Top Five Lineups for the Runeterra Open – Patch 4.3

The Runeterra Open tournament is set to take place tomorrow, and players are finalizing their lineups for the event. This is an important tournament, where players will compete against each other to secure a position in the top 64 and qualify for the Day 2 of the tournament.

As this tournament will feature players from various ranks, it is crucial to be prepared for a wide range of lineups. It’s important to choose a lineup you’re comfortable with and to ensure that the matchup table of each deck in the lineup complements each other.

Samira is one champion that has been a staple in every lineup. This means that you should expect facing against a specific Samira deck. The two most prevalent Samira decks currently in the meta are Fizz Samira and Leona Samira, although it’s worth noting that Samira Varus Riven is also gaining some traction among players. As such, it’s crucial to have a strategy in place for countering these decks to maximize your chances of success.

Here are five lineups you can consider bringing for tomorrow’s Runeterra Open.

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The Successful Lineup

Karma Sett

Fizz Samira

Jack Seraphine

• Good against: Ashe LeBlanc, Fizz Samira.
• Ban recommendation: Vayne Aatrox, Gwen Quinn, Leona Samira, Karma Sett.
• Other fitting decks: Caitlyn Seraphine BC, Samira Leona.

This lineup has gained popularity in the tournament scene and even won the MasteringRuneterra tournament. It’s an all-around solid lineup that performs well against the majority of the meta. The control decks Seraphine Jack and Karma Sett aim to maintain board control and prolong the game until their win condition is achieved.

Samira Fizz, on the other hand, boasts one of the best matchup tables in the game, making it a versatile inclusion for any lineup. The addition of Powder Pandominum grants an advantage in the mirror matchup and against decks that lack healing cards.

To succeed with this lineup, it is crucial to target Ashe LeBlanc and Fizz Samira decks. Demacia’s midrange decks present a threat to your decks as they can apply mid-game pressure. Although Leona Samira can be a slightly challenging matchup, I recommend banning a Demacia deck over the aggressive Leona archetype.

I’ve been playing a lot of Caitlyn Seraphine Kennen BC instead of Jack Seraphine, and it’s been performing solidly well in Gauntlets. So it can be a consideration if you’re more comfortable with the Bandle City version that uses the Catastrophe win condition. Gnar can be a replacement for Caitlyn if you’re looking to play Caitlyn in a different deck. Additionally, Gnar might be more useful in slower matchups like Karma Sett.

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Midrange Anti-Meta Lineup

Aatrox Vayne Quinn

Garen Jarvan IV

Samira Leona

• Good against: Karma Sett, Jack Seraphine, and Fizz Samira.
• Ban recommendation: Ashe LeBlanc
• Other fitting decks: Illaoi Jarvan IV, Gwen Quinn.

This midrange lineup focuses on beating popular decks that players are likely to encounter on the first day of the open rounds. Decks like Fizz Samira, Jack Seraphine, and Karma Sett will be present in almost every lineup, and this lineup looks to beat them down.

Aatrox Vayne and Garen Jarvan IV are built to dominate the board presence and slam down the opponent’s Nexus. Garen Jarvan IV is especially effective at establishing an aggressive board and can overpower slower decks that depend on reaching the late game. Vayne Aatrox, on the other hand, employs challenger units like Valor and Petricite Broadwing to pick off enemy units and establish a board presence, setting up a powerful late-game Aatrox’s World Ender play.

Leona Samira complements these two decks, as it is specifically designed to beat the same three decks that you are focusing on defeating. Gwen Quinn is also a viable option for this lineup, but including both Gwen Quinn and Vayne Aatrox Quinn necessitates cutting Quinn from the Aatrox deck and adding a Blocking Badgerbear or another suitable alternative.

Illaoi Jarvan IV is another possible addition to the lineup, with an almost identical matchup table to Garen Jarvan IV, making it a matter of personal preference which deck to include.

Although Leona Samira is highly effective against Ashe LeBlanc, the other two decks in this lineup struggle against the midrange Frostbite deck. Therefore, banning Ashe LeBlanc and prioritizing the protection of Demacia decks is crucial.

