Legends of Runeterra’s latest update Patch 2.9.0 brought numerous changes to its Lab of Legends single-player mode. The patch introduced five new starting champions, 18 Passive Powers, support champions, and a quality-of-life improvement that gives players infinite rerolls for their first Passive Power.
As an added bonus for this massive update, Riot Games gave players the chance to claim a free Malphite cardback if they can earn a victory with all of the new champions introduced to the mode: Fizz, Lissandra, Irelia, Malphite, and Zilean.
Here are all of the new powers and some ideas on how to best use them.
Common
Battlefield Training
- Round start: Grant the Weakest ally +1/+1.
- Overall strength: Great
- Best with: Fizz, Lissandra, Irelia, Lulu, Braum Lucian
A free +1/+1 buff is nothing to scoff at. As long as you have an early playable unit and protect it, you will be able to gain value every turn.
Crush
- Allies have Overwhelm.
- Overall strength: Below average
- Best with: Lucian, Miss Fortune
While Crush provides a ton of extra damage for aggressive decks, Passive Powers that you pick up need to either fix a deck’s weakness or push your power level to absurd heights.
In addition to this, many units in the Lab of Legends decks already have Overwhelm, and the keyword needs units with high power levels to deal meaningful damage.
Endurance
- When an ally survives damage, grant it +1/+1.
- Overall strength: Great
- Best with: Braum, Azir, Riven, Lissandra, Zilean
Similar to Battlefield Training, gaining a +1/+1 buff for free can usually provide enough free stats which can turn the tide of battle in your favor. But to gain the most value out of this power, you need units with high health alongside their cheaper mana costs.
Raiding Party
- When you damage the enemy Nexus, grant the top ally in your deck +1/+1.
- Overall strength: Great
- Best with: Irelia, Azir, Miss Fortune
As another power with a promise of +1/+1 bonuses attached to it, Raiding Party allows decks that burn the opponent a chance to translate that damage into tangible value. The main downside is that if you fail to draw your units which received buffs, then you will be missing out on your buffs which leaves a potential weak opening for your opponent to exploit.
Rush Them Down
- When you summon an ally, give it +1/+1 this round.
- Overall strength: Potent
- Best with: Azir, Irelia, Hecarim
Unlike the other previously mentioned +1/+1 stat buffs, this one is temporary and lasts for only one round, which makes it not as strong as other choices. Despite this, it’s not a terrible power to pick if the other two choices provided are terrible and you’re out of rerolls. The one-turn boost can sometimes protect your units or dissuade enemy attacks.
Thieves’ Tools
- When allies attack, Nab one.
- Overall strength: Passable
- Best with: Irelia, Lucian
While free draw is nice, the cards received often might be lower quality and not synergize with your deck. Despite this, nabbing cards from your opponent’s deck means they’re closer to being milled as a win condition and it lets you know which cards you don’t need to play around.
New Student
- Start of game: Summon a Sparring Student.
- Overall strength: Good
- Best with: Irelia, Azir, Lulu
Sparring Student is a one-mana 1/1 unit that gains a temporary +1/+1 for the round whenever you summon a unit. Any power that provides a free unit is strong, with Sparring Student, any swarm deck will appreciate the scaling Sparring Student.
If you put any items on a Sparring Student that’s in your deck, the free Sparring Student also benefits from those items.
Bouncing Blades
- Round start: Create a Fleeting Blade’s Edge in hand.
- Overall strength: Below Average
- Best with: Heimerdinger, Taliyah, Malphite
Blade’s Edge is a one-mana Fast spell that deals one damage to anything. While being able to remove weakened targets is nice, the fact you need to spend mana each time can disrupt your mana curve.
This power should only be used if you have a deck or powers that synergizes with spellcasting, or a higher curve that needs help reaching the late game.
Clock Setter
- Start of game: Create four Time Bombs in your deck.
- Overall strength: Average
- Best with: Zilean
Time Bombs are the uncollectible Landmarks that Zilean places in your deck that deal one damage to every enemy and their Nexus after one turn. While having an extra critical mass of Time Bombs would help out Zilean level, the Time Bombs are also good at wiping out wide boards like the Spiders and Guard Bots encounter.
