Meta Snapshot: Riven wins the Orlando Showdown and four Chinese City Challenges

Blade of the Exile and Reckless Innovator help Riven turn a battlefield it already controls into a threat on the other one. Riven, Broken Blade gives that plan a champion worth protecting, and Bedeviling Stranger makes crowded fights less comfortable for the opponent. Kennen can rebuild well from its trash, but Riven can turn an early foothold into points sooner and has more protection to keep its best units in play.

Trifarian Captain helps Kennen keep pressure up with cheap threats, and An Offer You Can't Refuse gives that plan room against Equipment decks without making Kennen abandon its own attack. Some builds also use Ruined Monastery to lean harder into the trash plan. Riven can press an early lead sooner, but Kennen can start applying pressure with less setup than LeBlanc's Deathknell plan.

Trifarian Captain shows up in some LeBlanc builds to make the Karthus, Eternal and Baited Hook package easier to assemble. The appeal is a deck that can get value from trading its units and still have enough on board to contest the next fight. Kennen can start its pressure with fewer pieces in place, but LeBlanc keeps more pressure on the board while it trades than Kai'Sa, which spends more of its turns answering threats before it turns to attacking.

Bilgewater Tracker and Lost to the Sands give Kai'Sa more room to play a long control game, from early fights at Void Gate to boards where opposing gear matters. The Empyrean gives that plan a substantial threat before Time Warp becomes realistic. LeBlanc puts more pressure on the board while it trades, but Kai'Sa seems to have a steadier game than Rengar, because its spells can answer threats without the right units in play while Rengar needs its attackers to keep landing.

Elnuk Herd makes Rengar's battlefield pressure harder to judge alongside Inferna and Nidalee, Cat Form. Some builds also bring Graves, Blasting Through or Bilgewater Tracker for wide boards that a single attacker can't push through. Kai'Sa has more ways to recover when the board turns against it, but Rengar can put opposing battlefields under pressure sooner than Jayce, which needs time to reach the large units that carry its game.

Some Jayce builds use Avalanche to buy time against decks that build up units in base, or The Empyrean as another threat for the late game. Those additions suit a deck that wants to get through the opening and make its opponent answer large units in succession. Rengar applies pressure sooner, but Jayce's Dazzling Aurora plan gives it a bigger late game than Akali, which depends on keeping its key units in play to stay dangerous.

Akali's movement deck still depends on keeping its key units in play. Some builds use Battle Preparations to support a gear-backed defense or Bilgewater Tracker to strengthen the fights it takes around Void Gate. Jayce has the bigger late game, but Akali is more flexible than Master Yi, since its movement lets it threaten either battlefield while Yi's plan leans on a lone defender holding its ground.

Master Yi plays only a few Radiance cards and still leans on its older core of lone defenders. Some builds add Graves, Blasting Through to make crowded attacks costly, and others use Elnuk Herd for a surprise in a fight the opponent thought was settled. Akali has more ways to threaten either battlefield, but Yi can make a lone defender difficult to challenge before Vex has established its face-down support.

Bandle Scouts' Academy and Bedeviling Stranger give Vex a reason to build around face-down cards and contest a battlefield over several turns. That plan can keep a foothold productive while Vex works toward Astral Heron. Master Yi can set up its defense with less investment, but Vex is better equipped to sustain a foothold through repeated challenges than Kha'Zix, whose plan puts more emphasis on arranging favorable fights.

Reckless Innovator helps Kha'Zix stay on the attack over successive fights, and some builds use The Good Stuff to keep that pressure from running out of cards. An Offer You Can't Refuse, mostly from the sideboard, gives Kha'Zix an answer to gear-heavy opponents. Vex has the steadier defense, but Kha'Zix can take more initiative in choosing its fights than Diana, which commits more of its deck to keeping responses available during showdowns.

An Offer You Can't Refuse gives Diana a way to contest gear-heavy boards while staying on its usual showdown plan. Some builds also use Bedeviling Stranger to make a crowded battlefield harder to commit to. Kha'Zix can take more initiative in choosing its fights, but Diana can contest a fight with less board setup than Azir, whose plan builds toward an equipped Sand Soldier attack.

Battle Preparations fits Azir's Equipment plan because the deck wants to protect a foothold while building toward a wider Sand Soldier board. Some builds also use Orianna, Exquisite as a defensive option in that same gear package. Diana is less dependent on setup, but Azir is better at defending ground it has already taken than Rek'Sai, since its equipped board carries strength from one fight into the next while Rek'Sai's cheap bodies are easier to trade off.

