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Legends of Runeterra Expeditions - best cards to draft

A spicy combination

Dave Irwin avatar
Guide by Dave Irwin Former Guides Writer
Published on

Drafting modes have been a very popular way to play collectible card games, and Legends of Runeterra has its own spin on the mode. It's called "Expeditions" and it works slightly differently from your conventional draft. For one, it takes about twice as long to finish as you get two tries before the game ends. We'll be going over how to play expeditions, and which cards you should be picking for the best choices.

Legends of Runeterra 5

Legends of Runeterra Expeditions guide

Our Legends of Runeterra Expeditions decks guide will give you pointers for how to get started with the Runeterra draft mode, as well as tips for the best draft picks.

Legends of Runeterra expeditions guide contents

Runeterra expedition cost

How do I play Runeterra Expeditions?

The Runeterra Expedition mode is the draft mode. Here, you'll be given a choice between sets of cards to put into your drafted deck. The idea is to pick cards that work with the rest of your deck, balancing between choosing followers and spells to complement your champion picks. To play Runeterra's expedition mode, you'll need to do the following.

  1. Open up Legends of Runeterra
  2. Click "Play".
  3. Click Expeditions and click the button labelled "Embark".
  4. Choose which currency you would like to use to pay for entry.

There are three types of payment:

  • Coins: These are the premium currency.
  • Shards: This is in-game currency that is awarded to you for opening chests and shards. More information can be found in our Runeterra vault guide.
  • Tokens: These are occasional rewards, either from reward progression or through special events.

Runeterra expedition streak

How does Runeterra's Expeditions mode work?

Runeterra Expeditions are divided into two separate trials. A trial begins by drafting a couple of champion picks. These include a champion card and a couple of associated cards from that region. After you choose them, you'll get a choice each pick between three sets of two cards. They're divided into "Synergy Picks" that match the region you have been drafting, and "Wild Picks" that can be an assortment of different regions. Your final pick is a "Trade Pick", where you get to replace one card in your drafted deck with another specified card. Be careful here as clicking the option to trade is irreversible.

You'll then play PVP games against opponents who have also drafted their decks. Tips for how to play a game of Runeterra can be found in the How to Play Legends of Runeterra guide. Trials end once any of the four conditions are met:

  • If you win seven games.
  • If you lose two early games in a row.
  • If you lose the final game (seventh potential win).
  • You surrender your run.

At the end of any round, you'll either be given a choice of a card to trade or a bunch of cards to pick from. These are separated into the same categories as per the drafting phase.

Once you've finished a trial, you can begin a second trial immediately afterwards. As soon as your second trial is over, you'll obtain rewards based on how well you've done in the better of the two trials. For a list of the type of rewards you could receive, head to our Runeterra vault guide.

Runeterra Expedition

Best champions to draft in Runeterra Expeditions

Now that you know how to play Runeterra Expeditions, you should probably know which champions are the best ones to draft. You can look at all of them in our Runeterra champions guide, and there's a very handy reference over at Mobalytics that breaks down which cards have the best play rate and win rate. I've gone over the options for the six regions and come up with the best option for each one:

Legends of Runeterra Garen

Demacia

Fiora and Garen see the most play, while Lucian is sadly the most underperforming champion. Lux doesn't see as much play, given her high mana cost, but the win rate is higher than Lucian. However, there's no denying that Fiora and Garen both have stronger win rates and decks that are easier to build around their abilities and win conditions. I'd favour Garen over Fiora as the strategy is less reliant on one unit being protected at all times. Demacia is one of the more consistent regions, so there's only one "bad pick".

Runeterra Braum

Freljord

Braum has a surprisingly low play rate despite racking up more wins than the rest of Freljord. Anivia seems like a more underrated pick than Tryndamere and has slightly more success. Ashe sadly, isn't picked often and has an abysmal win rate. If you can build around stalling your opponent for as long as you can, then Braum seems like the best choice here.

Runeterra Yasuo

Ionia

Zed is picked often thanks to his synergy with other units and champions, but his win rate is only around half. Yasuo and Shen seem like the better choices based on their win rates, though I'd argue that Yasuo is the one to build a deck around. However, if you got Fiora as your champion of choice in Demacia, Shen is an incredibly strong second champ. Karma is just a bit too expensive and doesn't win all that many games.

