Annie Takes Over Houston! Is She the New Best Deck?

In this episode of Battlefield Breakdown, Blevins dives deep into the Houston Regional Qualifier, the first and last major Origins-only Riftbound event in NA before the 2026 season.

🔥 The Day 1 & Day 2 Meta
Kai'Sa and Master Yi led initial representation, but Annie spiked to the #3 slot, surprising many. Players brought decks aiming for Best-Of Prizing, shaping their deck choices.

🏆 Top 8 Highlights
Annie dominated, putting four copies in the Top 8. Master Yi proved Aurora is NOT dead — featuring transformational sideboards that can switch between Aurora and non-Aurora versions. Sett completely disappeared, with zero copies making Day 2 or Top 8.

🧠 Deep Strategy Discussion
Why Rebuke is becoming essential in Annie lists.
How midrange setups from Master Yi stabilized the bracket.
Why Annie, despite being explosive and consistent, still struggles into certain matchups.

🎯 Takeaways
Houston showcased a surprisingly diverse and exciting Origins meta.
Could Annie dethrone Kai'Sa? Too early to call — but the pressure is on.

If you love Riftbound competitive insights, make sure to subscribe — and drop your Houston takes in the comments for the next mailbag episode!

======= DECKLISTS =======
1. https://piltoverarchive.com/decks/vie...
2. https://piltoverarchive.com/decks/vie...
3. https://piltoverarchive.com/decks/vie...

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