NicMakesPlays’s Top 5 Cards in Ionia
Hey everyone, NicMakesPlays here, and today I’m going to go over the top 5 cards in Ionia.
At the end of the list, we’ll also include decks meta decks that these cards are included in.
These rankings are created from a combination of what I’ve seen in competitive play and insights from Mobalytics’s LoR Meta Stats.
If there are any other cards you feel deserve to be in the top 5, let us know in the comments below!
1. Eye of the Dragon
Eye of the Dragon Meta Stats (Patch 2.00)
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- 73,225 matches played
- 50.0% win rate
- 42.7% inclusion rate
- 2.88 avg number of copies
Eye of the Dragon is the best unit in Ionia.
It’s a 2 mana 1|3 with Attune, that if you used two spells this round it summons a Dragonling the next round (2/1 Ephemeral Lifesteal.)
This card is one of the best 2 drops in the game since it costs a net of 1 mana since Attune gives you mana back, and it summons blockers that can heal the rest of the game.
By stopping blockers and healing back, the Dragonling can ruin most of the enemy attacks and you can even summon Dragonlings on your turn to attack, chip in damage, and heal.
Eye of the Dragon completely changes the pace of the game and stops any aggressive pushes in their tracks until it’s dealt with.
2. Deny
Deny Meta Stats (Patch 2.00)
- 150,494 matches played
- 49.8% win rate
- 87.7% inclusion rate
- 2.34 avg number of copies
Deny is the iconic negation spell of Runeterra and is one of the cards that define Ionia’s identity.
It’s a game-defining card since Ionia is the only region that has access to this kind of effect.
You can use Deny to negate powerful spells such as Feel The Rush or Ruination while trading 4 mana for much more of your opponent’s mana in the process.
You can also use Deny for protection for big momentum swings with Lee Sin or Fiora.
It is a counter to certain decks such as Feel the Rush and Harrowing which can be pivotal for their place in the meta.
Deny’s tie to Ionia gives them a specific place in the meta because of the matchups this card can shine in.
3. Nopeify!
Nopeify! Meta Stats (Patch 2.00)
- 110,291 matches played
- 50.3% win rate
- 64.3% inclusion rate
- 2.06 avg number of copies
Nopeify! is a cheaper and slightly different Deny, which also makes it one of Ionia’s best cards.
It can be used to stop removal spells such as Mystic Shot and Get Excited to protect key units or stop your opponent’s push for the game if they go for Nexus damage.
Another good use of Nopeify! is to negate game-changing spells in the mid-game such as Relentless Pursuit to shut down the opponent’s game plan.
Having access to Nopeify! in unison with Deny can be hard for many decks to deal with. Nopeify can always pop up in popularity whenever there are a lot of 3 or less costing spells in the meta.
4. Concussive Palm
Concussive Palm Meta Stats (Patch 2.00)
- 89,186 matches played
- 48.9% win rate
- 52.o% inclusion rate
- 2.04 avg number of copies
Concussive Palm is amazing at stopping attacks and aggression.
It’s unique since it is amazing at stopping open attacks as well as developed boards.
If your opponent decides to open attack then you can Stun their strongest attacker, but if they develop you can Stun an attacker as well as a block with the Tail of the Dragon it summons.
Concussive palm’s ability to stop two attacks for one card makes it difficult to play around.
Concussive Palm also has a few synergies such as Yasuo striking what is Stunned, Ravenous Flock to deal damage to what is Stunned, or reusing Concussive Palm by recalling Tail of the Dragon with Monastery of Hirana.
Concussive Palm is the best Stun in the game and can stop a multitude of offensive pushes from your opponent.
5. Deep Meditation
Deep Meditation Meta Stats (Patch 2.00)
- 72,173 matches played
- 49.9% win rate
- 42.1% inclusion rate
- 2.5 avg number of copies
Deep Meditation is an amazing way to refuel and search for key spells you need and is discounted to 3 mana if you’ve played two spells the turn prior.
This is good because it adds two cards to your hand for one card which can allow your hand with powerful spells after your opponent had just worked to play through a few.
Being able to search cards such as Deny, or Zenith Blade can add consistency to your deck because you can see your protection or combo pieces more often.
Deep Meditation allows Ionia to see a lot of its strong tools more often while also allowing Ionia to keep up longevity during a game.
Decklists that include the Top 5 Ionia Cards
Below, you’ll find competitive decks that include some of the top Ionia cards that we mentioned.
Check out their deck codes, links to the deck pages, and even their guides that our Glimpse Beyond team has written!
Lee Sin Zoe
Deck Code: CEBQQAYJBENSGKBJGNKVYAQCAIBQMAIBAIYQEAIDAIKAEAQCAUEQCAIDBEJQ
[See Lee Sin Zoe deck details]
[See Lee Sin Zoe guide]
Shen Fiora
Deck Code: CECAIAICCMQCWMIFAEAASGRFFUZQEAYAAYHACAQAAEAQCAYCCQBACAICEUAQCABU
[See Fiora Shen deck details]
Yasuo Riven
Deck Code: CECQGAYDAEBQOAICAMEQGAICBAHTCAQBAMSC4AICAICQGAQBAISS4AICAIEQCAIDGYBACAYCAYAQCARB
[See Yasuo Riven deck details]
[See Yasuo Riven guide]
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to ask NicMakesPlays during his streams (usually 6PM-1230AM EST).
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