LoR Deck Guide: Legion Deserter Viego

How to Play Legion Deserter Viego

Hey everyone, NicMakesPlays here.

Today I’m going to go over the highest win rate deck in the game, Legion Deserter Viego.

We’ll be covering its win condition, mulligans, matchups, and more.

For more decks, head to the Deck Library! To build your own, head to the Deck Builder.

Deck Code: CECQCAQDBEBAMAYODYBQCBJIGE2QEAIDFY3QGBAFGU3DOAQBAQCRAAQBAUARSAIBAYCSC

[See Legion Deserter Viego deck details]

Goal of Deck and Mulligans

The goal of this deck is to buff Viego and Legion Deserter with your Encroaching Mists while controlling the board with your spells/units.

You can then end the game around turns 7-8 with leveled Viego, Legion Deserter, or Atrocity.

In this deck you want to mulligan for Elise to take over the early game, Camavoran Soldier to buff your Viego/Legion Deserter, as well as other early game control tools such as House Spider and Ravenous Flock.

Against Aggro decks you can mulligan for Vile Feast and Arachnoid Sentry, while against Control you can mulligan for Disintegrate.

Elise / House Spider

Elise and House Spider are your two drops that help control the early game. Both of these units produce Spiderlings which are insanely versatile in this deck. Against Aggro, the Spiderlings can block 2|1’s such as Legion Saboteur, against Midrange they can block units to set them up for Ravenous Flock and Disintegrate, while against Control they can be used to draw cards off Glimpse Beyond and Spirit Leech.

Elise is a 2|3 Fearsome so she can freely attack in the early game while generating Spiderlings. House Spider summons a Spiderling when played which is great defensively because it gives you two blockers for one action.

Ravenous Flock / Disintegrate

Ravenous Flock and Disintegrate help give huge value off of damaging enemy units. Ravenous Flock only costs 1 mana and deals 4 damage so it’s an insane tempo swing if used in the right spot. You can 4+ drop units such as Bard with a Spiderling then kill them off for 1 mana with Ravenous Flock.

You can also ping units that sit in the backrow like Xerath with Vile Feast and then finish them off with Ravenous Flock. Disintegrate plays a similar role but lets you kill even bigger units for only one more mana. You can damage enemies such as Frostguard Thralls that cost 8 and kill them for only 2 mana.

Viego / Legion Deserter

Viego and Legion Deserter are effectively your two Champions of the deck. Both of these units get buffed off of Encroaching Mists and convert into your win cons. Viego generates Encroaching Mists himself, levels up to steal enemy units, and can swing with Fearsome to finish the game.

Legion Deserter has the unique effect of gaining +1|+1 for ally Everywhere buffs. Since Encroaching Mists buffs both Viego and Encroaching Mists everywhere, it buffs Legion Deserter +2|+2.

This means that only one Encroaching Mist makes him a 7|6 Overwhelm and two Encroaching Mists make him a 9|8 Overwhelm. This condition is extremely easy to meet, makes him a huge threat with Overwhelm, and he continues to be buffed while on the board. At the right time when these cards gain enough attack, they can also be used with Atrocity to finish the game.

Glimpse Beyond / Spirit Leech

Glimpse Beyond and Spirit Leech are your refuels of the deck. These cards can easily convert free units such as Spiderlings and Encroaching Mists into two new cards to generate advantage. You can use Glimpse Beyond when blocking with a unit or if a unit is going to be removed for a free draw 2. These cards kill your own allies so they trigger Viego and help work towards his level up as well.

Invasive Hydravine / Atrocity

Invasive Hydravine and Atrocity give you, even more, win cons for the deck. Invasive Hydravine allows the game to rapidly spiral out of control for your opponent. When summoned and each Round Start, Hydravine generates an Encroaching Mist.

This allows you to easily level Viego, buff Legion Deserter, gives you blockers, targets for Glimpse/Spirit Leech, and the Encroaching Mists can even become win cons of their own. Atrocity is the perfect card for this deck due to how strong Viego, Legion Deserter, and Encroaching Mists can get out of nowhere.

It’s a win-con that doesn’t require an attack to go through. You can swing for game with Legion Deserter and if they stop it with something like Concussive Palm, you can Atrocity them for lethal.

Good Matchups

This deck is great against midrange decks such as Pantheon Yuumi and Bard Galio. These Demacia decks thrive on having well-stated units to take over the board, but you can easily clear them with Ravenous Flock and Disintegrate.

The Spiderlings that are generated in the early game always give you blockers and then you can clean up the enemy units with these cheap spells to get ahead in tempo.

From there it’s hard for your opponent to come back after you’ve stabilized.

Bad Matchups

This deck’s worst matchups are decks such as Ezreal Caitlyn and Heimer Jayce SI which have tons of removal. They can clear your Viegos/Legion Deserters and leave you with a lot of early game cards that aren’t too effective such as House Spider and Vile Feast.

The way to win these matchups is to continue to play threat after threat. Cards like Glimpse Beyond and Spirit Leech help you refuel and make good use out of damaged or unimportant units.

Tech Choices

This deck can cut copies of Spirit Leech and Haunted Tomb

Undergrowth – Great against Aggro to remove units such as Annie and then heal 3.

Katarina – Great at generating Blade’s Edges to damage enemy units and then Rally for game when Legion Deserter is strong enough.

Unspeakable Horror – Also helps give you refuel, answers to early game aggro units, and can help damage enemies.

For more decks, head to the Deck Library! To build your own, head to the Deck Builder.

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