Gauntlet is coming back in Legends of Runeterra with the singleton spin this time. This mode is going to be useful especially for new players, as you can get your daily wins while banking up XP. And if you manage to get seven wins, you’re in for a boatload of XP! In this article, we’ll showcase two budget decks that we had great success with and tips & tricks on how to play them in a singleton format.
What’s the Singleton Gauntlet in Legends of Runeterra?
The first thing to know about singleton is that you have to throw synergy out the window. Well, that’s kind of a myth. It’s true that you can’t rely on synergistic cards, but you don’t have to toss away synergy. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, as the saying goes. Try to pick cards that are good on their own, and even better if you have synergy for them. Now let’s take a look at the decks that we’ll recommend you for the singleton format Gauntlet in Legends of Runeterra.
First Deck for singleton Gauntlet
The first deck we’re going to show is a combination of Freljord and Bilgewater. These two regions are already a good pair in constructed play, so naturally, they pair well in singleton. Right away you will see two themes, Frostbite and Plunder. It’s because these two themes have a lot of support and feature several cards that are good on their own, despite being part of an archetype.
Deck Code: CEAAAAYUAIDACBIIBMIREFAVCYOB2IBBEIWTCOR4HU7BAAIBAEBQIBYIBEFRMHI6EYTSSKRQGICAEAICAYDQU
Champions for this deck
Now let’s talk about the champions (don’t worry if you don’t have some of these, we’ll put replacements for those champions as well).
Ashe
Ashe is a powerhouse in this deck and you can reliably get her thanks to cards like Entreat and Babbling Bjerg. She’s also fairly simple to level up. We levelled her up consistently and won a couple of matches thanks to that.
Sejuani & Gangplank
Sejuani and Gangplank are also pretty easy to level up thanks to cards like Crackshot Corsair, Monkey Idol, Warning Shot, Parrrley, and units with overwhelm. Remember to play Monkey Idol during your attack turn, that way your Powder Monkeys will damage the enemy nexus during their turn.
Miss Fortune, Braum & Tryndamere
Miss Fortune, Braum, and Tryndamere are fantastic cards and require no real support. Tryndamere is easy to level up as all he needs is to die. Don’t worry about levelling Miss Fortune and Braum, both are great right off the bat!
Combos to use in this deck
Frostbite goes great with vulnerable effects. For example, use Ye Been Warned on one of your opponent’s units. Then use Flash Freeze and kill it with one of your own units. Be wary of your opponent’s buff cards when going for these kinds of combos!
There’s a ton of plunder support in this deck, most of which we mentioned when talking about Sejuani and Gangplank. The two best plunder cards are Black Market Merchant and Pilfered Goods. You may be thinking that they were nerfed, but while their constructed playability was hurt severely, their Gauntlet (especially singleton) playability remains strong. Your opponent is playing a singleton deck too, so stealing a one-of-a-kind card in their deck is huge! Imagine taking a The Ruination from your opponent. Or taking their one copy of Thermogenic Beam? These cards are still great in singleton Gauntlet.
Mulligans in the 1st deck
This deck is essentially tempo, so you want to start with a good curve. Some cards that are auto keep are:
Omen Hawk
It’s considered the best one-drop in the game for a reason. It’ll let you get on the board soon while powering up to two units.
Black Market Merchant/Pilfered Goods
Either one is good. Get both together and victory is almost certain.
Avarosan Hearthguard
This one’s a risky keep, but it’s a fantastic five-drop that buffs the rest of your deck.
Ashe/Braum/Miss Fortune
Any of these cards is a keep, but try not to keep two of them. That will mess up your curve.
Jagged Butcher/Crackshot Corsair
If you didn’t get an Omen Hawk, either of these will do just fine.
Champion Replacements for this deck
Now let’s talk about the potential replacements for champions if you don’t have any of these.
Miss Fortune
Starlit Seer or Avarosan Marksman. The former can buff your units, the latter could potentially remove a threat.
