Every card game is based on building your deck with cards that interact as much as possible. Doing that, you might transform some cards that are not considered very good into huge advantages by combining them with others that synergize well. This is a principle on every good card-game, and in Runeterra it’s no different.
However, it's undeniable that some cards are just better than others. They might have more versatile effects or just a better cost-benefit, but there are factors that just make them more useful. Of course everything in card games is situational, but if you are in doubt of what to put on your deck, this list might be a good guide on what to choose.
Champions will not be considered on this list, but they will be referred to when relevant. The list is in no particular order, since their value might be a little subjective. So one card is not necessarily better than the previous ones.
25. Brittle Steel
Brittle Steel frostbites any enemies with 3 or less health, completely neutralizing them. It’s a great deal for just 1 mana, and the fact that it’s a burst spell just makes it better. Great card, especially when paired with Ashe and Sejuani.
- What’s good about this card:
- Very lost cost.
- Great neutralization potential.
- Can be used for attacking enemies without sacrificing your own allies or for defense purposes.
24. Elixir of Iron
A very simple, but very strong card. For just 1 mana, you can give +2 health to any allies on the round it’s played, meaning it can be used for saving a challenged ally, countering damage spells or simply avoiding the sacrifice of your own units. Again, a simple card, but quite versatile.
What’s good about this card:
- Very low cost.
- Can be used for attacking or defending.
- Extremely useful in a pinch.
23. Legion Saboteur
Still keeping with the low-cost cards, this unit is a must when it comes to aggro or burn Noxus decks. It is a 2-1 ally that also deals 1 damage to the enemy nexus every time it attacks, making it possible for you to hit the Nexus for 3 damage in an ideal first turn.
What’s good about this card:
- Can be used in any Noxus decks, especially aggro or burn ones.
- Low-cost unit with the potential of dealing 3 damage to the enemy nexus.
22. Omen Hawk
Omen Hawk is a 1 cost card that is good for taking out smaller units without sacrificing much, or for defending your Nexus from one attack. What makes it viable, though, is the fact that it gives +1/+1 to two units on top of your deck. You can even chain your buffs with another Omen Hawk, and if you manage to buff a good ally like Zed, it’ll give you a huge advantage in the early game.
What’s good about this card:
- Very low cost for buffing two allies with +1/+1
- Can give you an edge if used at the beginning of the game.
21. Icevale Archer
One of the best cost-benefits in the game, Icevale Archer is a 3/1 card that costs 2 mana. That’s pretty regular, but the fact that it also frostbites one of the enemies is what makes it stand out. It works great in any Freljord deck both as a turn 2 unit and a late-game neutralization option.
What’s good about this card:
- Good enough stats for a 2-cost card.
- Frostbites an enemy, neutralizing them for that turn.
- Useful both in the early and late game.
20. Glimpse Beyond
Listen, you might not know this, but drawing cards is good. Glimpse Beyond gives you just that, for the low cost of 2 mana and one dead ally. Since it’s a Shadow Isles card, it can be used on Last Breath followers, making it give you an extra advantage when you need to activate this kind of effect.
What’s good about this card:
- Drawing two cards is great.
- Since it’s a fast spell, it can be used on allies who are about to die by enemies’ attacks or spells.
- Useful for forcibly activating last breath effects.
19. Mystic Shot
Maybe the best damage spell in the game, Mystic Shot deals 2 damage to anything. That means getting rid of enemies, weakening units so your allies can kill them and hitting the enemy Nexus directly. It’s cost is also good, and the synergy in some decks with Ezreal or Powder Kegs can make it even stronger.
What’s good about this card:
- 2 mana for 2 damage.
- Can hit anything, including enemies, the nexus or even your own units.
- Synergy makes it even stronger.
18. Vile Feast
A Shadow Isles alternative to the Mystic Shot, it might not hit as hard as its Piltover & Zaum counterpart, but it does have other effects. Besides draining an unit, which heals you, it also summons a Spiderling. It can be used for accelerating Elise’s level-up and even for activating your own Last Breath units.
