Legends of Runeterra | Jarvan IV & Renekton Officially Revealed!

Renekton and Jarvan IV are the latest additions to the ever-growing Legends of Runeterra champion roster! And, as expected, they pack a punch. If you’re into nuanced strats and the most layered macro, then neither champion will probably appeal to you. If, on the other hand, you’re into brute force and sheer aggression, then you definitely have a reason to celebrate! Furthermore, both champion reveals have been accompanied with a ton of brand-new cards, of both Shuriman and Demacian variety!

There’s a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get down to business!

Legends of Runeterra | Jarvan IV Officially Revealed

First of all, let’s go over Jarvan — one of the biggest surprises thus far. Most of us expected yet another Shuriman champion to pop up, and yet we got Jarvan. Now, we’re not exactly disappointed, but it still feels like he’s an odd choice at this point in time. Then again, he was leaked recently, but we just thought he’d join the game at a later date.

So what will the king of Demacia bring to the table? In short, a ton.

Jarvan IV is a 6 mana Elite champion from Demacia with 5 | 3. He’s also adorned with the Barrier keyword. Once you attack with any kind of unit, you can pay the six mana cost and summon Jarvan straight from your hand onto the board; once you do so, Jarvan will automatically challenge the strongest enemy that’s currently in play. This is an endlessly interesting combination, and players will surely use it in various different strategies. To level him up, at least four of your allies will have to survive strikes from enemy blockers.

Once leveled up, his stats will grow to 6 | 4, and he’ll create a Fleeting Cataclysm at the start of each round. Also, whenever he challenges an enemy unit, he’ll automatically gain Barrier for the remainder of the round.

Cataclysm is a 3 mana Slow spell from Demacia. Its effect is simple: an ally starts a free attack by challenging an enemy. Once activated, you’ll get a bonus Jarvan IV in your deck as well. This is basically a cheap way of bringing Jarvan (or any other unit) onto the board for an attack. Mighty powerful, you’ll probably agree.

New Demacian Followers and Spells

King Jarvan III is a 7 mana Elite from Demacia with 3 | 6 and the Tough keyword. Once summoned, you’ll get to draw Jarvan IV. If he’s already in play, your allied units will all get Challenger and Scout for the remainder of the round. A powerful late-game unit with an equally enticing passive!

Gallant Rider is a 4 mana Elite from Demacia with 4 | 4. The first he challenges an enemy, he’ll transform into Vanguard Cavalry.

Honored Lord is a 2 mana Elite from Demacia with 3 | 2. The first time he challenges an enemy, he’ll gain Barrier for the remainder of the round.

Penitent Squire is a 1 mana unit from Demacia with 2 | 2. Once summoned, if she beholds an Elite, you’ll get a Tattered Banner in hand.

Tattered Banner is a 1 mana Burst spell. The next time you summon an ally on the round this spell has been activated, grant it Challenger.

Golden Aegis is a 4 mana Slow spell that’ll give an ally unit Barrier the round its activated along with Rally.

Battlefield Prowess is a 1 mana Slow spell that’ll grant an ally +1 | +1. Nice and simple.

Overall, these cards are a lot more interesting than you’d think. There’s an underlying playstyle here as well. Dominant skirmishing and strong units are still the name of the game (it’s Demacia, after all), but now there’s a noticeably larger number of potent keywords (Challenger and Barrier) thrown into the mix.

All in all, there’s quite a lot to like with Jarvan IV and his many support cards!

Legends of Runeterra | Renekton Officially Revealed

Next up, we have the first Shumiran champion to join the game: Renekton! And, as expected, he’s quite a dangerous adversary.

Renekton is a 4 mana Ascended champion from Shurima with 4 | 4 along with the Overwhelm keyword. When he challenges an enemy, he’ll gain +2 | +1 for the remainder of the round. To level him up, he’ll need to deal at least 12 damage.

Once leveled up, he’ll grow to 5 | 5 and will get +3 | +3 whenever he attacks. That’s quite a large jump from his previous form. And, as mentioned earlier, he’ll have a third level as well. To reach it, you’ll have to restore the Sun Disc. Once that happens, he’ll grow to 10 | 10 and whenever he attacks or blocks, he’ll deal 2 damage to all enemy units as well as the enemy Nexus. Talk about a dominant presence… 

New Shurima-Based Spells and Units

Renekton’s Ruthless Predator is a 2 mana Burst spell that’ll give an ally +2 | 0 and an enemy Vulnerable for the remainder of the round. It’ll also create a Renekton in your deck. Overall, a cheap spell that’ll definitely come in handy!

Raz Bloodmane is a 7 mana unit from Shurima with 6 | 6 along with the Fearsome keyword. Whenever she attacks, all enemy units will lose -2 | 0 for the rest of the round. Overall, she packs a punch, but perhaps at too great a cost? Only time will tell.

Baccai Sandspinner is a 4 mana unit from Shurima with 5 | 3. Once palyed, he’ll grand an enemy unit -1 | 0 along with Vulnerable.

Bloodthirsty Marauder is a 1 mana unit with 3 | 1. He’s cheap and strong, which seems to be the M.O. of the Shurima region. It’s all about aggression and skirmishing — it’s less chess and more MMA, if you’ll pardon the analogy.

Rite of Dominance is a 4 mana Fast spell that’ll kill an ally or destroy one of your mana gems to give all enemies -2 | 0 for the rest of the round. An interesting spell for sure, although it’s questionable whether it’s worth the asking price.

Quicksand is a 3 mana Burst spell that’ll give an enemy -4 | 0 and disable its keywords (excluding any negative keywords) for the rest of the round. This is a lot more interesting. Not only does it nuke a unit’s attack to the ground, but it also removes all of its keywords — and it’s just three mana and can be activated at any point during the round. Great stuff!

Ruthless Predator is a 2 mana Burst spell that’ll give an ally +2 | 0 and an enemy Vulnerable for the rest of the round. Another solid addition to the game. Simple and easy to execute.

Unworthy is a 2 mana Slow spell that’ll give an enemy unit -4 | 0 for the rest of the round. If you have fewer mana gems than your opponent, that unit will be destroyed instead. Yet another fantastic spell that’ll surely come in hand and, if used at an opportune time, it might even be a bit OP.

Exhaust is 1 mana Focus spell that’ll give an enemy -2 | 0 and Vulnerable for the rest of the round. Focus is a brand-new spell type that cannot be used in combat or in response to another spell. For just a single mana crystal, this card is about as busted as it gets, especially in the grand scheme of things.

Closing Remarks

Overall, these recent reveals have been downright mesmerizing! Jarvan IV seems like a very good addition to the game, but it’s Renekton and his Shurima-based support cards that have truly stolen the show. Shurima is somewhat similar to Noxus, although not quite. It’s brute forcing your way to victory through two entirely different means: sheer power and vulnerability. Opposing concepts, for sure, but not when combined. Lowering the power of your opponents will also come in handy when you face Lee Sin or any Targon-based decks. Shurima, by the looks of it, is the perfect counter!

In any case, we can’t wait to see what’s next! As always, we’ll bring you more coverage from the moment things hit the web! And, seeing how we’re at the very start of spoiler season, you can expect a ton of new content in a matter of hours!