Legends of Runeterra Terms, Definitions, Acronyms, and Slang
Welcome to our glossary of Legends of Runeterra terms. Some terms have been used since the start of the game, while other terms have slowly been defined over time.
If there’s a term that you feel is missing, make sure to comment down below so we can add it to our glossary.
To quickly find a term that you’re looking for, use Crtl + F to find what you’re looking for.
If we missed anything, feel free to leave a comment and we’ll add your request.
Note that this article will not cover card keywords like Barrier, if you’re looking for those, head to our LoR Wiki page.
Legends of Runeterra Terminology
Aggro/Aggressive
- This term is used to denote decks or cards that are attempting to end the game extremely quickly, often by flooding the board in the first few five or so turns of the game.
Answer
- Something that counters or removes a threatening card or set of cards your opponent played, generally termed the “question.”
Attack
- Often refers to the number at the bottom left side of a given unit more accurately labeled “Power”.
- Can also be used for taking your units and putting them into the middle to “Attack,” the enemy nexus
Attack Token
- The shiny gold sword that gets passed back and forth on alternating turns dictating who is allowed to attack with their units.
- Can also be gained by the use of “Rally” effects.
Balanced
- A card that is doing approximately what it should for the costs involved.
- No one will ever agree on the definition of this, don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Beefy
- Refers to units that have high stat values.
BM/Bad Manners
- General taunting of an opponent. Ranges from early “GG” emotes to intentionally “Roping.”
Bonk
- A slang term for an attack. “Give them the Bonk.”
Build
- Generally refers to a specific variation of a known deck. Swapping out a couple of cards for a new “Build,” of the deck.
Burn
- Any card that can deal damage directly to your opponent.
- Can also be used to talk about a deck archetype that is focused primarily on dealing damage directly to its opponent.
Burst Pass
- To cast a burst-speed spell and then pass the action, allowing your opponent to commit or potentially allowing you to end the turn if they pass back.
Cantrip
- A spell that draws cards
- Credits to community member, CMNRead715
Combo
- A type of deck that wants to put a specific set of cards together that, if successful, will likely win the game on the spot.
- Tends to not care much about things other than staying alive and assembling its combo.
Control
- Refers to a type of deck that wants to answer whatever its opponent is doing and then win the late game with larger threats.
Face
- The health of the nexus is considered that players “Face.”
Greedy
- A play that is made ignoring how an opponent could respond to it with the potential to go very badly if certain often-played cards are used.
Ghosting
- Watching someone’s stream to cheat while you play them. Don’t do this.
Heals
- Anything that regenerates the health of your nexus or one of your units.
Line
- A particular set of actions taken over one turn or sometimes multiple turns to attempt to achieve a certain result.
Midrange
- A type of deck that wants to win the game with a sequence of value plays and pressure, usually in the mid-game.
Nut draw
- Refers to having an ideal opening hand
- Credits to community member, CMNRead715
Open
- To do something, often attack, as the very first action of your turn.
Ordering
- Where you place your attacking units left to right when you attack.
Overpowered/OP
- A card that does a lot more than it should for how much mana it costs.
- Also often used for cards you don’t like or well-performing players.
Pass
- To choose not to take any action in a given round, allowing your opponent to commit or to end the round.
Priority
- Refers to when it’s your turn to cast spells or play units
- Credits to community member, CMNRead715
Pressure
- Forcing your opponent to react.
- Generally done via dealing damage to the nexus, but can also be achieved by threatening other win conditions.
Punish
- The bad-result that can happen from a greedy play or a miss-play.
- Used in the phrases “Always Punished,” “Never Punished,” and “Do they have the Punish?”
Reach
- Reach refers to having cards that can directly damage the enemy Nexus without using an unblocked attacking unit, such as Get Excited!, Doombeast, or units with Overhwhelm.
- Credits to community member, Irfan
Sequencing
- The order certain actions that can potentially affect each other are taken in.
Smorc
- To all-out attack your opponent’s face with units and/or spells.
Sniping
- Intentionally queuing into a streamer, often with a counter deck.
- Not as bad as ghosting, but still frowned upon.
Stack (the stack)
- The queue of spells waiting to resolve in first-in-last-out order
- Credits to community member, CMNRead715
Tapped Out
- A holdover from a different card game where when you used your mana gems they were “Tapped.”
- Means out of mana.
Top deck
- Refers to when you draw the perfect card to resolve a situation (usually to win the game)
- Credits to community member, CMNRead715
Trade
- When two cards, usually units, one from each player, effectively cancel each other out.
Underpowered
- A card that is not good enough for what it costs.
- Often used to suggest a buff is required.
Value
- Any time a card trades for more than one card it has generated value.
- The easiest example is drawing two cards for one.
LFM
Interested in joining our Glimpse Beyond writing team? We’re looking for Top 200 players in any LoR region.
If so, please send an email with the following information to [email protected]:
- Full Name
- Rank/s and region/s
- Why you would like to join
- Type/s of articles you want to write
- Weekly availability
- Any card game article writing experience (links if any)
- Social/broadcast media links (if any)
- Attach resume
Applications open until the position has been filled. Everyone will hear back by or before April 15th, 2021.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to ask WhatAmI during his streams (around 10AM PST basically every day).
WhatAmI streams at twitch.tv/xxwhatamixx around 10AM PST every day