What’s good about this card:
- 1 damage to any unit, meaning taking out weaker enemies or even your own allies.
- Heals you for 1.
- Summons a spiderling, which makes it synergize with Elise.
17. Relentless Pursuit
There are few cards that use the Rally keywords, and this might be the best one of them. It allows you to attack when it’s not your turn or to attack twice when it is. It’s an extremely strong card that can turn the game upside down if used correctly. And it’s very cheap for its utility.
What’s good about this card:
- It’s the cheapest Rally card in the game (if you’re not counting a leveled-up Lucian).
- The potential to turn the game around is huge.
- Very useful for combat-focused decks.
16. Shadow Assassin
So, you’re telling me this card costs 3 mana, is 2/2, elusive AND draws a card? Well, sign me the hell up! As discussed earlier, drawing cards is always good, and getting a great unit on the package makes it even better. Shadow Assassin is good for almost any Ionia deck out there.
What’s good about this card:
- Great value package.
- Elusive units are hard to counter, making it either stay on the board for a long time, or making the enemy spend damage spells or challenger units in order to hit it.
- Draws a card for 3 mana.
15. Will of Ionia
Recalling is a very good effect in LoR that might be underestimated at times. Although it’s usually a little more expensive than other neutralizing cards, Will of Ionia can be used to force the opponent to use more mana to summon their unit again and to get them out of the game for a while. It’s also useful for getting rid of buffs, since the allies don’t keep them once they are recalled and summoned again.
What’s good about this card:
- Neutralization option that makes the opponent spend the mana for summoning the unit again.
- Can get rid of buffs.
- Makes you gain time and is specially good against expensive units.
14. Thermogenic Beam
Thermogenic Beam is one of those cards that can either be a last resort or an inconvenience killer. It basically deals whatever mana you still have as damage to a unit. Although it’s not as versatile as the other damage spells on this list, it makes it up by being extremely powerful.
What’s good about this card:
- A lot of damage at once.
- Although slow, it might be hard to counter.
- With Heimerdinger, it can be used to summon his biggest robots early in the game.
13. Greenglade Duo
Although Greenglade Duo has a lot of synergy with elusive decks, it basically works on any deck. Its stats might not seem impressive at first, but the ability to get +1 damage for every summoned ally is extremely good, and the fact that it’s elusive gives it the huge advantage that every other elusive unit has.
What’s good about this card:
- Cheap elusive unit.
- Gains +1 damage for every summoned ally on the same round.
- It can combo with Kinkou Wayfinder, Zed and other summoning mechanics very well.
12. Kinkou Wayfinder
This one is more focused on Ionia, but it’s very strong regardless. The ability to summon two allies from the deck is extremely strong and can combo very well depending on how you build your deck. And the good thing is, you can just recall it to use the ability again. It’s great when it works.
What’s good about this card:
- Summons two allies from your deck when Allegiance is activated.
- Has good enough stats.
11. Swiftwing Lancer
Not a cheap card by any means, but one that has good stats, challenger and creates a unit in your hand. Another very versatile unit with the potential to kill high-health opponents and it even gives you a free elite to boot. Nothing not to love on this one.
What’s good about this card:
- High attack with challenger.
- Enough health to survive smaller units.
- Creates an Elite unit on your hand once it dies.
10. The Rekindler
Definitely a late-game one, but The Rekindler does something that, at least at the moment, is kind of rare in Legends of Runeterra. It revives your strongest dead allied champion, and this means it can bring back one of your biggest cards back from the dead. There are decks that use this card to have two copies of the same champion at once, which is usually impossible by conventional means.
What’s good about this card:
- Revives your strongest champion when summoned.
- Can allow for some crazy combos on specific decks.
9. Windfarer Hatchling
Ok, so listen… Windfarer Hatchling is expensive, but it is elusive and gives all your units a HUGE buff. Depending on how many allies you have on the board, a +2/+2 buff is nothing short of amazing, and the fact that it applies to every summoned unit makes it a must.
