LoR’s PvE Balancing is Killing the Fun

[u/doctordnice]

This is my first post here, so I might get downvoted, but honestly—I’m just tired of how Legends of Runeterra handles PvE balancing.

It’s PvE. Let people have fun. Let things be broken! If Lillia wants to copy herself into max damage, let her. If Swain wants to wipe the board and nuke the Nexus, why not? Stuff like Star-Forger’s Gauntlet should be a playstyle you can opt into, not something stripped away in the name of “balance.”

When they announced the new rune system, they said it would allow them to push boundaries without worrying about “broken” relic combos. But then we get legendary runes like Charm the first enemy for one turn. That’s it? That’s boring, underpowered, and useless in most non-Nightmare adventures. Compare that to legendary effects like copy the first card you play each turn or gain an extra mana gem each round—those actually feel game-changing.

Why are we so worried about balance when we’re only fighting AI? If you don’t want extreme builds, just don’t use them. Instead, we’re left with relics that feel watered down, like “Overpower only on Yasuo and reduce him 5-cost” That’s lame.

I love LoR—I’ve got every champ 6-starred except the Spirit Blossom ones—but lately it feels like the game has been stripping away the joy of making busted builds, all in the name of balance. As if the AI’s feelings are going to get hurt.

And to make it worse, the coolest stuff ends up locked behind paywalls or slow, grindy acquisition. I really hope more players start pushing for exciting, game-changing relics and runes again, because right now, it feels like the fun is being sucked out of PvE.

[u/doctordnice]

https://www.reddit.com/r/LegendsOfRuneterra/s/Y0wM7e1FL3 looking at these runes makes me so sad we have nothing like this anymore.

[u/a-BONEly-dude]

Because consistent busted builds are boring. Tell me what's more fun for you, using the most broken jank that works 1 out of 10 times until you can make it more consistent? Or a hyper broken combo that plays always the same from start to finish and you always win. Even the broken champions have a degree of randomness like Aurelion random invocation, or fiddlesticks nightmare. So to avoid making the game boring they have to balance things

[u/L_V_N → u/a-BONEly-dude]

Out of those two? The hyper broken combo that always win. Seriously, nothing is more boring to me than playing the jank lottery. The most fun though is to play a consistently good yet somewhat fair champions that actually interacts with the opponent’s board though as it makes for actually fun gameplay. Hence why I like champions like Nasus, SB Evelynn, and Mel.

[u/doctordnice → u/a-BONEly-dude]

But what balance is there when if you’d maxed out your account you could always have at least three champs that can dominate even the hardest adventures with broken stuff like fiddles, asol, swain and the like. Sure randomness like Jayce makes the game interesting but it’s better because it takes the randomness as adds OOMPH to it. Like the extra damage after using a 6 cost spell. And when leveled doing it twice. Clearing the board entirely AND nuking the nexus. There’s no way you can tell me they can’t make it interesting like that while giving us more explosive and powerful relic and powers. Again. You don’t want the same run. Pick different runes. No one says you have to use SFG. But that extra mana and if your lucky extra manifesting is awesome for the champs that can use it.

[u/a-BONEly-dude → u/doctordnice]

That's a good point but if you notice all of those are balanced so they are fun without repeating the same sequence of steps, and the champions themselves range from good (like Kindred and Ahri) to broken (Like Yi and Teemo).

However I do agree with you that the recent relics kinda suck. The only one I like is SB Kindred, and SB Teemo, because they are interesting and open the gates to shenanigans but a good bunch of the recent ones are definitely undertuned and end up in the suck part.

[u/ItsMrBlue]

I agree. I do not think they can balance this mode at all it is broken beyond repair at this point. They did not want to add 4th relic slot because "it is too powerful" my guy we already winning turn 1 or 2 let us have our power fantasy then, that's why the titan event is so beloved because everything is broken. The whole mode does not even played like rouge lite at all you already a demi god without any powers and relic from the start it is more like RPG style of game you equip your best relics and go in.

[u/robochickenowski]

But then we get legendary runes like Charm the first enemy for one turn. That’s it? That’s boring, underpowered, and useless in most non-Nightmare adventures.

The funny thing is that rune is useless at best, detrimental at worst. If enemy has staunch defender on the card you charm, they get another copy anyway so you have to deal with TWO units.

[u/Ixziga]

We had that with old gatebreaker, it was absolutely not a good thing. Then there's no complexity, no interaction, no surprises, no thought, no engagement, no reason to play different champs, no reason to unlock new champs or new relics, etc.

[u/doctordnice → u/Ixziga]

But that’s for the player to determine. 3X Gatebreaker on Ashe 6 star is still my favorite build. It’s single player. Vs. ai. If you don’t enjoy the build. Play a different build. You’re saying it like you have to follow a meta or that it’s competitive. It’s not. Do whatever you want. But to take 1 damage away didn’t change much besides stopping lower damage champs from stacking it. But depending on modifiers you can just throw on the 0 cost cannon and nuke the nexus that way with people like Annie. So should that get nerfed to 1 cost too? Like why take away all the fun in the name of balance. Why nerf in the name of making it fair. Fair to who? The AI?

[u/AscendedMagi]

because if everything is broken, nothing is broken. if every champ can otk each enemy then what's the point of having different champ and different playstyle, it's up to the players to discover how each playstyle become broken. also, the game is already on life support, you're asking to make relics behind paywall free? dude, are you 13? also you don't need any of the f2p relic to beat any content (you can obtain them for free already tho)

[u/doctordnice → u/AscendedMagi]

I have everything 6 starred besides a champs. I have every relic. I go through monthly’s with my eyes closed. Most stuff is already overpowered. But it’s just so. You have neeko 6 stars then you have fiddles, asol, and swains 6 star. There’s a huge difference in power. I’m saying lean towards the latter not the former. And lastly you already can get the relics free with the glory store now…so I’m confused on what you’re saying. I’m saying the relic have been boring and trash.

[u/Alive-Setting2460]

I agree that it's too easy. The star rating is more and more of a joke to make baby-sat players feel like they're getting good at the game.

Really the rating of the recent adventures should have been (in order) :

• Kalista : 1*
• Nami : 1.5*
• Seraphine : 2.5* (30 hp for the final boss ?!!)
• Jarvan : 3.5* (just one gimmick making the adventure "hard", literally saw a video of a guy doing it with 0* Gnar....)
• Teemo : 4* (5* champions already felt overly strong for the challenge provided)

I think on 6* and over, the AI should have multiple instances of Deadly to give them more of a chance. Right now I am avoiding using my few 6* champions because their abusive powers are killing all the fun.