With regional tournaments happening alternatively in China or the Western region, it is fun to see the Riftbound metagame bounce from one to the other, impacting certain legends very differently depending on where most tournaments happened this past week.
Certain legends manage to be consistent across the world, and naturally rank at the top because of it. Diana, Irelia and Master Yi are the undisputed top 3 in Riftbound, with the only possible argument being Master Yi's struggles in the western environment.
Indeed, if the Wuju Bladesman would rank first if we looked at the Chinese scene only, thanks to being the sole legend with two regional wins on top of being the best performer in smaller events. Master Yi had to wait until Vancouver to look like a threat in the rest of the world. In Utrecht, the Body - Calm legend as a shot at overtaking Irelia for #2, if he can repeat its performance from Vancouver, while the Blade Dancer keeps losing in the quarterfinals.
Past those three, the competition to earn a top 8 spot is fierce. Inded, after Rek'sai and Pyke earned their first one in Tianjin, there is about a dozen candidates.
In that group, we have those who have been to a top cut already, but now look for redemption after a terrible tournament in Tianjin, such as Azir, Sivir or LeBlanc. Those who keep getting close but fail to win that last match with everything on the line, such as Fiora, Annie, Miss Fortune or Ezreal. Last, we also have the more unreliable performers, but with several shots at a top 8 already, such as Kha'zix or Draven.
We could add a few names from Tier 3, such as Viktor or Kai'sa, who got extremely close in the previous western regional tournament. Yet, those have consistency issues to fix before calling them plausible threats.
That's a cool analysis, but the reality is we've had a surprise guest in every Unleashed top cut so far. Sure, 5 to 7 spots can easily be guessed ahead of the tournament, with the top trio taking at least 4 of those, while either Vex, Azir, Sivir or Leblanc will likely earn one as well.
Still, the past three large events have featured at least one surprise guest. Azir won Xi'an, Rengar almost won Vancouver, and Rek'Sai and Pyke combined for three top 8 spots in Tianjin.
In Utrecht, I'm going to nominate Annie and Rengar as my candidates for a deep run. The first one because I can't imagine Prismaticism not managing at least one top 8 with the Dark Child in this expansion. The Pridestalker due to the list emerging in Vancouver feeling like a strong one, while two weeks is enough for many players to learn how to pilot it.
Plus, with Rek'sai and Pyke fantastic runs in Tianjin, the Fury domain is on the rise, while fast-paced decks look the most able to disturb the midrange pace of the top tier performers.
I'm so ready to be wrong, and once again wonder how another unexpected guest made it to the quarterfinals. After all, this is one of the best parts of this Unleashed metagame.
Riftbound Unleashed Meta Tier List
Tournaments used to create this Meta Tier List:
- Suzhou Regional Open
- Sydney Regional Qualifier
- Xi'an Regional Open
- Vancouver Regional Qualifier
- Tianjin Regional Open
- 31 tournaments with 64+ players since May 15th.
| Tier | Legend Best Performance in Regional Tournaments Top Cut Performances in 64+ Tournaments |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Diana Top 32 Suzhou / Top 4 Sydney / Top 2 Xi'an / Wins Vancouver / Top 2 Tianjin 6 Win / 23 Top 8 |
| Tier 1 | Irelia Top 2 Suzhou / Wins Sydney / Top 4 Xi'an / Top 8 Vancouver / Top 8 Tianjin 4 Win / 20 Top 8 |
| Tier 1 | Origins Master Yi Wins Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 16 Xi'an / Top 4 Vancouver / Wins Tianjin 5 Win / 47 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Azir Top 64 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Wins Xi'an / Top 8 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin 1 Win / 15 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Sivir Top 4 Suzhou / Top 2 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 8 Vancouver / Top 256 Tianjin 8 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Vex Top 16 Suzhou / Top 4 Sydney / Top 8 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver / Top 16 Tianjin 12 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | LeBlanc Top 64 Suzhou / Top 8 Sydney / Top 8 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin 4 Win / 17 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Fiora Top 32 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver / Top 16 Tianjin 1 Win / 12 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Ezreal Top 8 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver / Top 32 Tianjin 1 Win / 6 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Rengar Top 128 Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 2 Vancouver / Top 32 Tianjin 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Miss Fortune Top 16 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver / Top 32 Tianjin 2 Win / 4 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Annie Top 32 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin 1 Win / 3 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Rek'Sai Top 16 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver / Top 4 Tianjin 1 Win / 3 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Pyke Top 16 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver / Top 4 Tianjin 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Kha'Zix Top 16 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 16 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin 2 Top 8 |
