Crafting Materials — Legends of Runeterra Guide
In Legends of Runeterra, your collection is built using specific crafting materials. Understanding these resources – Wildcards and Shards – is fundamental to efficiently acquiring the cards you need to construct powerful and competitive decks. Mastering their acquisition and usage is key to progression.
The economy of Legends of Runeterra revolves around two primary crafting materials: Wildcards and Shards. These are the currencies you'll use to obtain new cards and complete your collection. Whether you're aiming for a specific Champion or filling out your Rare slots, knowing how to earn and spend these materials wisely will significantly impact your deck-building journey and overall enjoyment of the game.
Wildcards: The Direct Path to Cards
Wildcards are the most direct way to acquire specific cards. They act as tokens that can be exchanged for cards of a corresponding rarity. There are four types of Wildcards:
- Common Wildcard: Can be exchanged for any Common card.
- Rare Wildcard: Can be exchanged for any Rare card.
- Epic Wildcard: Can be exchanged for any Epic card.
- Champion Wildcard: Can be exchanged for any Champion card. This is the rarest and most valuable type of Wildcard.
Using a Wildcard of the appropriate rarity allows you to instantly add a desired card to your collection, bypassing the randomness of card packs.
Shards: The Universal Crafting Currency
Shards are the primary currency used in the Hextech Crafting system. They are a more flexible resource that can be used to craft any card in the game, regardless of rarity. The cost in Shards varies based on the rarity of the card you wish to craft:
- Common Card: Costs 100 Shards.
- Rare Card: Costs 300 Shards.
- Epic Card: Costs 1200 Shards.
- Champion Card: Costs 3000 Shards.
While Shards offer flexibility, crafting higher rarity cards can be quite costly, making it important to prioritize which cards you want to craft.
Earning Crafting Materials
You can acquire Wildcards and Shards through various in-game activities:
- Weekly Vault: This is your most consistent source. The higher the Vault level, the better the rewards, often including a mix of Wildcards and Shards. Higher levels can even guarantee Champion Wildcards.
- Region Road Progression: As you level up different Regions by playing games and completing quests, you unlock rewards at various milestones. These rewards frequently include Wildcards, Shards, and sometimes even direct Champion cards.
- Event Orbs and Chests: Special events often grant Orbs and Chests that contain random rewards, which can include Wildcards and Shards.
- Daily and Weekly Quests: Completing these quests provides experience points that contribute to your Weekly Vault and Region progression, indirectly earning you crafting materials.
- Duplicate Cards: If you receive duplicate cards from packs or rewards, you can convert them into Shards. This is a crucial way to gain Shards if you're not actively crafting.
Strategic Use of Materials
To maximize your collection:
- Prioritize Champions: Champion Wildcards are best saved for the Champions you absolutely need for your core decks.
- Craft Key Epics and Rares: Use Shards or Wildcards for essential Epic and Rare cards that enable your deck's strategy.
- Don't Over-Craft Commons: Common Wildcards are less valuable; use Shards for Commons unless you're desperate for a specific one.
- Leverage Duplicates: Convert unwanted duplicates into Shards to fund future crafts.
By understanding the value and acquisition methods of Wildcards and Shards, You can strategically build their Legends of Runeterra collection and craft the decks that best suit their playstyle.