Legends of Runeterra Standard Meta Tier List – Best Ladder Decks

LoR Meta Tier List

• ‘Staple’ – this is a well-known archetype with a significant play rate and win rate;
• ‘Dark Horse’ – it is an underplayed or emerging deck, with a power level high enough to be placed on the Tier List.
• The order of decks within Tiers doesn’t matter (i.e., decks that share ‘Tier 2 Staple’ ranking are not arranged by power level within that rank).

Meta Overview

Patch 5.1 introduced a couple of nerfs to top-performing decks like Morgana Galio Elder Dragon and Morgana Mordekaiser, toning down their overall power and giving more room for other decks to shine.

Additionally, the patch included buffs to Kai'Sa, Nilah, Udyr, and Nami, offering them a light boost to perform in the upcoming meta. The adjustments to Master Yi and Samira emphasized their early-game strength, encouraging players to explore these champions across different playstyles.

Check the latest Patch notes here.

Tier 1 Staple

Gwen Zed

Deck Code: CECQCBACBYBACAQGBEBACBIVCYBAMAQDBECQMBIMCAKCMKICAEBQKBABAYCQ4AA

Gwen Zed has been crushing it after the nerfs to the top-performing decks. The Ephemeral deck was already a good contender in the previous meta, leveraging the Ephemeral aggression and keeping pressure on opponents, making it difficult for them to set up their game plan.

Its ability to beat decks like Pyke Rek'Sai, Morgana Galio Elder Dragon, and Caitlyn Teemo FR quickly made it the most-played deck with a 54.3% win rate. However, it struggles against aggressive decks like Annie Jhin.

Annie Jhin

Deck Code: CUEQCAIDFAAQEBR4AECASDIBAUAQMAIGAIBQCBQMAIAQOAYOAIBAGAYEAMDAGDAPFEBACAIEBUAQMAQPAA

Annie Jhin closely tails Gwen Zed in popularity and has even surpassed it on occasion. The fact that Annie Jhin can crush the Gwen Zed matchup makes it one of the best decks to take for a ladder climb, boasting an impressive win rate of 56.12%.

If you favor aggressive style decks, then Annie Jhin is just the right deck to play in the Standard meta. It's capable of going wide on the board and stunning opponent's units to set up stronger attacks. Annie Jhin also has an edge against popular matchups like Pyke Rek'Sai, Viego Morderkaiser Elder Dragon, and Ashe LeBlanc.

Annie Jhin faces problems against decks like Seraphine Sett, Karma Sett, Kennen Jinx, and Janna Nilah since they can match the early aggression and have the low-cost damage spells to shut down Annie Jhin's attacks.

Tier 1 Dark Horse

Ashe LeBlanc

Deck Code: CEBQEBADAQHQGAIDDIPSCBIBAECAWHRGFECACBADBAAQMAISAEEACEYCAEARMKQA

I didn't expect Ashe LeBlanc to hold one of the highest win rates on the ranked ladder with 56.03%. Although the deck struggles against both Gwen Zed and Annie Jhin, it seems to be putting up a good fight against the rest of the meta.

The Freeze archetype can be a hassle for decks like Pyke Rek'Sai, Master Yi Nami, and Caitlyn Teemo FR to deal with.

Kennen Jinx

Deck Code: CQCQCBAECAAQMCQ2AEDQIBIEAECAYKBNGQCAKCR2JZKJCAICAECQUWYBA4FASAQBA4CASAQBAQASM

Kennen Jinx is another aggressive deck with a high win rate of 60.3%. It falls under Tier 1 Dark Hose as it beats the top meta decks but still doesn't have the play rate to be considered a Staple in the meta.

Taking a look at Kennen Jinx's matchup table, the archetype is beating most of the meta decks, which qualifies it as a solid consideration to take for your ladder climb. Its bad matchups are Seraphine Sett and Norra Elder Dragon.

