Is Earth Rite Rune the New Meta Counterpick?
Over the past few days, Earth Rite Rune has been steadily rising in popularity. Many pro players and streamers have been testing out the archetype, showcasing its hidden potential and surprising performance in Ranked Matches.
Why the Sudden Surge in Popularity?
It all comes down to one simple reason: It absolutely destroys Aggro Abyss.
Earth Rite Rune combines a stable tempo-move in the early game with many removal and healing cards, and Ward followers. This makes it arguably the best anti-aggro archetype in the current meta.
Earth Rite Rune’s strength
- Stable early-game tempo with low-cost Earth Rite followers
2. Can easily remove enemy followers with Edelweiss and Perfumer
3. Ward followers deployed by Anne & Grea, and Juno
4. On Turn 6, Norman with healing or barrier-protected Ward followers to close the game.
Let’s not forget: Sagelight Teachings plus Norman can recover up to 36 health. That’s a brutal healing ability for aggro players.
Basic Strategy: Board Power Over Everything
Earth Rite Rune wins by flooding the board with powerful followers and forcing opponents to deal with them turn after turn.
Ideal Game Plan
Early Turns (1–3):
Play low-cost Earth Rite followers and accumulate Earth Sigils.
Turn 4/5 (with EP):
Drop Juno, granting a Crest and starting the golem summoning engine.
Turn 6–7:
Follow up with Norman or Kuon to crush the opponent with the board power .
Turn 8+:
If there’s an opening, drop Lilanthim as a preparation to close the game while also considering a lethal plan with Odin.
Personal Experience
I built and tested the deck myself in the ranked matches, and I have to say—it’s a blast to play. The archetype feels excitingly powerful, especially when dealing with aggro. That said, it’s not without weaknesses. Against slower midrange or control decks, your threatening boards can be wiped clean in a single turn. You also risk running out of Earth Sigils before closing the game.
Still, when it comes to facing aggro, Earth Rite Rune has one of the best win rates I’ve seen this season.
Spell or Earth Rite?
If we’re talking about raw power and consistency, Spell Rune still has the edge. Its flexible control potential and late-game combo (Dimension Climb + Ruler of Cocytus) makes it a menacingly powerful archetype especially against control decks.
But the key difference lies in matchups:
- Spell Rune shines against control but struggles against aggro
- Earth Rite Rune dominates aggro but could be disadvantageous against slower midrange decks with abundant removal cards.
In other words, Runecraft players now have the luxury of choosing their archetypes based on the ranked match meta.
A Beloved Archetype, Reborn
I’ve always loved Earth Rite Rune, ever since the original Shadowverse. Back then, it focused more on burn and Storm damage. The new Earth Rite’s concept seems to be solid board pressure with ward golems.
Even in its current form, the deck is a ton of fun to play. And with more expansions on the horizon, I can’t wait to see how it evolves in the future. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on its growth, and maybe refining my own build along the way.
Thanks for reading!
Image Source: Shadowverse Worlds Beyond Official Site
Comments