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
How do I play Runeterra Expeditions How does Runeterra Expeditions mode work? Best champions to draft in Runeterra Expeditions Best cards to draft per region in Runeterra Expeditions
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. 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.
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.
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:
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”.
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.
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.
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.
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%.
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.
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.
Legends of Runeterra guides links
Legends Of Runeterra guide - Find out how to get into the beta and learn some tips for expert play. Runeterra best decks - The best decklists currently available for Legends of Runeterra. Runeterra ranked mode - Explore how ranked mode works and what rewards you get for participating. How to Play Legends of Runeterra - Learn how to play the game, what cards do, and the turn order. Runeterra champions - Find out what each champion does and how to level up. Runeterra cards list - All of the follower and spell cards in Runeterra. Legends of Runeterra Ephemeral tutorial - Step by step instructions to complete this bothersome tutorial. Runeterra vault - Quick ways to gain XP and open better weekly vault prizes. Runeterra keywords - Definitions and unique interactions for cards explained. How Runeterra rounds work - An in-depth guide as to how rounds work. Runeterra patch notes - All the patch notes from the preview open beta patch to the present day. Runeterra player icons - Steps to change your player icon. Runeterra guardians - If you bought guardians, here’s how to change them. Runeterra boards - Those who have spent money on boards can learn how to change them here.
