NicMakesPlays’s Top 5 Cards from Shadow Isles
Hey everyone! NicMakesPlays here and today I’m going to go over the top 5 cards in Shadow Isles.
For each card, I’ll be providing insights based on my experience from competitive play along with numbers from Mobalytics’s LoR Meta Stats.
At the end of the article, we’ll also include decks meta decks that these cards are included in so you can try them out yourself.
If there are any other cards you feel deserve to be in the top 5, let us know in the comments below!
1. Glimpse Beyond
Glimpse Beyond Meta Stats (Patch 2.1.0)
- 112,487 matches played
- 50.9% win rate
- 62.4% inclusion rate
- 2.5 avg number of copies
Glimpse beyond is a generic, versatile, and most importantly, effective draw spell.
This card has been a staple card of Shadow Isles in most of their best decks throughout all of Runeterra.
You can use Glimpse Beyond in response to removal spells to convert your dying unit into two new cards for you to work with.
This card is also good at activating Last Breath effects to generate even more advantage than the two cards you are drawing.
Drawing cards from your deck can add consistency to your decks and allow them to refuel to compete in the late game.
2. Stalking Shadows
Stalking Shadows Meta Stats (Patch 2.1.0)
- 42,298 matches played
- 50.4% win rate
- 23.5% inclusion rate
- 2.69 avg number of copies
Stalking Shadows is another amazing tool that Shadow Isles has to refuel.
This card is one card that gives you two cards in return.
This allows you to generate card advantage, add consistency to your deck and out grind your opponent.
A lot of cards are extremely powerful if duplicated such as Doombeast to drain 2 damage from your opponent’s Nexus twice, or Stygian Onlooker to push for 8 damage.
You get one regular copy of the unit you choose and an Ephemeral copy.
An effective way to use the Ephemeral copy is to use it to block on defending turns since if your opponent attacks then they traded that was going to die anyway, and if they don’t attack then they lose their attack for the turn.
3. Vengeance
Vengeance Meta Stats (Patch 2.1.0)
- 92,921 matches played
- 50.8% win rate
- 51.8% inclusion rate
- 1.99 avg number of copies
Vengeance is a generic removal spell that Shadow Isles gives you access to.
It is the most straightforward kill spell in a game since it can kill any unit regardless of health.
A lot of control decks utilize Vengeance because it is amazing against open attacks.
For example, in SI Frej Anivia, if your opponent summons a unit then you can summon blockers or Avalanche, but if they choose to attack right away then you can just Vengeance their unit.
Vengeance being able to remove big threats like a Leveled Up Trundle or Hecarim isn’t something that a lot of decks have access to because of their huge health stats.
The simplicity and effectiveness of Vengeance are what make it one of Shadow Isles’s most played cards.
4. Withering Wail
Withering Wail Meta Stats (Patch 2.1.0)
- 87,535 matches played
- 51.4% win rate
- 48.9% inclusion rate
- 2.35 avg number of copies
Withering Wail is a meta defining card in Legends of Runeterra.
One of the reasons Control decks are so strong in Runeterra is their access to Withering Wail, which deals with 1 health units and also heals.
For example, Draven Jinx plays a ton of small one health units to swarm the field and deal tons of damage.
A lot of decks can’t deal with this because of how many attackers they have at once and you can’t block them all, but if you have Withering Wail it can kill all of their Units.
This runs them out of resources as well as healing your Nexus which swings the game’s tempo huge in your favor.
The existence of Withering Wail in matchups like these defines a lot of metas.
A lot of times if Aggro is good in a meta in Runeterra it directly relates to the number of decks playing Withering Wail at the time.
Another perk of Withering Wail in SI Frejlord decks is that if a unit is not killed by Withering Wail you can clean it up with Avalanche and vice-versa.
These two cards together can kill everything on the board with 3 health as well as healing 3 to your Nexus.
Withering Wail is one of the best AoE, Removal, Healing, and Anti-Aggro tools in the game.
5. Commander Ledros
Commander Ledros Meta Stats (Patch 2.1.0)
- 27,516 matches played
- 49.7% win rate
- 15.5% inclusion rate
- 1.49 avg number of copies
Ledros is one of the best units in Shadow Isles and one of the best Finishers in the game.
I wanted to make sure I included a unit in the Top 5 Shadow Isles cards since Shadow Isles has an abundance of amazing spells.
Ledros can be used in any late-game deck to win the game on turns 9+ regardless if their opponent was slightly ahead beforehand.
This card cuts the enemy Nexus in half and goes back to your hand when it is destroyed due to its Last Breath effect.
A lot of game states your opponent can’t handle this strategy especially when it’s backed up by protection/removal.
Another huge combo is using Ledros into Atrocity which can push for 19 damage, so you only need to push one more damage to win with something like Unspeakable Horror.
On turn 9+ you can win games by yourself through Ledros.
Honorable Mentions:
Shadow Isles has so many good cards that there’s enough to go around. Other amazing cards of Shadow Isles include:
- Atrocity
- Vile Feast
- Rekindler
- Doombeast
- Ruination
- Wraithcaller
- The Harrowing
Decklists that include the Top 5 Shadow Isles Cards
Below, you’ll find three meta decks that include the top Shadow Isles cards I covered.
You’ll find their deck codes, links to deck pages, and even a link to a guide we previously wrote for one of them.
Anivia
Deck Code: CEBAIAIBAMKBQMQEAECRIHJIGEBQEAIBBQOQCAYFCICACBIBAMHTMAQBAEAQCAIBAUJQ
[See Anivia deck details]
Aphelios Diana Nightfall
Deck Code: CEBQCAIFF4EQGCJDHBEVQWOXAHMADWIB3UAQGAYFAMCAMAABAEBQSLY
[See NicMakesPlays Aphelios Diana Nightfall deck details]
[See Diana Aphelios deck guide]
They Who Endure
Deck Code: CECAQAIFBMIBSGQ6GAYTKAQCAUCAMAQDAUCAMAIBAERAAAIBAMCQE
[See Endure deck details]
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to ask NicMakesPlays during his streams (usually 6PM-1230AM EST).
Catch NicMakesPlays live at twitch.tv/nicmakesplays 6PM-1230AM EST
