Riftbound: Deck Tech - Hold Master Yi - Upgraded with Set 2!

Today, we'll show you how to play Hold Master Yi with Master Yi Wuju Bladesman. This list in particular was ranked second of its group at the Ascension League Season 2.

This deck doesn't play Aurora. It is an upgraded version of set 1 aggressive archetypes with Master Yi.

Before we begin, however, let me introduce myself. My name is Total, and I used to cast Legends of Runeterra tournaments professionally. I covered all the official tournaments, including Worlds, and I am known for creating deck guides for LoR as well. Now, I am a part of the Riftbound community!

The main idea behind this deck is to conquer a battlefield as soon as possible and then defend it with just a single unit. Then, you'll protect that unit with your spells and combat tricks.

You'll win the game by holding battlefields and preventing your opponent from conquering them. You shouldn't struggle too much to do this because your main units can't be targeted by spells or abilities, or have Deflect.

This will disrupt their game plan considerably. They'll have to spend lots of resources to remove your units or set up a gigantic attack to deal with your Ruin Runner.

In set 1, Master Yi Wuju Bladesman was one of the most powerful Legends in the game. It was also in the best competitive Aurora list.

However, because set 2 has lots of Gear removals and cards that remove big units, Aurora will be quite weak.

So, a Master Yi list that leans more toward Green than Orange makes more sense for set 2. Green is one of the best colors when the matter is protecting units in showdowns, and this is the one mechanic this Legend focuses on.

With set 2, Master Yi will probably be more aggressive, but will still focus on holding battlefields, like the list we're exploring.

In Aurora lists, Master Yi Honed often came into play as your first unit in the game if you couldn't draw Aurora, but in this list he is a bit more proactive. He is one of the most important cards in the mid to late game, in fact.

He is your Mightiest unit, per se, and also the most expensive. As this list doesn't play ramp, Master Yi Honed only comes into play in emergencies. Such as, for instance, to conquer a battlefield at the end of the match if your opponent removes your units, or to checkmate the opponent and turn your advantage into a victory.

The Dreaming Tree is your main battlefield. It'll draw you cards throughout the match whenever you target allied units in battlefields for the first time.

The Arena's Greatest is truly great in this list because this archetype is aggressive and often struggles to finish matches against slower lists that control your board. Because of that, starting the game even 1 point ahead of your opponent is critical.

Obelisk of Power will boost you early on and speed up your game plan, even though your list doesn't play ramp.

Early Game

Your plan early on is to play cheap units, conquer a battlefield, and try to defend it.

Stalwart Poro is one of the best units for this strategy because it has 5 Might when it defends a battlefield.

However, Lonely Poro is usually discardable because it is best when it defends battlefields by itself and draws cards when it dies alone.

To help them defend those battlefields, use En Garde and Discipline.

Mid Game

Your units aren't great attackers, so you should use Charm to move enemy units out of battlefields so that you can then conquer them during the mid game.

Stellacorn Herder doesn't have a lot of stats, but it will draw cards for you.

Janna - Savior is an excellent unit, but it is a bit situational. It is great with Stellacorn Herder and guarantees your keywords are active in case your opponent manages to build a strong attack that can deal with your defenses. However, because Janna is a bit expensive, this deck only plays one copy of her. You should only play her in emergencies.

Navori Scout is one of your main win conditions because it has Deflect. It can come into play early and already be a huge threat to your opponent because it, by itself, defends with 6 Might. Your opponent will also have to recycle runes to play spells on it. This is a very important unit that will probably carry you through the mid game.

End Game

Your main finishers are Ruin Runner, Master Yi Honed, and any unit with Trinity Force.

Ruin Runner is immune to enemy spells and abilities that target her, and, as such, it will carry you in matchups that were impossible before (we'll explore this in more detail soon).

Trinity Force will speed up your main game plan and give you a win on the spot when you hold your seventh point. As for Primal Strength, it will, by itself, destroy any enemy defenses or assaults against your units.

This deck struggles against Annie at the beginning, but, as the game goes on, you'll eventually play Ruin Runner and Annie will lose on the spot. There is nothing Annie can do against this card except set up a strong attack, which usually won't work because this list is great at buffing units.

However, the Draven matchup is a bit complicated because this deck usually sets up very strong attackers that can deal with your defenses during the mid game.

You'll have an advantage against Ezreal if you find Navori Scout early. Ezreal can exhaust your defenses in the late game with his Watcher combo, but the advantage you create early on is often enough to win.

The Kai'Sa matchup is complicated, and both sides can win. You'll be a bit ahead if you find Ruin Runner or Navori Scout before Kai'Sa manages to dominate the board.

For now, we don't know much about the other matchups but, in theory, this deck will struggle against faster Green lists, like Ahri and Irelia. It will also struggle against slow Orange lists that play gigantic units, even though it does have the tools to deal with Aurora.

This sideboard centers around removing Gears or improving a few matchups.

Use Disarming Rake and Sabotage against Gear lists.

Unyielding Spirit is great against Kai'Sa and any deck that deals damage directly through spells and abilities.

Thwonk will be great against lists that attack a lot, like Draven.

Punch First is the best combat trick in this list, so use it wisely. It is very expensive. Save it for emergencies, like when your opponent spends lots of resources to try to attack you, or when you need to defend your Ruin Runner or Navori Scout.

Clockwork Keeper is a great way to draw cards if your hand is too heavy. This deck bricks occasionally, so you should keep this card in your opening hand as much as you can.

Tip: You can swap Disarming Rake or Clockwork Keeper for Akshan - Mischievous. Akshan is a bit more competitive and should make more sense in this list as the meta evolves.

If you read this far, thank you! I hope you enjoyed reading this article.

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See you next time!