Concert Poster and Hunting Dog help Rek'Sai keep enough bodies in play to threaten more than one battlefield. Banner of Conquest gives those builds a reason to turn a wide board into attacks, and Trifarian Captain helps keep the cheap-unit plan consistent. Viktor uses Concert Poster in a similar way to extend a removal game, while Rek'Sai is better at turning its wider set of cheap bodies into early pressure and points.

Concert Poster helps Viktor keep units in reserve for a removal game that can otherwise leave its own board thin. That makes it easier to contest a battlefield after trading resources, and some sideboards use Dockside Lock-Up for games that hinge on a large unit. Rek'Sai is better at converting a wide board into early points, while Viktor needs more time to turn favorable removal exchanges into scoring pressure.

Trifarian Captain and Concert Poster are different Radiance options for the same Darius plan: putting together cheap early turns that leave units on the board. The deck can turn those openings into pressure before Ornn has developed its gear board. Its stronger turns still depend on having enough cheap plays together, which makes the pressure harder to sustain against a sturdier board.

In builds with Pillaged Armory, Fiora can contest early points while building toward a Mighty threat such as Fiora, Victorious. Mordekaiser, Dominating gives some builds another way to press the advantage once they reach the top end. The larger units reward that setup, but an opening heavy on support can leave Fiora short of threats while the opponent is already taking points.

Seraphic Wyvern is the Radiance addition that best fits Volibear's plan of getting from early ramp to Elder Dragon and Kadregrin the Infernal. Some builds use Black Market to support that long game, and Avalanche can buy Volibear time against decks that stock their bases before attacking. Its late threats are hard to match once they arrive, but the deck spends its early turns ramping rather than contesting points, so a fast opponent can build a lead before those threats take over.

Pillaged Armory gives Sett a Radiance piece that fits both early battlefield pressure and a longer game of protecting buffed units. Trifarian Captain supports that cheap opening package, so Sett can start contesting points without waiting on a large threat. Its buffs have to cover both pressure and protection, though, so the deck can run short of resources when an opponent answers the units it has invested in.

Battle Preparations fits Irelia's gear builds because they want to contest a fight and still have room for another play. Reckless Innovator gives those builds a unit that keeps paying off as Irelia puts it back to work, while some lists use The Good Stuff to sustain the longer game. The plan is strong once Irelia has a useful unit established, but it needs that unit in play first, which can leave the deck short of pressure when its early board is answered.

Siren's Song and Bedeviling Stranger fit Annie's plan of keeping a contested battlefield uncertain after it passes the turn. Runeblade Anvil gives that reactive build another way to keep options available as the game goes on. Annie can stay involved even when neither player has a favorable attack, but its reactive plan gives it fewer ways to take a battlefield on its own terms, so it can fall behind on points against a deck that commits early.

Some Ornn builds use Command: Attack and Battle Preparations to keep developing their gear board even when they have to commit resources to a fight. That gives Ornn more ways to build toward an equipped board it can use again on the next turn. That board takes several turns of investment, though, and Ornn can give up early points while its gear is still coming together.

Bandle Scouts' Academy fits a Draven deck that wants to threaten more in a showdown than its visible board suggests. Siren's Song and Bedeviling Stranger make that pressure less predictable and give Draven more room to look for favorable fights. The plan depends on taking those fights, though, and Draven can struggle to rebuild once its committed units are answered.

Battle Preparations fits Lillia's gear-backed Sprite plan because it can help the deck commit to a fight while keeping options for the rest of the turn. The deck is strongest when it can turn a short opening into points before its board thins out. Compared with Leona, Lillia can threaten an open battlefield sooner without first building its turn around an opposing unit.

Riven, Broken Blade gives Leona a Radiance unit that fits a deck built to keep fights manageable with stuns. Some builds also use Ki Burst to give that plan more room in contested showdowns. Leona can make an established unit hard to fight, but hands full of stun support can leave it short of attackers to contest both battlefields.

One-Two Punch and Portable Portal fit Poppy builds that want to claim a battlefield early and build their XP plan around holding it. Other builds pair Mordekaiser, Dominating with the slower Dazzling Aurora plan. The fight builds have a harder time getting ahead when they cannot establish a foothold, while the ramp builds need time before their larger threats matter.