Despite this, diluting your deck to reduce the chance of drawing your other powerful cards is usually not worth it.
Seat of Power
- Start of game: Summon Emperor’s Dais.
- Overall strength: Great
- Best with: Azir, Irelia, Lucian, Hecarim
While a free Dais provides immense value and summons over time, it’s best to pair it with champions that appreciate the extra units from dying. If you have a Yipp’s Genius, the potency of this power also reaches ridiculous levels.
Rare
Terraforming
- Start of game: Summon a random Landmark from your deck.
- Overall strength: Niche
- Best with: Taliyah, Malphite
Even though it’s a good Passive Power for both Taliyah and Malphite, you shouldn’t aim to pick it up on your first pick since you need to aim for higher quality powers which affect your board.
Hold Them Off
- Round start: Frostbite the strongest enemy this round.
- Overall strength: Good
- Best with: Heimerdinger, Aphelios, Malphite, Taliyah
For decks that take a while to get online, the free damage reduction that Hold Them Off provides will allow you to neutralize a threat each turn. If you picked up Ashe as a support champion, this will give her an easier time of reaching her second level.
Slow But Steady
- When you cast a slow spell, cast it again onto the same targets.
- Overall strength: Average
- Best with: Aphelios, Fizz
Slow But Steady is one of those Passive Powers that needs a lot of great aspects to line up for this boon to be strong under most circumstances. The most mileage to get out of Slow But Steady is to pair it with Fizz and Yipp’s Genius to summon four one-mana cards which get a +2/+2 boost each.
Vanguard Lookout
- Game start: Summon two Vanguard Lookouts.
- Overall strength: Great
- Best with: Malphite, Taliyah, Azir, Miss Fortune
Vanguard Lookout is a two-mana 1/4 Elite unit. A free 2/8 worth of stats provided since turn one that can attack or defend will synergize with anyone. While each champion would appreciate this Passive Power, the potency is especially apparent when you use decks that have a weaker start and need more help.
Welcome Gifts
- When you summon an ally, grant it a random keyword.
- Overall strength: Potent
- Best with: Anyone
A free keyword on average will usually help out any unit. Welcome Gifts can never give a champion a mechanic they already have, so a card with many items will always receive something new.
Epic
Rockbear Den
- Start of game: Summon a Hibernating Rockbear. When an ally landmark counts down to zero, create a Hibernating Rockbear in hand.
- Overall strength: Average
- Best with: Taliyah, Lissandra, Zilean
Hibernating Rockbear is a Countdown Landmark that summons a Grumpy Rockbear after three rounds. A free 5/4 that arrives on round three is nice, but it doesn’t do much compared to the other Passive Powers that provide free cards.
Sharing is Caring
- When you summon an ally, grant its keywords to all allies.
- Overall strength: Incredible
- Best with: Heimerdinger
Any player that has played with or against Zoe can tell you how strong spreading keywords is. To have this power at the start of the game allows for powerful combos. This Passive Power pairs well with Evolution and Welcome Gifts.
Advanced Preparations
- Start of game: Create an Ancient Preparations in hand. Ally Landmark completion effects activate twice.
- Overall strength: Great
- Best with: Lissandra, Zilean, Malphite
Ancient Preparations is a one-mana Countdown Landmark that summons a 2/2 Clockling after two rounds. If you received this power and play Frozen Thrall on turn one, you can play Draklorn Inquisitor on turn five and receive two 8/8s on the following turn, allowing you to level up Lissandra fairly easily.
In addition to these powers, previous powers were also buffed or adjusted.
- Flexible Gameplan: Start of game: Draw one. (used to draw one; and now one word)
- Out the Gates: Now an Epic rarity (used to be Rare).
- Manaflow: Now an Epic rarity (used to be Rare).
Try to get your Malphite cardback and complete the Legendary difficulty with each character now that LoR Patch 2.9.0 is live.
