Table of Contents
| Tier | Champion Performance after Bologna & Vegas Regional Tournaments |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Draven 435 Picks / 37.5% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 62.4% Win Rate / Top 8 & Win |
| Tier 1 | Irelia 261 Picks / 25.3% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 54.1% Win Rate / Top 4 & Top 8 |
| Tier 1 | Ezreal 151 Picks / 16.6% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 51% Win Rate / Win & Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Kai'Sa 262 Picks / 19,8% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 50.2% Win Rate / Two Top 16 |
| Tier 2 | Master Yi 59 Picks / 18,6% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 53% Win Rate / Top 16 & 32 |
| Tier 2 | Viktor 121 Picks / 13.2% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 49.7% Win Rate / Top 4 & 32 |
| Tier 2 | Sivir 84 Picks / 15.5% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 48.9% Win Rate / Two Top 16 |
| Tier 2 | Annie 98 Picks / 14,3% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 49.2% Win Rate / Top 16 & Top 128 |
| Tier 2 | Azir 99 Picks / 11.1% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 50.9% Win Rate / Top 64 & 16 |
| Tier 2 | Lucian 92 Picks / 14.1% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 47.3% Win Rate / Top 32 & 64 |
| Tier 2 | Jax 78 Picks / 6,4% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 44.8% Win Rate / Top 32 & 8 |
| Tier 3 | Rek'Sai 96 Picks / 15.8% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 50.1% Win Rate / Top 128 & 64 |
| Tier 3 | Ahri 96 Picks / 12.5% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 49.3% Win Rate / Top 64 & 128 |
| Tier 3 | Jinx 80 Picks / 12.5% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 45.4% Win Rate / Two Top 64 |
| Tier 3 | Darius 42 Picks / 14.3% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 54.6% Win Rate / Two Top 128 |
| Tier 3 | Sett 51 Picks / 13.7% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 50% Win Rate / Two Top 128 |
| Tier 3 | Volibear 43 Picks / 11.6% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 44.9% Win Rate / Top 32 & 128 |
| Tier 3 | Fiora 97 Picks / 7.2% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 44.7% Win Rate / Top 64 & 128 |
| Tier 3 | Teemo 59 Picks / 8.5% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 42.4% Win Rate / Top 128 & 64 |
| Tier 4 | Lux 79 Picks / 6.3% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 44% Win Rate / Two Top 128 |
| Tier 4 | Miss Fortune 75 Picks / 6.7% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 38.9% Win Rate / Finals & Top 256 |
| Tier 4 | Ornn 85 Picks / 3.4% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 38.1% Win Rate / Top 512 & 64 |
| Tier 4 | Lee Sin 37 Picks / 5.4% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 44.7% Win Rate / Top 256 & 512 |
| Tier 4 | Rumble 60 Picks / 1.67% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 43.3% Win Rate / Top 128 & 512 |
| Tier 4 | Yasuo 75 Picks / 2.67% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 42.1% Win Rate / Top 128 & 256 |
| Tier 4 | Renata Glasc 68 Picks / 2.9% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 37.9% Win Rate / Two Top 256 |
| Tier 4 | Garen 23 Picks / 0% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 46.9% Win Rate / Two Top 512 |
| Tier 4 | Leona 55 Picks / 0% Day 2 Conversion Rate / 39% Win Rate / Two Top 512 |
- Tier 1: A force in the metagame, expected in the top cut of most tournaments and a potential winner.
- Tier 2: Solid performer, often contending for top cut spots, but typically falling short of winning it all.
- Tier 3: Competitive sparks but unable to beat certain match-ups or losing to itself at times. Needs improvement to become a serious threat.
- Tier 4: Not expected in most tournament's top cut or even to see much play overall. Popularity rises for regional tournaments, with players vying for a Best-of card.
Meta Overview
Bologna confirmed what the last two regional tournaments in China showed: Draven can be contained with the right build. Unfortunately, Vegas threw all of that hard work out the window, as the Glorious Executioner left no doubt as to who's the best legend in Riftbound.
There aren't many legends able to play two different play-styles. Chaos - Body legends can build around OGN-160 or their own Miracle deck, while Order legends paired with a proactive domain, typically Fury or Body, can build around OGN-242, or a midrange strategy. Yet, most of these have two builds because the best one isn't crystal clear. We might be talking about an average legend in need to adapt to the metagame in order to perform. It could also be a matter of how much Gear removal we expect to face, and decide whether we want to build around one or not based on that expectation.
When it comes to Draven, the early days of Spiritforged clearly pointed the midrange build was best. That build won the first two regional tournaments in China, so the metagame naturally adapted against that one in particular. Bologna comes around, and some practice groups are playing Miracle Draven, which is better in the now control oriented metagame. The best ones reach the top 8, but just like in China after everyone adapted, Draven fails to make it to the finals. The problem is, there are now two different Draven decks, so countering the best legend in Riftbound isn't as simple anymore.