Tier 2 Staple

Morgana Galio Elder Dragon

Deck Code: CUDQCAIADUAQOAAQAEEASAYBBABQGAQGAAWDAAQIAAFBIAYFAAGBEFACAECQACIBBAEQKAYBAUAAUAIFAIKACCAMBY

Despite the nerfs to Morgana and Sai'nen Thousand-Tailed, Morgana Galio Elder Dragon continues to perform well on the ranked ladder. Players have cut out Mageseeker Inquisitor and Sai'nen Thousand-Tailed for Blocking Badgerbear and Ballen the Benevolent.

It looks like the community is not going to get rid of the GEM deck that easily. The main reason GEM is still performing well is because it crushes decks like Ashe LeBlanc, Seraphine Sett, Caitlyn Teemo FR, and Master Yi Nami.

Pyke Rek'Sai

Deck Code: CMCACBQGFUAQMBYFAQCAMAIDAUHQMBAHCMLECRCKKAAQCBAHAEAQEBAHHNCQ

Pyke Rek'Sai players continue to keep the archetype part of any meta we're in. The Lurk archetype is keeping a respectable win rate of 52.67%.

Although Pyke Rek'Sa is losing to Gwen Zed and Annie Jhin, the Lurk players are managing to beat other matchups they go up against, contributing to the win rate staying above 50%.

Master Yi Nami

Deck Code: CICQCAQGBYAQGBQRAEDQEEICAUDAKCYEAYBAQDIOEICQCAQGDAAQEAQKAEBQEFABAYBCAAIIAYLQEAIBAIYQEAQCAUEA

With buffs to Master Yi and Nami in Patch 5.1, players have been experimenting with different archetypes, trying to find the best decks for those champions. If you're the type of player who enjoys buffed-up elusives, then this deck might be right up your alley.

However, Nami Master Yi is struggling to keep up with the meta decks, barely holding a 50% win rate.

Karma Sett IO Seraphine Sett IO

Deck Code: CQCQCAICFEAQCBBUAEBAEBIBBACASBAHAIFRCEYUA4AQGAQUAEBQICYBAUBAMAIFAQTACBQECIAQQCQGAEEAICACAEAQEMIBAYCC4

Deck Code: EQBQCBQECUAQOAQLAEEAICIFAEAQINABAIBAKAIDAIKACBQCEAAQOAQUBMAQCARRAEAQIIIBAMCAWAIEAQDQCBQCEQAQQCQGAIDQEEITAIDQICIWAIEAIAQIAQCQICQRDATAKBQEBEJCQKZO

Karma Sett and Seraphine Sett managed to dodge nerfs to their Sunken Temple, keeping their clutches onto the meta as potent control archetypes.

With the rise of decks like Gwen Zed, Annie Jhin, and Kennen Jinx, Karma Sett and Seraphine Sett should be able to prey on those decks with their low-cost spells, making sure they struggle to set up their early-game aggression.

Teemo Yuumi

Deck Code: EQDQCBQKDIAQMBAUAEEAUAQBBACAKAQBAQEDIAQHAQCQSBAFBICR3DIBU4AQCAIGBIUAEAIHBIEQCCAGDQ

The nerf to Yuumi was just a slap on the wrist for the elusive Teemo Yuumi deck. The archetype can still build a frightening elusive pressure, difficult for many decks to deal with. It remains a Tier 2 deck, with a 54.11% win rate.

Caitlyn Teemo FR

Deck Code: EECACAIBAQAQQAITAICQIBQOAQAQICAZGQ5AMAIBAQ2QCBABBIAQKBACAEEACGABBACBQAQBAEPCUAQBAEAQCAIEAQDQ

Caitlyn Teemo Frejlord is desperately trying to stay relevant in the meta, holding a 51% win rate. It has an awful matchup experience against the top performers like Annie Jhin and Gwen Zed.

Janna Nilah

Deck Code: EICACAIEGQAQEBQJAMEAMCAXDECQQBABAIEBEFACAEDQIBICBACAKEYEAECAICYBAYCBIAIHAQEQCCAGB4

Nilah received a tiny buff in Patch 5.1 and hey, we take those! Getting to level up Nilah on 15 card draws could change some scenarios from losing to winning games! Janna Nilah has a 53.19% win rate and beats popular decks like Annie Jhin, Gwen Zed, Pyke Rek'Sai, and Ashe LeBlanc. Some versions also include Sunkin Temple in the list.

