Meta Snapshot: Kennen is still #1

Kennen keeps its pole position because it can cycle into the right answer, cheat out expensive units, and use Ride the Wind to score points without putting its early units in danger. The best way to fight it is to pressure both battlefields and force Kennen to defend, where Assault 2 and its movement tricks are less impactful.

Master Yi holds its place because a lone defender can demand a much larger commitment, while Discipline, Charm, and Defy protect it without turning off the bonus or tying up the rest of the board. To beat it, use damage or removal before moving in and threaten both battlefields, denying the +2 Might from defending alone and keeping Yi from concentrating every Reaction on one fight.

Rengar held its spot because unit plays double as combat tricks, while Trophy Hunter and Thrill of the Hunt let it wait for your commitment before choosing which battlefield to fight over. To beat it, make Rengar use multiple cards to settle one Showdown, then attack the other battlefield after the turn-only Might expires; if that empties its hand, Pridestalker cannot add another combat bonus until it finds another unit.

Azir holds its place because its Equipment survives the units carrying it, letting the deck trade aggressively, rebuild with Arise!, and threaten another scoring turn without starting over. To fight it, force the Soldiers to defend, remove Equipment while Arise! is on the chain, and move or remove Azir, Sovereign before it attacks; that shrinks the rebuild and stops the token pile from choosing its battlefield at the last second.

Irelia is up because the Fervent builds punish any opening, stacking temporary Might on one protected attacker and then carrying that same unit into the next battlefield with Ride the Wind. Pressure both battlefields before Ride the Wind is committed, so Irelia has to spend the spell patching a bad lane instead of turning one safe fight into two points.

Rek'Sai is up because it is still excellent at cashing in cheap bodies early, then turning a conquest into another play before you can stabilize. Make Rek'Sai fight for that first battlefield with real cards and deny the conquest, so Void Burrower and Breacher do not turn one clean win into the next fight.

Diana is down a bit, but the Hwei shell is still scary because one Ride the Wind can turn movement into extra cards, extra Might, and a different fight than the one you lined up. Hold removal until Ride the Wind targets Hwei, then kill it before the spell resolves so Diana spends the movement card without getting the draw, the move trigger, or the combat swing.

LeBlanc moved up because the Deathknell shell still snowballs fast once it wins one battlefield, turning that first conquest into another ready attacker before you can reset. Banish or recall the copied Deathknell body before the next Beginning Phase, or kill Karthus before Temporary finishes it off, so LeBlanc never gets the doubled death trigger that funds the next fight.

Nasus is up because the Heron into Watcher turns are punishing if you give it a clean setup, and the deck still leaves two runes ready to protect the winning lane after Watcher weakens the board. Move or remove Astral Heron before Nasus plays its first card of the turn, then pressure both battlefields so the discount and rune refund cannot cover everything.

Draven slipped because its best turns still depend on getting a clean combat win, but the Showboat shell is excellent at punishing the first player to commit and turning one favorable fight into pressure at the next battlefield. Kill, banish, or bounce the unit Draven needs to keep alive before combat ends, then hit the other battlefield after Spinning Axe or Tideturner is spent so the follow-up never comes together.

Ezreal is lower because the shell still controls one battlefield well, but it has looked less reliable at turning that exchange into actual points. Split your threats and clean up the last scorer after the damage spells resolve, because Bellows Breath can only cover one side and Ezreal still needs a body left over to cash in the turn.

Jayce is up because the Platewyrm Egg turns still threaten a huge swing once the deck starts chaining readies into Dazzling Aurora and Elder Dragon. Kill Platewyrm Egg before the next ready effect or break Dazzling Aurora before the end step, and the deck has a much harder time getting its expensive turn off the ground.

Viktor moved up because the deck can turn dying small units into removal and fresh Recruits, which makes it hard to empty the board while Viktor, Leader stays in play. Kill or banish Viktor, Leader before another non-Recruit dies, then attack the other battlefield so the replacement unit never matters.

Kha'Zix is lower because the deck still punishes any isolated fight, but it has been less reliable when opponents respect that setup. Remove or move Mutating Horror before Void Assault resolves, or keep a second unit beside the defender, so Voidreaver misses the isolated combat and loses the XP it needs to snowball.

Kai'Sa slipped because the Survivor shell still punishes blind commitments with Hidden setups, but it has been easier to play around once opponents stop walking their best threat into the trap. Probe the Hidden battlefield with the smaller attack first and force Temporal Breach there, so Kai'Sa cannot spring the real ambush and still cover the other lane.

