In Legends of Runeterra, champions are what a deck worthy of the name is built on, which is why we're here today with the best champions of the Shadow Isles to annihilate your opponents
If after our many guides you have not yet chosen your favorite deck in Legends of Runeterra, let us show you the best samples of Shadow Islands. In this guide, yet another in our column dedicated to the champions of the game, we want to introduce you to some of the most menacing and often devastating champions of Runeterra.
The characters of the Shadow Isles are really strong nell’early game, still counting on cards with enormous finisher potential. Thanks to their control component, cards from the Shadow Isles region are an excellent alternative to those looking for a strong early and destructive deck in later turns. By focusing on champions and allies with skills dedicated to summoning and filling the game board, this deck makes numerical superiority its winning weapon, putting even the toughest opponent against the wall.
Lost in the fog
The cursed land now known as the Shadow Isles was once home to one noble and enlightened civilization which bore the name of Blessed Islands. However, over a thousand years ago, an unprecedented magical cataclysm tore the barrier between the material and spiritual realms to shreds, instantly condemning every living creature. Today, an evil Dark Mist envelops the Islands and the earth itself is corrupted by black magic. The life of the mortals who venture into these territories is slowly sucked in, attracting the insatiable restless spirits of the dead. Those who die within the Mist are doomed to haunt this nightmare place for eternity, but worst of all, the power of the Shadow Isles seems to grow every year. The most powerful specters roam deeper and deeper throughout Runeterra, gaining power and becoming more and more fearsome.
To date, in Legends of Runeterra we have four champions from the cursed lands of the Shadow Isles, arguably the best: Thresh, Elise, Kalista ed Hecarim. If you are ready, we can't wait to land on the shores of the Islands and learn more about these creatures.
Thresh, the jailer - Legends of Runeterra: guide to the best champions of the Shadow Isles
Thresh is a restless and ambitious spirit from the Shadow Isles. Sadistic and treacherous, once the keeper of arcane secrets, he was destroyed by immense power, and now he feeds on tormenting and killing others. His victims suffer well beyond death, as Thresh inflicts agony on their souls forever, imprisoning them in his unholy lantern to torture them.
Due to his cost, Thresh is not an early game champion like most units in the Shadow Isles, or decks compatible with that champion. This sample is controversial and not always simple to use. As we said, decks from this region aim for numerical superiority, but in the case of Thresh this comes at a price. In his basic version, Thresh levels up once he sees at least six allies die. Once evolved, on the first attack summons a champion from our hand or deck.
This move allows you to concatenate most powerful combo with other champions and units in both stages - in the case of the basic version, Thresh is perfect for sacrifice or spell-based decks, paired with champions like Lux or Lucian. In the second, it is perfect to be placed in decks that aim for numerical superiority, especially paired with champions like Elise or Lucian.
- Cost: 5 mana
- Potere: 3
- Health: 6
- Skills: Challenger
- LevelUp: I have seen 6+ units die
- Post-LevelUp Skills: Challenger; The first time you attack in this game, summon another attacking champion from your deck or hand.
Elise, the queen of spiders - Legends of Runeterra: guide to the best champions of the Shadow Isles
Elise is one lethal predator who lives in an abandoned and sealed mansion deep in the oldest city of Noxus. At one time, Elise was a mortal at the head of a powerful house, but the bite of an evil demigod turned her into something beautiful, immortal and inhuman. A half-female, half-spider creature that draws unsuspecting prey into its web. To maintain her eternal youth, Elise feeds on the innocent and those who have no faith.
This champion is perfect for early game, thanks to its low cost and its very strong synergy with economic units. Strongly based on decks "Spider", Elise bases her strength on the spider units she summons each time she attacks and which allow her to level up in a few turns. Once evolved, Elise confers "Challenger" and "Fearsome" to his spider allies, making them extremely treacherous. By focusing on numerical superiority, the decks compatible with Elise are those projected to finish the game quickly and without too many frills, showing a very strong synergy with Kalista.