Some Lucian builds use Portable Portal to keep an equipped board relevant across battlefields, or Graves, Blasting Through when a wide defense would otherwise stall their attack. That gives Lucian a direct route from a developed board to points, but Sett, whose buffs can also keep its units alive, seems more comfortable on either side of a fight. Lucian loses much of its edge once the fight shifts to defense.

The Empyrean and Life from Stone fit Nasus's plan of reaching a late game where its large plays can take over a battlefield. Most lists also carry Hush, usually in the sideboard, to protect that plan from an opponent's key spells. Nasus still spends much of the opening keeping the board manageable, and it can give up too many points before its larger threats arrive.

Bandle Scouts' Academy gives Teemo a reason to keep investing in a battlefield it already controls. Some builds add Bedeviling Stranger and Momentary Companion to make that investment matter in contested fights, or The Good Stuff to sustain a longer game. That plan rewards holding ground, though, and Teemo can have trouble taking a battlefield in the first place before its face-down cards are in position.

Some Ambessa builds use Pillaged Armory to strengthen the early board or Portable Portal to give a developed unit more reach. The deck still depends on getting its Empower units established, so its stronger turns can take time to assemble. Once that board is in place, the Legend's support helps Ambessa turn its setup into an immediate fight for points.

The Ball and Orianna, Exquisite make gear central to how this deck contests battlefields. Some builds add Command: Attack to support that plan, and Battle Preparations gives Orianna more room to defend a board it has invested in. Losing The Ball can make Orianna's next turn noticeably weaker, which seems to hold the deck back.

Incorrigible Construct and Antagonistic Apparatus give Rumble more ways to press a battlefield while developing its Mech board. Clanging Sentry fits builds that want those Mechs to keep pressing contested battlefields. The plan needs that Mech board in place, though, and Rumble can lose momentum when its early units are answered before they start pressing.

Bandle Scouts' Academy and Gutter Guardian make it easier for Evelynn to keep investing in a face-down board. Hold 'Em lets that plan take fights with smaller units before the deck has shown its best threat. That works best on a battlefield Evelynn already controls, and its smaller units can have trouble taking new ground against a sturdier board.

Every Mel list keeps An Offer You Can't Refuse in the sideboard for games where opposing gear would otherwise slip past its control spells. Some builds use The Good Stuff to help sustain that longer game. Mel still spends much of the opening reacting, and the deck can have trouble turning a stable board into points before the opponent finds another threat.

Realm of Death fits a Mordekaiser deck that wants its units to contest a battlefield and make opposing threats harder to keep in play. Trifarian Captain supports the early board, and Mordekaiser, Dominating, the champion most builds choose, can carry that pressure into the late game. Builds centered on Dominating still need to get through the opening, and they can give up early points while developing the resources for their larger threats.

Some Miss Fortune builds use Hunters' Circle to support early battlefield development. Siren's Song and Bedeviling Stranger fit a more disruptive version of the movement plan, while other builds put their resources toward a slower game. The shared strength is mobility, but the deck still needs a board that can take fights and turn that movement into points.

An Offer You Can't Refuse lets Ezreal stay on its control plan in games where opposing gear matters as much as the units carrying it. Around it, the deck leans on older interaction such as Gust, Star-Crossed and Wages of Pain to keep a contested battlefield manageable while it looks for a way to close. The control plan can keep the board in check, but Ezreal seems to have few ways to turn that into points, which gives an opponent time to recover.

Bedeviling Stranger and Bandle Scouts' Academy fit Pyke's face-down builds, while some lists use Shimmering Swimmer and Treasure Trove to get more out of their gear. Both directions give Pyke ways to stay in a long game of trades. The deck can still have trouble leaving enough units on the board to turn those exchanges into steady points.

Sivir looks suited to a removal deck that saves resources for a larger turn later. That plan could fall behind on points if it spends too much time preparing and leaves too few units contesting battlefields.

Portable Portal gives some Master Yi builds a way to keep their Hunt units relevant across battlefields, while Elnuk Herd fits versions that want a surprise in contested fights. The board can threaten fights early, but the deck takes time to build enough XP for its Legend to make those attacks stronger. A slow opening can leave Yi fighting for ground with units that have yet to get much from the Legend.

Hush can protect Ahri's held ground from some spells, and most lists also play Ahri, Confident, a champion that thrives in that defense. The plan is much stronger once Ahri has ground to protect. It can have trouble taking the first battlefield against a deck that develops faster.