| Tier 2 | Draven Top 64 Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver / Top 16 Tianjin 1 Win / 5 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Viktor Top 64 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin 1 Win / 6 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Kai'Sa Top 16 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin 5 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Lux Top 64 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver / Top 32 Tianjin 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Teemo Top 64 Suzhou / Top 8 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Poppy Top 4 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Sett Top 128 Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin 1 Win / 4 Top 8 |
| Tier 3 | Lillia Top 32 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin 1 Win / 2 Top 8 |
| Tier 4 | Darius Top 256 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 16 Darius / Top 128 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 4 | Lucian Top 256 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin No Results |
| Tier 4 | Unleashed Yi Top 256 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin No Results |
| Tier 4 | Ahri Top 256 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver / Top 32 Tianjin 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 4 | Ornn Top 64 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin No Results |
| Tier 4 | Volibear Top 128 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin No Results |
| Tier 4 | Vi Top 128 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver / Top 512 Tianjin No Results |
| Tier 4 | Jax Top 256 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin No Results |
| Tier 5 | Yasuo Top 128 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin No Results |
| Tier 5 | Lee Sin Top 128 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin No Results |
| Tier 5 | Renata Glasc Top 256 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver / Top 256 Tianjin No Results |
| Tier 5 | Ivern Top 256 Suzhou / Top 512 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver / Top 256 Tianjin No Results |
| Tier 5 | Leona Top 256 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin 1 Top 8 |
| Tier 5 | Jinx Top 256 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin No Results |
| Tier 5 | Rumble Top 128 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin No Results |
| Tier 5 | Jhin Top 256 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver / Top 256 Tianjin 2 Top 8 |
| Tier 5 | Garen Top 64 Suzhou / Top 512 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver / Top 512 Tianjin No Results |
- Tier 1: Expected top cut performer and potential winner in high-stakes tournaments.
- Tier 2: Top 16 or 32 contender, typically a wins or two short of top 8.
- Tier 3: Expected to compete for Top 64 spots with an experienced pilot, combining both a good understanding of this legend and the tournament metagame.
- Tier 4: Competitive sparks here and there, capable to reach the top 64 when the draws align or in the right environment.
- Tier 5: Best-of cards are worth good money.
Tier 1
Master Yi's win in Tianjin isn't enough to shake the order of the top trio in Riftbound. Indeed, Diana made it to her third finals in a row, while Irelia is the only legend in the game who made it to every regional tournament top cut.
Now, the Wuju Bladesman also gets his accolade as the sole legend with two regional tournament wins. However, his two losses at the top 16 threshold earlier in Unleashed remain a stain on its resume.
All three are great picks for Utrecht, although Diana seems to have the higher ceiling when played optimally. Plus, the Scorn of the Moon won in Vancouver, and overall looks stronger in the West.
Diana
Regionals - Top 32 Suzhou / Top 4 Sydney / Top 2 Xi'an / Wins Vancouver / Top 2 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 6 Win / 23 Top 8
Irelia
Regionals - Top 2 Suzhou / Wins Sydney / Top 4 Xi'an / Top 8 Vancouver / Top 8 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 2 Win / 20 Top 8
Master Yi
Regionals - Wins Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 16 Xi'an / Top 4 Vancouver
64+ players tournaments - 4 Win / 36 Top 8
Tier 2
LeBlanc and Sivir also failed to look good this week, but Azir at least did well in the smaller events to mitigate its top 128 performance from Tianjin. For now, LeBlanc drops to the middle of this tier due a second disappointing showing, while the other two get the benefit of the doubt and keep their spot as main threats to the top trio.
However there are many legends knocking on that door. Fiora has improved lately with a pair of Top 16 in Vancouver and Tianjin. Ezreal seems locked to be a 32 performer, Vex recovered nicely after Vancouver and Rengar posted a promising top 32 with the list from Canada.
Last, Rek'Sai showed up with both a top 4 and a top 8 spot in Tianjin, propelling the Void Burrower up in the rankings the same way Rengar did last week. Pyke wasn't as impressive, with just the top 4 performance, but also earned its way into a contender position.
