Followers

Followers

Followers are the backbone of any Legends of Runeterra deck. These units are played from your hand onto the board, attacking and defending to achieve your victory conditions. Understanding their stats, abilities, and synergies is crucial for building a winning strategy and outmaneuvering your opponent.

In Legends of Runeterra, Followers are the primary combat units you deploy to the board. Unlike Champions, they don't level up and are typically less powerful individually, but their strength lies in their numbers, cost-effectiveness, and synergistic abilities. Mastering the art of deploying the right follower at the right time can dictate the flow of the game and secure your victory. Each region offers a unique pool of followers, each with distinct strengths and weaknesses, encouraging diverse deck-building possibilities.

Understanding Follower Stats

Every follower possesses two key stats: Attack (the damage they deal when attacking or blocking) and Health (the damage they can sustain before being destroyed). These are displayed prominently on their card. For example, a 3/2 follower deals 3 damage and has 2 health.

Follower Abilities

Beyond raw stats, followers often come with powerful abilities that can drastically alter the game state. These abilities can be passive (always active) or triggered (activate under specific conditions). Some common ability keywords include:

• Quick Attack: Deals damage before the blocker.
• Overwhelm: Excess damage is dealt to the enemy Nexus.
• Barrier: Prevents the next instance of damage.
• Elusive: Can only be blocked by other Elusive units.
• Last Breath: Triggers when the unit dies.
• Summon: Triggers when the unit is played from hand.

Follower Synergies and Deck Building

The true power of followers is unlocked through synergistic deck building. Many followers are designed to work in tandem with other cards, particularly those from the same region. For instance, a follower that buffs allies might be paired with a swarm of cheap units, or a follower that draws cards could enable a combo-heavy strategy. When building a deck, consider:

• Mana Curve: Ensuring a balanced distribution of follower costs to allow for consistent plays throughout the game.
• Win Condition: Identifying how your followers will ultimately lead to victory, whether through direct Nexus damage, overwhelming board presence, or a specific combo.
• Removal and Defense: Including followers that can deal with enemy threats or protect your own units.

Key Follower Archetypes

Different regions excel at different follower archetypes:

Mastering the diverse array of followers available across Runeterra is fundamental to becoming a skilled player. Experiment with different combinations and discover the synergies that best suit your playstyle.