Tier 2 Dark Horse

Darius Gnar

Deck Code: CQEQCAIBCYAQCAZIAEBACBQBAIBQKAIFBKQQCAIFAEDACBQDFEAQOAIQAEEACEYEAEAQCBIBAQAQUAIHAMHAGAIDBMGSMAIBAYARQ

Seems like the Overwhelm deck is packing some heavy hits in Patch 5.1. The Gnar Darius deck is rocking a 57.52% win rate on the ranked ladder.

The aggressiveness of Darius Gnar can "overwhelm" a lot of archetypes in the meta like Master Yi Nami, Pyke Rek'Sai, and Caitlyn Teemo FR. It has a nearly even matchup against Annie Jhin. Ashe LeBlanc's Freeze cards are the main weakness of this deck.

Ekko Jinx

Deck Code: CMCQCBQHAUAQOBAJAIAQIKBUAMCAIAIEA4CQIBYBDRGU6UYBAICAOO3NAA

Ekko Jinx is one of those decks that can do wonders if piloted efficiently. It's a difficult deck to master, but can be rewarding.

The change to the Predict mechanic was a power boost to the deck, allowing players to keep Predicted cards on the top of the deck even with a Time Trick play from Ekko.

Ekko Jinx has an overall 57% win rate on the ranked ladder. The fact that it beats the likes of Annie Jhin, Zed Gwen, and Pyke Rek'Sai makes it an amazing choice for a serious ladder climb.

Shyvana Morgana

Deck Code: EUDACAIADIAQKAAMAEDAAMABBABQGAQDAABAWAQIAAGRSBABA4AAKAQDAABQQAQIAAIRUAQIBEBR4AQBBAAAUAIIBQHA

Shyvana Morgana Elder Dragon is continuing a powerful performance despite the nerfs to the Dragon Boons. The deck has a high win rate of 56% on the ranked ladder.

Players are still experimenting with different lists, some are cutting out Mageseeker Inquisitor and Alatis the Gallant from the list for Windsinger and Boadir of Blackened Ice.

Norra Elder Dragon

Deck Code: EUEACAIEAYAQGBQRAECQEBYBAYBRQAIHBIEQCCAKCQBAMCQPCEBQKCRIGHDACAQBAIDBYAIFBLKQCAYBA4FA6AIIBIDACCAMBY

Norra Elder Dragon was hit with a rough nerf to both Dragon Boons and Sai'nen Thousand-Tailed, affecting its overall performance on the ranked ladder. Now it struggled to maintain a 50% win rate and will likely fall off Tier 2 Dark Horse if it doesn't adapt to the meta and nerfs.

Unpopular Choices

If none of these meta choices fit your playstyle, here are two decks with high win rates but aren't seeing too much play on the ranked ladder.

Miss Fortune Quinn

Deck Code: EIDQCAIADUAQEAAGAECQMAIBA4AAKAQFAAFAYAQGAAUS2AYCAYLCQPQDAEAQABQBAIAAUAIHAAHACAIBAAGQ

The Scouts deck is putting up a wonderful performance in Patch 5.1 meta. The archetype excels at dominating the board and putting a lot of early-game pressure. This comes in crucial against fast-paced decks like Gwen Zed, Annie Jhin, Pyke Rek'Sai, and Kennen Jinx.

Teemo Tristana Elder Dragon

Deck Code: CUCACAIEBAAQKAQHAEDQUCIGAUFGA2LQOSTQDNYBAMAQQAYDAICQVBABQUAQEBQJAQRQGAICAYIQCBIK2UAQCCAMBY

Teemo Tristana Elder Dragon maintains a high win rate even after getting hit with a nerf to Sai'nen Thousand-Tailed. The archetype can match the early aggression of Annie Jhin and Kennen Jinx, especially with Pie Toss in its arsenal.

Closing Words

The Standard meta has seen some changes with the nerfs to Mageseeker Inquisitor and Morgana, giving more room for different archetypes to shine. The meta is still developing as players try to figure out the top performers.

I relied on stats from LoR.gg, Ruenterra AR, and llor-stats to create this meta-tier list.