NicMakePlays’s Top 5 Demacia Cards from CoTM
Hey guys NicMakesPlays here and I’m here to talk to you guys about the 5 Core cards of Demacia and their functions. Each of these cards are staples in Demacia and help define their identity.
A lot of these cards will naturally have overlap in decks, so we won’t be providing decks for each card like we did in the Top 10 Non-Champion Cards from Call of the Mountain article.
However, here’s a decklist that has been strong in the current meta and features a lot of the cards I’ll be discussing.
Deck code: CEBQOAIAAEERKGQ5E4VQEAQGBALAGAQAAYEQUAQBAIAAOAIBAASQA
[See Scouts deck details]
1. Single Combat
Starting off at #1 is Demacia’s powerful removal spell, Single Combat – it is Demacia’s main way to interact with the opponent’s units. Single Combat is extremely versatile and can be used aggressively and defensively. You can use it on units with Barrier or units with big stats to remove enemy units without losing your own.
Single Combat can be used in unison with Relentless Pursuit to go for lethal by removing their blocker. You can also get value by using it in response to spells such as Mystic Shot by using a unit that was already dying to remove an enemy unit for value.
2. Relentless Pursuit
For 3 mana, Relentless Pursuit gives you the attack token through Rally, which is one of Demacia’s main keywords. In Demacia this is used to go for game after you’ve put on enough pressure to your opponent where you can try and get their Nexus to 0.
You can use Relentless Pursuit after a big swing to finish off their Nexus or you can use it to attack once more and force favorable combat trades. Relentless Pursuit is particularly good with Cithria The Bold and Genevieve because they give all your units +1 for the round.
3. Vanguard Bannerman
Vanguard Bannerman is a key part of the Demacia Midrange deck archetype. It’s a 3/3 4 drop that says Allegiance: give all other allies +1/+1. This is good because you can use Demacia’s strong early game pressure to win favorable trades and chip in damage, then when you take over the board, you can buff all your units.
A lot of decks can’t deal with the pressure that is being presented from a board of 4 buffed units. In Scouts, Bannerman is good because Miss Fortune forces situations where your opponent won’t want to block so you keep your units. Afterward, you buff your units with Bannerman and have a huge tempo going into the mid-late game.
4. Fleetfeather Tracker
Fleetfeather Tracker is the best 1 drop and played in just about Demacia deck as a 1 drop that gains Challenger. In the early game, you can combo Fleetfeather with Brightsteel Protector and Warchefs to use Fleetfeather’s Challenger and win combat trades that kill your enemy units while keeping Fleetfeather alive. This scenario allows you to be ahead in the early game so you can remove your opponent’s units and keep yours alive.
Fleetfeather is also good with Miss Fortune and Lulu, you can combine the Challenger ability with these to win combat trades as well. This makes it a 1 drop that is strong throughout the mid-late game as well. Lastly, you can use Fleetfeather’s Challenger to hook away opponents’ threats while you go for big damage or force favorable combat trades by taking away their blockers.
5. Radiant Guardian
Radiant Guardian is one of Demacia’s best cards and is included in many Tier 1 decks. Radiant Guardian is a 5/5 and if she is summoned after an ally has died this round, she gains Lifesteal and Tough. A 5/5 with Lifesteal and Tough is hard for most cards to beat in combat on turn 5 and heals life for any damage in the early game. Against aggro decks, you can summon Radiant Guardian and heal all the damage you’ve taken back.
They usually don’t have mana cards that can deal with her at all, resulting in a win. Against midrange decks, a 5/5 with Tough is hard to deal with because she only dies in combat to units with 6+ attack and she makes it hard for them to apply pressure since she can chump block any weaker units they have and heal your nexus.
Radiant Guardian is also particularly strong with spells such as Single Combat and Concerted Strike, to remove their units and heal your Nexus. Radiant Guardian in combination with these spells make it so your opponent can apply nearly no pressure to you, and you can easily dictate how the mid-late game of a match will go. Radiant Guardian can sweep an entire field with Judgment and restore your Nexus health back to 20 as well.
Radiant Guardian compliments Targon decks because she can control the mid-game and ensure you make it to your strong finishers such as Aurelion Sol. Targon doesn’t have many removal spells or strong statted early game units, so Radiant can heal back your Nexus health and stop any pressure being applied to you in its tracks.
Deck code: CEBQOAYJDIODGNSULBQAIAIAB4NCCKQBAIAACAICAEAAMBYA
[See Leona Lux deck details]
Radiant Guardian is usually not played in traditional Demacia Midrange decks such as Bannerman, Scouts, and Lulu Fiora but it is used in other styles of Demacia decks such as Lux Aurelion Sol, Lux Karma, and Dragons.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to ask NicMakesPlays during his streams (usually 6PM-1230AM EST).
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