Runeterra Vladimir

Noxus

There isn't as much data on Vladimir as he has the lowest pick rate of all the champions, and yet he's the second best-performing champion in the region. Poor Darius has a lot of play rate, but the worst win rate of the lot. Draven seems like the most consistent champion in the region with an increased play rate and decent win rate, but don't underestimate Vladimir. This is one of the worst performing regions overall however.

Runeterra Heimerdinger

Piltover & Zahn

If you have the option, pick Heimerdinger. He has the best rate of all the champions in the game at this moment of time. Fill the deck with spells and watch his machines go to work. Ezreal is also a very good choice as Mystic Shots are great removal. Jinx heavily relies on dumping your hand, which isn't easily done in draft games. Teemo though is the hardest hit as his win rate is under 50%.

Runeterra Kalista

Shadow Isles

Kalista is really good when her deck works properly and is built around making her see three allies die. Thresh is by far the most popular and I have had success with him in the past, but Hecarim might have the superior strategy. Elise relies a little too much on spiders to really get going and that means splashing with Noxus. This isn't all that consistent in drafting modes, so it's better to avoid picking her. My recommendation here is to go with either Kalista or Hecarim, then build the deck around their abilities.

Runeterra expedition match

Best cards to draft in Runeterra Expeditions

Finally, before we go, here are some choices for decent choices to draft in Runeterra's Expeditions mode. For a list of all the cards and what they do in one place, check out our Runeterra cards list guide.

Runeterra CardRegionReason why you should draft
Redoubled ValorDemaciaWhen the opponent can't possibly counter with removal spells, this spell can make an already big threat even bigger.
War ChefsDemaciaA great early game support unit. Couple this with any Elusive or Barrier units to get the most out of this one.
Laurent BladekeeperDemaciaAs long as you make sure you play him when another unit is on the battlefield, Laurent Bladekeeper can potentially shut down rush decks.
Avarosan MarksmanFreljordA nice bit of spot removal for low health threats.
EntreatFreljordDrawing champions is a strong ability in draft, so this cheap spell at Burst speed makes finding combo pieces easy.
Ancient YetiFreljordIf you get the Ancient Yeti in your hand early on, the reduction of its mana cost per round is very strong in draft.
Windfarer HatchlingIoniaExpensive, but giving other allies +2/+2 stats for one turn can be game ending. It's also a hard hitting Elusive unit.
Inspiring MentorIoniaOn its own, not that much to write home about, but as long as you have a decent ally in hand (Demacia or Freljord allies are a good shout here), this makes them even stronger.
Shadow AssassinIoniaShadow Assassin is probably the most efficient card in the game. It's a 2/2 Elusive unit that gives you a free card when summoned. Great value!
Arena BattlecasterNoxusMakes rushdown aggro decks a viable strategy in draft, since it gives all attacking allies extra attack.
Trifarian HopefulNoxusIf you pair Trifaraian Hopeful with Arena Battlecaster, they complement each other very well, provided the enemy can't block.
MightNoxusA great way of breaking through the enemy's defences to deal that extra bit of damage to their Nexus, or to kill a bothersome unit.
Progress Day!Piltover & ZahnA great late-game way to refill your hand and make big cards potentially cheaper. Combine with other regions to make expensive spells playable.
Rising Spell ForcePiltover & ZahnCasting at Burst speed is important here, as it is removal during combat. Play at the last moment to get the most out of this.
Thermogenic BeamPiltover & ZahnThis spell may be slow, but it can kill most units in one swoop during the late game.
Ancient CrocolithShadow IslesIf you are running Kalista or Thresh, this is a great way to kill two smaller allies, ticking their level up triggers up further. You'll also get a nice beefy 7/7 for four mana.
Glimpse BeyondShadow IslesThis card makes trades, particularly with Barrier heavy decks, a little more favourable for you. It also gives you card advantage.
Grasp of the UndyingShadow IslesGreat removal and can help recover your Nexus should it be damaged during the early game.

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