Legends of Runeterra Lab of Legends Upgrade Explained

The Lab of Legends mode got its second upgrade in Legends of Runeterra Patch 2.9.0, which released on Wednesday. The upgrade brought a vast amount of new content, allowing players to experiment with five new champions and eighteen new powers in the mode.

In Lab of Legends, a mode loved by casual and competitive players alike, players go on a roguelike deckbuilding adventure against increasingly challenging AI decks, drafting cards, special powers, and items as they go. As an experimental single-player PvE mode, Lab of Legends has been extremely successful among the player base, with many players asking for more.

Legends of Runeterra Lab of Legends Upgrade Explained

In Patch 2.9.0, Riot Games added five new starting champions and their premade decks to Lab of Legends. The new champions include:

• Irelia
• Zilean
• Malphite
• Lissandra
• Fizz

To celebrate the addition of these new champions, a new reward has also been added. In addition to the unique icons you'll earn for completing a run with each of these champions for the first time, if you complete a run with all five of them, you'll receive a Malphite card back.

Furthermore, more champions have been added to the list of support champions you can draft into your deck. The following champions are now draftable:

• Sejuani
• Leona
• Yasuo
• Viktor

Patch 2.9.0 also brought a whopping 18 new powers into Lab of Legends, which are special passives that you'll gain three of in every run. The full list of new powers is as follows:

Common powers:

• Raiding Party: When you damage the enemy nexus, grant the top ally in your deck +1|+1.
• Clock Setter: Start of Game: Create 4 Time Bombs in your deck.
• Seat of Power: Start of Game: Summon Emperor's Dais.
• Endurance: When an ally survives damage, grant it +1|+1.
• Battlefield Training: Round Start: Grant the Weakest ally +1|+1.
• Crush: Allies have Overwhelm.
• Bouncing Blades: Round Start: Create a fleeting Blade's Edge in hand.
• Rush Them Down: When you summon an ally, give it +1|+1 this round.
• New Student: Start of Game: Summon Sparring Student.
• Thieves' Tools: When allies attack, Nab 1.

Rare powers:

• Slow But Steady: When you cast a slow spell, cast it again onto the same targets.
• Hold Them Off: Round Start: Frostbite the Strongest enemy this round.
• Vanguard Lookout: Game Start: Summon 2 Vanguard Lookouts.
• Welcome Gifts: When you summon an ally, grant it a random keyword.
• Terraforming: Start of Game: Summon a random landmark from your deck.

Epic powers:

• Sharing is Caring: When you summon an ally, grant its keywords to all allies.
• Rockbear Den: Start of Game: Summon a Hibernating Rockbear. When an ally landmark counts down to 0, create a Hibernating Rockbear in hand.
• Advanced Preparations: Start of Game: Create an Ancient Preparations in hand. Ally landmark completion effects activate twice.

Additionally, the common power Flexible Gameplan has been adjusted to: Start of Game: Draw 2.

Finally, Taliyah's deck in Lab of Legends has been upgraded, following complaints that she was underperforming. Exhaust, Aspiring Chronomancer, and Salt Spire have been removed from her deck, and replaced with Imagined Possibilities, Clockwork Curator, and Hibernating Rockbear. Taliyah herself also received a buff in Patch 2.9.0, going from a 2|4 when unleveled to 3|5. These changes, along with the landmark-specific powers added, should give Taliyah's deck a boost.

Unmentioned in the patch notes, Riot also implemented one small quality-of-life change. Players now have infinite rerolls when selecting their first power. There is no longer any need to reroll your first power by retiring and restarting the run repeatedly.

The upgrade to Lab of Legends came as a breather in the midst of a punishing metagame, and many players have turned to this mode to relax while waiting for the balance changes promised by Riot. It's no doubt a great mode to experiment, build crazy combos, and have a good time.