With the counter route now more difficult to pursue, the logical choice is to go back to proactive decks. Fortunately, that miracle shell can be played in any Chaos deck, so there are a few legends to pick from. Unfortunately, if you don't build to beat Draven, Draven is going to beat you, which is exactly what happened in Vegas.
Now the question is : Are we forced to play Draven going forward?
- If you believe there is no beating both the Midrange and the Miracle build, while both will be popular, probably yes.
- If you think another legend, such as Ezreal, can be just as strong as Draven, then it might be a no.
- With the Midrange build winning Vegas, alongside both Chinese regional tournament earlier in Spiritforged, you could expect this one to still be worth targeting with a control heavy strategy.
Draven will be at the core of your preparation if you plan to go to Lille or Atlanta. Yet, everyon can pick why, depending if you intend to play it, beat it, or surpass it.
Tier 1
Draven
With three tournaments in a row without a Draven in the finals, some considered the metagame was back on the right track. The Glorious Executioner wasn't as oppressive as expected with control decks around, and the second half of Spiritforged would be more diverse overall. And Las Vegas happened.
There, Draven took all Top 4 spots, splitting them equally among its two archetypes while also dominating every available metric. More importantly, it reminded everyone he is the legend you have to prepare for if you expect to win an event. Now that the Midrange and Miracle builds are refined, there are two decks to have in mind, and it might not be possible to plan for both.
Irelia
Just like in China, Irelia is part of every Top 8 while performing very well overall. Unfortunately, Irelia also has failed to reach the finals of every regional tournament, always falling short to a difficult match-up, or an unfortunately draw eventually.
This is a great legend for those aiming for a Top 64 and the continental invite. However, the battle for the best-of card is fierce, while the chances to win the entire thing look minimal.
Ezreal
The metrics are good and both results in Bologna and Vegas are excellent. However, one could point out both the win in Bologna and the Top 8 in Vegas came from the same person. Combined with multiple players sharing their difficulties to play the deck at its full potential, Ezreal clearly is a legend one needs to invest a lot of time into.
Tier 1 is the ceiling for Ezreal, what you get after hours of learning its intricacies. Yet, expect a steeper learning curve to get there than with most other legends.
Tier 2
Kai'Sa
The Daughter of the Void was making a comeback as a great control oriented legend to take on Draven or Irelia through removing any unit they might put out. Unfortunately, the rise of the miracle archetype is making Kai'Sa's job much more difficult.
Indeed, removing units turn after turn isn't the same as removing them all at once, which is what the Chaos domain will require you to do in order to control it.
Master Yi
Master Yi is the third overall Win Rate in Riftbound at the moment, and seems to be quite good in this combo oriented metagame.
Against miracle decks in particular, which tend to start a bit slower than midrange builds, Master Yi is able to score almost for free early on. Then, although holding a battlefield is much harder when multiple units are coming all at once, the likes of SFD-097 remain great ways to edge a showdown.
As for the Chaos cards punishing you for leaving only one unit on a battlefield, SFD-105 ignores those, while SFD-045 can save the day for other units.
Viktor
Mind and Order are great to play a reactive play style, designed to remove whatever unit the opponent would develop. It leads to a rather slow pace, which can be a detriment against miracle builds. Yet, compared to other Mind legends forced to play a control heavy play style, Viktor is more able to bring some pressure. Plus, he will never run out of units if the game comes down to a value oriented battle.
Sivir
Sivir did well with both her archetypes over the two western regional tournaments, making her one of the rare legends in Riftbound with two widely different play-styles.
Arguably, the Miracle concept is stronger when played with Draven, although the Battle Mistress' Signature spell is a fantastic support. However, this is also a much harder to counter, while the OGN-160 can fall to certain side decks.
The more skilled the pilot, and the better Miracle Sivir should be. However, the Aurora build is available for anyone believing Gear removal won't be a problem, or afraid time will be an issue to play the other deck.
Annie
The Dark Child is struggling to post steady performances, as one of the only Chaos legend not playing the miracle concept.
On paper, these combo decks should be too slow against Annie, one of the fastest scorers in the game. Yet, when they get to their explosive turn in time, Annie can't do much to score the final points in a match. Indeed, SFD-145 or OGN-172 are great to win against a sole unit, but lose a ton of utility when the location features multiple units.
Maybe the deck needs to become even faster than it currently is.
Azir
The same player snagged both Best-Of Azir cards in Bologna and Las Vegas, both times with a similar list to the one we saw in the finals of the last Chinese regional tournament. This clearly indicates the best build for Azir has been found, and the focus should now be on how to play as best as possible, or find ways to edge certain match-ups through the side deck.
While it can be reassuring to know our deck is optimal, it also means Azir is most likely not going to progress any further in Spiritforged.