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Freeze and Stuff Lineup

Ashe LeBlanc

Samira Leona

Heimerdinger Jayce

• Good against: Aatrox Vayne, Garen Jarvan IV, Ashe LeBlanc, and Leona Samira.
• Ban recommendation: Jack Seraphine, Karma Sett, and Fizz Samira.
• Other fitting decks: None

This lineup aims to punish decks that rely on board development to win the game.

Ashe LeBlanc is capable of winning trades with Freezes and dominating the board. On the other hand, Leona Samira primarily relies on stunning enemy units and paving the way for additional attackers to damage the Nexus. Heimerdinger Jayce, meanwhile, generates blockers through Heimerdinger, providing considerable value that may be challenging for the opposing side to keep up with.

However, it is worth noting that this lineup may struggle against Karma Sett and Jack Seraphine, which are currently popular among players. Therefore, it is advisable to ban one of the two and focus on defeating the remaining decks. Although Fizz Samira presents a challenge for Ashe LeBlanc and Heimerdinger Jayce, it is still possible to win, and banning it should not be a top priority.

It’s a risk to bring Ashe LeBlanc, as it’s currently the most popular deck, which means a lot of players will have a counterplan for it. As such, it is not recommended to bring this deck unless you are confident in your ability to succeed in mirror matchups and against Fizz Samira.

I tried finding other decks that would complement this lineup, but I just couldn’t find the right one. I saw players running Gwen Quinn instead of Heimerdinger Jayce, which beats Vayne Aatrox and Fizz Samira. However, it loses hard against Ashe LeBlanc and Samira Leona; it simply didn’t make sense. Taliyah Malphite could be a consideration but it will have a rough time against Leona Samira.

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Ban Samira Lineup

Fizz Samira

Taliyah Malphite

Maokai Nautilus

• Good against: Ashe LeBlanc, Karma Sett
• Ban recommendation: Fizz Samira, Leona Samira
• Other fitting decks: Ashe LeBlanc, Leona Samira

This lineup is solid against midrange decks and can beat the popular Karma Sett deck.

Malphite Taliyah and Maokai Nautilus are two decks that complement each other very well in this lineup. Malphite Taliyah excels against midrange decks with its powerful board stun, setting up a powerful lethal attack. As for Maokai Nautilus, the archetype can keep up with midrange decks, and Maokai’s level-up provides a strong answer to slow control decks such as Karma Sett and Jack Seraphine.

As for the Samira deck, Fizz Samira is the better choice in this lineup. With its ability to counter Karma Sett and Ashe LeBlanc, it’s a solid addition to the lineup. However, Leona Samira might be a better choice if you expect to face Vayne Aatrox and Illaoi Jarvan IV but will have a tougher time against Ashe LeBlanc.

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Triple Aggro Lineup

Fizz Samira

Kayle Leona

Annie Jhin

• Good against: Karma Sett
• Ban recommendation: Annie Caitlyn, Caitlyn Jayce.
• Other fitting decks: change Annie Jhin to anything that can beat Karma Sett.

First things first, I don’t recommend this line-up! However, I wanted to add it to the article since many players prefer aggressive decks. Moreover, running both Leona Noxus and Samira Fizz has been a consideration for many players, and has found success in some tournaments.

When it comes to the third deck, it’s more of a personal choice. You can choose the aggressive Annie Jhin or pick something slower that can beat Karma Sett like Vayne Aatrox, Garen Jarvan IV, or Gnar Seraphine BC (I added a Caitlyn Seraphine BC list above, just change Caitlyn for Gnar).

It’s important to note that while this lineup may be effective against certain decks, it’s risky to rely on aggressive strategies in a diverse meta. It’s recommended to have a well-rounded lineup that can handle a variety of matchups.

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Closing Words

When preparing for open rounds, it’s essential to choose decks that you have confidence in. You will be competing against a wide range of players, and minimizing mistakes is crucial for success. Best of luck to you tomorrow!