Now that I’ve playtested and theory-crafted a few decks with the new Riftbound: Unleashed Legends, it feels like the right time to rank this batch of champions. This set has a pretty interesting mix. There are Legends that feel ready to burst into the meta immediately, some that may need another set or two before they truly take off, and a few unfortunate duds that are probably best left for casual play.
That does not mean every lower-ranked Legend is bad or unplayable. Some of these decks are genuinely fun, and in the right matchup they can absolutely steal games. But when taking both competitive and casual play into account, here is my ranking of the new Riftbound: Unleashed Legends.
Best New Legend From Riftbound: Unleashed
This one is actually fairly easy for me. Out of all the new Legends in Unleashed, there is one that already looks like it will dominate spell-casting archetypes.
Diana - Scorn of the Moon
Diana feels like the standout Legend of the set. She is extremely fast-paced and looks to take over games early, which is exactly what you want in the current Riftbound environment. Being in Blue/Purple gives her access to a very strong domain combination, and her game plan is simple in the best way: take the board early, keep pressure on your opponent, and use support spells to maintain control.
Diana is the kind of Legend that can punish slower decks before they are ready to fully stabilize. She also feels like one of the cleanest examples of what Unleashed is trying to do with spell-focused gameplay. If spell casting is going to remain a major archetype moving forward, Diana feels like the Legend players are going to build around first.
S Tier Legends
I had more trouble deciding which Legends to kick out of S Tier than I did deciding which ones belonged here. These are the Legends that feel strong right away and should have a real presence in both competitive and higher-level casual play.
LeBlanc - Deceiver
LeBlanc is one of the most interesting Legends from Unleashed. Rather than winning through brute force, she is built around Deathknell triggers and careful sequencing. This is a great Legend for players who like solving puzzles and finding the best possible line instead of simply overwhelming the opponent as quickly as possible.
What makes LeBlanc exciting is how much room there is to improve with her. The more you learn the deck, the more rewarding it becomes. She may not be as straightforward as some of the other top-tier Legends, but that is also what makes her dangerous. A strong LeBlanc player is going to be incredibly difficult to play against.
A Tier Legends
These Legends are very good now, but they feel like they may need another set or two before they truly explode. They already have strong foundations, and with a few more support cards, I could easily see some of them jumping higher.
Kha’Zix - Voidreaver
The Voidborn Legends have been some of the most fun Legends in Riftbound so far, and Kha’Zix continues that trend. He sits in a similar space to Miss Fortune, so if you are currently debating whether to build Miss Fortune, Kha’Zix might be worth trying instead.
Kha’Zix feels aggressive, flexible, and capable of putting pressure on the opponent in interesting ways. He may not be the most dominant Legend in the set right now, but he has a strong enough identity to be worth paying attention to. At the very least, he is fun, and sometimes that is enough to make a Legend worth building.
Pyke - Bloodharbor Ripper
Pyke is classic Purple/Red aggro, which means he is already working with one of the strongest color combinations in the game. These are still very much the meta domains, and I do not see that changing anytime soon.
The funny thing with Pyke is that the Legend almost feels secondary to the colors. If you have the right Purple/Red shell, the deck is probably going to function. Pyke gives the archetype another aggressive option, and while he may not completely reinvent the playstyle, he fits comfortably into what these domains already want to do.
Rengar - Pridestalker
Rengar is one of the more interesting Legends from Unleashed because, at first glance, he looks like a straightforward aggro Legend. But once you start looking closer, he plays a little differently.
This set has a strong jungler theme, and Rengar captures that feeling well. You are not just rushing forward recklessly. You are stalking your prey, building up your position, and waiting for the right moment to strike. When Rengar gets to move on his own terms, he can take down an opponent with a huge swing that completely changes the game.
He may take a bit more patience than expected, but that is also what makes him exciting. Rengar rewards timing, setup, and knowing exactly when to go all-in.
Ivern - Green Father
This is partly a personal ranking, because I have had a lot of fun with Ivern. He is not the best Legend by any means, but he is one of my favorites from the set.
Ivern feels like a fun, dorky typal deck built around pets, tokens, and a playstyle that is more charming than oppressive. In a casual setting, he is fantastic. Even against an unsuspecting competitive player, I think Ivern can catch someone off guard and steal a win.
The problem is that Ivern does not feel like he has the raw power or consistency of the stronger Legends in the set. Still, if you are looking for something different and fun, Ivern is absolutely worth trying.
B Tier Legends
These Legends function fine in a smaller competitive setting, like a Nexus Night, but they feel much more at home at the kitchen table. They are playable, but they either ask a little too much from the player or do not quite line up with what the current meta demands.
Vex - Gloomist
Vex wants you to hold battlefields, and while her colors can support that strategy, I often found myself wishing I was just attacking instead. Holding can be valuable, but in the current meta, it can also feel difficult to pilot effectively.
