Legends of Runeterra is a free-to-play game for players that do not like pay to win games. It has an easy enough format that anyone can understand the game with a little practice. Runeterra was structured with enough simplicity to attract new players while having enough depth and complexity to be a competitive card game.
Beginners will want to start out by playing the tutorials and getting a feel for the unique style of gameplay in Runeterra. Before jumping into a match, all new players should at least understand the most basic principles of the game. This guide will cover all of the important things beginners will need to know before they challenge opponents in online matches.
Units And Spells
Units
Legends of Runeterra includes two distinct types of cards, spells and units. To play a card, players will need to have enough mana. The mana cost for each card is located at the top left corner of the card. There are two separate types of unit cards, champion units, and follower units. Each of these cards has both a power rating (bottom left) and a health rating (bottom right). Health refers to the amount of damage each card can sustain. Power indicates the total damage the card will inflict to an enemy unit, or to the enemy nexus.
Spells
The other type of card in the game is a spell card. These cards will be either fast, slow, or burst spells. Fast spells can be played while on offense or defense. However, fast spells will give opponents the opportunity to respond with a fast spell before their turn is over. If an opponent counters, the spells will be cast from left to right on the screen.
On the contrary, slow spells can only be played during that gamer's turn. Confusingly, burst spells are even faster than fast spells. They can be cast at any time and the effects are immediate. As a result, burst spells are a crucial asset for players in a match.
Playing A Match
At the beginning of every match, gamers will draw four cards, of which all four can be replaced. The most effective method is to swap out any cards that have higher mana costs, as players will not have sufficient mana at the start of a match. There are different decks in Runeterra, and players will have a better understanding of what cards are the most useful after gaining some experience.
Attacking And Defending Dynamics
Gamers will know if they are the attacker if there is a gold sword on the right side of the screen. To start each match, both players will draw one card. In each round, both players can play cards, but only the attacker can initiate an offensive move. However, the defender can respond with cards to absorb the damage from an attack.
Card Limitations
Players may only have six active units at a time. Each player will also only be able to hold up to ten cards at once. Gamers will not want to draw more than ten cards, as the drawn card will be discarded. If players have ten cards, they will want to assess if there are any cards in their hand with a low utility.
Mana In Runeterra
To begin the game, both players will start with just one mana. Every round, both players will receive one additional mana point. Players that finish a turn with extra mana will lose their base mana, which is converted into spell mana. Spell mana is automatically used before base mana when players cast a spell. However, spell mana cannot be used when attacking with a unit. Base mana is capped at 10, and spell mana is capped at 3.
How To Win The Match
Each player will begin the match with a total of 20 health. To defeat the opposing player, gamers will need to take down all 20 of the player's health, which is called the nexus. Another way to win a match is if an opposing player depletes their deck and has no other cards to draw.
Matches that last 40 rounds will end in a draw. Players should look to the eye on the left side of the screen, which will show the totality of the unit and spell attacks during a round. This is especially useful when there are multiple spells and attacks happening at once. The eye will help players react to and anticipate an opponent's every move.
Getting Started
Beginners should get to know the basics of Runeterra by playing against the AI or in unranked matches against other players. After completing the tutorials, gamers will have preconstructed decks they can use in matches. It is generally a good idea to play unranked until players understand the basics of the game and can construct a deck of their own.
Expedition Playlist
Once gamers feel comfortable and have a deck that has won them matches, they can dabble in the ranked playlist. Players that win will gain league points and players that lose will fall in the rankings. There is an additional playlist called the Expedition mode. In this mode, players will need to draft their own deck to use in a competitive match. The mode levels the playing field for players with middle to low-tier decks.
The expedition mode is best suited for players that have a high-level understanding of what cards are needed to compile a successful deck. Gamers that are able to reach seven wins in one of the two expeditions will receive champion cards, wild cards, and shards as a reward. Players that did not quite reach the maximum number of wins will receive fewer chards and lower-rated champions.