News Update For LOR Version 1.02.05

Riot Games has officially launched Legends of Runeterra, and with its release, several new champions have climbed the tier list ranks quickly.

The number of LoR decks being crafted continues to grow each day, whether it’s an older build getting tweaked with new cards or a completely new concept deck. And while the meta is still largely “under construction,” there are a few champions who have stood out from the crowd following the Rising Tides release in Patch 1.0.

We’ve compiled a “rough” list of S, A, and B-tier champions based on win-rate percentages and versatility. But take these rankings with a slight “grain of salt,” as the meta will likely continue to shift over the next few weeks. And until the bugs get fixed for VI and Lee Sin, along with Swain and Sejuani proc issues, it’s rather difficult to say where these champions will fit into the new LoR meta.

Despite bug issues, though, several existing and new champions have been dominating the ranked ladder since launch. And until the meta shifts again with the next patch, here’s the best LoR champion tier list from Patch 1.0.

S-tier

Sometimes referred to as the “God Tier,” S-Tier champions produce exceptional win-rates while also being versatile in a number of archetypes built around the skill of that champion.

• Quinn
• Miss Fortune
• Elise
• Nautilus
• Ezreal
• Karma

Miss Fortune is an ideal example of this, proving her dominance in the recent Bannerman Scout build, but also slotting into decks utilizing Gangplank, Swain, and Sejuani.

A champion like Quinn, on the other hand, has a solid win-rate in Bannerman Scout but seems to underperform in other Scout archetypes. And Nautilus only works in self-mill decks utilizing Deep. But because of their win-rates within their builds, these new champions are worth crafting and playing.

Several champions from the LoR open beta have retained their S-tier status, despite the addition of over 120 cards via Rising Tides. Elise continues to dominate via the Spider package in Aggro while Ezreal and Karma builds are still tearing up meta decks on the ranked ladder.

A-tier

The only difference between and S-tier and A-tier champion in LoR is a win-rate consistency. The number of A-tier champs following Patch 1.0 is lower than normal, due to bugs that are plaguing several champions.

• Teemo
• Draven
• VI
• Heimerdinger
• Twisted Fate

Teemo is still rocking that mushroom Burn strategy, but it’s Draven who has once again grabbed the spotlight. Aggro and Burn builds got a nice boost with Rising Tides, and both of these champions are excelling because of it. Draven seems to dominate more when played as the only champion, as seen in Swimstrim’s new Aggro Burn deck that has a decent win percentage on the ranked ladder.

Aggro builds weren’t the only decks dominating the meta after launch, though. Heimerdinger and VI are stirring up some trouble together within Control while Twisted Fate has proved himself worthy in just about any spell heavy archetype. Expect VI to stick around in the A-tier, even after her bug gets fixed.

B-tier

B-tier champions are worth crafting and building around but often fall short on consistency, especially when the build is reliant upon the champions entering a match on a curve.

• Sejuani
• Swain
• Lee Sin
• Yasuo
• Jinx
• Fiora
• Gangplank

As mentioned previously, the B-tier is a tad stacked this week due to bugs that have skewed the statistics a bit. Sejuani and Swain have a ton of potential and are super strong when they pop off. But for now, decks built around them are slightly clunky and inconsistent.

Yasuo has been B-tier since the LoR open beta and should advance up a rank by the next patch. Several cards within Rising Tides have improved decks that are built around Yasuo, it’s just that the champion hasn’t seen enough gameplay yet to determine if the adjustments were good enough.

Gangplank also has a good amount of potential but seems limited to his exploding barrels theme. And Jinx hasn’t shifted much despite not getting played much at all since launch. But keep a close eye on Fiora, especially when she is paired with the new Rising Tides spell, Unyielding Spirit.

The next LoR update is scheduled for May 12 in which many of the champion bugs should get resolved. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, it’s possible that delays may occur.

Update 5/05/2020 at 12:20pm CT: A hotfix was applied to Sejuani, Vi, Twisted Fate, and Lee Sin that corrected known issues with the Rising Tides champions.