Lillia is up because the Sprite turns still hit both battlefields at once and can steal points before slower decks are ready to defend both sides. Fight on the turn the Sprites show up and force them to defend, because the Temporary bodies disappear before the next scoring step and take the discount with them.

Sivir slips because the Sigil builds still need a slow ramp turn before Dazzling Aurora can take over, even though banking Power gives the deck a dangerous top end. Split your pressure while the ramp pieces enter exhausted, and if Dazzling Aurora lands, remove it before the end step so Sivir never gets the free high-end unit.

Fiora slipped because too many draws spend a full turn building one carrier, but the Worthy branch can still steal a second point when Dragon Form pushes a unit over the Mighty line. Against Worthy, kill the exhausted carrier while Dragon Form is on the chain and before it reaches 5 Might, so the ready trigger and follow-up score both disappear.

Ornn climbed after Blacksmith won Barcelona, proving the shared Gear core can carry a full event while turning setup pieces into bodies and fresh cards. Use Gear removal before Patched Porobot is played, keeping Ornn below three other Gear to deny the draw and shrink Forge God's follow-up threat.

Lux holds here because the Applied Researchers package can snowball if it gets one quiet setup turn before the expensive spell turn, but the deck is still inconsistent when that setup is disrupted. Kill Applied Researchers as soon as it becomes Empowered and before Lux reaches that turn, because the discount is what makes the whole chain practical.

Lucian stays in the mix because Merciless plus Relentless Pursuit can turn one conquest into another attacker before you have time to reset the board. Remove Merciless before combat or force it into a bad trade before conquest, so neither the ready trigger nor the return-to-base line can set up the second attack.

Mel holds because the Empower shell can shrink the key defender before combat, then back the winning lane with cheap spells and Rebuttal, but it still asks for a clean setup at one battlefield. Start the important Showdown before Soul's Reflection is both Empowered and exhausted, so Mel has to fight without the full Might reduction setup.

Vex is up because the Apathetic shell can lock one battlefield down long enough to turn each score into the next defensive card. Get units in play before Apathetic arrives and split your pressure across both battlefields, so Vex cannot keep the stun loop going into the next Beginning Phase.

Volibear is lower because its best draws still depend on Herald surviving long enough to make the first Dragon affordable, even though Gentle Gemdragon can turn that Mighty play into a much bigger follow-up. Kill Herald before the first Dragon comes down and attack the other battlefield during setup, so the discount disappears and the big unit has to defend instead of snowballing.

Akali climbed because the movement shell can keep one protected attacker relevant across multiple fights instead of spending a whole turn on a single lane. Pressure both battlefields and make Rogue Assassin spend its rescue effect in the first Showdown, so that unit cannot move back over and cover the second fight.

Wuju Master is lower because the XP shell still depends on Master Yi, Tempered winning one clean fight before the rest of the board comes online, even though that turn can push the deck to Level 6 at once. Recall or remove Tempered during the Showdown before it conquers, so Hunt 2 never happens and the team-wide Might stays offline.

Darius slipped because the tiny sample still has not produced a credible finish, but its best draws hinge on Trifarian turning the first card you play into pressure at both battlefields. Force that first card to answer your board or remove Trifarian before the second card is played, so Darius never turns one clean exchange into a second scoring attack.

Miss Fortune slipped because the Aurora setup is too easy to interrupt before it reaches Elder Dragon, though Scryer's Bloom can still make that end-step turn reliable. Force Bloom to be used before Dazzling Aurora is active, or break Aurora before the end step, so the deck loses the setup that makes its top end dependable.

Yasuo is lower because the shared movement shell can still score out of nowhere, but the different Champion builds have not backed that up consistently. Against Windrider lists, kill Windrider before the third move or contest the battlefield it needs to leave, so Ride the Wind becomes a rescue spell instead of the scoring play.

Annie is up a bit because it can spend runes on its own turn and then ready them for the next exchange. Make Annie spend Energy reacting at one battlefield and immediately pressure the other, because Dark Child can ready the runes you exhausted for Power but does not restore the Energy needed for a second answer.

Ambessa climbed because The Wolf can turn one protected attacker into pressure at both battlefields once the first fight breaks its way. Show threats on both sides and force Matriarch of War to spend the ready effect in the first Showdown, so that unit cannot swing the later fight too.

Poppy is up a little because Poppy, Paragon anchors both the XP build and the Aurora build even while the deck remains mostly fringe. Read Grim Resolve or Shepherd's Heirloom as the XP version and Catalyst of Aeons or Dazzling Aurora as ramp, then pressure both battlefields before either setup gets a safe lane.

