Legends of Runeterra

Get ready for the LoR Masters Europe: Chronicles of Bandlewood!

Aug 25, 2021

Throughout the past year, Legends of Runeterra’s official competitive scene has flourished and provided ample opportunity for players from all over the world to prove their worth and fight for the ultimate card slinging glory. For most regions, the ranked ladder and the end of season tournaments are the bread and butter of the competitive ecosystem, but the European region is also home to a truly unique tournament series - Legends of Runeterra Masters Europe.

LoR Masters Europe is a multi-week, sixteen country, 3v3 European showdown that pits the best players in Europe against each other and tests the limits of their deck building innovation, lineup strategy and team play.

Although Portugal was the first country to claim the title of European Champions back in November of last year, Turkey’s “GRANRODEO”, “Uçan Protein”, and “Fight4Revenge” put on an exemplary display of skill and teamwork during the second edition of LoR Masters Europe held this past summer, ultimately sweeping Finland in the finals and taking home the championship title.

Today, we’re very excited to announce the return of the innovative European Tournament series: Legends of Runeterra Masters Europe - Chronicles of Bandlewood! The qualification period will begin today alongside the launch of Runeterra’s new region, Bandle City!

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The Bandlewood Brawl

The home of the Yordles is truly shrouded by mystery, with whispered tales of hidden gateways and unseen pathways offering access to a land full of magic and curious enchantment. The journey to Bandle City would prove impossible for most adventurers, and Europe’s top nations will have to carefully assemble the right team to embark on this perilous quest.

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Before the tournament begins, the ladder qualification process will take place. Players will have until 00:01 CEST on September 16th to reach the highest rank and LP possible. This will not only help boost their country to be among the top sixteen ranked nations but will also help ensure the player is among the top three highest-ranked players representing their country.

The highest-rated player’s LP will be the deciding factor for a country’s qualification, but the average LP of a qualified country’s three best players will be the deciding factor for the group stage seeding. Throughout the following week, we will determine a finalised list of participants before announcing the final participants and countries represented before the first day of the group stages, which will be held on September 23rd.

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A few changes have been made to the tournament roadmap for this new edition of the LoR Masters Europe tournament series. Group stage fixtures will be played throughout two weeks, with the last group stage day set for October 1st. Once the group stage concludes, the top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the Quarter-finals held on October 8th. The LoR Europe Masters - Chronicles of Bandlewood champion will be crowned on October 10th, with both the Semi-Finals and Grand Final taking place on this day!

Format

The team stage will begin with the sixteen teams seeded into four groups of four teams based on their performance during the ladder stage. Within each group, teams will play each other twice in a double round-robin format. The group stage will conclude once each team has played six matches, at which point, the top two teams in each group will advance to the quarter-finals. 

Each team will consist of three players, and players will always be in constant communication throughout their tournament preparation and even during the matches themselves. Teams will come together starting with Day 1 of the Group Stage, and the chosen lineup of decks will be used for that match day, with teams having the chance to adjust and change their lineup and strategy between match days. Matches in the group stage will be best-of-threes, with teams having the chance to ban specific champions from their opponent’s lineup, making the utilization of champions in more than a single deck a risky move. After winning a match with a deck, teams may not play that deck for the remainder of the series and must change to another one of their available decks.

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LoR Masters Europe has quickly become a beloved tournament series among Runeterra’s competitive community, and we constantly strive to make it the best possible experience for the participating players. The second edition saw improvements to the lineup building requirements, pick and ban phase, as well as a more even prize pool distribution. The major change for this edition of the tournament comes in the form of the tournament timeframe, which has been condensed down to three weeks. In terms of the qualification period, the requirement for ten matches to be played each week no longer applies for LoR Masters Europe - Chronicles of Bandlewood. 

The ruleset for LoR Masters Europe - Chronicles of Bandlewood will go largely unchanged from the last edition of this tournament, but some minor tweaks might occur and will be communicated throughout the coming weeks. If you still have any questions or doubts about the LoR Europe Masters - Chronicles of Bandlewood, be sure to check out the FAQ below and join the tournament’s official Discord server here.

FAQ

Do I have to be in Master rank to compete?
Yes. Unlike in previous tournaments, all three players must be in Masters for a country to be eligible for qualification for the group stage of LoR Masters Europe - Chronicles of Bandlewood.

Where do I apply?
There is no need for you to apply for this tournament. Simply queue up on “ranked play” and help your country qualify as one of the top sixteen nations by reaching the highest ladder rank you can. If you want to stay up to date with the latest news, updates, and tournament info, make sure to join the tournament Discord Channel here.

What is the minimum amount of ranked ladder matches I can play?
Unlike in previous LoR Masters Europe tournaments, no minimum requirement of ranked matches will be implemented in the ruleset.

Can I play from my phone?
Yes, of course!

I’m a citizen of X country but living in Y country?
To be eligible to represent a country in the LoR Masters Europe you must qualify as a legal resident of that nation at least one year before the tournament’s starting date.

What if I don’t want to play or I won’t be able to participate?
Our place will be given to the next-highest ranked player and then we’ll recalculate and check if your country remains in the top sixteen nations who are qualified to compete in the final stages of the tournament.

How will I know if I’ve qualified?
We will use a ladder snapshot to determine all players who are eligible to compete once the ladder qualification has ended. The ladder snapshot will come to an end at precisely 00:01 CEST on September 16th, 2021.

Where can I find the full ruleset?
Group Stage details and the full ruleset will be revealed on the official LoR Masters Europe website very soon, so keep an eye on the website.

Is this Legends of Runeterra Worlds?
No, LoR Masters Europe is a separate regional tournament series.

Do I have to stream my games?
During the ladder phase, there is no obligation to do so. During the group phase and beyond, you’ll need to stream your games to our tech team so they can produce the broadcast, but you won’t be able to stream them yourself.

Where can I watch the tournament?
The tournament will be broadcast in English on Twitch and Youtube. Stay tuned on our social media channels for more information regarding broadcasts in other languages as we approach the start of the tournament!

What is the Prize Pool?
LoR Masters Europe: Chronicles of Shurima will have a total prize pool of $24,000 distributed among the top 8 national teams:

1st Place: $12,000

2nd Place: $6,000

3rd Place: $2,000

4th Place: $1,200

5th to 8th Places: $600

How can I be a part of the broadcast team?
Our casting team is already locked in for most languages (and will be announced soon) but if you’d like to do a fan cast of the tournament on your Twitch channel please write to [email protected] and let’s discuss this possibility!