Ranked is where Legends of Runeterra gets competitive. Instead of casual matchmaking, you climb a ladder of tiers from Iron up to Master, earning rating for wins and learning the matchups that decide close games. This guide explains how the ranked system works and the habits that actually move you up the ladder.
The Ranked Tiers
The ladder is divided into tiers, and every tier below Master is split into four divisions (IV is the lowest, I is the highest). You advance by earning League Points (LP) for wins; reach the top of a division and you promote to the next one.
| Tier | Structure |
|---|---|
| Iron | Divisions IV to I – the entry tier |
| Bronze | Divisions IV to I |
| Silver | Divisions IV to I |
| Gold | Divisions IV to I |
| Platinum | Divisions IV to I |
| Diamond | Divisions IV to I – the last divisional tier |
| Master | No divisions – a single pool ranked on a leaderboard by LP |
Placements and LP
Everyone starts at the bottom of the ladder in Iron IV; LoR has no placement matches. From there the system is straightforward: win a game and you gain LP, lose and you shed some. Fill a division’s LP bar and you promote; lose at zero LP and you can drop a division. Your goal each session is simply a positive win rate – even a 55 percent rate climbs steadily over time.
Seasonal Resets
Ranked runs in seasons that last a couple of months. At the start of a new season your rank is soft-reset – you drop down some so the ladder re-sorts, but a strong previous finish places you higher than a brand-new climber. Seasons typically award end-of-season rewards based on the highest tier you reached, so it is worth pushing as high as you can before the reset.
How to Climb
The fundamentals matter more than any single deck:
- Pick one or two decks and learn them deeply. Knowing every line in your deck beats constantly chasing the newest list.
- Mulligan with a plan. Keep a hand you can actually play on curve; throw back cards that are dead in the early game.
- Respect the attack token. Plan your aggressive turns for when you hold the token and your defensive turns for when you do not.
- Know your win condition. Every game, ask how this deck closes, and play toward that rather than just turn by turn.
- Review your losses. Most ladder losses come from a few repeated mistakes; fixing those is faster than switching decks.
When you are choosing what to pilot up the ladder, see our deck builds guide for the core archetypes.