League Of Legends Demons: Mastering The Demons Hand Card Game

For the bigger picture and full context, make sure you read our main guide on Demon Hand: A Slayers Grudge and Tragic End.

The thrill of League of Legends extends beyond the Rift with the emergence of unique, limited-time modes like Demon's Hand. This single-player roguelike card game challenges players to strategically use poker-like hands to defeat enemies, making understanding its nuances crucial for success.
At a glance:

• Learn the core mechanics of Demon’s Hand, including card combinations and attack strategies.
• Discover effective sigil synergies to optimize your deck and enhance your runs.
• Master the different game modes and unlock exclusive rewards.
• Understand enemy attack patterns and how to mitigate damage.

Understanding the Demon's Hand

Demon's Hand, a limited-time card game within League of Legends, puts you in the role of a strategic card player battling Atakhan's demonic forces. Success hinges on understanding the interplay between card combinations, sigils, and enemy attack patterns. Unravel the slayer's tragic story by exploring the broader narrative to grasp Atakhan’s motivations and the overall context of the event.

Core Mechanics: Attacks, Discards, and Critical Cards

The foundational elements of Demon's Hand revolve around building powerful card combinations to deal damage.

• Attack Phase: Each turn, you choose five cards from your hand of eight to form a poker-like hand. The stronger the hand, the more damage you inflict.
• Discard Phase: You have three discards per battle. Use them wisely to replace unwanted cards and improve your hand. Consider discarding less impactful cards like singletons (high cards) if you're aiming for a specific combination.
• Critical Cards: Pay close attention to cards with a glowing trim. These "Critical Cards" significantly boost your attack's damage, adding a multiplicative +25% damage for each critical card used.
  Example: A Triad (Three of a Kind) deals 80 base damage. Adding one Critical Card boosts it to 100 damage (80 * 1.25). Two Critical Cards result in 125 damage (80 * 1.25 * 1.25).

Dominating with Card Combinations

Knowing the damage output of each hand is key to making informed decisions. Here's a refresher:

Sigil Synergies: Crafting Your Winning Strategy

Sigils are modifiers that provide strategic advantages, and mastering them is essential for progressing through the game. They can be purchased in shops encountered on the map.

• Damage Sigils: Directly increase your damage output.
• Defense Sigils: Help mitigate incoming damage and increase survivability.
• Utility Sigils: Offer diverse benefits, from card manipulation to resource generation.
• Economy Sigils: Improve your ability to acquire more sigils and upgrades.
• Other Sigils: Unique effects that can dramatically alter your playstyle.
  Example: The "Reckless Abandon" sigil (Damage) could significantly increase damage output, but decrease health. It pairs well with "Unyielding Resolve" (Defense) that grants extra shield at the start of combat.
  Synergy Strategy: Experiment with different combinations to find what works best for your playstyle. Don't be afraid to sell sigils that no longer fit your strategy.

Navigating the Map: Battles, Shops, and Rest

The map in Demon's Hand has branching paths, each presenting different locations.

• Battles: The core of the game, where you fight common, elite, and boss enemies.
• Shops: Purchase Sigils to enhance your deck and strategy.
• Rest: Restore 40% of your missing health.
  Decision-Making: Carefully plan your route. Early on, prioritize battles to gain experience and resources. Later, balance battles with rest stops to maintain your health. When approaching the boss, ensure you have a strong sigil build and ample health.

Conquering the Game Modes: From Story to Demon

Each mode offers unique challenge and rewards.

• Story Mode: The starting point, offering a balanced challenge.
• Reward: RELEASE ME emote and 500 Battle Pass XP.
• Hard Mode: Increased difficulty, requiring a solid understanding of the game.
• Unlocked: Collect 8 Rare Sigils and clear Story Mode.
• Reward: a pre-update LeBlanc illustration profile icon and 250 BXP.
• Demon Mode: The ultimate test of skill and strategy.
• Unlocked: Collect 16 Rare Sigils and clear Hard Mode.
• Reward: The Demon's Hand profile icon and 250 BXP.
• Full Completion: Collect all 24 Rare Sigils and conquer Demon Mode.
• Reward: "The Demon's Hand" profile title and 250 BXP.
  Progression Tip: Focus on unlocking Rare Sigils by playing regular League of Legends games (Arena mode is particularly effective). Rare Sigils often offer powerful effects that can significantly improve your runs.

Understanding Enemy Attack Patterns

Enemies in Demon's Hand have unique abilities and attack patterns. Observe them carefully.

• Attack Coin: Each player attack reduces the coin value. When the coin reaches zero, the enemy attacks.
• Enemy Abilities: Some enemies have special abilities that can disrupt your strategy, such as reducing your hand size or inflicting status effects.
  Strategic Defence: Watch the Attack Coin. Sometimes it is better to have a weaker attack so that you can delay the enemy. Also, adapt your playstyle based on enemy abilities. If an enemy reduces your hand size, prioritize hands that require fewer cards, like "Dyad" (One Pair) or "Triad" (Three of a Kind).

Key Bindings: Streamlining Your Gameplay

Mastering the key bindings can significantly improve your efficiency.

• MB1/Left-click: Interact with game elements.
• Q: Sort cards by suit or rank. This is crucial for quickly identifying potential combinations.
• Space: Attack with selected cards.
• S: Discard selected cards.
• Esc: Access the menu.

Quick Answers: Clearing Up Common Questions

Q: How important are Rare Sigils compared to Common Sigils?
A: Rare Sigils often provide more powerful and unique effects than Common Sigils. While a strong build can be created with common sigils, unlocking and utilizing Rare Sigils will significantly increase your chances of success, especially in harder modes.
Q: Should I always prioritize the highest damage hand possible?
A: Not necessarily. Consider the Attack Coin and enemy abilities. Sometimes, a slightly weaker hand that delays the enemy's attack or avoids a negative status effect is the better choice.
Q: Is there a "best" sigil build?
A: No, there is no single best build. The optimal build depends on your playstyle, the enemies you face, and the sigils available. Experimentation and adaptation are key.

Your Demon's Hand Playbook: A Quick Start Guide

Here's a step-by-step approach to starting your Demon's Hand journey:

1. Start with Story Mode: Learn the basic mechanics and card combinations.
2. Unlock Rare Sigils: Play regular League of Legends games, prioritizing Arena for faster unlocks.
3. Experiment with Sigil Synergies: Try different combinations and find what works for you.
4. Adapt to Enemy Attack Patterns: Observe enemy abilities and adjust your strategy accordingly.
5. Conquer Hard Mode: Apply your knowledge and skills to overcome the increased difficulty.
6. Triumph in Demon Mode: Put your mastery to the ultimate test and claim the final rewards.
   Demon's Hand offers a compelling blend of strategy and chance within the League of Legends universe. By understanding the core mechanics, mastering sigil synergies, and adapting to enemy challenges, you can conquer the game and claim the well-deserved rewards.