- Cost: 2 mana
- Potere: 2
- Health: 3
- Skills: Attack: Summons an attacking Spider
- LevelUp: Start of Turn: You have 3+ other Spiders
- Post-LevelUp Skills: Challenging, Fearsome; Other Spider allies have Challenger and Fearsome
Kalista, the spear of vengeance - Legends of Runeterra: guide to the best champions of the Shadow Isles
Kalista is a nightmare from the Shadow Isles to hunt down traitors and dishonest ones. An embodiment of anger and revenge, Kalista responds only to those who are ready to pay revenge with her soul. Whoever ends up in the crosshairs of Kalista's wrath must accept her end, because any pact sealed with the sad huntress can only end with the icy fire of her spears.
Kalista is not easy to put into a deck, it shows synergies with many champions of the game. However, the strong synergies with some of them, including Thresh, Hecarim or Elise, make her a champion always fearful never to be underestimated. The style of play to be adopted with Kalista is similar to that of Thresh, that is the sacrifice of weaker units to get bigger benefits in the mid-late game. Once at least three allies are seen dying, Kalista levels up, becoming offensive and numerically superior. Once evolved, in fact, this champion revives the strongest ally minion (Ephemeral) died in this match. Also, in the current turn, the summoned unit suffers all damages destined for Kalista.
Combined with the abilities of Thresh or of hecarim (which we will see later), Kalista can prove to be a really decisive card both as a finisher and in controlling the game. Viable in both directions, this champion can offer several solutions in approaching the game in the right way.
- Cost: 3 mana
- Potere: 4
- Health: 3
- Skills: Fearsome
- LevelUp: I have seen 3+ allies die
- Post-LevelUp Skills: Fearsome; The first time you attack each turn, revive an Ephemeral attacking copy of the strongest dead allied Follower. For the current shift, we're tied up and he takes damage for me
Hecarim - Legends of Runeterra: guide to the best champions of the Shadow Isles
Hecarim is a ghostly centaur, condemned to tear down the souls of the living for eternity. As the shadows enveloped the Blessed Isles, this proud knight was swept away by the Ruin along with all his cavalry and their steeds. Now, whenever the Black Mist travels Runeterra, it leads their devastating charge while enjoying overwhelming and slaughtering enemies under its hooves.
This champion has proved, since the game's launch, a real problem to deal with. Viable in different decks and destructive in the attack phase, Hecarim is undoubtedly one of the cards stronger of the game. The main deck with which Hecarim shows strong synergies is that "Ephemeral", or made up of cards with the Ephemeral attribute, summoning spells of these followers, and decidedly offensive units. In perfect line with the other champions of the Shadow Isles, Hecarim makes numerical superiority his strong point. Since his main ability is to summon two "Spectral Knights" each time he attacks (Ephemeral), and he levels up once attacked with at least seven units, Hecarim proves capable of doing the good and the bad weather, upsetting the rules of the game. Once a level it grants significant bonuses to its Knights, becoming even more destructive. The icing on the cake is the “Overwhelm” ability, which makes it a great finisher.
Combined with champions like Elise, Kalista or Thresh, Hecarim proves to be a real tough nut to crack in any situation. The only negative point is the cost of the card, which makes it viable only at an advanced stage of the game and therefore counterabile from some specific cards of the game.
- Cost: 6 mana
- Potere: 4
- Health: 5
- Skills: Overwhelm; Attack: Summons 2 attacking Spectral Knights
- LevelUp: You attacked with 7+ Ephemeral allies
- Post-LevelUp Skills: Overwhelm; Allies with Ephemeral status have + 3 / + 0; Attack: Summons 2 attacking Spectral Knights
Your soul is now mine
Well summoners, we have come to the end of this new guide on the best champions of Runeterra dedicated to the region of the Shadow Isles. We hope we have been helpful in giving you an idea of how to structure your deck with the obscure cards of this region. In addition, we invite you to consult our other guides on the champions of the other regions of Runeterra that we leave you below:
- Demacia
- Noxus
- Freljord
- Ionia
Please keep experimenting with the cards that you think can show strong synergies with the champions we showed you today, and stay tuned with us on Holygamerz for the next guides on the remaining regions of Runeterra. Bye and good luck!
