Riot Games dropped a total of 16 new Legends of Runeterra cards showcasing Varus as a new Darkin champion and his support package for the Darkin Saga: Domination expansion.
The upcoming Legends of Runeterra Domination expansion is slated to hit live servers on Oct. 12, with the trailer for the expansion having dropped yesterday. A total of three new champions are joining the ranks, with Varus getting revealed today by Riot. In conjunction with the Varus LoR spoiler reveal, a total of 16 cards dropped today. Cards showcased Cultist followers that can synergize with both Vaurs and Kayn, along with spells and Varus’ Origin as a Runeterra champion.
Varus LoR Origin and champion card spoilers
Varus is a Runeterra champion, having an Origin as a region. The Origin for Vaurs is the Arrow of Retribution, allowing players to put any Cultist cards into their deck during deckbuilding. Upon playing three Cultist spells, players will automatically draw a Varus from their deck—similar to how Kayn’s Origin works.
As a Darkin, Varus is a four-drop at level one with the keyword Quick Attack and 3/4 stats. He also has an auto-equip for his Equipment called the Darkin Bow. Varus’ Equipment has 0/0 baseline stats and a cost of two mana if equipped on a unit other than Varus. The Darkin Bow’s ability pumps the holder +1/+0 upon playing a spell or equipping an ally. Players can get The Darkin Bow’s stats up to +5/+0 until the next time the equipped unit strikes. Auto-equipping Varus counts toward his level up.
To level up Varus, players need to target eight or more allies. Upon getting leveled up, Varus gains Overwhelm as a keyword in addition to Quick Attack. His base stats increase to 4/5 and The Darkin Bow activates twice while also having a new maximum of +10/+0.
As with all champions in LoR, Varus has his own spell. Chain of Corruption is a Burst speed spell that gives an enemy Vulnerable and gives an ally a +1/+0 stat buff for that round only. It also creates a Fleeting Chain of Corruption in hand.
Cultist LoR Domination follower spoilers
A total of five Cultist followers were revealed today in the Domination spoilers. Each of the five synergizes with Equipment and can get added to any deck playing either Varus or Kayn.
The one-drop Cultist is Buhru Cultist from the Bilgewater region. She has 2/2 baseline stats and deals one damage to the enemy Nexus upon equipped allies attacking. She’s a solid one-drop who can quickly assist in chipping away early damage on an opponent’s Nexus. The two-drop is Lunari Cultist, showcasing some love to the Targon region. Lunari Cultist is a 1/3 and creates a Gem upon being summoned or once you equip an ally that game, synergizing with Vaurs for his level up of targeting allies.
Blooming Cultist is a three-drop from Bandle City. With 3/2 stats and Attune, Blooming Cultist is granted Elusive once you have equipped an ally during that game. Gaining Elusive potentially on turn three with 3/2 stats is powerful and will likely make Blooming Cultist a top pick in Equipment heavy decks.
Synergizing with Vaurs is Ambitious Cultist, a four-cost in Piltover & Zaun with 3/5 stats. Upon equipping an ally during a game, Ambitious Cultist creates a new spell that costs two in hand and reduces its cost to zero. And the final Domination follower spoiler from day one was Icevale Cultist. Beefed up with 5/5 stats as a five-cost in Freljord, Icevale Cultist grants all allies who are equipped the keyword Overwhelm, making him an ideal mid-to-top end card that can provide an alternative win condition.
Cultist Domination LoR spell spoilers
Varus synergizes with Cultist spells, getting drawn from a player’s deck to hand upon playing three or more. The first day of LoR spoilers revealed a total of five Cultist spells not counting Varus’ champion spell. All of the Cultist spells shown had a cost of four to cast, except The Violent Dischord.
Hailing from the P&Z region and costing two mana to cast, The Violent Dischord is a Fast speed spell that deals one damage to any unit. If you have an equipped ally during that game, the spell is copied and hits the same target. It only deals two damage in total but counts as two spells toward leveling up Varus. Violent Dischrod also synergizes really well with Ezreal.
Three of the four-cost Domination spells revealed were The Unending Wave (Bilgewater), The Expanse’s Protection (Targon), and The Sudden Surge (Bandle City). It’s essentially a cycle of Cultist spells that all have their spell cost reduced by two when an ally has been equipped during that game. And each has its own unique ability.
The final LoR Domination spell was The Unforgiving Cold, a four-cost Burst speed spell in Freljord. Unforgiving Cold hits the strongest enemy unit with Frostbite. If an ally was equipped during that game, the spell is copied and can hit a new target while also contributing towards Varus’ level up.
