The first of three champions to join Legends of Runeterra: Rise of the Underworld has been revealed. Riot Games introduced Rek’Sai today, and as expected, she’ll continue adding onto the newly revealed Lurk mechanic.
Rek’Sai is a three-mana 3/6 Lurker champion unit with the Lurk keyword and an ability that triggers when she Lurks or declares an attack that boosts Lurker allies everywhere +1/+0, which is similar to what the new keyword does on its own. In addition to this power, she has a Round End ability that places her back into the deck. Rek’Sai reaches her level two form once she’s declared an attack with 10+ power.
Once she levels up, Rek’Sai creates three random Lurkers in your hand, gains +1/+1 in combat stats, keeps her Lurk keyword and attacking ability, and gains Overwhelm. In addition, she ditches her debilitating Round End ability that shuffles her into the deck.
Under most normal circumstances, the new Lurk keyword can only be activated once per turn. But due to the way Rek’Sai is worded, her declaring an attack or Lurking on top of the deck effect allows you to effectively double the amount of bonus power activations if she’s the focus.
With all of the recent reveals of cards that place cards on top of your deck (either through Predict or Call The Pack), you can help guarantee this consistency.
Compared to every other Lurker unit shown off so far, Rek’Sai has exceedingly good stats for her cost. Despite this strength, her Round End ability is a terrible one to have for both tempo and value. If she leaves the field and returns to your deck, you’ll be down on cards to either attack or defend with.
This means that you should try to level her up as soon as possible so that she loses her return ability. Aside from constantly lurking throughout the game, temporary attack buffs can help Rek’Sai reach that 10-power breakpoint she desperately needs to succeed.
Aside from Rek’Sai, two other cards were revealed today: Call The Pack and Xerxa’Reth, The Undertitan.
Call the Pack is a common two-mana Burst spell with Lurk that has you put a card from your hand on top of your deck to play it. Once the requirement has been met, you create two random Lurker followers in your hand. In addition, Call The Pack is Rek’Sai’s champion spell, so if you control her on the field, your other copies of Rek’Sai become this spell.
As a spell with Lurk, this utility card gives you the potential to boost your allies when you declare an attack if Call the Pack is on top of your deck. Once it’s in your hand, playing Call the Pack at Burst speed allows you to guarantee that a card with Lurk is on top of your deck when you declare an attack due to the cost associated with it.
Once cast, the quality of two random Lurkers will depend on what the final pool of these types of units looks like once the reveal season is finished. Right now, there are Lurkers with a lower cost associated with them and only a few that can be reliably played in the later stages of the game.
Xerxa’Reth, The Undertitan is a five-mana epic Lurker unit with 2/6 combat stats and the Lurk keyword, as well as a potent ability that has it gain Fearsome, Overwhelm, and SpellShield for the round when it declares an attack if it has eight or more power.
Xerxa’Reth is the second most expensive Lurker follower right now, but the ability that has it gain keywords that can bypass opponent’s defenses makes it a formidable threat if you can manage to activate Lurk enough throughout the entire game. Despite this strength, the Undertitan is vulnerable outside of the attacking stage since it loses its SpellShield once the round ends.
Rek’Sai will join the Shurima champion roster when LoR: Rise of the Underworld is released on June 30.
