A big thing that separates Legends Of Runeterra from other games in the same genre like Hearthstone and Magic The Gathering: Arena is the use of League of Legends champions as special cards that players can build their decks around.
These champions are usually absolute game-changers but, just like with every game, some of them are just better or more useful than others.
10 Teemo
Teemo manages to be the bane of most players' existence in two games now. Teemo is a 1 mana cost champion with one point in both attack and health, shouldn't be too hard to deal with. Teemo also has the elusive trait, meaning he can only be blocked by other elusive characters, and when he attacks the nexus of his enemy he gives his opponent 5 puffcaps.
Teemo levels up once his opponent has 15 puff caps in their deck and gains one point in both attack and health making it 2 each and whenever he attacks the enemy's nexus, he now doubles the number of puffcaps they have.
9 Darius
Darius is basically the stereotypical offensive champion, all power with his playstyle built around attacking hard and often, but with no the best stats in defense. Darius costs 6 mana and has 6 points in attack and 5 in health when not levelled up.
Darius also has the overwhelm trait, so any extra damage that a card that blocks him takes, does damage to the enemy nexus. Darius levels up when the opponent's nexus is at 10 or below and now has 10 points in attack.
8 Karma
Karma is a champion that you get the most out of by playing her as soon as you can. Karma is a 6 cost champion from the Ionia region with 4 points in attack and 3 in health. While she hasn't levelled up at the end of every round she will produce a random spell in your hand.
Karma levels up when her user is enlightened, meaning that the player has reached ten mana crystals. Levelled up Karma has 5 points in attack and 4 in health and now when you cast a spell, it is cast again and if it is targeted has the same targets.
7 Fiora
Fiora is a champion that if you see your enemy play, you need to take them out as soon as possible. Fiora is a 3 mana cost champion with 3 points in both attack and health. Fiora levels up when she kills two enemy characters without dying, where she will have a 4 in attack and a 4 in health.
If Fiora is able to kill 2 more enemy characters without dying, this will instantly win the game for her player, regardless of the nexus damage their opponent sustained.
6 Garen
Garen is a 5 mana champion from Demica with 5 points in health and 5 points in attack. Garen has the regeneration trait, meaning that if he takes damage in a round, as long as he survives to the end of the round, he will completely regenerate at the start of the next one.
Garen also a part of the elite classification, meaning he will benefit from any spells that affect them. Garen levels up after striking twice and will gain one point in attack and health. Garen will now also provide a rally with each round, meaning you can attack during both.
5 Yasuo
Yasuo is a 5 cost from the Ionia region with a four in both attack and health. Yasuo also has the quick attack trait, meaning that when he is attacking, he will strike first, killing the enemy if he is able to, meaning he can potentially negate any damage from a blocker.
Yasuo can also damage any enemy that is stunned or recalled for two damage before levelling up. Yasuo levels up when you have stunned or recalled 5 characters and now does his amount of attack points instead of two damage to stunned or recalled enemies.
4 Katarina
Katarina is a three cost champion from Noxus with 3 points in attack and three in health. Katarina also has the quick attack trait and when summoned she puts a fleeting Blade's edge in had that can do one damage to anything and costs one mana to use.
Katarina levels up by striking, not just attacking. If Katarina strikes an enemy, even if it has more health, she will automatically level up and return to your hand after dealing damage. Katarina can be resummoned and will rally, giving you the chance to stack again and will always return to your hand after striking.
3 Swain
Swain is a 5 cost champion from the Noxus region with 3 points in attack and 6 in health which is a fairly big disparity. Swain also has the fearsome trait, so characters with less than three points in attack can't block him and if he hits the enemy nexus, he will cast an additional three damage on it.
Swain levels up after dealing 12 non-combat damage, meaning anything with spells or traits. Once levelled up, if he strikes the enemy nexus he will damage all enemies and the nexus for 3 hit points and stun them.
2 Nautilus
Nautilus is a Bildgewater champion who before levelling up has 0 points in attack and 12 in health with both the toughness and fearsome traits. Nautilius levels up when his player is Deep, which means that they have half their total amount of cards in their deck.
When you are deep Nautalis will level up and gain 13 attack points and will have 13 health points. This along with his toughness trait that reduces one damage from all sources makes him nearly impossible to take down.
1 Maokai
Maokai is kind of the opposite of Nautilis as he is weak in terms of his stats but it's what he does when he levels up that makes him very dangerous. Maokai has 1 point in power and 4 points in health and levels up when 25 cards have either been killed or tossed.
After you do this and have Maokai on the field he will level up and will remove all but 4, non-champion cards from your deck, making it 4 draws until your opponent loses.