Overall, the gap between this tier and the top trio feels wider this week, due to all the biggest threats posting disappointing results. Yet, this means Tier 2 is more dense now, with almost a dozen legends vying to be a possible top cut contender.
Azir
Regionals - Top 64 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Wins Xi'an / Top 8 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win / 15 Top 8
Sivir
Regionals - Top 4 Suzhou / Top 2 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 8 Vancouver / Top 256 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 8 Top 8
Vex
Regionals - Top 16 Suzhou / Top 4 Sydney / Top 8 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver / Top 16 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 12 Top 8
LeBlanc
Regionals - Top 64 Suzhou / Top 8 Sydney / Top 8 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 4 Win / 17 Top 8
Fiora
Regionals - Top 32 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver / Top 16 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win / 12 Top 8
Ezreal
Regionals - Top 8 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver / Top 32 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win / 6 Top 8
Rengar
Regionals - Top 128 Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 2 Vancouver / Top 32 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Top 8
Miss Fortune
Regionals - Top 16 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 32 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver / Top 32 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 2 Win / 4 Top 8
Annie
Regionals - Top 32 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win
Rek'Sai
Performance - Top 16 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver / Top 4 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win / 3 Top 8
Pyke
Regionals - Top 16 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver / Top 4 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Top 8
Kha'Zix
Regionals - Top 16 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 16 Xi'an / Top 32 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Top 8
Draven
Regionals - Top 64 Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver / Top 16 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win / 5 Top 8
Tier 3
Except for Lux, most legends in this tier failed to improve their stock this week. Indeed, after great performances in Vancouver, Viktor and Kai'sa failed to repeat while Teemo, Poppy, Sett and Lillia met their typical standards.
In Utrecht, I expect this group to perform fairly well, although none should compete for a top 8 spot. Still, Viktor, Kai'sa, Teemo and Sett had their best run in the Western metagame, while Lux just got a new list to experiment with.
Viktor
Regionals - Top 64 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win / 6 Top 8
Kai'Sa
Regionals - Top 16 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 16 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 5 Top 8
Lux
Regionals - Top 64 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver / Top 32 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Top 8
Teemo
Regionals - Top 64 Suzhou / Top 8 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Top 8
Poppy
Regionals - Top 4 Suzhou / Top 32 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 64 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Top 8
Sett
Regionals - Top 128 Suzhou / Top 16 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win / 4 Top 8
Lillia
Regionals - Top 32 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Win / 1 Top 8
Tier 4
Many solid performances in this fourth tier, with Darius, Lucian, Unleashed Yi and Jax posting a top 64, while Ahri managed to go one step further with a top 32 spot in Tianjin.
As usual, the question is whether a player found a different way to play those legends. Are they finally due their breakthrough in the Unleashed metagame?
Or maybe playing a different list to catch your opponent off guard is the only way to reach day 2 with these legends, unable to dominate without that surprise factor.
If we look at the performances from one weak to another, we can see they are uneven. In that context, I would assume these are good picks for experienced players looking to earn a best-of card in Utrecht.
There won't be many players to beat to earn that distinction, while the right build should get you into the top 64.
Darius
Performance - Top 256 Suzhou / Top 256 Sydney / Top 16 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Top 8
Lucian
Performance - Top 256 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin
Master Yi, Wuju Master
Performance - Top 256 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin
Ahri
Performance - Top 256 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver / Top 32 Tianjin
64+ players tournaments - 1 Top 8
Ornn
Performance - Top 64 Suzhou / Top 64 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin
Volibear
Performance - Top 128 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 128 Xi'an / Top 256 Vancouver / Top 128 Tianjin
Vi
Performance - Top 128 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 64 Xi'an / Top 128 Vancouver / Top 512 Tianjin
Jax
Performance - Top 256 Suzhou / Top 128 Sydney / Top 256 Xi'an / Top 512 Vancouver / Top 64 Tianjin
Tier 5
With its third 512 placement, Garen finally takes back his spot at the bottom of the rankings, after Jhin warmed up that seat.
Overall, anyone confident they can reach day 2 with any of these legend has a best-of card waiting for them. Yet, without a top 64 in five regional tournaments, just a hot start and a streamed match appear to be a good performance for this crew.