That does not mean Vex is bad. She has a clear plan and can be frustrating for opponents if she gets set up. The issue is that the current pace of the game does not always reward that kind of strategy. Against aggressive decks, holding battlefields can feel like you are constantly trying to survive rather than actively winning.
Poppy - Keeper of the Hammer
Poppy has a fast-paced color domain paired with a hold mechanic on the Legend, which makes her an interesting showcase for the XP mechanic. The problem is that the deck can feel slower than it should be.
There is definitely something cool about what Poppy is trying to do, and I like that she experiments with a different kind of gameplay. But when compared to some of the more efficient Legends in Unleashed, she feels like she is playing a step behind. She is functional, but I am not sure she is where I would want to be competitively right now.
Master Yi - Wuju Blademaster
Master Yi is still effective, but he has one major problem: he shares the same color domain as the original Master Yi. Because of that, there does not feel like a strong enough reason to play Wuju Blademaster over Wuju Bladesman.
That does not make this version bad. Master Yi is still capable of doing powerful things, and in the right shell, he can absolutely win games. But when one version feels more efficient or already established, the newer version needs to do something especially compelling to justify the switch. Right now, I am not sure Wuju Blademaster does enough to separate himself.
C Tier Legends
These are the Legends that I do not think will function very well at competitive nights, but they can still play decently at the kitchen table or against inexperienced competitive players. They have ideas worth exploring, but they also have clear weaknesses.
Lillia - Bashful Bloom
Lillia is an interesting token deck built around Temporary Sprites. Her goal is to make each combat just a little harder than it needs to be, forcing opponents to deal with awkward board states while she extends the game into the late game.
On paper, that sounds fun. In practice, experienced players will likely be able to move around the Sprite tokens without too much trouble. Lillia can absolutely create frustrating moments, and I do think she has casual appeal, but I am not convinced she has the tools to consistently keep up with stronger decks.
If you like strange token strategies, Lillia is worth trying. Just do not expect her to dominate a competitive room yet.
Vi - Piltover Enforcer
Vi is one of the Legends I am still not fully sold on. There may be more options for her than I am seeing, but right now she feels like she is trying to split her playstyle in too many directions.
She wants to deal big damage all at once, but she also wants to care about Ganking. That creates a difficult divide. When a Legend asks you to support multiple plans at once, the deck can start to feel stretched thin unless the payoff is strong enough.
Maybe someone will solve Vi and prove me wrong, but for now she feels a little unfocused compared to the stronger Legends from Unleashed.
Non-Meta Legends
These are the Legends that I think are either not solved yet or are simply not competitive enough to call meta. That does not mean they are unplayable, but I would not recommend them if your main goal is winning competitive games right now.
Ivern - Green Father
Yes, I know I already ranked Ivern higher as a personal pick, but from a general competitive ranking standpoint, he belongs here.
I love my Ivern pets deck. It is fun, weird, and exactly the kind of casual strategy I enjoy playing. Unfortunately, unless you are building specifically to counter the meta, you are probably going to fall behind. And if you are building specifically to beat meta decks, you are probably better off not playing Ivern in the first place.
That is the tough spot Ivern is in. He is fun enough to recommend casually, but not strong enough to recommend competitively.
Jhin - Virtuoso
Earlier, I mentioned that LeBlanc is a good Legend for players who like puzzles. Jhin is also a puzzle, but right now it feels like a puzzle that has not been solved.
There is a lot of setup involved with Jhin, and while the payoff can be big, getting there consistently is the problem. When the current meta rewards speed, pressure, and efficiency, Jhin can feel like he is taking too long to get his performance started.
I do think Jhin has potential. He is the kind of Legend that could become much better if future sets give him the right tools. But right now, he feels more like a fun challenge than a serious competitive pick.
Final Thoughts
Riftbound: Unleashed adds a really interesting batch of Legends to the game. Diana feels like the clear standout and could easily become one of the defining Legends of the set. LeBlanc is another major highlight, especially for players who enjoy complex lines and Deathknell-focused gameplay. Meanwhile, Legends like Kha’Zix, Rengar, and Pyke all feel strong enough to see real play, even if they may need more time to fully settle into the meta.
At the same time, this set also shows that not every Legend needs to be a competitive monster to be worth playing. Ivern may not be tearing up the meta, but he is one of the most fun Legends in the set. Lillia, Vex, Poppy, Vi, and Jhin all have interesting ideas, even if they do not feel fully there yet.
Overall, Unleashed gives players a lot to experiment with. Some Legends are clearly ready for competitive play, while others feel like they are waiting for future support. But whether you are chasing the meta or just looking for a weird new deck to bring to the table, this batch of Legends gives Riftbound players plenty to work with.
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