Leona brings the light to Legends of Runeterra

With the release of Legends of Runeterra’s latest expansion, Call of the Mountain, out in less than a week, Riot Games is continuing its slow champion reveal with Leona, the Radiant Dawn. Leona joins the new Targon region along with the new Daybreak keyword ability and several spells, though how much of an impact they will have on the game is uncertain.

 

Leona shines with Legends of Runeterra’s latest ability, Daybreak

Daybreak is a new mechanic that checks to see if it was the first card its controller has played each turn. If it is the first card, that card gains an added effect. When played first, Leona will stun the strongest unit when her Daybreak ability triggers. Once she levels up, she stuns the strongest unit whenever another Daybreak ability triggers. She’s not great, but not terrible either. Her strongest aspect might be her stats, as a 4 mana 3/5 is pretty solid.

Leona’s champion spell, Leona’s Guiding Light, is a little more impressive, granting allied followers +2/+2. If its own Daybreak ability is triggered, it then activates all other Daybreak abilities. It is very dependent on the board state and what other units the player has out. Three other spells were revealed alongside Leona, but they’re not that great. The best spell of the three is Guiding Light, and that’s mostly because it’s a cantrip that also happens to gain 2 life. Being in the Targon region, however, might limit its playability with champions like Ezreal who want more spells in a deck.

Since Leona and her Daybreak ability will likely guarantee a free stun on turn 4, she could pair nicely with Yasuo. Constantly taking out strategic units between Ionia stun spells and Leona could allow a solid tempo list to form. Recalling your own Leona after combat and recasting next turn might be a legitimate play for some stun shenanigans.

The Solari devote themselves to the sun—and are blessed by its light. New Keyword—Daybreak: Bonus if this is the first card you play in a round. pic.twitter.com/LyrZhRcr0x

— Legends of Runeterra (@PlayRuneterra) August 19, 2020

While Riot Games has revealed only a few other spells with the Daybreak ability, it may need some more unique spells to ensure it’s a viable strategy. Whether or not it will get the support it needs or will have to wait until the next expansion is yet to be seen. Call of the Mountain is set to release on August 26 for PC and Mobile version of Legends of Runeterra.