana Noxus looks to swarm the board with low-cost multi-region units and start chipping away at the opponent’s Nexus.

Once Tristana levels up, she grants newly played units the Impact keyword, allowing you to set up slow-burn damage on the opponent’s Nexus. The buff to Bandle Gunners makes it possible to play the unit at a cheaper mana cost, creating an opportunity for more plays on one specific turn and ensuring that you threaten to deal Impact damage with Bandle Gunners.

Cards like Brothers’ Bond, Might, and Noxian Fervor allow you to sneak in additional damage, with Noxian Fervor being the only burn card in the deck. As for Might, it’s ideal to play the card on either Tristana or Bandle Gunners, the Might damage might be too difficult for the opponent to deal with and just what you’ll need to close out the game.

Other versions have been running Samira instead of Teemo to take advantage of the Flair she creates.

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Shen Jarvan IV

The good old barrier midrange deck appeared on the first day and has put up an exceptional performance!

In the early game, the deck relies on Greenglade Caretaker, Kinkou Student, Petricite Broadwing, and Shen to put pressure on the opponent. The units synergize with Barriers, allowing you to set up powerful attacks with the safety of Shen’s Barrier.

Defensive tools such as Moral Support, Riposte, and Spirit Refuge advance Shen’s level-up condition while providing Barrier protection. Additionally, Kinkou Student gains a Barrier when any unit receives one, allowing two units to be protected with just one card.

A leveled Shen can provide increased damage to Barrier-protected units, making it easier for challenger units like Screeching Dragon to eliminate high-health units. Jarvan IV joins the battlefield at burst speed on turn 6/7, pulling the strongest unit and paving the way for stronger attacks. A leveled Jarvan creates Cataclysm, a strong tool to pick off key units on the opponent’s board.

Winning board presence is crucial for this deck, eventually threatening to destroy the opponent’s Nexus. Single Combat is a cheap removal tool that synergizes well with Barriers.

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Samira Miss Fortune

Aggressive decks are popular on the first day of a new patch, looking to prey on players trying out new decks. This Miss Fortune Samira resembles the old Pirates deck that ran Twisted Fate and Decimate (both cards rotated out).

The deck runs many low-cost units to swarm the board and put a lot of pressure in the early game. Units like Jagged Butcher and Elegant Edge can pose more of a threat when their Plunder effect is activated. This is where Flair and Styling Shot come in handy, allowing you to ping the opponent’s Nexus and create a more threatening board. Managing to strike the Nexus and getting back the Styling Shot is important to keep that ping burn damage available for future attack turns.

Miss Fortune can make it more difficult for the opponent to block with her Love Tap. This can be a nightmare for units with 1 health, as they’ll fail to trade with your units.

The new addition, Brazen Buccaneer, can summon a one-cost ally, allowing it to go wide on the board, and the Brash keyword will make it a challenge for the opponent to block them.

With Decimate out of the picture, Powder Pandemonium has been added as a late-game pressure and burn tool, requiring activation of a couple of Plunder effects and a somewhat empty board to summon more Powder Monkeys.

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Karma Sett Shadow Isles

It seems the buff to Soul Harvest has brought the Karma Sett Shadow Isles players upon us. Although it’s not a new concept, it has seen more play on the first day and has held a solid win rate.

This version of Karma Sett takes advantage of the removal tools like Soul Harvest, Undergrowth, Vengeance, and The Ruination that the Shadow Isles region offers. I’d love to tell you that this will be the worst of your worries going up against this deck, but Shadow Isles also provides the ability to revive dead champions through Mist’s Call and The Rekindler.

The main objective is to prolong the game until turn 10, at which point both Karma and Sett will start taking over the game. Karma will offer additional value with her double cast ability, while Sett will create the Show Stopper, allowing you to obliterate units and dominate the board.

The Frejlord and Targon versions saw more play as well. The Freljord version takes advantage of ramp cards to level up Karma faster and has held up well on the first day of Patch 4.4.

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Jax Tristana

Another version of a Tristana deck that performed well is the Jax Tristana deck. This deck is capable of swarming the board with low-cost units, putting early pressure on the opponent.

The list runs a lot of multi-region units and Improvise units to help level up both your champions. Your ability to create equipment will level up Jax and turn him into a win condition with his Overwhelm keyword. Additionally, giving Tristana Upcycles Rake or Fishawhack will turn her into an immediate threat. The scout weapon allows her to go for double attacks per turn, while Overwhelm weapon will ensure you’ll dish out tons of Nexus damage, potentially ending the game.

Similarly, Bandle Gunners with a weapon can be a scary sight; the Impact damage along with an Overwhelm weapon can prove to be too much for the opponent to deal with.

Fish Fight and Buster Shot are cheap tools to deal with pesky units that play a role in your opponent’s game plan.

Some versions are running Yordles in Arms and have been performing well too, so it’s a consideration to add to the list.

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Illaoi Jarvan IV

Illaoi Jarvan IV isn’t a new deck in the meta; it has existed in the previous patch as an anti-meta deck and demonstrated respectable performance. However, I wanted to share it in the article as it had one of the best performances on the first day and is currently a great choice for a ladder climb.

The Illaoi Jarvan IV deck uses Tentacles to buff up the power of Illaoi and set up strong attacks. The Overwhelm damage on Illaoi can be daunting for a lot of decks, especially if there’s a buffy Tentacle on the board. The Cataclysm allows you to accelerate your game plan, using your Overwhelm damage to good use for a second attack, potentially destroying the opponent’s Nexus.

Nagakabours is another win condition that requires a Tentacle with 12 or more power to initiate an overpowering attack that may be difficult for the opponent to counter.

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Closing Words

We’re still in the experimental phase, with decks such as Fizz Samira and Varus Samira maintaining decent performance on the ranked ladder despite the nerfs. Ashe LeBlanc has been performing well in the first-day meta, out-competing the rising midrange decks. Although Moondreamer and Targonian Tellstones received buffs, they have yet to provide enough boost for Invoke archetypes like Diana Aurelion Sol.

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