Augment is a new keyword that was rolled out with the latest Legends of Runeterra expansion, Cosmic Creation. This new keyword focuses on Piltover and Zaun and encourages players to try out crazy combinations by empowering their units with different card stacks. Here are some of the best synergies to make your augmented units reach their true potential.
How does augment work?
Before we get into the best synergies, let’s get the basics out of the way. When a card with Augment is in play, whenever you play a created card, the unit with augment will gain +1/+0. A created card is a card that did not start in your deck. For example, the Hex Core Upgrade that Viktor generates every round is considered a created card and will give him this bonus whenever it is played.
What cards from Piltover and Zaun do I need?
The four Augment cards that will need to be in your deck are Viktor, Armed Gearhead, Ballistic Bot and Calculated Creations. Of these, the strongest augment card is Ballistic Bot. This 2 cost card creates a card for you that deals 1 damage to the nexus every round. The amount of value bought by this one card is limitless. Each time you use this spell, all of your augment units will gain 1 attack. Have two of these cards on the board and your attack strength will skyrocket.
Armed Gearhead is incredibly useful with Quick Attack; as long as you continue to upgrade this unit, the quick attack will ensure they will never lose when you have the attack token.
Assembly Bot can be expensive early in a game without much payoff. Once you begin to cast multiple spells per round, the +1/+1 per spell will cause this unit to be incredibly strong, especially with the number of spells that will be created by other units.
Viktor is not quite an end game Champion, but he rather furthers your buffs. Once you upgrade him, all created cards cost one less. At this point, however, his Hex Core Upgrade, which grants him a random keyword every round, will be free and should make him incredibly strong. If you combine this with Mechanized Mimic, this unit will gain every keyword that is on the board, meaning if you have 5 keywords created from the upgrade, the mimic will gain all of them permanently. While this is a solid payoff, the 5 mana cost on the mimic is a steep price to pay for a 3/3 unit.
Calculated Creations is a useful spell to ensure that you have augmented units in play, and if you already have one on the board, simply playing it gives you a buff.
Another spell that is necessary for the augment synergy is the Death Ray MK 1. This spell deals 1 damage and creates an upgraded version in the top 3 cards of your deck. The upgraded version of the spells will buff your augmented minions and keep consistent spell damage at your command, at least within three draws.
What regions will have the best synergies?
Targon
Targon is the best region for these synergies simply due to the invoke keyword that, like Augment, is only found in one region. Invoke allows you to add one of three celestial cards to your hand. These cards, since they did not start in your deck, are created cards. What you are looking for are units and spells that will constantly feed you new cards.
Since there are many more options in Targon, we can be picky about which cards work best. The first you will need is Zoe. Zoe not only creates Supercool Starchart when she attacks the nexus, but that card creates another card, providing twice the augment potential, not to mention the shared keywords she grants when she levels up. Zoe is a must-pick card.
The Solari and Lunari Priestesses are good choices as well. As the game goes on, you will need to play stronger minions, and Solari allows you to have a card ramp while also giving you more created cards. Considering you will almost always play at least two cards per round, the Lunari nightfall keyword will be activated as the game goes on. Keeping in the same vein as card ramp, Starshaping is a very useful card to have as well. Of course, your main focus should be on low-cost created spells; these stronger cards will be an added bonus.
Noxus
Noxus is especially useful for one champion and their keywords: Riven and reforge. Reforge is a keyword that grants the player a random Blade Fragment in their hand. This spell is created, and while it buffs a unit outright, it also triggers augment. The units with reforge constantly create opportunities to trigger augment.
You will want to add all of the reforge cards of Riven, Blade Squire, Runeweaver, and Weapon Hilt. Each of these will continuously give you more and more created blade fragments, and once you use all three, you’ll get the Blade of Exile, an even stronger created card. This would go on your strongest unit that you want to keep alive.
While the other cards are self-explanatory and only bring in one fragment, Riven has ramping potential by bringing in a fragment every time you have the attack token. This means even when you have rally, you’ll gain another fragment. Keeping Riven on the board and alive is what you will want to focus on.
Augment is an incredibly versatile keyword that can bring victory if it is played carefully. The main goal is building up your augment units, but keep in mind that if you don’t have other strong units to soak up a block, this strategy will fall flat.