Lucian
After Vegas, a few players shared their belief Lucian was a strong pick against Draven, due to its ability to control showdowns. Unfortunately, even if you face 6 or 7 Draven during your Swiss Rounds, there are still 6 or 7 other matches to play against the rest of the field.
Apart from Draven, the other legends at the top are control or combo oriented, often packing a good amount of tools to handle units. In that context, except for SFD-105 who is able to dodge spells and abilities, most other units won't stick to the board, even when heavily equipped.
If Lucian was to find a way around that issue, it could become a very strong competitor.
Jax
If we look at the conversion or the win rate, Jax deserves to be at the bottom of Tier 3, at best. However, we can't ignore a player always finds a way to sneak into the top cut, and make Jax look really good. Over the six regional tournaments held in Spiritforged, Jax is just the eighth legend to record two Top 8 finishes.
I'm very curious to see what the metrics would look like if all Jax players agreed on a list.
Tier 3
Rek'Sai
Rek'Sai is sort of a reversed Jax. The metrics are good enough to consider it a Tier 2 performer, but her constant lack of a deep run shows a clear problem once in the more competitive waters.
In Vegas, we saw a more explosive, hungry for points build of Rek'Sai take the best-of card, with Seals and SFD-012 in the mix rather than the usual removal heavy plus OGN-037 kit. In this miracle oriented metagame, I believe it makes a lot of sense, because even all the removal of the Order domain won't contain a turn with 4 or 5 units played on the other side.
Ahri
Ahri is sort of a slower Master Yi at the moment, mostly because it can't play SFD-115 to score faster. The mix of Mind and Calm forces a play style build around holding, and containing whatever the opponent might throw at you.
Unfortunately, this metagame features some very explosive patterns nearly impossible to stop when done properly.
Jinx
As a Chaos - Fury legend, Jinx can simply copy whatever Draven is doing, and hope it will net the same results. It clearly doesn't, especially as Jinx's ability does not draw if you keep a lot of cards in hand, which a Miracle build tends to do. However, it is enough to make Jinx a menace, able to high roll anyone on a good draw, and reach a tournament top cut in expert hands.
Darius
Darius is doing a lot better in the West compared to its performance in China, no matter if you look at the Midrange, or the OGN-242 build. Both managed to reach the top 128 once, so it is difficult to say which is better at the moment. Most likely, it depends what you expect in terms of metagame.
The midrange deck feels better against proactive decks, as it packs more removal and is a bit more flexible. On the other end, a control environment will likely remove your units easily, so might as well go for broke with the other list, especially as OGN-244 can be sided for those value oriented opponents.
Sett
The Boss is struggling in the west, likely due to how dominant the Chaos domain has been overall, on top of equipment cards making everyone stronger in showdowns. Most likely, Sett is too slow for this metagame, often trying to slowly build its side of the board until there are too many chunky units for the opponent to contain. Unfortunately, playing one unit at a time isn't the cool thing to do anymore.
Volibear
Although their win rate remains pretty low, OGN-160 decks are more often represented in western tournament top cuts. This naturally profits Volibear, as this is the only deck building route available to him.
In Vegas, we saw SFD-116 in the list, bringing an interesting synergy with OGN-250. Arguably, this is as far as it goes for Volibear, who's main concern is to find the best units to hold the fort until late game bomb can take over.
Fiora
It is a complete meltdown for the Grand Duelist in the west, miles away from her two finals and a top 8 in China. In the Chinese tournaments, we knew Fiora wasn't posting great metrics, but that regular deep run gave her some appeal, like some players figured something. In Bologna and Vegas, only the disappointing metrics remained, as no Fiora has come close to reaching the top 8.
Teemo
The Swift Scout saw Jinx post solid results through copying other Chaos legend, so it just started to do the same. In Bologna, Teemo was playing a fast scoring list build around the gear synergy, which felt a bit unique.
This time, we have a standard Chaos miracle package, and some mind card serving as support. To none's surprise, this is the best way to perform with yet another Chaos legend.
Tier 4
In this last tier, we find legends with the worse metrics or placements in both tournaments.
Lux could be ranked in the above tier, as her metrics compare to Fiora or Teemo. However, the miracle metagame is tough for a control heavy legend. Indeed, except for OGN-123, there are very little ways to control so many units at once, and the opponent can adapt against it once being punished once. In that context, I feel like Lux lacks the ability to high roll a match, or punish an opponent for a bad draw like Fiora, Teemo or Volibear could.
Miss Fortune and Ornn also deserve to be mentioned for their ability to go on a streak when the stars align. I don't expect a repeat anytime soon, but both managed to place much higher than their metrics suggest. Nobody expects a legend with a 38% win rate to make it to the Top 64, let alone the finals of a regional tournament.
Unfortunately for the last 6, they simply look a bit worse than the rest at the moment, most likely because their synergy lacks some firepower, or the appropriate tools to answer those with firepower available.