Trifarian Captain makes Vi's Hextech Gauntlets plan easier to assemble, and some builds use Ekko, Revolutionary as another unit worth committing to an attack. Vi can threaten a big turn when its lead attacker gets through. It has a harder time taking points when the fight makes it spread resources across several units.

Packed Amphitheater fits Yasuo's plan of fighting around Yasuo, Windrider, and An Offer You Can't Refuse gives the sideboard an answer to gear-heavy decks. The main scoring plan still asks Yasuo to line up a strong movement turn around its champion. That can swing a close game, but it is hard to repeat when the deck also has to contest the board.

Pillaged Armory, Concert Poster and Demacian Standard give Jarvan IV a Radiance gear package that makes a contested battlefield harder to read, and nearly every list builds around Jarvan IV, Martial Paragon to push that further. The deck can threaten a larger commitment than its visible units suggest. That pressure is harder to sustain once Jarvan loses ground, since its gear is most useful where its units can keep contesting the fight.

Bilgewater Tracker gives Jhin's expensive spell deck a better way to stay involved in early battlefield fights. Some builds use The Empyrean to support the long game once those early exchanges are over. Jhin can keep a board manageable, but its larger payoff takes time and its Sprite pressure can be hard to turn into steady holds.

Iridescent Avian and Hunting Dog give Ivern's animal package more room to build toward Daisy! and Friendship. Raucous Anthem gives the deck a reason to preserve a wide board into the late game. That plan is stronger once Ivern has taken a battlefield to build around, but it can take time to put together enough of a board to contest one.

Battle Preparations and Hold 'Em fit a Jax build that wants to take fights with equipped units. Graves, Blasting Through is a separate option for crowded fights. The deck still needs units that can turn its gear into a credible attack, and it can invest in a battlefield without having enough strength left to take the next fight.

Ekko, Ingenious and Chronobreak fit a deck built to get lasting value from a short burst of pressure around Thousand-Tailed Watcher. Bilgewater Tracker helps it stay involved in early fights while it prepares that turn. The stronger plays need time and support to come together, so Ekko can threaten a large swing without keeping the same pressure up from turn to turn.

Hush gives Lee Sin a sideboard option against decks built around high-Power spells, while Nazuman Ntofo is a separate option for games that turn on defending a battlefield. The main plan still leans on incremental buffs and combat tricks around Monastery of Hirana. Lee Sin can make individual fights difficult, but it can take too long to build a board that threatens points across both battlefields.

Coalesced Energy and Black Market suit a Renekton build that wants to keep committing units through the middle turns. The plan can put pressure on a battlefield early, but it depends on keeping Coalesced Energy on the board and finding enough threats to sustain that pressure. It has a harder time building a bigger turn once the first wave has been answered.

Runeblade Anvil gives Zed builds a steady way to fuel the Legend, and some pair it with Ekko, Revolutionary to keep pressure on the battlefield. That plan can improve Zed's options without giving it control of a battlefield. It can spend several plays setting up while a more direct deck is already fighting for points.

Trifarian Captain is an early option in some Lux builds, while Dockside Lock-Up appears as a sideboard option for a longer game. Neither role changes the deck's reliance on expensive spells to take control. Lux can spend much of the opening getting ready for those turns and give up points faster than its late game can recover them.

Encore and Concert Poster give Seraphine a Radiance plan built around keeping a wide Recruit board. Raucous Anthem gives that board a way to threaten a much stronger fight late in the game. Seraphine needs a wide board to get much from its Legend, and small Recruits can struggle to take a battlefield while that board is coming together.

Nazuman Ntofo and Ntofo Strikes give K'Sante's defensive builds a reason to contest fights with the same units they want to keep on a battlefield. K'Sante, Dauntless is one of two champion choices that fit those defenders. The deck is much more comfortable protecting an established position than taking new ground when its support pieces are missing.

Amateur Demolitionist and Ziggs, Explosive give Ziggs enough Bomb support to build around gear alongside Shimmering Swimmer. The package makes small opposing units easier to contest, but the deck still needs its own units to take and hold the ground it clears. It can keep trading without building enough of a board to close the game.

Life from Stone and Battle Preparations are separate Radiance options for Shen builds that want to keep their choices open while defending a battlefield. Hush fits the sideboard of a deck that wants to keep a contested position through longer games. Shen can make an established defense hard to dislodge, but its reactive cards give it fewer ways to establish the next threat and keep scoring.