Legends of Runeterra Keywords List & Guide

January 14th, 2020 | jscaliseok

Legends of Runeterra is a deep, rich card game with a lot of strategy. While that makes it fun, the different powers and abilities can be a bit overwhelming at first glance.

To make getting into the game easier, this guide breaks down the different abilities, explains what region tends to use them, and gives examples of what they look like during play.

List of Keywords

Allegiance

This ability only triggers if you have a card on top of your deck that is from the same region as the played card.

Example: When Vanguard Bannerman is played, if you have another Demacia card on the top of your deck, all of your units get +1/+1. If the card on top of your deck is not from Demacia, nothing happens.

Barrier

The first time a unit with Barrier takes damage in a turn, they take no damage and lose their barrier. Barriers go away at the end of a turn, whether that unit takes damage or not.

Example: You attack with your Yasuo. Your opponent blocks with their own Yasuo. You then play Spirit's Refuge on yours. They strike each other. As your Yasuo is protected by a barrier, it takes no damage and loses the barrier. Your opponent's Yasuo dies.

Bond

This unit links with another allied unit and gives it a special ability.

Example: When played, Kalista gives an ally +2/+0. Her leveled up form then brings the bonded unit back from the dead when she attacks.

Challenger

Units with Challenger can choose which unit blocks them.

Example: When attacking, Fiora can drag units out to fight and trigger her level up ability. Your opponent may not want her to kill their 1/1, but you get to decide blocks.

Double Attack

This unit strikes twice when attacking; once before and once during combat.

Example: While attacking, a leveled up Lucian can fight any unit with four or less health and not die, similar to as if he had Quick Attack. However, he can also trade with units that have five, six, seven, or eight health. If he attacks the nexus, he does eight damage instead of four.

Enlightened

This ability triggers when you have ten regular mana crystals (spell mana does not count).

Example: When you are Enlightened (have ten crystals) Karma levels up.

Elusive

Elusive units can only be blocked by other elusive units.

Example: Greenlade Duo cannot be blocked by Tryndamere. However, it can be blocked by Shadow Assassin.

Ephemeral

Ephemeral units die after they strike, or at the end of the round.

Example: Onslaught of Shadows summons two 3/2's. However, once they do damage or block, they die. They also die when you or your opponent end the turn, regardless if they struck or not.

Fearsome

Fearsome units cannot be blocked by units with two or less power.

Example: Arachnoid Horror is an excellent early game card because it cannot be blocked by other early game cards like House Spider or Fleetfeather Tracker.

Frostbite

When you Frostbite a unit, its attack becomes zero until the end of the round.

Example: Ashe Frostbites the strongest enemy unit every time she attacks, which allows her to attack into powerful units with little worry. Harsh Winds sets two enemy units to zero power at Burst speed. All of the units hit by such abilities go back to their regular health at the start of the next round.

Last Breath

Last Breath abilities trigger when a unit dies.

Example: Cursed Keeper, though weak at first, turns into a 4/4 Escaped Abomination when it gets killed (either by being blocked or sacrificed).

Lifesteal

When a unit with lifesteal deals damage, you gain that much life.

Example: Every time Soulgorger strikes, you gain three life.

Nexus Strike

A Nexus Strike ability triggers every time this unit strikes the enemy Nexus.

Example: When Silent Shadowseer strikes the enemy Nexus (is not blocked) you create another one in your hand. If it gets blocked by an elusive unit or does not attack, you do not get another one in hand.

Obliterate

Remove a unit from the game. This is the same as killing a unit, but it does not trigger Last Breath abilities.

Example: She Who Wanders obliterates cards both in hands and on the board. Cards in hand are discarded, cards on the board get removed. If a unit with Last Breath, such as Cursed Keeper, gets Obliterated by She Who Wanders, it does not create a 4/4.

Overwhelm

When attacking, cards with Overwhelm deal damage to blockers like any other card. However, for every damage they deal beyond the blocker's health, they deal that damage to the enemy nexus. In addition, if a unit blocking an Overwhelm unit is removed from combat (such as through ) the Overwhelm unit deals all of their damage to the enemy nexus as if they weren't blocked.

Example: A Greenglade Caretaker blocks Tryndamere. Tryndamere deals two damage to the Caretaker. However, because of Overwhelm, Tryndamere deals six damage (of his eight total attack) to the enemy nexus. If the Greenglade Caretaker gets recalled during the block, Tryndamere would deal all eight damage to the enemy nexus.

Quick Attack

When attacking, units with Quick Attack deal their damage before blockers.

Example: An Arachnoid Sentry blocks an attacking Draven. Draven attacks first, dealing three damage to the Sentry and killing it. The sentry then dies and does not get to attack back. Draven lives. However, if the Sentry had four health or Barrier, Draven would deal damage, then the Sentry would attack back and kill him.

Recall

Return a unit to its owner's hand.

Example: Will of Ionia recalls any unit back to its owner's hand at fast speed. Katarina returns to your hand when she strikes and lives.

Regeneration

Units with Regeneration fully heal at the end of every turn.

Example: While Braum has no attack, he always goes back to five health at the end of each round no matter how much damage he has on him.

Revive

Returns a unit that died back to the battlefield.

Example: Shark Chariot revives whenever you attack with an Ephemeral unit. When played, The Rekindler brings back your highest-power champion that died this game. If none of your champions died, nothing happens.

Spells

Spells in Legends of Runeterra have three different speeds. The speed of a spell denotes when it can be played.

Slow: Slow spells cannot be played during battle. They also go on the stack and give your opponent a chance to respond with a fast or burst spell.

Example: The Ruination, while powerful, does give your opponent a chance to respond with things like Glimpse Beyond.
Fast: Fast spells can be played whenever you have priority, during battle or otherwise. They can be responded to with burst or fast spells.

Example: If your opponent plays Black Spear to kill one of your units, you cannot play Guile in response. However, you can play Riposte to give it barrier and keep it alive.
Burst: Burst spells can be played at any time, do not give up priority, and do not let your opponent react. You can play as many Burst spells as you want back-to-back.

Example: During combat, you can play multiple Riposte cards to protect your units without your opponent being able to interfere. Even if they have their own burst or fast spells, they cannot play them until after Riposte resolves.

Stun

Stunned units cannot block or attack. If a unit gets stunned during a fight (attacking or blocking) it gets removed from combat.

Example: Yone, Windchaser stuns your opponent's two blockers when he enters play. You can now attack without worrying about anything getting in your way. In addition, if your Yasuo gets blocked by a Solitary Monk and you stun the monk, it goes back to your opponent's bench and does not deal or receive damage. However, your Yasuo is still blocked.

Attacking units that get stunned go back to the bench and deal no damage, whether they were blocked or not.

Support

When attacking, units with support grant a bonus to the attacking unit to their right.

Example: Shen gives the attacking unit to his right Barrier. Legion Drummer gives her supported unit Quick Attack.

Tough

Units with tough take one less damage from all sources.

Example: If a Vanguard Defender blocks a Battlesmith, it would only take one damage and not die. In addition, if Vile Feast targets a Vanguard Defender, the defender does not take any damage.

Summon vs. Play

Some units differentiate between summon and play. Summon abilities trigger when a unit enters the battlefield. Play abilities only trigger when that unit enters play from your hand.

Example: Windfarer Hatchling gives your units +2/+2 when it enters play, regardless if you play it out of your hand, if it enters play from your deck, or comes back through a revive effect. In contrast, Kindly Tavernkeeper only heals when played from your hand. If summoned from your deck or revived, it would be a 2/3 with no effect.

(Last Updated: January 15th, 2020)