Ashe/Braum
Rimefang Wolf, Wolfrider, and even Bull Elnuk could replace these. These two champions are the hardest to replace.
Gangplank/Sejuani
Ursine Spiritwalker, Icy Yeti, and Scarmother Vrynna are all worthy replacements.
Tryndamere
Alpha Wildclaw, The Tuskraider, and She Who Wanders. This is the easiest champion to replace.
With that, we are done with our first budget deck for the singleton Gauntlet in Legends of Runeterra. Let’s move on to the second one.
Second Deck for singleton Gauntlet
The second deck is much more budget than the first. This time we combine Ionia with Demacia. This deck only has two cards that require synergy to really be effective – Eye of the Dragon and Deep Meditation. But because this deck runs 17 spells with the majority costing three or less, getting those two cards to work is more of a breeze than you’d think.
Deck Code: CEAAABARAEAAMCIKBQGQ6FI2DUQCKJZLGIZTINQQAEBAECIKBQJROHBAEESSMKRRGQ3TSAYCAABAOCIEAIBAGBIJBI
Champions for this deck
Shen
This deck only runs three champions. Shen is excellent in this deck. There are a total of 7 cards (not counting Shen himself) that can give barrier. However, levelling Shen up isn’t really all that exciting. Very rarely will you have something to capitalize on Shen’s levelled up effect. But unleveled Shen is fantastic on his own, especially when combined with cards like Fleetfeather Tracker, Greenglade Caretaker, Swiftwing Lancer, Garen, and Zed.
Zed
Speaking of Zed, use him to apply pressure and force out blocks. Try to always drop him on turn three (if you’re attacking) and watch out if you’re facing a Piltovar and Zaun deck as Mystic Shots and Thermogenic Beams can kill Zed easily.
Garen
There’s not much to say on Garen really. He’s just a solid 5-drop that’s hard to remove. If you have a wide, offensive board and manage to level up Garen, you pretty much win the match.
Combos to use in the deck
This deck doesn’t run specific combos. Most cards can work with pretty much any other card. Brightsteel Formation and Cithria the Bold can work with any unit – just try to at least have two units to capitalize more. You can buff any card with Jeweled Protector and get value out of it. And Minah Swiftfoot could help you either secure a game or turn things around in your favor. This deck is very straightforward. Not only is it budget but it’s also beginner friendly.
Mulligans in the 2nd deck
Once again your objective will be to go for a good curve.
Zed/Shen
If you have a choice between the two, then Zed is the pick. Either way, both are fine keeps.
Any 1-drop
Anything that costs 1 mana is a keep. But don’t keep two 1-drops in your opening hand. You want a good curve, after all.
Deny/Will of Ionia
Keep one of these depending on the matchup. Keep Deny if you think they might have powerful removal. If you think they might have really strong mid-game units, keep Will of Ionia.
Shadow Assassin
This one might seem odd, but card draw in singleton Gauntlet is very strong. So if you already have a 1-drop, feel free to keep Shadow Assassin.
Eye of the Dragon
Only keep this card if you have cards like Ki Guardian, Chain Vest, and Retreat in your opening hand.
Champion Replacements for this deck
Let’s look at the potential champion replacements for this deck.
Zed
Senna, Sentinel of Light is the best replacement. Alternatively, you could go for a Lucian if you have him.
Shen
Scales of the Dragon or Laurent Bladekeeper will do. If you have a Quinn or Fiora, they could do well too.
Garen
A Vanguard Cavalry will do fine in case you don’t have Garen.
This concludes the two decks we wanted to showcase for the upcoming singleton Gauntlet in Legends of Runeterra. We hope they help you as much as they helped us! Remember to not rely on synergy, but go for it when the opportunity presents itself. Good luck with the Gauntlet!
That’s it for the best budget decks for singleton Gauntlet in Legends of Runeterra. Did you find this article helpful? Do you prefer any other decks? Let us know in the comment section below!
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