IntroductionImage by Riftbound ReportMel's base kit has been completely revealed. Today, we'll go through her cards to show you how her archetype looks quite promising but might not actually amount to anything relevant.Though her signature spell will certainly be one of the strongest cards in the game, Mel will probably not be all that powerful because of how her legend and her champion unit work.Mel - Soul’s ReflectionRating: ★★☆☆☆So far, this is one of the weakest legends in this set. That's mainly because Riot hasn't released any interesting Empower card in these colors that can interact with Mel's effect consistently.This is definitely the weakest card in her kit.You'll have to rely on your main deck cards or your champion unit to activate your legend's ability. All the other Empower legends in this set activate their effects all by themselves.Despite everything, her colors are quite competitive, and she can find a really good spot in the meta if the next cards Riot reveals address these issues.It seems like this deck will be like both Diana and Ezreal, a middle ground between the two.Another detail about this card is that we can use it to counter certain decks or colors, as we'll see soon when we go through Mel's champion unit.Mel - Newly AwakenedRating: ★★★★☆This is probably the champion unit you'll play in your champion zone. It's cheap, and its Empower effect will probably be the center of this archetype.It prevents the opponent from countering your spells, and whenever you give a unit -1 Might, you'll give it another -1 Might.This card makes it clear that Mel's archetype will center around countering green decks, purple decks, and even orange decks. It's a bit slow, but its effect is quite strong, and, if ignored, it will certainly destroy any deck in these colors.In the next meta, you probably won't even have to activate this card's Empower effect most of the time. You'll play it to draw a card, cycle through your deck, and keep a unit in play to score points.When we tested Mel and her cards, this card proved to be extremely slow in the main deck, so we believe it will only see play in the champion zone.Mel - Defiant SoulRating: ★★★☆☆This is a pretty interesting unit. It has a relatively cheap Empower effect that will help you clear the opponent's board.Though it is a simple, single-use effect, it might be one of the most consistent ways to activate your legend's ability. After all, Mel Defiant Soul's Empower only forces you to discard one card.Still, this unit has bad stats, so it doesn't perform all that well in combat and will probably struggle to defend and attack.On the other side, it doesn't cost any Power and can completely destroy strategies centered around Deathknell, like LeBlanc, and even strategies that use Scuttle Crab.We gave this card an average rating because it's hard to predict whether it will really see play. If so, then it will play an important role in Mel's deck. But, if the meta isn't even a little bit favorable to her, this card will probably not see any play at all, which would certainly lower its rating.RebuttalRating: ★★★★★This will probably become the best card in the game. Rebuttal is the spell that will keep Mel's dream alive and possibly make her a competitive strategy.This card can win games out of absolutely nowhere, dismantle strategies completely, and destroy entire game plans.It's a dangerous spell. If Mel ends up becoming a strong strategy, this card might define the meta for a long time and disable specific strategies completely. It might push a few decks out of the meta entirely.Lists that use Punch First, Falling Star, Discipline, Rebuke, or any other signature spell that costs 4 or less might struggle a lot against Mel. This card, by itself, can change the way we build our lists and see the meta.What to Expect From This ArchetypeSo far, Mel looks quite promising, but it doesn't seem like she has what it takes. Her kit does include the best card in the game, but her lists don't look too consistent, and her legend's effect is extremely weak.The reveal season is far from over, though. Maybe Riot still has few cards to reveal that will complement Mel's strategy and give it a real identity.Nowadays, Mel does seem like a worse version of Ezreal and Diana with plays that are much more expensive and that make piloting her a lot more difficult.We still don't know whether these will be slow control lists or dynamic midrange strategies, like Diana. What we know is that Mel has a lot of potential and could take the meta by assault.What this deck needs is a consistent way to activate the legend's effect or a cheap card that interacts with the Empower champion units.Let's wait and see what the future holds for Mel because, so far, she is roaming the lower tiers, promising a lot and delivering nothing.Final WordsWhat do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.Don't forget to share.Thank you for reading, and see you next time!
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