What’s good about this card:
- Elusive is always a plus.
- Gives a big buff to all the units on your side of the board.
- Can be a game changer.
8. The Harrowing
You won’t be able to play this card often, but if it’s your turn to attack and your opponent doesn’t stop you, the game is basically yours when you do. What makes this card great is not only the 6 very strong allies it summons, but also the fact that it counts every ally in the current game. That means, your stronger units and your opponent’s strongest units as well.
What’s good about this card:
- Practically guarantees your victory if you manage to use it.
- The strongest revive in the game, even though they’re ephemeral.
7. Eye of The Dragon
Definitely one of the best cards in the rising tides expansion, this 1/3 unit has the ability to summon a 2/1 Dragonling with lifesteal and ephemeral each round as long as you have cast two or more spells in the previous one. An amazing ability for spell-focused decks, and the Attune keyword will give you a little help with some extra mana when Eye of The Dragon is summoned.
What’s good about this card:
- Enough health to survive early game threats.
- Summons a lifesteal ally every round, if you’ve played two spells in the previous one.
- Great for decks with fewer units, giving you the opportunity to summon them with spells.
6. Zap Sprayfin
It’s elusive, gives you spell mana and draws a spell from your deck. What else do you want? It’s a relatively simple card that is not too expensive and can be very useful for drawing that one spell you need.
What’s good about this card:
- Elusive units for life.
- Draws a cheap spell from your deck.
- Attune helps you with the mana needed for the spell you drew.
5. Deep Meditation
Another great card for spell decks, it gets cheaper if you cast two spells on the previous turn and draws two spells from your deck. As stated before, drawing cards is always a good thing in games such as LoR, and this one is focused on drawing spells specifically, which makes sure you know what to expect from your draw.
What’s good about this card:
- Draws two spells.
- Gets cheaper depending on how many spells you drew last round.
- Since it’s burst, it can be used in a pinch to draw your neutralizing or buff spells.
4. Concussive Palm
This is basically an Arachnoid Sentry, but it boasts an advantage that unit doesn’t have: It’s a fast spell. Concussive palm can be used for stunning attacking enemies while summoning a Tail of the Dragon. Besides that, if recalled, Tail of the Dragon becomes Concussive Palm again, which can be used to combo a second stun when you need it.
What’s good about this card:
- Fast spell.
- Can stun enemies at basically any time.
- Summons a 3/2 unit that can be transformed into the spell again.
3. Salvage
Repeat after me: Drawing cards is good. This is a burst draw 2 that rivals Deep Meditation in its use. It does have the apparent downside of tossing 2 cards, but you will either not need them or this will be an advantage for your Deep deck.
What’s good about this card:
- Draws 2 cards.
- Helps your reach Deep and/or level-up Maokai faster.
2. Make it Rain
Make it Rain is an exceptional 2-cost card that can ruin an enemy early game. It’s even better if you have powder kegs, making it deal a lot of burst damage really fast. In an Ezreal deck it can accelerate his level-up by a large amount because, yes, these three targeted enemies will count for that.
What’s good about this card:
- It costs 2 mana for 3 damage, making it an excellent deal.
- Although the targets are random, it’s never a bad idea to risk using it.
- Has great synergy with Ezreal and Powder Keg decks.
1. Hired gun
This is a very cheap unit that will hardly ever not be useful to have. It boasts the 2/3 stats and costs only 2 mana, which is already good, but it also gives Vulnerable to the strongest enemy. This will make sure you will be able to control that enemy when attacking so it only defends your weaker units, or maybe even take it out before it becomes a bigger problem.
What’s good about this card:
- Great stats for a 2 mana cost.
- Gives a permanent vulnerable status to an enemy.
Of course, you won’t be able to use all of these on your decks, since the region system will not allow it. However, in case you’re building a region deck and you have a little space for something else, tossing them in there will never be a bad idea. Although these cards work great on specific decks, they will hardly ever have any negative reasons to be in less specialized ones.
And you know, if you’re in an expedition and they come along, make sure to catch them. You won’t regret it.
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