Lee Sin fell because the buffed-carrier setup still asks too much time and protection for one battlefield, even though Centered and First Mate can turn that unit into a repeat scoring threat. Pressure the other battlefield before the pair is assembled, then move or remove Centered after Lee Sin commits; separating it from the carrier cuts the extra Might and forces the deck to choose which lane keeps the investment.

Leona slipped because its stun package still needs both an unbuffed friendly unit and another fight where the lasting Might matters, though Back Off and Determined can disrupt one Showdown while building the next threat. Force Back Off at the first battlefield, then shift pressure before Leona can set up another stun, denying the follow-up buff the deck needs to turn defense into a scoring turn.

Shen moved up because the two-unit build finally punished open lanes, and Scourge of Shadows plus Hand Hammer lets one pair hold a battlefield while replacing cards. Contest the other battlefield before Hold resolves, forcing Shen to split the pair or add a third defender and lose the exact-two-unit payoffs.

Rumble moved up because the Mech build is better at turning one established unit into a wider attack that keeps pressure on the board after conquest. Kill the first Mech before Production Surge is played and attack the other battlefield during the rebuild, so Rumble loses the discount and cannot turn one lane into its whole turn.

Jinx fell because the Xi'an spike remained isolated and the surrounding results showed no dependable recovery when its opening attack failed, though Super Mega Death Rocket! can still turn the first conquest into another scoring threat. Contest that first conquest before the Rocket can be reused and force early trades, denying the second wave while making every discard harder to replace.

Zed is up because the Death Mark and Shadow Clone core is more settled, even though it still needs several pieces to turn the setup into a point. Pressure both battlefields after Death Mark but before a Clone or Flow spell actually banishes a card, forcing Ride the Wind to repair one lane instead of converting the setup into a score.

Sett moved up because the protection shell can keep one invested unit alive long enough to turn saved cards into a real scoring push. Attack both battlefields and make Sett spend its tricks on the first Showdown, then score the other before that preserved unit can convert the exchange into a point.

Renekton fell because it still needs Punch First and Rampage to win one big Showdown cleanly, and that package has not been enough once opponents make it defend. Force those combat cards onto the first battlefield, then pressure the other after the turn-only Might wears off so the same hand cannot cover both fights.

Ivern slipped because the tag shell still needs one clustered battlefield to make Brush and Friendship worth the setup. Pick off the unit supplying a needed tag, and if Ivern spends Defy to save it, start the next Showdown on the other battlefield before that same cluster can cash in.

Vi fell because the Hextech Gauntlets plan still needs one oversized conquest to turn Piltover Enforcer into a second attack. Hold removal for the Gauntlets carrier on the first battlefield, answer it before the excess-damage conquest lands, and push the other lane so Vi never gets the ready trigger.

Ahri slipped because the Discipline, Stupefy, and Watcher core still defends one battlefield well, but the deck has not found a cleaner way to turn that control into points. Present threats at both battlefields before the Watcher turn, bait the first Reaction on the smaller fight, and score the other lane while Ahri's clean answer is spent.

Jax dipped because its Equipment shell still leans on one geared carrier turning later plays into immediate pressure. Force the Equipment commitment at one battlefield, then answer that carrier and make the other battlefield matter before Jax can use the same hand twice.

Pyke held near the bottom because it can still find the right answers with Stacked Deck and Falling Star, but it struggles when opponents make those delayed Gold and rune turns matter right away. Split your pressure, and when Pyke uses Bloodharbor Ripper to bounce a unit for exhausted Gold or Ripper's Bay to turn that bounce into an exhausted rune, attack the other battlefield before those delayed resources can fund the next scoring turn.

Renata held because Hostile Takeover and ready Sprites can still steal a battlefield, but the deck rarely gets to set up that swing twice. Pressure both battlefields before the Sprite turn is established, and if Renata spends Hostile Takeover on the first lane, hit the other before that swing becomes a second point.

Jhin stays near the bottom because its Fury and Mind shell can still lock down one battlefield with expensive spells, but it asks for too much time to turn that control into a real score. Create pressure on both sides before the spell turn, forcing Jhin to choose between stabilizing one lane and developing the body needed to win the other.

Teemo fell because the Bandle Tree and Sprite package can still build a tricky board, but it has not shown a reliable way to turn that setup into a clean finish. Pressure both battlefields before the engine is established, forcing the generated bodies to defend instead of lining up a coordinated scoring turn.